Variation in Lewsia kelloggii (Portulacaceae) with description of a new species endemic to Idaho

Lewisia kelloggii has been understood as a rare plant with a disjunct range in California and Idaho. Examination of herbarium specimens and analysis of isozymes in 6 Idaho and 7 California populations revealed consistent differences between plants of the 2 states. Fixed differences in alleles at 2 loci (AAT2 and PGI1) distinguished Idaho from California plants. Genetic identities based on isozymes between Idaho and California populations averaged 0.58, lower than the average for congeneric plant species. Idaho plants were smaller than most California plants, but California plants were variable. The most consistent morphological difference between Idaho and California specimens was the difference in the number of glands on the margins of bracts and sepals. Idaho plants had 0 (-5) pink glands on each margin of these organs, all on teeth near the tips. In California plants these organs had 12-25 glands on each margin, the distal ones elevated on teeth and the proximal ones sessile. We recognize the Idaho plants as a new species, L. sacajaweana , and retain the name L. kelloggii for the California populations.     

Fall diet of blue grouse in Oregon

The early fall diet of Oregon blue grouse ( Dendragapus obscurus pallidus ) from Wallowa County, Oregon, was determined from 145 crops obtained during 1981 and 1982. Of more than 50 plant and animal foods in the diet, short-horned grasshoppers ( Acrididae ), prickly lettuce ( Lactuca serriola ), yellow salsify ( Tragopogon dubius ), wild buck-wheat ( Eriogonum spp.), and snowberry ( Symphoricarpos albus ) occurred in 30% or more of the crops and collectively amounted to 68% of the diet by weight. Seven of the 12 most common foods were consumed differentially by the four sex and age classes of birds. Results indicated that blue grouse foraged in forest and grassland habitats.     

A small carnivore survey technique

Thirty-nine previously unpublished reports of the endangered black-footed ferret from Wyoming are listed with dates, locations, number of animals, sources, and comments.     

Influences of sex and weather on migration of mule deer in California

I examined differences by sex and influences of weather on timing and patterns of migration of Rocky Mountain mule deer ( Odocoileus h. hemionus ) in the eastern Sierra Nevada, California, during 1984-87. Deer initiated spring migration from the winter range at about the same time in all years and made extensive use of holding areas at intermediate elevations. Radio-telemetered deer showed strong fidelity to summer ranges over as many as four years. Fall weather produced different patterns of fall migration. Storms during October produced a pulsed migration, in which most animals mmiiggiraatteedd to the winter range during or soon after the storm; in a year without a storm, fall migration was gradual. Despite the influence of storms on the pattern of fall migration, the median date of fall migration by females did not vary over years; however, among males it was later in a year without fall storms.     

Invasion of big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) by white fir ( Abies concolor ) on the southeastern slopes of the Warner Mountains, California

White fir ( Abies concolor ) appears to be invading vegetation dominated by big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) on the southeastern slopes of the Warner Mountains of extreme northeastern California. The time of initial tree establishment within the shrubs was determined by increment borings. Possible causes of the invasion involving specific climatic conditions, fire history, and grazing use of the area during years of the establishment were explored. Heavy grazing by domestic livestock, particularly sheep, appears responsible for altering the sagebrush - grass vegetation and allowing tree invasion.     

Cartilage biology, pathology, and repair

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of musculoskeletal disease and the most prominent type of arthritis encountered in all countries. Although great efforts have been made to investigate cartilage biology and osteoarthritis pathology, the treatment has lagged behind that of other arthritides, as there is a lack of effective disease-modifying therapies. Numerous approaches for dealing with cartilage degradation have been tried, but enjoyed very little success to develop approved OA treatments with not only symptomatic improvement but also structure-modifying effect. In this review we discuss the most recent findings regarding the regulation of cartilage biology and pathology and highlight their potential therapeutic values.     

Between meaning culture and presence effects: contemporary biomedical objects as a challenge to museums

The acquisition and display of material artefacts is the raison d’être of museums. But what constitutes a museum artefact? Contemporary medicine (biomedicine) is increasingly producing artefacts that do not fit the traditional museological understanding of what constitutes a material, tangible artefact. Museums today are therefore caught in a paradox. On the one hand, medical science and technologies are having an increasing pervasive impact on the way contemporary life is lived and understood and is therefore a central part of the contemporary world. On the other hand, the objects involved in medical diagnostics and therapies are becoming increasingly invisible and intangible and therefore seem to have no role to play as artefacts in a museum context. Consequently, museums are at risk of becoming alienated from an increasingly important part of contemporary society. This essay elaborates the paradox by employing Gumbrecht’s (2004) distinction between ‘presence’ and ‘meaning’.     

Developmental regulation of p70 S6 kinase by a G protein-coupled receptor dynamically modelized in primary cells

The mechanisms whereby G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) activate signalling pathways involved in mRNA translation are ill-defined, in contrast to tyrosine kinase receptors (TKR). We compared a GPCR and a TKR, both endogenously expressed, for their ability to mediate phosphorylation of 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase p70S6K in primary rat Sertoli cells at two developmental stages. In proliferating cells stimulated with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), active p70S6K was phosphorylated on T389 and T421/S424, through cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA) and phosphatidyl-inositide-3 kinase (PI3K) antagonizing actions. In FSH-stimulated differentiating cells, active p70S6K was phosphorylated solely on T389, PKA and PI3K independently enhancing its activity. At both developmental stages, insulin-induced p70S6K regulation was consistent with reported data. Therefore, TKR and GPCR trigger distinct p70S6K active conformations. p70S6K developmental regulation was formalized in a dynamic mathematical model fitting the data, which led to experimentally inaccessible predictions on p70S6K phosphorylation rate.     

Grassland bird associations with introduced and native grass Conservation Reserve Program fields in the Southern High Plains

We examined relative abundances of grassland birds among Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) fields seeded with 2 monocultures of introduced grass species and 2 mixes of native grasses in the Southern High Plains of Texas. We assessed bird compositions among these 4 cover types and between the cover types pooled into categories of introduced and native fields. Breeding season bird diversity and total abundance did not differ among cover types or between introduced and native fields. Grasshopper Sparrows ( Ammodramus savannarum ), Cassin’s Sparrows ( Aimophila cassinii ), and Western Meadowlarks ( Sturnella neglecta ) accounted for more than 90% of breeding season detections. Grasshopper Sparrows were the most abundant and found in all cover types. Cassin’s Sparrows were 38% to 170% more abundant among the native seed mix without buffalograss ( Buchloë dactyloides ) compared to 3 other cover types. Although this association was statistically lost when cover types were pooled into introduced or native fields ( U = 93.5, P = 0.91), the species was still 50% more abundant among native CRP than introduced CRP fields. Meadowlarks occurred ubiquitously but at very low numbers during the breeding season. During winter, avian abundance was 44% greater among native CRP than introduced CRP fields. Meadowlarks, Horned Larks ( Eremophila alpestris ), and Savannah Sparrows ( Passerculus sandwichensis ) accounted for 94% of all winter detections. Meadowlarks occurred ubiquitously, but Horned Larks and Savannah Sparrows were 157% and 96% more abundant, respectively, among native CRP than introduced CRP fields. Our data suggest that monocultures of introduced grasses may benefit some bird species but also that native seed mixes may have a more positive influence through increased diversity and abundance of grassland birds. However, pooling cover types into the broader categories of introduced or native grasses may dampen or occlude biologically meaningful results. It may be prudent to avoid broad categorization of CRP fields based solely on native or introduced grass cover when assessing habitat associations of grassland birds.