On the generality of stability-complexity relationships in Lotka-Volterra ecosystems

Understanding how complexity persists in nature is a long-standing goal of ecologists. In theoretical ecology, local stability is a widely used measure of ecosystem persistence and has made a major contribution to the ecosystem stability-complexity debate over the last few decades. However, permanence is coming to be regarded as a more satisfactory definition of ecosystem persistence and has relatively recently become available as a tool for assessing the global stability of Lotka-Volterra communities. Here we document positive relationships between permanence and Lotka-Volterra food web complexity and report a positive correlation between the probability of local stability and permanence. We investigate further the frequency of discrepancy (attributed to fragile systems that are locally stable but not permanent or locally unstable systems that are permanent and have cyclic or chaotic dynamics), associate non-permanence with the local stability or instability of equilibria on the boundary of the state-space, and investigate how these vary with aspects of ecosystem complexity. We find that locally stable interior equilibria tend to have all locally unstable boundary equilibria. Since a locally stable boundary is inconsistent with permanent dynamics, this can explain the observed positive correlation between local interior stability and permanence. Our key finding is that, at least in Lotka-Volterra model ecosystems, local stability may be a better measure of persistence than previously thought.     

Complexity of Multi-Dimensional Spontaneous EEG Decreases during Propofol Induced General Anaesthesia

Emerging neural theories of consciousness suggest a correlation between a specific type of neural dynamical complexity and the level of consciousness: When awake and aware, causal interactions between brain regions are both integrated (all regions are to a certain extent connected) and differentiated (there is inhomogeneity and variety in the interactions). In support of this, recent work by Casali et al (2013) has shown that Lempel-Ziv complexity correlates strongly with conscious level, when computed on the EEG response to transcranial magnetic stimulation. Here we investigated complexity of spontaneous high-density EEG data during propofol-induced general anaesthesia. We consider three distinct measures: (i) Lempel-Ziv complexity, which is derived from how compressible the data are; (ii) amplitude coalition entropy, which measures the variability in the constitution of the set of active channels; and (iii) the novel synchrony coalition entropy (SCE), which measures the variability in the constitution of the set of synchronous channels. After some simulations on Kuramoto oscillator models which demonstrate that these measures capture distinct ‘flavours’ of complexity, we show that there is a robustly measurable decrease in the complexity of spontaneous EEG during general anaesthesia.     

On the increase in complexity in evolution

It is argued that complexity, rather than fitness or organization, is the quantity whose increase gives a direction to evolution.The increase in complexity is shown to be a consequence of the process by which a self-organizing system optimizes its organization with respect to a locally defined fitness potential.     

Product Hardware Complexity and Its Impact on Inventory and Customer On-Time Delivery

This paper studies the impact of a reduction in hardware complexity on the supply-chain inventory against various customer on-time delivery alternatives and manufacturing environments. Different methods of reducing hardware complexity are proposed, and their impact on total supply-chain inventory and customer serviceability quantified. An analytical inventory optimization scheme taking into account multistage supply networks, product structure, forecast accuracy, lead-time variability, and supplier reliability is used to determine optimal inventory levels in a stochastic modeling environment. The analysis is based on a business case for an IBM midrange computer family consisting of more than 200 models and upgrades with hundreds of features. We investigate different hardware complexity reduction strategies, including low-usage feature reduction, low-volume feature reduction, and feature substitution, as well as quick response and postponement mechanisms. Our computational results show that, in a fabrication-fulfillment center environment, reducing hardware complexity results in significantly higher inventory savings than in an integrated manufacturing environment. The results presented in this paper were used to reduce hardware complexity in IBM's midrange computer division.     

