The activity of signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in relation to thermal and hydraulic dynamics of an alluvial stream, UK

Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) are an invasive species of global significance because of their detrimental impacts on freshwater environments and native organisms. The movement of signal crayfish was continuously monitored for 150-days through a 20-m reach of an alluvial stream in the UK. Passive integrated transponder-tags were attached to crayfish, allowing their location to be monitored relative to 16 antennae which were buried beneath the river bed. The activity of crayfish was related to water depth and temperature, which were continuously monitored within the instrumented reach. Crayfish were highly nocturnal, with less than 6% of movements recorded during daylight hours. Activity declined from September and was minimal in November when water temperature was low and flow depth was high. However, relations between environmental parameters and crayfish activity had poor explanatory power which may partly reflect biological processes not accounted for in this study. Water depth and temperature had a limiting relationship with crayfish activity, quantified using quantile regression. The results extend existing data on signal crayfish nocturnalism and demonstrate that, although signal crayfish can tolerate a range of flows, activity becomes limited as water temperature declines seasonally and when water depth remains high in autumn and winter months.     

Characterization of gibberellins from light-grown Phaseolus coccineus seedlings by combined GC-MS

Following extensive purification of an extract from 5000 light-grown Phaseolus coccineus seedlings by procedures including countercurrent distribution, Sephadex G10, polyvinylpyrrolidone, charcoal-celite and silicic acid partition column chromatography, TLC preparative GLC, gibberellins A₁, A₄, A₅ and A₂₀ were characterized by combined GC-MS. In addition, an unknown compound isomeric with gibberellin A₁₇ but lacking an hydroxyl group, was also detected.     

Tool-use by a rook (Corvus frugilegus), and its causation

A young captive rook, Corvus frugilegus, inserted a plug into a plug-hole in its aviary floor so that a pool of water formed, which was used by all four rooks in the aviary for drinking and bathing. The bird was selective about which, of six holes, it chose for insertion of the tool, choosing the appropriate one with respect to the water source. Days on which attempted or successful tool-use occurred were drier than other days, and days of successful tool-uses were also warmer. Availability of fresh water to the birds did not influence the occurrence of tool-use.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies on the tertiary folding of transfer ribonucleic acid: assignment of the 7-methylguanosine resonance.

Analysis of the low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of several class 1 D4V5 transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) species containing 7-methylguanosine in their variable loops reveals a set of six to seven tertiary base pair resonances, one of which is always located at ca. --13.4 ppm. Other tRNA species which do not contain 7-methyl-guanosine do not contain the tertiary resonance at --13.4 ppm. Chemical removal of 7-methylguanosine from several tRNAs containing the same dihydrouridine (DHU) helix sequence as yeast tRNAPhe results in the loss of the --13.4-ppm tertiary resonance. In the initiator methionine tRNA, which contains a different DHU helix sequence, the 7-methylguanosine hydrogen bond has been assigned at --14.55 ppm by chemical removal of this residue. In these experiments the aromatic C8H proton of 7-methylguanosine was also assigned (--9.1 ppm). The unexpectedly low-field position of the 7-methylguanosine resonance is explained by the deshielding effect of the delocalized positive charge in this nucleoside.     

Internode length in Pisum. I. The effect of the Le/le gene difference on endogenous gibberellin-like substances

The allelopathic potential of the dry fruits of Washingtonia filifera (L. Linden) H. Wendl. was investigated. Leachates from fruits inhibited the germination of lettuce, wheat, red cabbage and cucumber seeds. The inhibitory effect was partly neutralized by kinetin (20 mg 1⁻¹) and gibberellic acid (50 mg 1⁻¹). The effect of kinetin was more pronounced at 25°C than at 20°C. Substances inhibiting germination were localized in the pericarp of the fruit and were resistant to high temperature.