5 pp. / This is part of the series on climate variability / Climate change appears to have an effect on invasive species in the forests and woodlands of Arizona. Many invasive plants have been documented. Land managers and educators will find this publication informative.

Introduced species present one of the greatest threats to biodiversity of native species, and knowledge of introduced species ecology is imperative for the development of management plans to ensure conservation of native species populations. We sought to determine the distribution and nesting behavior of an introduced population of red-bellied squirrels (Sciurus aureogaster) on islands of the Florida Keys currently managed as part of Biscayne National Park, and document potential for the species to impact native flora and fauna. Squirrels were difficult to observe in the dense vegetation of the subtropical forest, so we relied on their leaf nests, which were highly visible in the canopy of trees, to determine current presence and distribution on the Park's islands. We found nests throughout the mixed-hardwood forests of Elliott Key and Sands Key, and also documented a single, old nest on Old Rhodes Key, the first ever documentation of the species that far south in the Upper Keys. Nests were located in tall trees with more canopy linkages than random focal trees, and nests were placed in the upper canopy on the north side of the nest tree more often than expected by chance. Squirrels selected West Indies mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) to place nests more often than available in the forest. Squirrels used areas with greater tree density and canopy cover, but lower recent hurricane damage and fewer woody shrub stems, than areas available at random in the forest. Squirrels built nests only in mixed-hardwood forest. Overall, this introduced species exhibited nest site selection behavior similar to other tree squirrels, and appears capable of continued spread despite the initial site of introduction on an oceanic island. Knowledge obtained from this research is being used by managers and applied to an eradication program to remove this invasive species from Biscayne National Park.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: My master’s research combines aspects of pollination biology and invasion biology to explore the invasive predictors and impacts of a globally invasive group of plants – Australian acacias. Specifically, I investigate the role of reproductive biology in their invasion success (Chapter 2), the impacts of a specific species, Acacia saligna, on native plant-pollinator communities in South Africa (Chapter 3), and if the impact of A. saligna on native plant species can be predicted, based on floral trait similarity (Chapter 4). Australian acacias possess many floral traits implicated in plant invasion success, including extensive, dense floral displays, prolific seed production, long-lived seed banks, and propensity for vegetative reproduction. In Chapter 2 of my thesis, co-authors and I investigate if such reproductive traits influence whether or not a species becomes invasive once it is introduced by qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing literature and data collected from published and unpublished data. We found that invasive species reach reproductive maturity earlier and are more commonly able to resprout. Our findings have important implications for management of existing Acacia invasions as well as the assessment and prevention of further introductions of Acacia species leading to invasion. Impacts of invasive plant species on native plant visitation and consequent reproduction are often negative and have important implications for future ecosystem health. Acacia saligna is a problematic woody invasive shrub in many Mediterranean regions, and in South Africa, it invades fynbos vegetation, which boasts one of the highest plant diversities per area in the world as well as many specialized pollination mutualisms. It blooms during the flowering peak of most native species and forms dense, showy floral displays, thus the possibility of pollinator-mediated interactions with co-flowering native species is high. In Chapter 3, I assess the impact of flowering A. saligna on insect visitation to co-flowering native species by conducting flower observations at both an invaded and uninvaded (control) site. One of the native species most-visited by native honeybees, Roepera fulva, had high flower visitor overlap with A. saligna and suffered significantly lower visitation from all insects and from bees when A. saligna was present than at the control site. The native honeybee appears to be the most important visitor to A. saligna as it was the most frequent and mobile. Due to its foraging efficiency and dominance in pollinator communities, Apis mellifera subsp. capensis could be an important mediator of the negative effect of A. saligna on co-flowering natives, especially those frequently visited by honeybees. The use of floral traits as predictors of a species’ effect on co-flowering plants via pollination is commonly used in pollination biology. In the fourth chapter of my thesis, I apply the predictive principle of floral traits on flower visitation to see if floral traits can predict the impact of an invasive plant species on co-flowering native species, and if so, which floral traits are the most important. Following the same flower observation protocol as Chapter 3, I assess two measures of invasion impact on native flowers – change in visitation