Some laboratory methods for recording and displaying temporal patterns of locomotor activity in marine animals

Several methods of recording locomotor activity patterns in marine animals are described. Particular emphasis is given to the use of uniselectors as memory stores and the delivery of stored data periodically to an electric typewriter for display, either numerically or graphically. Actograph design should take into account the normal behaviour of the experimental animals.     

Vitamin D Intoxication,with Hypernatraemia,Potassium and Water Depletion,and Mental Depression

Two elderly patients suffering from manic-depressive psychosis/depressive reaction had concurrently hypercalcaemia from vitamin D intoxication. They developed hypernatraemia with severe potassium and water depletion. Hypercalcaemia was pronounced, but both patients recovered quickly and their depressive symptoms resolved following water and potassium repletion and corticosteroid therapy.     

Tryptophan and kynurenine determination in untreated urine by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography

A fast and sensitive method for the analysis of tryptophan and some of its metabolites is discussed. A reversed-phase chromatographic system with water mobile phase can separate tryptophan, N-formalkynurenine, kynurenine and 3-hydroxykynurenine in less than 15 min at a flow-rate of 1 ml/min. The application of the method to the analysis of tryptophan and kynurenine in untreated urine of a patient loaded with tryptophan is described. The ease and speed of analysis makes the method very attractive for clinical purposes. Among other things, it was found that tryptophan in untreated urine degrades with time, even if the sample is frozen at ?11°.