Effects of plant diversity and structural complexity on parasitoid behaviour in a field experiment

1. In natural ecosystems, plants containing hosts for parasitoids are often embedded within heterogeneous plant communities. These plant communities surrounding host‐infested plants may influence the host‐finding ability of parasitoids. 2. A release‐recapture‐approach was used to examine whether the diversity and structural complexity of the community surrounding a host‐infested plant influences the aggregation behaviour of the leaf‐miner parasitoid Dacnusa sibirica Telenga and naturally occurring local leaf‐miner parasitoids. Released and locally present parasitoids were collected on potted Jacobaea vulgaris Gaertn.plants infested with the generalist leaf‐miner Chromatomyia syngenesiae Hardy. The plants were placed in experimentally established plant communities differing in plant diversity (1–9 species) and habitat complexity (bare ground, mown vegetation, and tall vegetation). Additionally, parasitoids were reared out from host mines on the trap plants. 3. Plant diversity did not influence the mean number of recaptured D. sibirica or captures of other locally present parasitoids but the number of recaptured parasitoids was influenced by habitat complexity. No D. sibirica parasitoids were recaptured in the bare ground plots or plots with mown vegetation. The mean number of recaptured D. sibirica generally increased with increasing complexity of the plant community, whereas locally present parasitoids were captured more frequently in communities with more bare ground. There was a unimodal relationship between the number of reared out parasitoids and diversity of the surrounding vegetation with the highest density of emerged parasitoids at intermediate diversity levels. 4. The present study adds to the thus far limited body of literature examining the aggregation behaviour of parasitoids in the field and suggests that the preference of parasitoids to aggregate in complex versus simple vegetation is association specific and thus depends on the parasitoid species as well as the identity of the plant community.     

Material self-assembly as a physicochemical process

Material self-assembly as exemplified in protobiogeneses is shown to be a result of molecular exchange interaction in reacting chemicals. Temporally and spatially correlated aggregates of reacting chemicals work as vertices of molecular exchange interaction. If the material accumulation rate at a locally correlated aggregate spontaneously happens to become positive at a certain time, the material accumulation due to self-assembly will increase with time afterward. A spontaneous formation of looped reaction at locally correlated aggregates of reacting chemicals can initiate a material self-assembly at succeeding times.     

Retention of Habitat Complexity Minimizes Disassembly of Reef Fish Communities following Disturbance: A Large-Scale Natural Experiment

High biodiversity ecosystems are commonly associated with complex habitats. Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems, but are under increasing pressure from numerous stressors, many of which reduce live coral cover and habitat complexity with concomitant effects on other organisms such as reef fishes. While previous studies have highlighted the importance of habitat complexity in structuring reef fish communities, they employed gradient or meta-analyses which lacked a controlled experimental design over broad spatial scales to explicitly separate the influence of live coral cover from overall habitat complexity. Here a natural experiment using a long term (20 year), spatially extensive (∼115,000 kms²) dataset from the Great Barrier Reef revealed the fundamental importance of overall habitat complexity for reef fishes. Reductions of both live coral cover and habitat complexity had substantial impacts on fish communities compared to relatively minor impacts after major reductions in coral cover but not habitat complexity. Where habitat complexity was substantially reduced, species abundances broadly declined and a far greater number of fish species were locally extirpated, including economically important fishes. This resulted in decreased species richness and a loss of diversity within functional groups. Our results suggest that the retention of habitat complexity following disturbances can ameliorate the impacts of coral declines on reef fishes, so preserving their capacity to perform important functional roles essential to reef resilience. These results add to a growing body of evidence about the importance of habitat complexity for reef fishes, and represent the first large-scale examination of this question on the Great Barrier Reef.     

