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Biomedical subjects

H Everts

Publications and source records attributed to H Everts.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Eradication of poliomyelitis in countries affected by conflict.

The global initiative to eradicate poliomyelitis is focusing on a small number of countries in Africa (Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan) and Asia (Afghanistan, Tajikistan), where progress has been hindered by armed conflict. In these countries the disintegration of health systems and difficulties of access are major obstacles to the immunization and surveillance strategies necessary for polio eradication. In such circumstances, eradication requires special endeavours, such as the negotiation of ceasefires and truces and the winning of increased direct involvement by communities. Transmission of poliovirus was interrupted during conflicts in Cambodia, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Efforts to achieve eradication in areas of conflict have led to extra health benefits: equity in access to immunization, brought about because every child has to be reached; the revitalization and strengthening of routine immunization services through additional externally provided resources; and the establishment of disease surveillance systems. The goal of polio eradication by the end of 2000 remains attainable if supplementary immunization and surveillance can be accelerated in countries affected by conflict.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Nutrition of young piglets in relation to weaning problems].

Weaning at the age of 3-4 weeks has great consequences for piglets. The consequences of the change from milk to solid food are discussed with regard to the supply of nutrients, the available enzyme capacity of the digestive tract, and the morphological and functional changes in the gut. A number of preventive measures are discussed, with a distinction being made between general measures, measures related to the composition of the diet, and measures related to specific additives. Future research should clarify the mechanism of action of specific additives and pay more attention to the uptake of nutrients in piglets in the period just after weaning.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1999

Play is indispensable for an adequate development of coping with social challenges in the rat.

In this study, young rats were deprived of early social interactions during weeks 4 and 5 of life. Different behavioral tests were conducted in adulthood to study the behavioral responses of rats lacking early social experiences. Juvenile deprivation resulted in decreased social activity and an altered sexual pattern, but did not affect locomotor activity or the performance in the elevated plus maze. Furthermore, behavioral and neuroendocrine responses of juvenile isolated rats were dramatically altered when they were confronted with territorial aggression. Juvenile deprived rats did not readily display a submissive posture in response to the resident and showed no immobility behavior after being returned to the resident's territory, while their plasma corticosterone and adrenaline concentrations were significantly increased compared to nonisolated controls. In contrast, behavioral responses in the shock prod test were not affected by previous isolation. The results suggest that early social experiences are vital for interactions with conspecifics later in life, i.e., aggression, sexual, and social interactions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Progress towards the eradication of poliomyelitis globally and in Africa, January 2000.

Led by an international partnership including Rotary International, the WHO, UNICEF and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, the global initiative to eradicate poliomyelitis has made remarkable progress since its beginning in 1988. The number of polio cases has decreased from an estimated 350,000 cases in 1988 to just over 5,000 reported cases in 1999. Following successful eradication from the WHO Region of the America's, certified as polio-free in 1994, wild poliovirus was last reported from the Western Pacific Region (including China) in 1997, and from the European Region (including all countries of the former Soviet Union) in November 1998. Large parts of Southern and Northern Africa and the Middle East are also polio-free. This success is related to the implementation of annual nationwide supplemental oral poliovaccine (OPV) campaigns in all recently or currently polio-endemic countries, targeting all children under 5 years with two doses of OPV. Progress of the initiative is monitored by special surveillance systems for all cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children under 15 years, including virological testing to rule out wild poliovirus infection. The initiative currently focuses on a limited number of remaining endemic countries in South Asia and Africa, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. The initiative is also beginning to be successful in several countries affected by conflict situations, such as Afghanistan, Sudan (South), Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Coping with stress in rats and mice: differential peptidergic modulation of the amygdala-lateral septum complex.

This chapter focuses on the parvicellular vasopressin (VP) system originating from the medial nucleus of the amygdala (MeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The vasopressinergic fibers of these nuclei innervate a number of limbic brain areas including the septum-hippocampal complex. Interestingly, this VP system is sexually dimorphic and the VP synthesis in this system depends on circulating gonadal steroids. Studies in rats and mice show that the variation in the lateral septal VP network within the male gender is as large as the variation between the sexes as reported in the literature. Non-aggressive males are characterized by a far more extensive VP network and a higher VP content in the lateral septal area than aggressive males. A review of the literature on the function of lateral septal VP in the organization of behavior reveals not only a modulatory role of behavior in a social context, but also of fear- and anxiety-related behaviors. It is argued that these seemingly diverse functions might be explained by the concept of coping style. Extensive behavioral and physiological analyses in a variety of animal species show that males may be characterized by the way in which they cope with environmental challenges in general. Aggressive males tend to cope actively with their environment whereas non-aggressive males seem to accept the situation as it is more easily. In several tests, we determined the effects of chronic infusion of the V1 receptor antagonist locally into the lateral septal area in male rats. The main conclusion from these experiments is that LS VP does not modulate coping style in general. However, the experiments confirm the idea that LS VP has a certain degree of functional specificity in social behavior and social learning tasks. Together with the observation that the size and distribution of the vasopressinergic system may be highly variable between individual males in relation to their coping style, this suggests that the lateral septal vasopressinergic system is involved in the differential capacity of individuals to cope behaviorally with challenges of a social nature.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Effect of resistant starch on net portal-drained viscera flux of glucose, volatile fatty acids, urea, and ammonia in growing pigs.

Net portal-drained viscera (PDV) flux of glucose, VFA, ammonia, and urea was determined in pigs fed diets with or without resistant starch. Diets consisted of 65% cornstarch (diet CS), 32.5% cornstarch and 32.5% raw potato starch (diet CPS), or 65% raw potato starch (diet PS); the remaining 35% supplied all amino acids, fat, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. The diets contained twice the maintenance requirement for energy and were fed twice daily to four barrows (initial BW 56 kg) in three periods in a crossover design. The pigs were fitted with catheters in a mesenteric vein, a mesenteric-artery, and the portal vein, and net PDV flux was calculated by multiplying portal-arterial concentration differences and corresponding portal vein flow. Net PDV flux of glucose was significantly less after feeding diets CPS and PS, and portal absorption of ileally digested glucose was 89, 66, and 41% for diets CS, CPS, and PS, respectively. Net PDV flux of VFA was lowest after feeding diet CS and three to four times higher after feeding diets CPS and PS. Net PDV flux of ammonia was highest for diet CS and almost halved after feeding diets CPS and PS. There was a small negative net PDV flux of urea for diets CS and CPS, which significantly increased after feeding diet PS. These results suggest that excretion of nitrogen is shifted from urine to feces primarily by reduction of the net PDV flux of ammonia when resistant starch is fed.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1991

[C-reactive protein in the early diagnosis of postoperative infection following bone surgery].

Of a prospective 101 patient study group after different operative osteosynthetic procedures 94 patients without postoperative infection showed a uniform acute phase response which was characterized by determination of C-reactive protein levels, ESR, WBC and body temperature. 7 patients suffering from infection in the postoperative period but no patient with non-inflammatory complications showed distinct CRP value patterns. In 4 wound infections CRP increased from day 2 to 4 and thus was the earliest sign of developing infection. Latency to the clinical diagnosis based on clinical signs, ultrasound, WBC in blood and wound drainage was up to 14 days. There was no patient with CRP increasing after day 2 but no infection. CRP is a very sensitive, non-expensive tool for early diagnosis of bacterial infection. It is superior to ESR, WBC in blood and drainage, ultrasound and diagnosis based on clinical signs.

Adult↗