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Biomedical subjects

H Meyer

Publications and source records attributed to H Meyer.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Normal handling of diets--are all dogs created equal?

Observations on food tolerance in dogs have shown that differences occur between breeds--especially in the giant breeds which can have an increased frequency of soft stools. This may be explained, at least in part, by differences in the dogs' ability to utilise a diet. To investigate this phenomenon, four digestive trials were conducted using two canned and two dried commercial diets. The ability to digest most nutrients was lower in the great danes in three out of the four trials. The great danes also had a significantly higher faecal loss of water, sodium and potassium. The underlying causes should be associated with the relationship between body-weight and the gastrointestinal tract or with differences in transit time of the ingesta, particularly through the large intestine.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1995

[A check list for working conditions and work satisfaction of nurses in general hospitals--report on results].

During a training on continuing education the nursing staff of the "Klinikum Bamberg" decided to start systematic research into career patterns, working conditions and work satisfaction. A checklist was developed. The study reports findings from 543 nurses in 4 german general hospitals. Leaving aside details about specific clinical areas it emerged a high agreement in positively evaluated working conditions and in negatively evaluated as well. Particularly positively evaluated areas are work-content, colleague in the wards, relationships with the immediate superiors. There was little homogeneity concerning working hours and range of duties. What was generally thought to need improvement was staffing level, workload, bed occupancy, hospital management/organization and salar. These findings are consistent with mostly all newer publications on this topic. They too are consistent with the professional self-awareness of the nursing staff inferrable from the career expectations: The most important object only rarely were in keeping with the traditional image of "service to humanity". Personal aims, such as money, were much more prevalent, but also to be able to give the best possible and dignific care. With respect to these findings we propose to do the following strategy: It no longer serves a useful purpose to continue research with variing methods of data collection and to confirm the already well known facts. It rather seems politically necessary to take the next steps: Using a standardized method of data collection, to get comparable data, based on this to establish the actual state of working conditions from the sight of the nursing staff. Finally to demand the changing of these conditions which need to be improved as the necessary framework for modern nursing practice. Our experience suggests that the check list is a suitable tool for the collection of these data.

Hospitals, General↗
PubMed1995

[Model for experimental efficacy testing of control measures against Salmonella infections in poultry].

An infection model is shown for testing the efficacy of prophylactic and therapeutic measures against S. typhimurium and S. enteritidis infections of chickens at different ages. By detecting viable counts in caecum and liver or spleen respectively at weekly intervals after administration of salmonellas (crop instillation) the course of salmonella infection can be grasped. Oral application of the salmonella strains used (S. typhimurium and S. enteritidis) to 1-day-old chickens at a dose of 10(2) cfu/bird, to 8-days-old chickens at a dose of 10(9) cfu/bird and to 5-weeks-old chickens at a dose of 10(10) cfu/bird resulted in a characteristic course of infection but not in clinical symptoms or death. By detecting viable counts of the challenge strain in the organs testing the efficacy of a preceding immunization is possible.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

[The effect of a different energy supply for growing Great Danes on the body mass and skeletal development. 3. Clinical picture and chemical studies of the skeleton].

In growth studies with young Great Danes (0-6 months old), the effects of ad libitum (nine animals) or restricted feed supply (70-80% of ad libitum supply; 17 dogs, 9 of them bearing additional weight loads, 15% of body weight attached to the shoulder) were investigated with regard to development of the skeleton and bone composition. Growth disturbances of the skeleton were seen in every group, but the incidence increased with ad libitum feeding. Fast growth led to the valgus syndrome in fore- and hindlimbs, while hyperextensions of the carpal joint were seen, independently of the growth intensity. Weight loading in connection with energy restriction could not reproduce the same effects as ad libitum feeding. The mineral and protein concentrations in the bones (related to fat-free dry matter) were not affected either by the different feeding levels or by the weight loading.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Heart transplantation at the Heart Center North Rhine-Westphalia in Bad Oeynhausen -- 1995 report.

Since March 1989, 713 heart transplants were performed at our center, limited only by donor availability. The induction of immunosuppression was based on double-drug therapy (CsA + Aza) without the use of mono- or polyclonal antibodies. Whenever possible, maintenance immunosuppression was based on CsA and Aza without steroids. Monitoring in adult patients was based on endomyocardial biopsies only during the first 12 months. In the pediatric patient group, only noninvasive diagnostic procedures were performed. The current 1- and 5-year survival rates for heart transplant patients are 80% and 75%, respectively.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Epitope detection in the envelope of intracellular naked orthopox viruses and identification of encoding genes.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were generated against vaccinia virus, cowpox virus KR2 Brighton, monkeypox virus Copenhagen, or ectromelia virus. Pairwise epitope specificity studies by competition ELISAs identified 23 distinct antigenic sites in 19 different orthopox virus strains. Six epitopes were completely independent of each other, and 17 closely related antigenic sites formed three separate epitope complexes. As shown by immunogold electron microscopy (ELMI), all MAbs reacted with epitopes in the envelope of intracellular naked virus, 16 MAbs recognized proteins of 32, 30, 16 or 14 kDa in Western blotting (WB), and 9 MAbs neutralized virus infectivity. In rabbitpox virus (RPV) 18 epitopes were detected. A lambda gt11 expression library of RPV DNA was screened with the corresponding 18 MAbs. Fourteen recombinant bacteriophage clones (ph) were isolated. Cross-hybridizations of phage and RPV DNA demonstrated a reaction with the HindIII A, HindIII D, or HindIII H fragments, respectively. DNA of ph3D was related to the A25L gene, which corresponds to the A-type inclusion body gene of cowpox virus. Two phage clones contained sequences of the 14-kDa fusion protein gene (A27L gene). Ph1A contained nearly the entire 14-kDa gene encoding 4 neutralizing (neutr) and 2 nonneutr epitopes. Ph5, expressing only half of this gene product, encoded 1 nonneutr epitope. The fusion protein of vaccinia virus MVA was isolated by immune-affinity chromatography with a neutr. catching MAb. The protein formed hollow rods (ELMI) and the 6 antigenic sites that were present were identical to those expressed by Escherichia coli infected with ph1A. WB detection with a polyclonal hyperimmune serum detected protein bands of 54, 32, 30, 16, and 14 kDa. The catching MAb bound only to a 16-kDa band. The purified fusion protein induced neutralizing antibodies in mice and rabbits.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Identification of binding sites for neutralizing monoclonal antibodies on the 14-kDa fusion protein of orthopox viruses.

