Bark Thickness and Heights of the Bark Transition Area of Scots Pine

The estimation of forest biomass is gaining interest not only for calculating harvesting volumes but also for carbon storage estimation. However, bark (and carbon) compounds are not distributed equally along the stem. Particularly when looking at Scots pine, a radical change in the structure of the bark along the stem can be noted. At the bark transition area, the bark changes from thick and rough to thin and smooth. The aim of our study was (1) to analyze the height of the bark transition area where the bark structure changes and (2) to analyze the effect of cardinal direction on the bark thickness. Regression analyses and forward selection were performed including measured tree height, DBH, bark thickness, crown base height and upper and lower heights of the bark transition areas of 375 trees. While the cardinal direction had no effect on bark thickness, DBH was found to have a significant effect on the heights of the bark transition areas, with stand density and tree height having a minor additional effect. These variables can be used to estimate timber volume (without bark) with higher accuracy and to predict the carbon storage potential of forest biomass according to different tree compartments and compounds.

Physiological and Transcriptomic Variability Indicative of Differences in Key Functions Within a Single Coral Colony

Polyps in different locations on individual stony coral colonies experience variation in numerous environmental conditions including flow and light, potentially leading to transcriptional and physiological differences across the colony. Here, we describe high-resolution tissue and skeleton measurements and differential gene expression from multiple locations within a single colony of Stylophora pistillata, aiming to relate these to environmental gradients across the coral colony. We observed broad transcriptional responses in both the host and photosymbiont in response to height above the substrate, cardinal direction, and, most strongly, location along the branch axis. Specifically, several key physiological processes in the host appear more active toward branch tips including several metabolic pathways, toxin production for prey capture or defense, and biomolecular mechanisms of biomineralization. Further, the increase in gene expression related to these processes toward branch tips is conserved between S. pistillata and Acropora spp. The photosymbiont appears to respond transcriptionally to relative light intensity along the branch and due to cardinal direction. These differential responses were observed across the colony despite its genetic homogeneity and likely inter-polyp communication. While not a classical division of labor, each part of the colony appears to have distinct functional roles related to polyps’ differential exposure to environmental conditions.

Can perception be extended to a “feel of North”? Tests of automaticity with the NaviEar

This study investigated the potential for the development of a new perceptual experience through sustained training with a sensory augmentation device. For this purpose, we developed (1) a new sensory augmentation device, the NaviEar, and (2) a battery of tests for automaticity in the use of the device. The NaviEar translates cardinal direction into sound. Because the signal of this device is comparatively simple and easy to interpret it should facilitate automatization of use. The test battery assesses different effects of automaticity (interference, rigidity of responses, dynamic integration) assuming that automaticity is a necessary criterion to show the emergence of perceptual feel, i.e. the sensory quality of a percept. We measured performance in simple training tasks, administered the tests for automaticity, and assessed subjective reports through a questionnaire. Results suggest that the NaviEar is easy and comfortable to use and has a potential for applications in real-world situations; but 5-day training with the NaviEar does not reach levels of automaticity that are indicative of perceptual feel. We propose that the test battery for automaticity may be used as a benchmark test for the possibility of perceptual feel in sensory augmentation and in sensory substitution.

Physiological and transcriptomic variability indicative of differences in key functions within a single coral colony

Polyps in different locations on individual stony coral colonies experience variation in numerous environmental conditions including flow and light, potentially leading to transcriptional and physiological differences across the colony. Here, we describe high-resolution physiological measurements and differential gene expression from multiple locations within a single colony of Stylophora pistillata, aiming to relate these to environmental gradients across the coral colony. We observed broad transcriptional responses in both the host and photosymbiont in response to height above the substrate, cardinal direction, and, most strongly, location along the branch axis. Specifically, several key physiological processes appear more active toward branch tips, including toxin production for prey capture or defense, several metabolic pathways, and biomineralization. Further, the increase in gene expression related to these processes toward branch tips is conserved between S. pistillata and Acropora spp. The photosymbiont appears to respond transcriptionally to relative light intensity along the branch and due to cardinal direction. These differential responses were observed across the colony despite its genetic homogeneity and likely inter-polyp communication. While not a classical division of labor, each part of the colony appears to have distinct functional roles related to polyps differential exposure to environmental conditions.

Morphosyntaxis of Modern Greek Spatial Adverbs in a Diachronic Perspective

Greek adverbs are often claimed to have almost completely lost the ability to govern the genitive case, which is replaced by prepositional phrases with the accusative. Nevertheless, the corpus study presented in the article demonstrates that some low-frequent spatial adverbs δεξιά/αριστερά ‘on the right/left’ and βόρεια/νότια/ανατολικά/δυτικά ‘in the north/south/east/west’ retain the ability to govern genitive along with prepositional phrases. Moreover, cardinal directions prefer this archaic model to all the other options. Cross-linguistically, lexical items traditionally classified as adverbs and/or adpositions often demonstrate mixed syntactic behavior, since adverbs that were relatively recentlyderived from nouns, can retain their initial nominal internal syntax. The diachronic development of the Greek adverbs ‘right/left’ and cardinal direction terms also have well traced nominal sources. In the present study I suggest that the mixed category analysis can be applied to some Modern Greek adverbs.

Influence of cardinal directions on corticolous myxomycetes associated with Swietenia macrophylla King

Barks of living trees serve as a microhabitat for a distinct assemblage of myxomycetes, the corticolous myxomycetes. In this study, we sampled 86 living <em>Swietenia macrophylla</em> trees for bark samples at four cardinal directions (North, East, South, West) to prepare 344 moist chambers. Of these, only 134 moist chambers yielded myxomycetes recorded either as fruiting bodies or plasmodia. Our study also recorded a total of 125 determinable fruiting bodies which were identified as belonging to 22 species, 11 genera, and 7 taxonomic orders and with the most number of taxa recorded in the west (17) and south (14), followed by east (12) and north (11) directions. Eleven taxa were recorded as abundant, with three taxa of <em>Licea</em> having the highest number of records. Comparing species composition, only four species were common in all directions. Following statistical analysis, we did not observe any significant differences between the diversity values per cardinal direction.