Life cycle of Ixodes minor (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory

OBJECTIVE: It is commonly believed that the full moon exerts an influence on violence and aggression in psychiatric settings. The literature to date is contentious. This study used a robust methodology to examine the hypothesis that there was an increased frequency of violent and aggressive behaviour among hospitalised psychiatric clients at the time of the full moon. METHOD: Prospective data were collected in five inpatient psychiatric settings across the Northern Sydney Area Health Service. Morrison's hierarchy of violence and aggression was used to rate behaviour. Lunar phases were clearly defined and Poisson regression used to examine relationships between lunar phase and violence. Extraneous temporal variation was considered. RESULTS: No significant relationship was found between total violence and aggression or level of violence and aggression and any phase of the moon. CONCLUSION: Future research could profitably examine the implications of a belief in the lunar effect among health workers in the face of evidence that no relationship exists between violence, aggression and the lunar cycle.     

HIST: A hierarchical self test methodology for chips,boards, and systems

This article presents the HIST approach, which allows the automated insertion of self test hardware into hierarchically designed circuits and systems to implement the RUNBIST instruction of the IEEE 1149.1 standard. To achieve an optimal and throughout self testable system, the inherent design hierarchy is fully exploited. All chips and boards are provided with appropriate test controllers at each hierarchy level. The approach is able to detect all those faults, which are in the scope of the underlying self test algorithms. In this paper the hierarchical test architecture, the test controllers as well as all necessary synthesis procedures are presented. Finally a successful application of the HIST approach to a cryptography processor is described.     

Optically amplified first window systems experiments

A diode pumped, commercially packaged, thulium doped fluoride fiber amplifier (TDFFA) operating in the region of 0.8 μm has been characterized. The unit is capable of producing large small signal gains, low noise figures and high saturated output powers. A power amplifier slope efficiency of 62% has been achieved at 810 nm. The same TDFFA unit was used in a series of systems experiments, at data rates of 310 Mb/s and 1.2 Gb/s, in the first telecommunications window. The results of this work indicate that data can be transmitted over ≈10 km lengths of both singlemode and standard transmission fiber, while still allowing significant margin to split the signal to a number of customers. The application of the TDFFA could therefore have significant benefit for future LAN/MAN type systems architectures involving large signal splits to customer's premises     

Identification of elements on GeneX-secA RNA of Escherichia coli required for SecA binding and secA auto-regulation

The protein translocation ATPase of Escherichia coli, SecA protein, auto-regulates its translation by binding to its translation initiation region in geneX-secA mRNA. To analyze this regulation further the secondary structure of this portion of geneX-secA RNA was investigated utilizing structure-specific nucleases and chemical probing approaches. The results of this analysis were consistent with the existence of two adjacent helices, helix I and the lower portion of helix II, whose function in secA activation and repression, respectively, has been demonstrated. Binding of SecA protein to geneX-secA RNA or various mutant derivatives of this RNA was studied by measurement of affinity constants, RNA footprint analysis, and quantitation of auto-repression in vivo. This analysis showed that the SecA-binding site in geneX-secA RNA was remarkably large spanning a region of 96 nucleotides including a 3' portion of helix II, the secA translation initiation region and distal sequences. From the size of the SecA-binding site and the plasticity of its response to mutational alteration, it is suggested that SecA protein contains two distinct RNA-binding sites. Finally, it was shown that SecA binding was not sufficient to promote auto-regulation and that sequences both upstream (helix I) and within the binding site can contribute to auto-regulation without affecting SecA-binding affinity.     

Fecal bile acid excretion and composition in response to changes in dietary wheat bran,fat and calcium in the rat

The effect and possible interactive influence of different dietary amounts of wheat bran, fat and calcium on the fecal excretion, concentration and composition of bile acids was studied in Fischer-344 rats. The fecal bile acids were analyzed using gas-liquid chromatography. Dietary wheat bran increased both total bile acid excretion and fecal weight without changes in fecal bile acid concentration. The proportion of fecal hyodeoxycholic acid decreased with increasing dietary fiber, whereas that of lithocholic and deoxycholic acids increased significantly with fiber intake. The percent content of fecal chenodeoxycholic acid did not change. Increasing dietary fat led to an increase in bile acid excretion without changes in either fecal weight or bile acid concentration. In contrast, the level of dietary calcium did not affect the total excretion of bile acids. However, since calcium increased the fecal weight, it consequently diluted bile acids and decreased their fecal concentration. Dietary fat and calcium had no influence on fecal bile acid composition. There were no interactive effects of wheat bran, fat and calcium on fecal bile acids. The finding in this study that dietary fiber, fat and calcium induce significant changes in fecal bile acids may be of relevance to the potential of bile acids to promote carcinogenesis.     

