Patterns of intraspecific variation inAntennaria alborosea,A. corymbosa,A. marginata,A. microphylla,A. parvifolia,andA. umbrinella (Asteraceae:Inuleae)

Patterns of intraspecific variation were examined inAntennaria alborosea A. E. Porsild,A. corymbosa E. Nels,A. marginata Greene,A. microphylla Rydb.,A. parvifolia Nutt., andA. umbrinella Rydb. AlthoughA. alborosea was initially considered arctic in distribution, it became apparent that a southern montane element also exists. Our results suggest that morphological differences between arctic and southern montane specimens represent clinal variation. The additional morphological data for specimens that occur more than 1,500 km south of the species' range as it was initially described result in a better understanding of this once presumed arctic taxon. Morphological variation in the dioecious speciesA. corymbosa, A. marginata, A. microphylla, A. parvifolia, andA. umbrinella was greater between the genders than was geographic variation within each gender. These results demonstrate that both pistillate and staminate specimens must be examined in dioecious species ofAntennaria if morphological variation in the respective species is to be fully understood. Character size or number of broadly distributed species (A. microphylla andA. parvifolia) generally decreased with increasing longitude, whereas characters of species with more restricted distributions (A. alborosea, A. corymbosa, andA. marginata) generally increased in size or number with increasing latitude or longitude.Antennaria umbrinella was an exception in this respect.     

Dependency of growth yield,maintenance and K s-values on the dissolved oxygen concentration in continuous cultures of Azotobacter vinelandii

Azotobacter vinelandii was grown diazotrophically in sucrose-limited chemostat cultures at either 12, 48, 108, 144 or 192 M dissolved oxygen. Steady state protein levels and growth yield coefficients (Y) on sucrose increased with increasing dilution rate (D). Specific rate of sucrose consumption (q) increased in direct proportion to D. Maintenance coefficients (m) extrapolated from plots of q versus D, as well as from plots of 1/Y versus 1/D exhibited a nonlinear relationship to the dissolved oxygen concentration. Constant maximal theoretical growth yield coefficients (Y ^G) of 77.7 g cells per mol of sucrose consumed were extrapolated irrespective of differences in ambient oxygen concentration. For comparison, glucose-, as well as acetate-limited cultures were grown at 108 M oxygen. Fairly identical m- and Y ^G-values, when based on mol of substrate-carbon with glucose and sucrose grown cells, indicated that both substrates were used with the same efficiency. However, acetate-limited cultures showed significantly lower m- and, at comparable, D, higher Y-values than cultures limited by either sucrose or glucose. Substrate concentrations (K _s) required for half-maximal growth rates on sucrose were not constant, they increased when the ambient oxygen concentration was raised and, at a given oxygen concentration, when D was decreased. Since biomass levels varied in linear proportion to K _s these results are interpreted in terms of variable substrate uptake activity of the culture.Abbreviations D dilution rate - K _s substrate concentration required for half maximal growth rate - m maintenance coefficient - q specific rate of substrate consumption - Y growth yield coefficient - Y ^G maximum theoretical growth yield coefficient     

Thermodynamics of the disproportionation of adenosine 5'-diphosphate to adenosine 5'-triphosphate and adenosine 5'-monophosphate. I. Equilibrium model

The thermodynamic treatment of the disproportionation reaction of adenosine 5′-diphosphate to adenosine 5′-triphosphate and adenosine 5′-monophosphate is discussed in terms of an equilibrium model which includes the effects of the multiplicity of ionic and metal bound species and the presence of long range electrostatic and short range repulsive interactions. Calculated quantities include equilibrium constants, enthalpies, heat capacities, entropies, and the stoichiometry of the overall reaction. The matter of how these calculations can be made self-consistent with respect to both calculated values of the ionic strength and the molality of the free magnesium ion is discussed. The thermodynamic data involving proton and magnesium-ion binding data for the nucleotides involved in this reaction have been evaluated.     

Hydrodynamics of segmentally flexible macromolecules

Segmentally flexible macromolecules are composed of a few rigid subunits linked by joints which are more or less flexible. The dynamics in solution of this type of macromolecule present special aspects that are reviewed here. Three alternative approaches are described. One is the rigid-body treatment, which is shown to be valid for overall dynamic properties such as translational diffusion and intrinsic viscosity. Another approach is the Harvey-Wegener treatment, which is particularly suited for rotational diffusion. The simplest version of this treatment, which ignores hydrodynamic interaction (HI) effects, is found to be quite accurate when compared to a more rigorous version including HI. A third approach is the Brownian dynamics simulation that, albeit at some computational cost, might describe rigorously cases of arbitrary complexity. This technique has been used to test the approximations in the rigid-body and Harvey-Wegener treatments, thus allowing a better understanding of their validity. Brownian trajectories of simplified models such as the trumbbell and the broken rod have been simulated. The comparison of the decay rates of some correlation functions with the predictions of the two treatments leads to a general conclusion: the Harvey-Wegener treatment determines the initial rate, while the long-time behavior is dominated by the rigid-body relaxation time. As an example of application to a specific biological macromolecule, we present a simulation of an immunoglobulin molecule, showing how Brownian Dynamics can be used to predict rotational and internal dynamics. Another typical example is myosin. Literature data of hydrodynamic properties of whole myosin and the myosin rod are compared with predictions from the Harvey-Wegener and rigid-body treatments. The present situation of the problem on myosin flexibility is analyzed, and some indications are given for future experimental and simulation work.     

