Rhythms from Seconds to Days [Guest Editorial]

The rhythms from seconds to days, as stated in the title- involve heartbeats and blood pressure waves, breathing, and hormonal and circadian (circa diem, i.e., around one day in period) oscillations of biological variables. The oscillators in the same organism are of different periods, are endowed with different phases, and naturally influence one another. But to ensure that such influences do not result in catastrophes incompatible with life, such as resonance or dampening phenomena, pump failing, or fouling, there must exist physiological regulating mechanisms to control them; the autonomic nervous system and the circadian system are natural candidates to the roles of such controllers.