Spontaneous hemodynamic oscillations during human sleep and sleep stage transitions characterized with near-infrared spectroscopy

Understanding the interaction between the nervous system and cerebral vasculature is fundamental to forming a complete picture of the neurophysiology of sleep and its role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. However, the intrinsic hemodynamics of slow-wave sleep (SWS) are still poorly known. We carried out 30 all-night sleep measurements with combined near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and polysomnography to investigate spontaneous hemodynamic behavior in SWS compared to light (LS) and rapid-eye-movement sleep (REM). In particular, we concentrated on slow oscillations (3-150 mHz) in oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations, heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation, and the pulsation amplitude of the photoplethysmographic signal. We also analyzed the behavior of these variables during sleep stage transitions. The results indicate that slow spontaneous cortical and systemic hemodynamic activity is reduced in SWS compared to LS, REM, and wakefulness. This behavior may be explained by neuronal synchronization observed in electrophysiological studies of SWS and a reduction in autonomic nervous system activity. Also, sleep stage transitions are asymmetric, so that the SWS-to-LS and LS-to-REM transitions, which are associated with an increase in the complexity of cortical electrophysiological activity, are characterized by more dramatic hemodynamic changes than the opposite transitions. Thus, it appears that while the onset of SWS and termination of REM occur only as gradual processes over time, the termination of SWS and onset of REM may be triggered more abruptly by a particular physiological event or condition. The results suggest that scalp hemodynamic changes should be considered alongside cortical hemodynamic changes in NIRS sleep studies to assess the interaction between the autonomic and central nervous systems.     

Reduction of disulphide bonds in proteins mixed disulphides catalysed by a thioltransferase in rat liver cytosol.

The reduction of mixed disulphides of some proteins and GSH [Protein(-SSG)n] is accomplished with GSH as a reductant and a thioltransferase from rat liver as a catalyst, thus: See article. The spontaneous reaction is negligible in comparison with the enzymic reaction in vivo, and any direct reduction with glutathione reductase is not detectable with the substrates used. The reduction is only indirectly dependent on NADPH, which is required for the regeneration of GSH from GSSG. Other protein disulphides apparently are reduced via analogous GSH-dependent reactions     

Induction of Systemic Acquired Resistance in Pea against Rust (Uromyces pisi) by Exogenous Application of Biotic and Abiotic Inducers

Pea breeding for rust resistance is hampered by the little resistance available in pea. In an attempt to validate alternative control methods, we evaluated the potential of systemic acquired resistance for rust control in pea by biotic and abiotic inducers. Challenge with a virulent or with an avirulent rust isolate prior to pea rust inoculation did not induce resistance either locally or systemically. Exogenous application of salicylic acid in the range 5–10 m m prior to rust inoculation did not protect against rust locally, but reduced rust infection systemically in first upper leaf node although not in the upper ones. Some phytotoxicity was observed at 10 m m . Exogenous application of benzothiadiazole in the range 1–10 m m provided locally a 30–40% reduction in infection frequency. At least 5 m m was needed to reduce rust infection systemically in first upper leaf, and 10 m m in upper ones. Exogenous application of dl -3-amino- n -butyric acid (BABA) provided locally a 45–58% reduction in infection frequency, while systemically a 33–58 and 49–58% reduction of rust symptoms was achieved on leaves at second and third nodes respectively. BABA application was not associated with symptoms of phytotoxicity.     

Spontaneous calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in myocardial cells: mechanisms and consequences

Under certain conditions of Ca2+ loading, cardiac myocytes, both isolated and in intact tissue, exhibit spontaneous, oscillatory Ca2+ transients due to Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These transients are not triggered by depolarization of the sarcolemma, though they themselves can generate depolarizing currents which can reach threshold to trigger an action potential. Spontaneous Ca2+ release occurs locally in a subcellular region and, once initiated, can propagate through the cell with a velocity of roughly 100 microns/s. Locally, the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration during spontaneous release is probably comparable to that during an electrically excited twitch. The mechanisms of initiation and propagation of spontaneous Ca2+ release are uncertain, but are probably closely related to the Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release which plays a role in normal excitation-contraction coupling. Spontaneous and triggered Ca2+ release appear to compete for a common pool of releasable sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+, with the result that spontaneous Ca2+ release imposes a beat-rate-dependent limit on the inotropic effect of interventions which increase intracellular Ca2+. Mathematical modeling of this effect shows that it can also explain increased diastolic tone, the development of aftercontractions and oscillatory restitution of contractility in states of 'Ca2+ overload'. Spontaneous Ca2+ release is a cause of arrhythmias, and may well play a role in some cases of systolic and diastolic myocardial dysfunction.     

