Plant succession on gopher mounds in Western Cascade meadows: consequences for species diversity and heterogeneity

Pocket gophers have the potential to alter the dynamics of grasslands by creating mounds that bury existing vegetation and locally reset succession. Gopher mounds may provide safe sites for less competitive species, potentially increasing both species diversity and vegetation heterogeneity (spatial variation in species composition). We compared species composition, diversity and heterogeneity among gopher mounds of different ages in three montane meadows in the Cascade Range of Oregon. Cover of graminoids and forbs increased with mound age, as did species richness. Contrary to many studies, we found no evidence that mounds provided safe sites for early successional species, despite their abundance in the soil seed bank, or that diversity peaked on intermediate-aged mounds. However, cover of forbs relative to that of graminoids was greater on mounds than in the adjacent meadow. Variation in species composition was also greater within and among mounds than in adjacent patches of undisturbed vegetation, suggesting that these small-scale disturbances increase heterogeneity within meadows

REGULATION OF CORONARY BLOOD FLOW DURING ETHER AND HALOTHANE ANAESTHESIA

SUMMARY The effects of ether (6-10%) and halothane (1-2%) were studied on coronary flow regulation in dogs. In one group of experiments the kft coronary artery was perfused mechanically, coronary perfusion pressure being either kept constant or adjusted to aortic pressure, and the heart itself had to pump the blood to all other arteries. The preload on the heart was changed by varying die intravascular volume. In another group, bodi coronary arteries were perfused mechanically under constant pressure; the other arteries were also perfused mechanically by a cardiopulmonary bypass. In this group measurements were carried out on the empty beating heart. Halothane had a direct effect on die heart, myocardial contractility was reduced, cardiac work and myocardial oxygen consumption were diminished and coronary vasoconstriction followed. Edier effects on the heart were principally die same as diose due to halodiane, but to a lesser degree. Coronary vasoconstriction caused by halodiane did not produce myocardial hypoxia. Coronary vasoconstriction occurred as an autorcgulatory mechanism preventing "unnecessary ” hyperperfusion as long as cardiac work and oxygen consumption were diminished. Bodi edier and halodiane reduced systemic vascular resistanc

Comparison of intravenous digital subtraction cineangiocardiography with conventional contrast ventriculography for the determination of the left ventricular volume at rest and during exercise

Left ventricular volumes were determined by means of digital subtraction cineangiocardiography (DSA) which was performed in the right anterior oblique projection after contrast agent injection into the superior vena cava. Monoplane end-diastolic (EDV), end-systolic volumes (ESV), and ejection fraction (EF) were calculated using the ‘area-length' method and were compared with the same parameters obtained by conventional left ventricular cineangiocardiography. A first group of 20 patients was studied at rest and a second group of 10 patients during bicycle exercise at a work load of 64 watts during 2 min, by DSA and conventional cineangiocardiography. Three different subtraction modes were evaluated: (1) mask mode subtraction (MMS), (2) time interval difference (TID) method and (3) a combination of MMS and TID called MMS+TID method. With the MMS method good correlations were obtained for EDV, ESV and EF at rest (r>0.91) and during exercise (r>0.91). The TID method showed only moderate correlations for patients at rest (r>0.86) and during exercise (r>0.79). Similar results as with MMS were achieved by the combined method (MMS+TID) at rest (r>0.91) and during exercise (r>0.91). Interobserver variability indicated a high reproducibility for all methods except for TID during exercise. It is concluded that DSA is an accurate technique for left ventricular volume determination not only at rest but also during exercise. The best results are obtained with MMS or MMS+TID methods, while left ventricular contour detection is easier and more convenient with MMS+TI

Supersymmetric version of a hydrodynamic system in Riemann invariants and its solutions

In this paper, a supersymmetric extension of a system of hydrodynamic type equations involving Riemann invariants is formulated in terms of a superspace and superfield formalism. The symmetry properties of both the classical and supersymmetric versions of this hydrodynamical model are analyzed through the use of group-theoretical methods applied to partial differential equations involving both bosonic and fermionic variables. More specifically, we compute the Lie superalgebras of both models and perform classifications of their respective subalgebras. A systematic use of the subalgebra structures allow us to construct several classes of invariant solutions, including travelling waves, centered waves and solutions involving monomials, exponentials and radicals.Comment: 30 page

Cardiac cell modelling: Observations from the heart of the cardiac physiome project

In this manuscript we review the state of cardiac cell modelling in the context of international initiatives such as the IUPS Physiome and Virtual Physiological Human Projects, which aim to integrate computational models across scales and physics. In particular we focus on the relationship between experimental data and model parameterisation across a range of model types and cellular physiological systems. Finally, in the context of parameter identification and model reuse within the Cardiac Physiome, we suggest some future priority areas for this field

Variation in fertilisation abilities between hemiclonal hybrid and sexual parental males of sympatric water frogs (Rana lessonae, R. esculenta, R. ridibunda)

In many species, males and females mate with multiple partners, which gives rise to sperm competition and multiple paternity. The experiments on water frogs presented here demonstrate that such sperm competition can affect the structure and dynamics of mixed species communities. The hybrid frog Rana esculenta (LR) mates with one of its parental species, usually Rana lessonae (LL) although in some areas R. ridibunda (RR), to regain the premeiotically eliminated parental genome ("hybridogenesis"). Mixed LL/LR-populations are stable although hybrid numbers should continuously increase at the expense of parental animals, because of differences in female fecundity and other factors. This would finally lead to the extinction of the sexual host, followed by that of the sexual parasite, unless the reproductive superiority of R. esculenta is reduced by other factors, such as lower hybrid male fertility. Eggs from LL- and LR-females were fertilised in vitro by single- and multi-male sperm suspensions of LL-, LR- and RR-males. In all experiments, the proportion of offspring sired by R. esculenta sperm was significantly lower than that sired by R. lessonae or R. ridibunda sperm. Gonad mass, sperm morphology, sperm swimming velocity, and sperm survival did not explain these differences in fertilisation success, nor did gamete recognition and compatibility. Sperm density was the only trait that paralleled fertilisation success; but it offers no explanation either, because densities were equalised for the in vitro fertilisations. In natural LL/LR populations, the significantly smaller amount, poorer competitive ability and lower long-term survival of R. esculenta compared to R. lessonae sperm will reduce the initial reproductive superiority of hybrids and contribute to the stabilisation of mixed water frog populations. Differences in fertilisation ability are also likely to be relevant for the structure and dynamics of several other systems with encounters between eggs and sperm from different genotypes, ecotypes, ploidy levels and/or species

A rule-based method for predicting the electrical activation of the heart with cardiac resynchronization therapy from non-invasive clinical data

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