Trophic niche width increases with bill-size variation in a generalist passerine: a test of niche variation hypothesis.

The niche variation hypothesis (NVH) predicts that populations with wider niches are phenotypically more variable than populations with narrower niches, which is frequently used to explain diversifying processes such as ecological release. However, not all empirical evidence supports the NVH. Furthermore, a relationship between population phenotypic variation and niche width can be caused by sexual selection or environmental gradients, which should be carefully considered along with competition in explaining niche variation.

Adsorption mechanism of water molecules surrounding Au nanoparticles of different sizes.

Molecular dynamic simulation is used to investigate the adsorption mechanism of water molecules surrounding Au nanoparticles with different sizes. Our results show that the adsorption mechanism of the water molecules in the first water shell will be influenced by the size of the Au nanoparticle. For the larger Au nanoparticles, the hydrogen bonding of water molecules adsorbed on the surface of the Au nanoparticles are arranged in a two-dimensional structure, while those adsorbed on the edge of the surface of the Au nanoparticles are arranged in a three-dimensional structure.