Spontaneous deletions and reciprocal translocations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: influence of ploidy

Studying spontaneous chromosomal rearrangements throws light on the rules underlying the genome reshaping events occurring in eukaryotic cells, which are part of the evolutionary process. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, translocation and deletion processes have been frequently described in haploids, but little is known so far about these processes at the diploid level. Here we investigated the nature and the frequency of the chromosomal rearrangements occurring at this ploidy level. Using a positive selection screen based on a particular mutated allele of the URA2 gene, spontaneous diploid revertants were selected and analysed. Surprisingly, the diploid state was found to be correlated with a decrease in chromosome rearrangement frequency, along with an increase in the complexity of the rearrangements occurring in the target gene. The presence of short DNA tandem repeat sequences seems to be a key requirement for deletion and reciprocal translocation processes to occur in diploids. After discussing the differences between the haploid and diploid levels, some mechanisms possibly involved in chromosome shortening and arm exchange are suggested.     

Complexity by Subtraction

The eye and brain: standard thinking is that these devices are both complex and functional. They are complex in the sense of having many different types of parts, and functional in the sense of having capacities that promote survival and reproduction. Standard thinking says that the evolution of complex functionality proceeds by the addition of new parts, and that this build-up of complexity is driven by selection, by the functional advantages of complex design. The standard thinking could be right, even in general. But alternatives have not been much discussed or investigated, and the possibility remains open that other routes may not only exist but may be the norm. Our purpose here is to introduce a new route to functional complexity, a route in which complexity starts high, rising perhaps on account of the spontaneous tendency for parts to differentiate. Then, driven by selection for effective and efficient function, complexity decreases over time. Eventually, the result is a system that is highly functional and retains considerable residual complexity, enough to impress us. We try to raise this alternative route to the level of plausibility as a general mechanism in evolution by describing two cases, one from a computational model and one from the history of life.     

Types of change in potato virus X infections

In tobacco plants infected with mild strains of virus X , severe strains may arise as mutations which multiply locally.
Several strains of virus X gradually lost infectivity for potato on continued culture in other hosts such as tobacco.
Strains that are poorly infective or invasive for potato may take considerable time to move into the growing shoot from the tuber in detectable amounts.
Pronounced and apparently spontaneous increases in the severity of the strain that dominates in potatoes may occur in field crops.     

Simulation of the evolution of genomic complexity.

A general evolutionary trend is the generation of organisms of increasing complexity, notwithstanding that reduction and simplification phenomena do occur in the evolutionary process. This paper proposes an evolutionary model incorporating the mechanisms of gene amplification and deletion. The evolutionary process leading to genomic complexity and the coexistence of simpler organisms with complicated ones were both simulated using the proposed model. The model was also used to investigate the influence of various factors on the evolution of complexity. The simulations indicated that the evolution of complexity is largely influenced by adaptation to complicated environments. Nevertheless, complex organisms require relatively more resources for survival and replication, which limits the on going tendency towards complexity. Moreover, the analysis showed that if the environment varies rapidly and the profit obtained from complexity is greater than the resources consumed, selection will tend to favor complexity. However, high living cost will tend to limit the trend of complexity and if the environment is relatively stable, reduction and simplification will become the dominant trends.     