F?deratives Identit?tsmanagement am Beispiel der elektronischen Fallakte

Für Krankenh?user sind Anwendungen für kooperativ angelegte Behandlungsprozesse wesentliche Werkzeuge um einen zeitnahen einrichtungs- und sektorübergreifenden Austausch patientenbezogener medizinischer Daten zu gew?hrleisten.     

An orphan nuclear receptor activated by pregnanes defines a novel steroid signaling pathway

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of 28 d of creatine supplementation during training on body composition, strength, sprint performance, and hematological profiles. METHODS: In a double-blind and randomized manner, 25 NCAA division IA football players were matched-paired and assigned to supplement their diet for 28 d during resistance/agility training (8 h x wk[-1]) with a Phosphagen HP (Experimental and Applied Sciences, Golden, CO) placebo (P) containing 99 g x d(-1) of glucose, 3 g x d(-1) of taurine, 1.1 g x d(-1) of disodium phosphate, and 1.2 g x d(-1) of potassium phosphate (P) or Phosphagen HP containing the P with 15.75 g x d(-1) of HPCE pure creatine monohydrate (HP). Before and after supplementation, fasting blood samples were obtained; total body weight, total body water, and body composition were determined; subjects performed a maximal repetition test on the isotonic bench press, squat, and power clean; and subjects performed a cycle ergometer sprint test (12 x 6-s sprints with 30-s rest recovery). RESULTS: Hematological parameters remained within normal clinical limits for active individuals with no side effects reported. Total body weight significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the HP group (P 0.85 +/- 2.2; HP 2.42 +/- 1.4 kg) while no differences were observed in the percentage of total body water. DEXA scanned body mass (P 0.77 +/- 1.8; HP 2.22 +/- 1.5 kg) and fat/bone-free mass (P 1.33 +/- 1.1; HP 2.43 +/- 1.4 kg) were significantly increased in the HP group. Gains in bench press lifting volume (P -5 +/- 134; HP 225 +/- 246 kg), the sum of bench press, squat, and power clean lifting volume (P 1,105 +/- 429; HP 1,558 +/- 645 kg), and total work performed during the first five 6-s sprints was significantly greater in the HP group. CONCLUSION: The addition of creatine to the glucose/taurine/electrolyte supplement promoted greater gains in fat/bone-free mass, isotonic lifting volume, and sprint performance during intense resistance/agility training.     

Performance comparison of some discrete service time systems

This paper analyzes and compares the slotted time operation and the non-slotted time operation of a singleserver system with deterministic service time. These two operations are commonly used to model discrete service time systems in computer or digital communications. But due to the similarity in their operations and performance, the two models may be mixed up with each other. This paper examines by means of queueing analysis the performance of a few classes of systems that differ in the service order of their customers. The means and variances of the queue lengths, waiting times and interdeparture times of FCFS systems using the slotted time operations are first obtained from their respective LST and generating function equations. These are then used for comparison with those in non-slotted time systems. The results show that although the slotted time operation in the FCFS systems can be approximated by the non-slotted time operations under heavy traffic condition, the performances under other regions and service disciplines (e.g., the LCFS and the priority systems) may deviate significantly. They must be properly adjusted if one wishes to use the simpler equations of the non-slotted time operations to approximate the slotted time operations. The comparison graphs provided in this paper supply adjustments guidelines for the careful designers.     

Influence of clinical mastitis during early lactation on reproductive performance of Jersey cows

In the common goby, Pomatoschistus microps (Pisces, Gobiidae), males build nests under mussel shells where they care for the eggs until hatching. To investigate why male common gobies cannibalize their own eggs (filial cannibalism), we conducted a feeding experiment. Males given little food ate from their eggs more often than males given food in excess. However, males given mussel meat in excess did not eat more of their eggs than males fed with both mussel meat in excess and goby eggs. This may suggest that male common gobies cannibalize their eggs to obtain energy rather than essential nutrients lacking in other diets. Moreover, males ate their whole clutch if it was exceptionally small regardless of food treatment, suggesting that males stop investing in their clutch if its reproductive value is less than the cost of guarding it. Thus, whole clutch cannibalism and partial clutch cannibalism seem to be governed by different factors. Furthermore, poorly built nests were associated with starved males, suggesting that nest concealing is costly. There was an association between how well the nest was built and partial clutch filial cannibalism, suggesting that the appearance of the nest may indicate the condition of the male, and thus the risk of filial cannibalism. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.