Pak to the future.

Members of the Pak family of serine/threonine kinases serve as targets for the small GTP-binding proteins Cdc42 and Rac and have been implicated in a wide range of biological activities. Recently, some exciting developments help elaborate the regulation of Pak activity and identify downstream signalling targets. These include the discovery of the Cool/Pix and Cat proteins, which modulate Pak signalling, and downstream kinases that modulate the organization of the actin cytoskeleton or gene expression. We present these recent findings and consider how these new regulators and targets could explain some of the cellular effects that have been attributed to Pak family members.     

II. Contributions to the Ornithology of the East African Islands.

The sea-bird breeding stations in East African waters are enumerated. Between the Lamu archipelago, where many species nest, and the Rovuma the most important station is Latham Island with its Booby colony ( S. dactylatra melanops ), which existed at least 115 years ago. Less than half a dozen terneries (mainly S. dougallii and S. fuscata) are known, and no gullery. Reef-Herons, the only sea-birds to breed on bush-covered islets or in mangroves, are more widespread than the other species. The Terns lay about July, the Reef-Herons a month earlier, and the Gannets about four months later in most years.
Early records of birds in Zanzibar and Pemba are discussed specifically. The recent extinction of Francolins in Zanzibar is taken as proved.
The land-birds of Mafia and the neighbouring islets are listed and discussed, mainly on the basis of a recent collection. The avifauna is purely East African, devoid of endemics, and, considering the size of Mafia and its proximity to the mainland, astonishingly depauperate in some respects. Thirteen families (including Psittacidæ, Coliidæ, Picidæ, Alaudidæ, Timaliidæ, and Zosteropidæ) and several other coastal species are not represented. The phenology is discussed.     

Sensitivity of the vibrios to ultraviolet-radiation.

The ultraviolet-inactivation kinetics of a number of strains of Vibrio cholerae (classical), Vibrio cholerae (el tor), NAG vibrios and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were investigated. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between any two of the four types of vibrio in respect to their sensitivity to U.V.