Major histocompatibility complex polymorphism: dynamics and consequences of parasite-mediated local adaptation in fishes

Parasitism is a common form of life and represents a strong selective pressure for host organisms. In response to this evolutionary pressure, vertebrates have developed genetically coded defences such as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Mechanisms of parasite-mediated selection not only maintain outstanding polymorphism in these genes but have also been proposed to further promote host population divergence and ultimately speciation because it can drive evolution of local adaptation in which MHC genes play a crucial role. This review first highlights the dynamics and complexity of parasite-mediated selection in natural systems, which not only depends on dominating parasite strategies and on the taxonomic diversity of the parasite community but also includes the differences in parasite communities between habitats and niches, creating divergent selection on locally adapted populations. Then the different ways in which MHC genes potentially allow vertebrates to respond to these dynamics and to adapt locally are outlined. Finally, it is proposed that varying selection strength in time and space may lead to variation in the strength of precopulatory reproductive isolation which has evolved to maintain local adaptation.     

High spontaneous rate of gene duplication in Caenorhabditis elegans

Gene and genome duplications are the primary source of new genes and novel functions and have played a pivotal role in the evolution of genomic and organismal complexity. The spontaneous rate of gene duplication is a critical parameter for understanding the evolutionary dynamics of gene duplicates; yet few direct empirical estimates exist and differ widely. The presence of a large population of recently derived gene duplicates in sequenced genomes suggests a high rate of spontaneous origin, also evidenced by population genomic studies reporting rampant copy-number polymorphism at the intraspecific level. An analysis of long-term mutation accumulation lines of Caenorhabditis elegans for gene copy-number changes with array comparative genomic hybridization yields the first direct estimate of the genome-wide rate of gene duplication in a multicellular eukaryote. The gene duplication rate in C. elegans is quite high, on the order of 10(-7) duplications/gene/generation. This rate is two orders of magnitude greater than the spontaneous rate of point mutation per nucleotide site in this species and also greatly exceeds an earlier estimate derived from the frequency distribution of extant gene duplicates in the sequenced C. elegans genome.     

纹外皮层PMLS区反馈投射对初级视皮层神经元反应特性的影响

神经系统中存在大量下行投射,与上行输入一起形成复杂的前馈与反馈回路,调控神经信号的传导和处理,但目前对皮层内反馈投射的功能作用认识还比较薄弱.通过微量注射抑制性神经递质γ-氨基丁酸(γ-aminobutyric acid,GABA),使猫纹外皮层后内侧外上雪氏区(area posteromedial lateral suprasylvian,PMLS)局部可逆性失活,使用胞外记录方法,研究初级视皮层17区神经元反应特性的变化.实验结果显示,PMLS区失活后,17区细胞对运动刺激的反应总体减弱,反应的相对稳定性基本不变,最高发放率/自发之比有所下降.与此同时,细胞的方向选择性指数减小,朝向选择性无显著变化.除少数"双向"反应细胞外,绝大部分细胞的最优方向基本不变.进一步分析发现,细胞对各个方向刺激的反应普遍下降,最优方向上的下降程度最大,是导致方向选择性减弱的主要原因.这些结果表明,PMLS区反馈投射可增强初级视皮层的方向选择性,而对朝向选择性影响有限.这一作用特点体现了PMLS区在皮层中偏重处理运动视觉信息的功能.     

An index of signal mode complexity based on orthogonal transformation

Irregular and complex signals are ubiquitous in nature. The principal aim of this paper is to develop an index, quantifying the complexity of such signals, which is based on the distribution of the strengths of its orthogonal oscillatory modes estimated by singular value decomposition. The index is first tested with simulated chaotic and/or stochastic maps and flows. Among neural data analysis, the index is first applied to a cognitive EEG data set recorded from two groups, musicians and non-musicians, during listening to music and resting state. In the gamma band (30–50 Hz), musicians showed robust changes in complexity, consistent over various scalp regions, during listening to music from resting condition, whereas such changes were minimal for non-musicians. Then the index is used to separate healthy participants from epileptic and manic patients based on spontaneous EEG analysis. Finally, it is used to track a tonic-clonic seizure EEG signal, and a conspicuous change was found in the complexity profiles of delta band (1–3.5 Hz) oscillations at the onset of seizure. We conclude that this index would be useful for quantification of a wide range of time series including neural oscillations.