rate to native plant species between invaded and uninvaded sites and flower visitor overlap between A. saligna and native species – and test for a correlation with floral trait similarity of native species to and A. saligna. Similarity of categorical traits and all traits combined (categorical and continuous) were significantly positively correlated with flower visitor overlap, indicating that native species with categorical traits similar to A. saligna were more likely to share flower visitors with A. saligna. Floral symmetry and shape similarity were the most important categorical traits in driving flower visitor overlap. Findings suggest an important link between categorical floral traits and ability to predict invasive plant impact on native flower-insect interactions; however, more comprehensive studies are required for conclusive results. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: My Meestersgraad se navorsing kombineer aspekte van bestuiwingsbiologie en indringerbiologie om ondersoek in te stel na die indringing-voorspelbaarheid en die impak van Australiese Akasias, 'n wêreldwye indringende groep van plante. Ek het spesifiek gekyk na die rol van voortplantingsbiologie in hul indringing sukses (Hoofstuk 2), die impak van 'n spesifieke spesie, Acacia saligna, op die inheemse plant-bestuiwer gemeenskappe in Suid-Afrika (Hoofstuk 3), en of die impak van Acacia saligna op inheemse plantspesies voorspel kan word, gebaseer is op die ooreenkomste in blomeienskappe (Hoofstuk 4). Australiese Akasias het baie voortplantingseienskappe wat geassisioeer word met plantindringing sukses, insluitend ‘n uitgebreide, digte blommedrag, uitermatige hoë saadproduksie, langlewende saadbank, en die geneigdheid vir vegetatiewe voortplanting. In hoofstuk 2 van my tesis, ondersoek ek en my medeskrywers of sulke voortplantingseienskappe beïnvloed of 'n spesie ‘n indringer raak, deur 'n ontleding van die literatuur en data wat versamel is uit gepubliseerde en ongepubliseerde data. Ons het gevind dat indringerspesies geslagsrypheid vroeër bereik en meer algemeen in staat is om weer uit te loop. Ons bevindinge het belangrike implikasies vir die bestuur van die bestaande Akasiastande sowel as die evaluering en die voorkoming van verdere vestiging van Akasia spesies wat lei tot indringers. Impakte van uitheemse plantspesies op inheemse plant-besoeke deur bestuiwers, en gevolglike voortplanting is dikwels negatief en het belangrike implikasies vir die toekomstige ekosisteem gesondheid. Acacia saligna is 'n problematiese houtagtige indringende struik in baie Mediterreense streke, en in Suid-Afrika. Dit dring in die Fynbos in, wat spog met een van die wêreld se hoogste plant diversiteit per oppervlak, sowel as baie gespesialiseerde bestuiwing-mutualismes. Dit blom gedurende die bloeiseisoen van die meeste inheemse spesies en vorm digte, pronkerige blomuitstallings, dus is die moontlikheid hoog vir bestuiwer-gemedieerde interaksies met inheemse spesies wat saam blom. In Hoofstuk 3, het ek die impak van Acacia saligna, op insek besoeke aan saamblommende inheemse spesies bepaal, deur waarnemings op beide ingedringde en natuurlike studie gebiede. Een van die inheemse spesies, Roepera fulva, wat die meeste besoek is deur inheemse heuningbye, het 'n hoë blom besoeker oorvleueling met Acacia saligna en het aansienlik minder besoeke van alle insekte en van bye gekry toe Acacia saligna teenwoordig was as by die natuurlike studie gebied. Die inheemse heuningby, Apis mellifera subsp. capensis, blyk die mees belangrikste besoeker aan Acacia saligna te wees aangesien dit die mees gereeldste en beweeglikste was. As gevolg van sy oorheersing in bestuiwer gemeenskappe, is die by 'n belangrike faktor van die negatiewe uitwerking van Acacia saligna op die inheemse plante wat dieselfde tyd blom, veral dié wat gereeld besoek word deur heuningbye. Die gebruik van blomeienskappe as voorspellers van 'n spesie se effek op saamblommende plante deur middel van bestuiwing, word algemeen gebruik in bestuiwingsbiologie. In die vierde hoofstuk van my tesis, het ek die voorspellende beginsel van die blomeienskappe op blombesoeking toegepas, om te sien of blomeienskappe die impak van 'n uitheemse plantspesie kan voorspel op saamblommende inheemse spesies, en indien wel, watter blomeienskappe die belangrikste is. Deur dieselfde blom waarneming protokol as in Hoofstuk 3 te gebruik, het ek twee maatstawwe van indringings impakte op inheemse blomme vergelyk - verandering in besoek gereeldheid aan inheemse plante tussen ingedringde en natuurlike studie gebiede en blom besoeker oorvleueling tussen die Acacia saligna en inheemse spesies – en die toets vir 'n korrelasie van blomeienskap ooreenkomste in inheemse spesies en Acacia saligna. Soortgelykheid van kategoriese eienskappe en al die eienskappe gekombineer (kategoriese en deurlopende) is beduidend positief gekorreleerd met blombesoeker oorvleueling, wat aandui dat inheemse spesies met kategoriese eienskappe soortgelyk aan Acacia saligna meer geneig was om blom besoekers te deel met Acacia saligna. Blom simmetrie en vorm ooreenkoms was die belangrikste kategoriese eienskappe wat ly tot blombesoeker oorvleueling. Bevindinge dui op 'n belangrike skakel tussen die die kategoriese blomeienskappe en die vermoë om indringerplant impakte op inheemse blom-insek interaksies te voorspel, alhoewel, meer omvattende studies nog nodig is. / DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology and the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University for research funding

