Diversity and Interactions between Picobiine Mites and Starlings.

The subfamily Picobiinae (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) comprises obligate and permanent parasites of birds found exclusively in the quills of contour feathers. We studied associations of picobiine mites with birds of the family Sturnidae (Aves: Passeriformes) across the Palaearctic, Afrotropical, Oriental, and Oceanian zoogeographical regions. Among the 414 examined bird individuals belonging to 44 species (35.

Quill Mites of the Subfamily Syringophilinae (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) Parasitising Starlings (Passeriformes: Sturnidae).

Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae are widely distributed parasites of birds inhabiting the interior of feather quills. In this paper, we provide detailed information on the host spectrum and distribution for six previously described species of syringophilines associated with starlings with new host and locality records. Additionally, we describe three new species: Marcisova, Skoracki, and Patan sp.

Lost companions: a new quill mite species and its possible coextinction with the Carolina parakeet.

Investigations of the parasites associated with extinct avian species provide unique insights into the ecology and evolution of both hosts and their parasitic counterparts. In the present paper, a new quill mite species, sp. n.

The chronic effects of a combination of herbal extracts (Euphytose) on psychological mood state and response to a laboratory stressor: A randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study in healthy humans.

Background: Global lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders has been estimated at approximately 16.6%, with subclinical prevalence likely much higher. Herbal approaches to reduce anxiety may be as effective as pharmacological treatments and are less likely to be associated with adverse side effects.

Supplementation with oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid, but not in docosahexaenoic acid, improves global cognitive function in healthy, young adults: results from randomized controlled trials.

Background: Evidence regarding the effects of the omega-3 (ɷ-3) PUFAs (n-3 PUFAs) DHA and EPA on cognition is lacking.

Objectives: We investigated whether supplementation with oils rich in EPA or DHA improves cognition, prefrontal cortex (PFC) hemoglobin (Hb) oxygenation, and memory consolidation.

Methods: Healthy adults (n = 310; age range: 25-49 y) completed a 26-wk randomized controlled trial in which they consumed either 900 mg DHA/d and 270 mg EPA/d (DHA-rich oil), 360 mg DHA/d and 900 mg EPA/d (EPA-rich oil), or 3000 mg/d refined olive oil (placebo).

Differential Effects of DHA- and EPA-Rich Oils on Sleep in Healthy Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Emerging evidence suggests that adequate intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (-3 PUFAs), which include docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), might be associated with better sleep quality. N-3 PUFAs, which must be acquired from dietary sources, are typically consumed at suboptimal levels in Western diets. Therefore, the current placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial, investigated the effects of an oil rich in either DHA or EPA on sleep quality in healthy adults who habitually consumed low amounts of oily fish.

Sensor Fault-Tolerant Control Design for Magnetic Brake System.

The purpose of the paper is to develop an efficient approach to fault-tolerant control for nonlinear systems of magnetic brakes. The challenging problems of accurate modeling, reliable fault detection and a control design able to compensate for potential sensor faults are addressed. The main idea here is to make use of the repetitive character of the control task and apply iterative learning control based on the observational data to accurately tune the system models for different states of the system.

Neural-network-based iterative learning control of nonlinear systems.

This work reports on a novel approach to effective design of iterative learning control of repetitive nonlinear processes based on artificial neural networks. The essential idea discussed here is to enhance the iterative learning scheme with neural networks applied for controller synthesis as well as for system output prediction. Consequently, an iterative control update rule is developed through efficient data-driven scheme of neural network training.

Optimum design of experiments for enzyme inhibition kinetic models.

We find closed-form expressions for the D-optimum designs for three- and four-parameter nonlinear models arising in kinetic models for enzyme inhibition. We calculate the efficiency of designs over a range of parameter values and make recommendations for design when the parameter values are not well known. In a three-parameter experimental example, a standard design has an efficiency of 18.

Potential application of D-optimal designs in the efficient investigation of cytochrome P450 inhibition kinetic models.

Correctly chosen d-optimal designs provide efficient experimental schemes when the aim of the investigation is to obtain precise estimates of parameters. In the current work, estimates of parameters refer to the enzyme kinetic parameters V(max) and K(m), but they also refer to the inhibition constant K(i). In general, this experimental approach is performed on a grid of values of the design variables.

Charge injection capacity of TiN electrodes for an extended voltage range.

Many applications of neural stimulation demand a high current density from the electrodes used for stimulus delivery. New materials have been searched that can provide such large current and charge densities where the traditional noble metal and capacitor electrodes are inadequate. Titanium nitride, which has been used in cardiac pacemaker leads for many years, is one of these materials recently considered for neural stimulation.

[Value of endoscopic ultrasound examination of the mediastinum in Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas].

Aim: The applicability of ultrasound for diagnosing mediastinal diseases is limited by the surrounding thorax containing air and bone, permitting only restricted echo windows. Transoesophageal endoscopic ultrasound circumvents this problem and provides good visualisation of nearly all parts of the mediastinum. We evaluated the value of endoscopic ultrasonography for mediastinal staging of Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

[Endoscopic ultrasound of pathological mediastinal findings].

Introduction: Mediastinal diseases are mostly diagnosed by CT and MRI. The applicability of ultrasound is limited by the surrounding air- and bone-containing thorax, which permits only restricted echo windows. Transesophageal endoscopic ultrasonography circumvents this problem and ensures visualization of parts of the mediastinum.