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Habitat complexity is one of the most important factors structuring biotic assemblages, yet we still lack basic understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Although it is one of the primary targets in conservation management, no methods are available for comparing complexity across ecosystems, and system-specific qualitative assessment predominates. Despite its overwhelming importance for faunal diversity and abundance, there has been surprisingly little interest in examining its effects on other community and ecosystem attributes. We discuss possibilities of such effects, outlining potentially fruitful areas for future research, and argue that complexity may be implicated in community persistence and ecosystem stability by acting as a decoupling mechanism in predator–prey interactions. We provide a brief overview of methods used to quantify complexity in different ecosystems, highlighting contributions of the current issue of Hydrobiologia, and discuss potential application of these approaches for cross-ecosystem comparisons. Better understanding of the role of habitat complexity resulting from such comparisons is critically important for preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem function in an era of unprecedented habitat loss.

Quantifying the relationship between phytoplankton and zooplankton may offer insight into zooplankton sensitivity to shifting phytoplankton assemblages and the potential impacts of producer-consumer decoupling on the rest of the food web. We analyzed 18 years (2001–2018) of paired phytoplankton and zooplankton samples collected as part of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Great Lakes Biology Monitoring Program to examine both the long-term and seasonal relationships between zooplankton and phytoplankton across all five Laurentian Great Lakes. We also analyzed effects of phytoplankton diversity on zooplankton biomass, diversity, and predator-prey (zooplanktivore/grazer) ratios. Across the Great Lakes, there was a weak positive correlation between total algal biovolume and zooplankton biomass in both spring and summer. The relationship was weaker and not consistently positive within individual lakes. These trends were consistent over time, providing no evidence of increasing decoupling over the study period. Zooplankton biomass was weakly negatively correlated with algal diversity across lakes, whereas zooplankton diversity was unaffected. These relationships did not change when we considered only the edible phytoplankton fraction, possibly due to the high correlation between total and edible phytoplankton biovolume in most of these lakes. Lack of strong coupling between these producer and consumer assemblages may be related to lagging responses by the consumers, top-down effects from higher-level consumers, or other confounding factors. These results underscore the difficulty in predicting higher trophic level responses, including zooplankton, from changes in phytoplankton assemblages.

The following provides a summary of the 15th World Congress on Inflammation (WCI2022), which took place in Rome (Italy) from June 5 to 8, 2022. Presented are the main trends and most promising research developments in the field of inflammation, including identification of cellular and molecular mechanisms and investigation of new pathogenetic pathways, target molecules, genetic mechanisms, and new therapeutic strategies. In addition, described are the primary areas of research engaged in by leading scientific groups and national societies from various countries in the field of inflammatory pathology mechanisms.

A bstract Charged lepton flavor violation is forbidden in the Standard Model but possible in several new physics scenarios. In many of these models, the radiative decays τ ± → ℓ ± γ ( ℓ = e, μ ) are predicted to have a sizeable probability, making them particularly interesting channels to search at various experiments. An updated search via τ ± → ℓ ± γ using full data of the Belle experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 988 fb − 1 , is reported for charged lepton flavor violation. No significant excess over background predictions from the Standard Model is observed, and the upper limits on the branching fractions, B ( τ ± → μ ± γ ) ≤ 4 . 2 × 10 − 8 and B ( τ ± → e ± γ ) ≤ 5 . 6 × 10 − 8 , are set at 90% confidence level.

Efficient production of H 2 by combined (steam/CO 2 ; steam/O 2 ) reforming of CH 4 was comparatively studied over perovskite-derived promoted Ni catalysts. The process performance was improved by regulating the redox and structural properties of the LaNi 0.99 M 0.01 O 3 catalysts through promotion (M = Pt, Pd, Re, Mo, Sn). The catalysts were synthesized using the citrate sol–gel method, tested in combined reforming of methane and studied by X-ray fluorescence analysis, thermal analysis, N 2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, temperature-programed hydrogen reduction to elucidate the impact of catalyst properties on their activity and resistance to re-oxidation and formation of carbon deposits under reaction conditions. It was shown that LaNi 0.99 M 0.01 O 3 catalysts after calcination at 850 °C in air have a perovskite structure that was destroyed after reductive activation with formation of metal Ni o particles with an average size of ~ 25 nm on the surface of lanthanum oxide/hydroxide. The resistance to re-oxidation of Ni o particles depends on the type of promoter and is maximum in the case of M = Re. It was established that the type of promoter affects the conversion of reagents (CH 4 , CO 2 ) and the H 2 yield, which at 700 °C increases in the series of promoters Sn < Mo < Pt < Pd < Re in the case of steam/CO 2 reforming and Pt < Sn < Mo < Pd < Re with steam/O 2 reforming. The optimal composition of catalyst was identified: among the studied samples, LaNi 0.99 Re 0.01 O 3 is characterized by a higher specific surface area, average reduction ability and high resistance to re-oxidation and coking. At 850 °C it provides the H 2 yield of 95 and 50% at complete CH 4 conversion in steam/CO 2 and steam/O 2 reforming, respectively. Graphical Abstract