The present thesis deals with the related themes of mortality and growth in coral reef fishes. In the first chapter, a nine-year dataset from Bermuda is used to quantify how reef fish populations respond to the introduction of a trap-fishing ban, finding that herbivores exhibit extremely strong recovery, but that stock-recruitment relationships may be decoupled by a numerical response in a meso-predator. In the second chapter, a dataset from Bonaire is used to test the efficacy of the widely-used coefficient of natural mortality, M, in modelling a population of stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride). As determined from simulation models, this statistical coefficient performs considerably less well than a novel mechanistic function that partitions mortality into size- and age-based processes and achieves extremely good fits to the field data. The third chapter presents a new approach to estimating growth parameters of reef fish from tagging data that exploits the disproportionate response of certain parameters to misestimates in the true age of the tagged individuals. The method works considerably better than the most widely used method when sample sizes are small, as is commonly the case in reef fish tagging studies where recapture rates tend to be low. The fourth and final chapter uses non-lethal stable isotope techniques to tease apart the invasion dynamics of Indo Pacific lionfish (Pterois spp.) that are currently colonising the wider Caribbean. The results show that lionfish exhibit habitat-specific ontogenetic shifts in prey selection, inflicting elevated mortality on small, bommie-dwelling fishes on forereefs but switching to seagrass-foraging invertivores as they grow. Lionfish also display ontogenetically shifting competition with native Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), which may provide a greater barrier to invasion success on patch reefs than on fore reefs, where competitive overlap is diminished. The thesis concludes with a discussion of some lines of enquiry that could not be undertaken owing to time or data limitations, but which may hold as much interest for the reader as they do for the author.

Traditional laparoscopic surgery continues to require significant training on the part of the surgeon before entering the operating room. Augmented Reality (AR) has been investigated for use in visual guidance in training and during surgery, but little work is available investigating the effectiveness of AR techniques in providing the user better awareness of depth and space. In this work we propose several 2D AR overlays for visual guidance in training for laparoscopic surgery, with the goal of aiding the user's perception of depth and space in that limiting environment. A pilot study of 30 subjects (22 male and 8 female) was performed with results showing the effect of the various overlays on subject performance of a path following task in the Computer Assisted Surgical Trainer (CAST-III) system developed in the Model Based Design Lab. Deviation, economy of movement, and completion time are considered as metrics. Providing a reference indicator for the nearest point on the optimal path is found to result in significant reduction (p < 0.05) in subject deviation from the path. The data also indicates a reduction in subject deviation along the depth axis and total path length with overlays designed to provide depth information. Avenues for further investigation are presented.

Native to Asia, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an invasive non-native ladybird in Europe and North America, where it was widely introduced as a biological control agent of aphids and coccids. There were three main objectives of this study: firstly, to investigate the spread and distribution of H. axyridis in Europe from the start of the invasion process; secondly, to study its ecology in Great Britain; and thirdly, to examine its effects on native ladybirds in Britain. In Europe, collaborations with a network of scientists allowed the collation of H. axyridis occurrence data from across the continent. In Great Britain, a web-based public survey (www.harlequin-survey.org) was used, leading to the receipt of over 10,000 verified records of H. axyridis between 2004 and 2008. National land cover data enabled the habitats used by H. axyridis to be identified across Great Britain. These datasets were analysed in order to study the spread and ecology of H. axyridis in Europe and Britain. Fieldwork over a three year period (2006 to 2008) was carried out to examine changes in ladybird species assemblages during the invasion phase of H. axyridis in eastern England. Laboratory work was conducted to detect intraguild predation by H. axyridis, through PCR analyses of gut contents of field-collected ladybirds. In Europe, H. axyridis has spread since 2001 at the rate of approximately 200km yr-1. It has become established in at least 23 European countries. The established range extends from Norway in the north to southern France in the south, and from Ukraine in the east to Great Britain in the west. In the first five years of establishment H. axyridis spread north through Britain at the rate of 105km yr-1 and west at the rate of 145km yr-1. Evidence of the production of two generations per year was found, giving H. axyridis an advantage over most native ladybirds in Britain. Although H. axyridis was very common in urban habitats, it increasingly used semi-natural habitats. In addition, whilst the species was most common on deciduous trees, it was increasingly found on herbaceous plants. Aceraceae, Rosaceae and Malvaceae were the dominant plant families used by H. axyridis, especially for breeding. In eastern England H. axyridis increased from 0.1% to 40% of total ladybirds in three years, whilst native aphidophagous ladybirds declined from 84% to 41% of total ladybirds in the same period. Three species in particular experienced declines: Adalia 2-punctata, Coccinella 7-punctata and Propylea 14-punctata. Harmonia axyridis was the most abundant species by the end of the study. Detection of intraguild predation by one coccinellid on another, in the field in Europe, was shown for the first time using PCR techniques: A. 2-punctata DNA was detected in the gut of one of 112 field-collected H. axyridis. Harmonia axyridis has spread very quickly since 2001 and has become one of the most widely distributed coccinellids in Europe. Populations of native aphidophagous ladybirds were negatively affected by the arrival of H. axyridis, partly through intraguild predation.

