A saccharogenic method is described for estimating amylase activity in human urine. Results accord with those reported elsewhere except that in this study the peak in the beta zone is a new finding. Comparison between normal and pathological urines suggests that the amylase activity of the beta peak is not of pancreatic origin.

OBJECTIVE The adipokine vaspin (visceral adipose tissue derived serine protease inhibitor, serpinA12) follows a meal-related diurnal variation in humans and intracerebroventricular vaspin administration leads to acutely reduced food intake in db/db mice. We therefore hypothesized that vaspin may play a role in human eating behaviour. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured serum vaspin concentratio...

There is an assumption that legislation against unhealthy behaviour would be unethical, or at best unenforceable and counterproductive. However, the ethics of coercion depend on the manner in which such coercion is introduced, the essential precondition being wide, favourable community consensus. Two recent Australian examples have been the Victorian seat-belt legislation and the Tasmanian hyda...

We describe a system designed to simulate human behaviour in crowds in real-time, concentrating particularly on collision avoidance. The algorithms used are based heavily on psychology research, and the ways this has been used are explained in detail. We argue that this approach gives better results than conventional methods, and detail further work to be done.

The structure and dynamics of a modern business environment are very hard to model using traditional methods. Such complexity raises challenges to effective business analysis and improvement. The importance of applying business process simulation to analyze and improve business activities has been widely recognized. However, one remaining challenge is the development of approaches to human reso...

The Butterfly Flower Shower (BFS) Human Behaviour Model describes human behaviour in each demanding, possible accidental situation. The BFS human behaviour model is presented for a traffic situation. The key elements (perception, cognition, reaction) of the human behaviour are identified. Also possible limitations and errors in all elements of human behaviour are presented. The model is present...

In recent years autonomous agents have significantly gained in importance for the modelling of human behaviour. With this development a need for adequate design methodologies for complex agents emerges which are capable of modelling essential characteristics of human beings in connection with their decision making and behaviour control. In this article the PECS reference model for the construct...

This chapter explores the nature of human behaviour within the on-line sub-culture. Culture as a socio-psychological construction is examined and the emergence of cyberculture. Study within virtual environments and the practice of online learning are located as an important sub-culture within the culture of cyberspace. Human behaviour in the virtual world is assessed within this context, and a ...

Homo sapiens is increasingly being studied within the evolutionary (adaptationist, selectionist) framework favoured by animal behaviour researchers. There are various labels for such work, including evolutionary psychology, human behavioural ecology and human sociobiology. Collectively, we call these areas 'human evolutionary psychology' (HEP) because their shared objective is an evolutionary u...

Human beings are most often an integrated part of complex systems. In order to describe such a system with appropriate accuracy it is necessary to model the human components with the same accuracy as the technical components. Human factors must be included and modelled with the same degree of precision as the system’s mechanical parts. A human being is perceived as a psychosomatic unit with cog...