Conditions of failure and recovery of maternal behavior in captive squirrel monkeys (Saimiri)

This paper deals with the functioning and malfunctioning of maternal behavior in relation to external and social conditions. During developmental studies in captive squirrel monkey groups, 49 mother-infant pairs were observed. There were several cases of maternal inadequacy subsequent to (1) postnatal transportation, (2) exaggerated social investigation by immatures,and (3) premature allomothering. Brief mother-infant separations by humans did not yield such failures. One female consistently prevented nursing with at least three of her five viable offspring. Complete or partial failure of maternal behavior did not preclude subsequent recovery and/or adequate allomothering. Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Med. Detlev Ploog on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

The Function of Homoglutathione and Hydroxymethylglutathione for the Scavenging of Hydrogen Peroxide

The function of homoglutathione (     

Verlust der Kompetenz für genetische Transformation in Bacillus subtilis-Zellen während des Überganges in die stationäre Wachstumsphase

Zusammenfassung Im Gegensatz zu den Hinweisen, daß kompetente Bacillus subtilis-Zellen solche sind, die sich in frühen Sporulationsphasen befinden, stehen die genannten Befunde, wonach Zellen sporulieren, ohne dabei kompetent zu werden. Wenn die Sporulation durch den Übergang einer Kultur in die stationäre Wachstumsphase ausgelöst wurde, nahm sofort die Zahl der kompetenten Zellen ab. Bei einem Wechsel der Stickstoffquelle von Ammoniumsulfat zu Histidin, der bei einem Drittel der Population zur Ausbildung thermoresistenter Sporen führte, verminderte sich sofort die Anzahl transformierbarer Zellen von 4,5·10⁵ ml^-1 auf 2,0·10¹ ml^-1, ohne später wieder den zuvor gemessenen Wert zu erreichen.Der genannte Widerspruch läßt sich aufheben durch die Annahme, daß Zellen, die während des exponentiellen Wachstums der Kultur in den stationären Zustand übergehen und sporulieren, sich von denen unterscheiden, deren Sporulation durch Substratlimitation induziert wurde. Nur die ersteren sind transformierbar. Wahrscheinlich ist bei den letztgenannten die Synthese oder Funktion der zur Kompetenzausbildung und Erhaltung notwendigen Substanzen gehemmt.

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Loss of competence in the Bacillus subtilis transformation system during transition to the stationary growth phase

Summary Former experiments of several authors indicated that competence in the Bacillus subtilis transformation system is linked to an early phase of sporulation. The results presented here show that B. subtilis cells may sporulate without becoming competent. If mass sporulation was induced by transition of the culture to the stationary growth phase the number of competent cells decreased abruptly. Substitution of ammonium sulphate by histidine as the sole source of nitrogen induced a third of the population to form thermoresistant spores. Simultaneously, the number of cells which could be transformed was reduced from 4.5×10⁵ ml^-1 to 2.0×10¹ ml^-1. After prolonged incubation no total recovery of competence could be observed.The differing results concerning the connection of sporulation and transformability may be explained by the assumption that there exists a difference between single cells which sporulate after entering the stationary state during the exponential growth of the culture and such cells the sporulation of which is induced by limitation of substrate. Only the former ones may be subject to transformation while in the latter cells synthesis or function of substances necessary for establishing and maintaining competence may be inhibited.

     

Effectiveness of antibiotics in preventing meningococcal disease after a case: systematic review

Objective To summarise the evidence for the role of antibiotics in preventing further cases of meningococcal disease through chemoprophylaxis given to the index patient, household contacts, and children in day care settings after a single case.Design Systematic review.Methods Studies were identified by searching Embase (1983-2003), Medline (1965-2003), and CAB Health (1973-2003) and by contacting the World Health Organization and the European meningococcal disease surveillance network and examining references of identified papers. The review included all studies with at least 10 cases in which outcomes were compared between treated and untreated groups.Main outcome measure Subsequent cases of meningococcal disease 1-30 days after onset of disease in the index patient.Results Four observational studies and one small trial met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of studies on chemoprophylaxis given to household contacts showed a significant reduction in risk (risk ratio 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.02 to 0.58). The number needed to treat to prevent a case was estimated as 218 (121 to 1135). Primary outcome data were not available in studies of chemoprophylaxis given to the index patient: when prophylaxis had not been given, rate of carriage after discharge from hospital was estimated as 3% (0 to 6), probably an underestimate of the true rate. No studies of chemoprophylaxis in day care settings were identified that met the inclusion criteria.Conclusion There have been no high quality experimental trials looking at control policies for meningococcal disease. The best available evidence is from retrospective studies. The risk of meningococcal disease in household contacts of a patient can be reduced by an estimated 89% if they take antibiotics known to eradicate meningococcal carriage. Chemoprophylaxis should be recommended for the index patient and all household contacts.