Invasive Andropogon gayanus (gamba grass) is an ecosystem transformer of nitrogen relations in Australian savanna.

Invasion by the African grass Andropogon gayanus is drastically altering the understory structure of oligotrophic savannas in tropical Australia. We compared nitrogen (N) relations and phenology of A. gayanus and native grasses to examine the impact of invasion on N cycling and to determine possible reasons for invasiveness of A. gayanus. Andropogon gayanus produced up to 10 and four times more shoot phytomass and root biomass, with up to seven and 2.5 times greater shoot and root N pools than native grass understory. These pronounced differences in phytomass and N pools between A. gayanus and native grasses were associated with an altered N cycle. Most growth occurs in the wet season when, compared with native grasses, dominance of A. gayanus was associated with significantly lower total soil N pools, lower nitrification rates, up to three times lower soil nitrate availability, and up to three times higher soil ammonium availability. Uptake kinetics for different N sources were studied with excised roots of three grass species ex situ. Excised roots of A. gayanus had an over six times higher-uptake rate of ammonium than roots of native grasses, while native grass Eriachne triseta had a three times higher uptake rate of nitrate than A. gayanus. We hypothesize that A. gayanus stimulates ammonification but inhibits nitrification, as was shown to occur in its native range in Africa, and that this modification of the soil N cycle is linked to the species' preference for ammonium as an N source. This mechanism could result in altered soil N relations and could enhance the competitive superiority and persistence of A. gayanus in Australian savannas.

A three-month follow-up of psychological morbidity after early miscarriage.

The loss of a pregnancy in the first trimester is a common event and recent research has identified high levels of psychological distress amongst women who have miscarried. We believe this study is the first to examine the phenomenon from a longitudinal perspective using standardized measures. A sample of 65 women was rated for anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at intervals of one, six and 12 weeks following early miscarriage. The results indicate that a large proportion of the sample had clinically important levels of anxiety (41 per cent) and depression (22 per cent) in the first week following miscarriage, which declined to 32 per cent and 6 per cent respectively by the 12th week. No association was observed between levels of psychological morbidity and a number of social and obstetric variables, the only exception being whether or not the pregnancy had been planned. These results are discussed with reference to the relevant literature. The possible implications for further research and clinical practice are addressed.

Effect of compression speed on the tensile strength of tablets of binary mixtures containing aspirin.

Mixtures of aspirin with sodium chloride, sucrose, Starch 1500 or Emcompress have been compressed to two maximum upper punch pressures at two compression speeds. Non-linear relationships between tensile strength and composition, and tablet porosity and composition were found in all cases. Tablets of the individual materials compressed at fast speed showed either little change or a reduction in tensile strength when compared with those compressed at slow speed. For mixtures of aspirin with Starch 1500, tablets compressed at fast speed were weaker and more porous than those compressed at slow speed. However, some mixtures of aspirin with sodium chloride, sucrose or Emcompress gave tablets with greater tensile strength and lower porosity when prepared at fast compression speed compared with tablets prepared at slow speed. This behaviour was attributed to the modification of the consolidation behaviour of the aspirin by the second material.

Mutual diffusional interference between adjacent stomata of a leaf.

The mutual diffusional interference between adjacent stomata in laminar flow over a leaf is shown to play a decisive role in determining overall transpiration. The magnitude of this interference varies with the interaction of the vapor diffusional shells forming above each stoma and the air flow over the leaf. The interference decreases with increasing incident radiation and wind velocity. The effect of interference on the stomatal resistance to diffusion plays a major role in the overall variations in transpiration.