Background: Right ventricular failure is a serious complication after left ventricular assist device placement. Case Presentation: A 70-year-old male in decompensated heart failure with right ventricular failure after the placement of a left ventricular assist device. A single dual-lumen PROTEKDuo cannula was inserted percutaneously via the internal jugular vein to draw blood from the right atrium and return into the pulmonary artery using the CentriMag system, by passing the failing ventricle. The patient was successfully weaned from right ventricular assist device. Conclusions: In comparison to two-cannula conventional procedures, this right ventrivular assist device system improves patient rehabilitation and minimizes blood loss and risk of infection, while shortening procedure time and improving clinical outcomes in right ventricular failure.

BACKGROUND: The understanding of facial anatomy and its changes through aging has led to the development of several different facelift techniques that focus on being less invasive and traumatic and, at the same time, providing natural long-lasting results. In this article we describe step by step our facelift technique as it has been done over the past 10 years by the senior author. METHODS: This is a retrospective, descriptive, transversal study in which all patients who underwent a rhytidectomy using our technique from January 2002 to September 2012 were included. All patients were operated on under local anesthesia and superficial conscious sedation. All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon. A complete step-by-step description of the surgical technique can be found in the main article. RESULTS: Between January 2002 and September 2012, a total of 113 patients underwent facelift surgery. Of these, 88.9 % were women and 11.1 % were men. The mean age was 55.3 (± 8.66) years. Primary surgeries represented 80.3 % (n = 94), secondary 18.8 % (n = 22), and tertiary 0.85 % (n = 1). Only one major complication, representing 0.8 %, consisting of a right-sided temporal paresis with 2 months complete recovery was seen. The minor complications rate was 23.1 %. The most common minor complication was hypertrophic/keloid scars which made up 77.8 % of all minor complications. CONCLUSIONS: The technique described provides good and long-lasting aesthetic results with shorter scars, smaller areas of dissection (without temporal and postauricular flaps), and a shorter recovery period. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266 .

Causes and patterns of invasive plant species establishment and success depend broadly upon their ecology, including habitat suitability and interactions with other plants and animals. Here I examine the traits and distribution of invasive plants in Vermont, using spatial analysis, laboratory and field studies. I used GIS to investigate environmental factors correlated with presence of 19 invasive plant species in Vermont campgrounds. My results support the assumption that human dispersal of invasive plant seed and stock may be more important than natural dispersal of these plant species to new sites. I also investigate in-depth the relationships of invasive herbaceous garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) with native tree seedlings and co-occurring herbaceous plants in the greenhouse and Vermont forests, respectively. Shade from > 1 m tall A. petiolata plants may effect root:shoot ratios of neighboring tree seedlings and interact with nutrition quality of sites to affect their growth patterns. Invasive plants' integration into novel environments is also mediated by their interactions with native invertebrate species. A. petiolata is associated with a unique assemblage of aboveground invertebrates compared with neighboring native plants. Observations indicate A. petiolata may also serve as an attractant for ants, bees, and wasps who feed from water and nectar at the base of the flower or silique during its flowering and seeding period. These results collectively inform our understanding of plant invasion patterns and management strategies of A. petiolata in Vermont. Community interactions are probably more important than allelopathy in determining the influence of Alliaria petiolata on native ecosystems.

Phragmites australis is a perennial grass presently invading many intertidal and freshwater wetlands throughout much of the Atlantic Coast of North America. The spread of Phragmites into coastal wetlands is in part determined by available freshwater and nutrients, especially nitrogen, within the watershed where Phragmites populations occur. The Eastern Shore of Virginia is an intensive agricultural area, and watershed landcover may play a major role in Phragmites invasion. Forty-five Phragmites patches were sampled in eight VA Eastern Shore mainland watersheds and on a barrier island. Regardless of watershed landcover characteristics, there was little variation in Phragmites australis patch characteristics along the oceanside of the entire Eastern Shore of Virginia. Phragmites is a generalist with broad environmental tolerances. Thus, successful management and eradication plans may have broad scale application for this invasive grass.