Sensing vascular distension in skeletal muscle by slow conducting afferent fibers: neurophysiological basis and implication for respiratory control.

This review examines the evidence that skeletal muscles can sense the status of the peripheral vascular network through group III and IV muscle afferent fibers. The anatomic and neurophysiological basis for such a mechanism is the following: 1) a significant portion of group III and IV afferent fibers have been found in the vicinity and the adventitia of the arterioles and the venules; 2) both of these groups of afferent fibers can respond to mechanical stimuli; 3) a population of group III and IV fibers stimulated during muscle contraction has been found to be inhibited to various degrees by arterial occlusion; and 4) more recently, direct evidence has been obtained showing that a part of the group IV muscle afferent fibers is stimulated by venous occlusion and by injection of vasodilatory agents. The physiological relevance of sensing local distension of the vascular network at venular level in the muscles is clearly different from that of the large veins, since the former can directly monitor the degree of tissue perfusion. The possible involvement of this sensing mechanism in respiratory control is discussed mainly in the light of the ventilatory effects of peripheral vascular occlusions during and after muscular exercise. It is proposed that this regulatory system anticipates the chemical changes that would occur in the arterial blood during increased metabolic load and attempts to minimize them by adjusting the level of ventilation to the level of muscle perfusion, thus matching the magnitudes of the peripheral and pulmonary gas exchange.     

Extensive variation in synonymous substitution rates in mitochondrial genes of seed plants

Background  

It has long been known that rates of synonymous substitutions are unusually low in mitochondrial genes of flowering and other land plants. Although two dramatic exceptions to this pattern have recently been reported, it is unclear how often major increases in substitution rates occur during plant mitochondrial evolution and what the overall magnitude of substitution rate variation is across plants.     

Colonization and extinction of land planarians (Platyhelminthes,Tricladida) in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest regrowth remnant

Long-term assessments of species assemblages are valuable tools for detecting species ecological preferences and their dispersal tracks, as well as for assessing the possible effects of alien species on native communities. Here we report a 50-year-long study on population dynamics of the four species of land flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Terricola) that have colonized or become extinct in a 70-year-old Atlantic Forest regrowth remnant through the period 1955–2006. On the one hand, the two initially most abundant species, which are native to the study site, Notogynaphallia ernesti and Geoplana multicolor have declined over decades and at present do not exist in the forest remnant. The extinction of these species is most likely related with their preference for open vegetation areas, which presently do not exist in the forest remnant. On the other hand, the neotropical Geoplaninae 1 and the exotic Endeavouria septemlineata were detected in the forest only very recently. The long-term study allowed us to conclude that Geoplaninae 1 was introduced into the study area, although it is only known from the study site. Endeavouria septemlineata, an active predator of the exotic giant African snail, is originally known from Hawaii. This land flatworm species was observed repeatedly in Brazilian anthropogenic areas, and this is the first report of the species in relatively well preserved native forest, which may be evidence of an ongoing adaptive process. Monitoring of its geographic spread and its ecological role would be a good practice for preventing potential damaging effects, since it also feeds on native mollusk fauna, as we observed in lab conditions. Júlio Pedroni: Granted by CNPQ–Brazil.     

Population dynamics of two small pelagic fish in the central-south area off Chile: delayed density-dependence and biological interaction

It is widely believed that environmental variability is the main cause for fluctuations in commercially exploited small pelagic fish populations around the world. Nevertheless, density-dependent factors also can drive population dynamics. In this paper, we analyzed thirteen years of a relative abundance index of two clupeoids fish populations coexisting in the central-south area off Chile, namely the common sardine, Strangomera bentincki, and anchovy, Engraulis ringens. We applied the classical diagnostic tools of time series analysis to the observed time-series. Also, the realized per capita population growth rate was studied with the aim of detecting the feedback structure that is characterizing the population dynamics of the two species. The analysis suggests that population fluctuations of the two species have an important density-dependent component, displaying first-order (direct density-dependent) and second-order (delayed density-dependent) simultaneously. The density-dependent component explained 70.5 and 55.6 % of the realized per capita population growth rate of common sardine and anchovy, respectively. The deterministic skeleton model showed an asymptotic convergence to equilibrium density. In presence of a stochastic environment, fluctuations were reproduced for the species showing a component of fluctuation with a period of 4 year. The intrinsic dynamics of each species is typical of interacting species resulting from trophic interactions. It is postulated that the second-order dynamics of S. bentincki and E. ringens in central-south Chile, may be the result from interactions with a specialist predator (the fishing fleet), interacting with exogenous environmental factors.     

Ethylene and IAA interactions in the inhibition of photoperiodic flower induction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pharbitis nil</Emphasis>

It has been shown that both IAA and ethylene application inhibit flower induction in the short-day plant Pharbitis nil. However application of IAA has elevated ethylene production in this plant, as well. Strong enhancement of ethylene production is also correlated with the night-break effect, which completely inhibits flowering. In order to determine what the role of IAA and ethylene is in the photoperiodic flower induction in Pharbitis nil, we measured changes in their levels during inductive and non-inductive photoperiods, and the effects of ethylene biosynthesis and action inhibitors on inhibition of flowering by IAA. Our results have shown that the inhibitory effect of IAA on Pharbitis nil flowering is not physiological but is connected with its effect on ethylene biosynthesis.     

Establishment of cellulolytic bacteria in the digestive tract of conventionally reared young mice: effect of the dietary cellulose content in the adult

Cellulolytic bacteria became established 12 days after birth in the caecum and colon of conventionally-reared mice fed a diet containing 5 p. 100 crude cellulose (Weende). Their population reached a level between 10(6) and 10(7) bacteria per gram of digestive contents in 25-day-old animals. However, variations between animals were very large; 20 to 50% of the individuals were free of cellulolytic bacteria. A low cellulolytic population was observed in adult mice fed a cellulose-free diet. The amount of cellulose in the diet and its nature (crude or pure cellulose) affected the number of cellulolytic bacteria: the higher the percentage of cellulose in the diet, the higher the number of cellulolytic bacteria, in particular with crude cellulose-containing diet.