Ecology and genetics of insecticide resistance inHelicoverpa armigera: Interactions between selection and gene flow

Pyrethroid resistance inHelicoverpa armigera provides a model system in which to study evolution in natural populations. Resistance is seen to evolve as a consequence of selection pressure that varies within and between life-stages and gene flow. Although three different mechanisms are involved, present day fluctuations in phenotype frequency can be explained by variation in only one of these, metabolic resistance, that is inherited as a single, incompletely dominant gene,mfo. Selective mortality of phenotypes occurs in both larvae and adults in the presence of the pyrethroid insecticides. Although most individuals of all three genotypes are killed in young larvae, selection in this age-class contributes significantly to evolution of resistance. While there is some evidence of reduced fitness of resistant pupae during winter diapause, most of the decline in resistance frequencies each spring occurs as a result of immigration of susceptible individuals into insecticide-treated populations.     

The size of the photosynthetic unit in purple bacteria

Pigment analysis was performed by means of normal phase HPLC on a number of bacteriochlorophyll a and b containing species of purple bacteria that contain a core antenna only. At least 99% of the bacteriochlorophyll in Rhodobacter sphaeroides R26, Rhodopseudomonas viridis and Thiocapsa pfennigii was esterified with phytol (BChl a _p and BChl b _p, respectively). Rhodospirillum rubrum contained only BChl a esterified with geranyl-geraniol (BChl a _GG). Rhodospirillum sodomense and Rhodopseudomonas marina contained, in addition to BChl a _p, small amounts of BChl a _GG, and presumably also of BChl a esterified with dihydro and tetrahydro geranyl-geraniol (2,10,14-phytatrienol and probably 2,14-phytadienol). In all species bacteriopheophytin (BPhe) esterified with phytol was present. The BChl/BPhe ratio indicated that in these species a constant number of 25 ± 3 antenna BChls is present per reaction centre. This number supports a model in which the core antenna consists of 12 - heterodimers surrounding the reaction centre. Determination of the in vivo extinction coefficient of BChl in the core-reaction centre complex yielded a value of ca. 140 mM^–1 cm^–1 for BChl a containing species and of 130 mM^–1 cm^–1 for Rhodopseudomonas viridis.Abbreviations BChl bacteriochlorophyll - BPhe bacteriopheophytin - GG geranyl-geraniol - LHI and LHII core and peripheral antenna complexes - P phytol - RC reaction centre Dedicated to the memory of Professor D.I. Arnon.     

Kinetics of aerobic biodegradation of benzene and toluene in sandy aquifer material

Monod's equation adequately described aerobic biodegradation rates of benzene and toluene by the microbial population of a sandy aquifer when these compounds were initially present at concentrations lower than 100 mg/l each. Concentrations higher than 100 mg/l were inhibitory, and no benzene or toluene degradation was observed when these compounds were initially present at 250 mg/l each. The Monod coefficients were calculated as k = 8.3 g-benzene/g-cells/day and Ks = 12.2 mg/l for benzene, and k = 9.9 g-toluene/g-cells/day and Ks = 17.4 mg/l for toluene. Specific first-order coefficients would be 0.68 l/mg.day for benzene and 0.57 l.mg.day for toluene.     

北京西山地区大山雀与其它鸟类种群种间联结分析

引入2*2列联表联结指数法,用固定样带法月连续全天定位调查数据,以森林鸟类广布种山雀科大山雀(Parus major)为目标种,研究了北京西山地区该种与留鸟、夏候鸟、冬候鸟、旅鸟的种间联结关系,结合前人关于营巢行为、取食行为、生态位等方面成果分析了产生联结的原因,首次确立了鸟类群落种间联结的研究方法。结果表明： （1）用固定样带法月连续全天定位调查,引入2*2列联表以日尺度的定性数据检验与测定联结度,与月尺度的联结频率结合起来,分析鸟类群落的种间联结是可行的;鸟类群落的种间联结具有时间与空间尺度的双重属性,鸟类群落的种间联结度不仅是鸟类群落时空结构与格局的表征,同时,反映了鸟类群落的动态性,而且,鸟类群落的种间联结对栖息的植物群落具有依赖性与关联性。 （2）日尺度上,选择χ2统计量、PCC与PC指数相结合进行种间联结检验、测度,能充分反映鸟类群落的种间联结特征,但由于鸟类的居留、繁殖、迁移等季节动态性特征,种间联结度存有不确定性。 （3）月尺度上,鸟类总体种间联结8月份为显著负联结,其余各月为显著正联结;根据PCC联结度的月联结频率,可将鸟类划分为正联结组、正负联结均较弱组、负联结组;大山雀与留鸟、夏候鸟、冬候鸟、旅鸟等不同居留型的联结关系,随着种数的减少,显著联结种对、联结度、联结复杂程度呈递减趋势。大山雀与留鸟的联结：与鸦科鸟类呈明显正联结,与同科鸟类呈正负均等的弱联结并趋于负联结,与体型较大的雉、啄木鸟、乌鸦等鸟类呈负联结。大山雀与夏候鸟的联结：与杜鹃科四声杜鹃呈正联结,与同科的黄腹山雀、鹟科的白眉姬正负联结均较弱,与莺科的黄腰柳莺、鸫科的北红尾鸲等呈负联结。大山雀与冬候鸟的联结：与岩鹨科棕眉山岩鹨的正负联结均较弱,与鸫科的斑鸫、鹀科多种鸟类呈明显的负联结。大山雀与旅鸟的联结：与莺科鸟类由正负联结均较弱到明显的负联结。