Multiple aquatic ecosystem services (ES) sustain humanity, but some of them may not be equitably accessible to all people. We take a transdisciplinary approach to recent literature to highlight some of the inequalities specific to aquatic ecosystems, focusing on provisioning, supporting and cultural aquatic ES. We also explore feedbacks between access to ES, awareness, and public support for those services. Without targeted interventions, inequality in aquatic ecosystem service delivery is likely to continue to increase with the projected increase in wealth gaps, increasing global trade insensitive to local values, decreasing awareness of ES availability, and increasing urban population without access to green and blue spaces. We conclude by highlighting examples of potential research needs, emphasizing that systematic assessment of inequality is the first step in seeking equitable access to ES and ensuring continuing public support for protection of aquatic ecosystems.

The following provides a summary of the 16th World Congress on Inflammation (WCI 2024), which took place in Québec City (Canada) from July 21 to 24, 2024. At the meeting, researchers from around the world presented their latest findings which transcended fundamental and clinical science in the field of inflammation. Participants shared original work which covered a multitude of topics and discussed practical aspects of their research including the application of new diagnostic strategies and medical therapeutic technologies. Among the main topics discussed at the congress were: immunometabolism, immunity, infectious diseases, pathology of the lungs, skin and musculoskeletal system, microbiota, mucosal inflammation, neuro-inflammation, pain, targets in the treatment of inflammation and much more. The overarching theme of the event was \"Inflammation in Health and Disease: A Balancing Act\".

AbstractNK cells participate in the antimicrobial immune response. NK cell activation by bacterial polysaccharides (PSs) can occur indirectly through signals from other immune cells or through direct influence of PSs on NK cells via interaction with activating receptors. This study demonstrated that peripheral NK cells bind fluorescently labeled PSs from the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with varying efficiency depending on the PS origin and the NK cell donor. PSs from Escherichia coli strain O19ab induced an increased IFN-γ production by NK cells in the absence of high levels of PS binding to the cell surface. The obtained results provide new insights into the interactions of NK cells with polysaccharides and open new prospects for understanding the NK cell-mediated immune response to bacterial infections.

In this paper the problems of constructing sonar images of the seabed according to measurements of the multibeam side scan sonar are considered. The inverse problem for the non-stationary equation of radiation transfer with the diffuse reflection conditions at the boundary which consists in finding the discontinuity lines of the bottom scattering coefficient is investigated. A numerical algorithm for solving the inverse problem is developed, and an analysis of the quality of reconstructing the boundaries of inhomogeneities of the seabed is carried out, depending on the number of views and the width of a radiation pattern and the sounding range.

Supramolecular adducts of lanthanide complexes with cucurbituril, [{Eu (1– x ) Nd (1+ x ) (H 2 O) 5 (NO 3 )} 2 CB[6]](NO 3 ) 4 ·HNO 3 ·6H 2 O ( x  = 0.5, –0.5), are prepared by heating a mixture of dissolved lanthanide nitrates and cucurbit[6]uril. According to the single-crystal XRD data for 1 and 2 , the metal is connected to the macrocycle through the bidentate coordination of oxygen atoms of cucurbit[6]uril portals to the lanthanide(III) cations, thus leading to the formation of a molecular complex. In the crystal, the [{Ln(H 2 O) 5 (NO 3 )} 2 (CB[6])] 4+ cations are interconnected by a system of hydrogen bonds. The compounds are shown to be isostructural and are characterized by a number of physicochemical methods: IR spectroscopy, powder XRD, and elemental analysis. Their luminescence spectra are recorded.