Rates of small-scale species mobility in alvar limestone grassland

Abstract. Small-scale species frequency and cumulative species frequency were studied in four plots in limestone grassland of the Veronica spicata-Avenula pratensis association on Stora Alvaret on the Baltic island of Öland, Sweden. Species mobility was expressed as increase in cumulative species frequency in 20 subplots of 100 cm². Observed cumulative frequencies from 1985–1989 in all four plots, and from 1985–1995 in one plot were compared with values following from two null models, a ‘minimal mobility’ model and a random mobility model. In ca. 50 % of the cases the observed cumulative frequency was not significantly different from the random expectation. However, in many such cases the mean annual frequency was either very high or very low. Three ways of calculating the mobility rate are presented though only one is used: (observed cumulative frequency -lowest annual frequency) / expected cumulative frequency. Values × 100 range from 0 to 100. There were slight differences between the four plots which were interpreted in terms of differences in grazing intensity and soil depth. It is stressed that the idea of the Carousel model has never been meant to suggest that all species would show random mobility, which we now quantify, but that species differ in their mobility rate and that the mean rate is much higher than generally realized.     

Accurate MS-based Rab10 Phosphorylation Stoichiometry Determination as Readout for LRRK2 Activity in Parkinson's Disease

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Highlights

• •MS-based clinical assay that accurately determines phospho Rab10 occupancy.
• •Stable isotope labeled phosphopeptide injected as a standard with endogenous tryptic phospho Rab peptide for accurate ratio determination.
• •Determination of pRab levels in neutrophils of Parkinson disease patients.
• •Relevance of pRab levels as marker of PD.

     

Isolation of the low-molecular-mass form of catechol O-methyltransferase from rat liver and immunocytochemical localization of the enzyme in the glycogen compartment

The low-molecular-mass form of two distinct catechol O-methyltransferase activities (S-adenosyl-L-methionine: catechol O-methyltransferase, COMT, EC 2.1.1.6) has been purified to homogeneity from rat liver using 40-70% ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, adsorption on hydroxyapatite C and ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. The relative molecular mass Mr, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 22 400 +/- 500. Irradiation of the enzyme in the presence of 8-azido-[methyl-3H]AdoMet results in the specific labeling of the catalytic site of the enzyme. Photolabeling was successful with crude COMT preparations and with the isolated enzyme. Immunocytochemical studies present new information about the localization of the low-molecular-mass form in the liver parenchyma. Subcellularly COMT immunoreactivity could be attributed exclusively to the compartment with glycogen granules. Nucleus, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum showed no immunostaining.     

The Effect of Traffic Density on Lead Contents in Roadside Soils: An Analysis of Published Data

Data from eight published studies were combined to show that the influence of traffic density on Pb contents in roadside soils increases with proximity to the road.     

Breast Feathers as an Air-current Sense Organ for the Control of Flight Behaviour in a Songbird (Carduelis spinus)

Analysis of the flight behaviour of siskins (Carduelis spinus) was made possible by tethering them with a harness to a flight balance in a wind tunnel. It could be shown that the breast feathers work as an air-current sense organ influencing the siskins' flight pattern and the aerodynamic parameters.