A 14-kDa gene-specific probe of vaccinia virus Western Reserve (WR) hybridized to homologous sequences in the genomes of the orthopox virus species cowpox, camelpox, mousepox, and monkeypox virus. The corresponding genes were mapped and sequenced. Homologies of more than 95% were found when compared to the 14-kDa gene of vaccinia virus WR. However, point mutations which led to alterations in the amino acid sequences were mainly located between residues 26 and 40. By use of synthetic peptides, this part of the 14-kDa fusion protein could be identified as the binding site for four different neutralizing monoclonal antibodies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Endogenous, Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine-protease cleaves specifically the ryanodine receptor/Ca2+ release channel in skeletal muscle.

The association of an endogenous, Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine-protease with the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is demonstrated. The activity of this protease is strongly stimulated by dithiothreitol (DTT), cysteine and beta-mercaptoethanol, and is inhibited by iodoacetamide, mercuric chloride and leupeptin, but not by PMSF. The activity of this thiol-protease is dependent on Ca2+ with half-maximal activity obtained at 0.1 microM and maximal activity at 10 microM. Mg2+ is also an activator of this enzyme (CI50 = 22 microM). These observations, together with the neutral pH optima and inhibition by the calpain I inhibitor, suggest that this enzyme is of calpain I type. This protease specifically cleaves the ryanodine receptor monomer (510 kD) at one site to produce two fragments with apparent molecular masses of 375 and 150 kD. The proteolytic fragments remain associated as shown by purification of the cleaved ryanodine receptor. The calpain binding site is identified as a PEST (proline, glutamic acid, serine, threonine-rich) region in the amino acid sequence GTPGGTPQPGVE, at positions 1356-1367 of the RyR and the cleavage site, the calmodulin binding site, at residues 1383-1400. The RyR cleavage by the Ca(2+)-dependent thiol-protease is prevented in the presence of ATP (1-5 mM) and by high NaCl concentrations. This cleavage of the RyR has no effect on ryanodine binding activity but stimulates Ca2+ efflux. A possible involvement of this specific cleavage of the RyR/Ca2+ release channel in the control of calpain activity is discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1994

Characterization of the gene encoding the A-type inclusion body protein of mousepox virus.

The gene of the mousepox virus strain MP-1 coding for the protein of A-type inclusions was identified and sequenced. The gene maps in the HindIII-A fragment at the same position as the cowpox-virus Brighton 160 kD gene (1) and the closely related 94 kD LS gene of vaccinia virus strain Western Reserve (2,3). The encoded protein consists of 1049 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 122.5 kD, which corresponds well to the apparent molecular weight of 130 kD estimated after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting. The protein is a characteristic feature of mousepox virus and could be demonstrated for five independently isolated strains. The MP-1 ATI protein displays a similarity of 82.3% to the cowpox virus Brighton 160 kD protein, the first 340 amino acids being almost identical. However, two major deletions of 55 and 92 amino acids were observed from amino acid positions 671 to 732 and 794 to 885, respectively. Furthermore, the C-terminal residues (position 998-1049 of the MP-1 sequence) did not match at satisfactory levels with cowpox nor with vaccinia virus sequences. According to Western blot and protein alignment data as well as hydropathy predictions, the 130 and 160 kD proteins closely resemble each other, indicating similar structure and function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

A ligase chain reaction targeting two adjacent nucleotides allows the differentiation of cowpox virus from other Orthopoxvirus species.

A ligase chain reaction (LCR) assay was developed to distinguish cowpox virus from other Orthopoxvirus species. The LCR targets two adjacent adenosine residues which are only present in the A-type inclusion protein gene (ATI-gene) of cowpox virus. Two primer pairs were designed with a one base pair overlap at the junction site and one primer of each pair was labeled radioactively. Detection of the ligation product was achieved after denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Prior to LCR, the corresponding region of the ATI-gene was amplified by a consensus primer-directed polymerase chain reaction. All 18 cowpox virus isolates investigated could be clearly discriminated from 10 vaccinia virus strains, 5 camelpox virus isolates, as well as from mousepox and monkeypox virus reference strains. The LCR method allows a fast identification of cowpox virus isolates and is a feasible tool for the analysis of small mutations within viral genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

In-situ hybridization for demonstration of equine herpesvirus type 1 DNA in paraffin wax-embedded tissues and its use in horses with disseminated necrotizing myeloencephalitis.

The detection of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) in infected cell cultures, and in tissues taken at necropsy, by the in-situ hybridization technique is described. A 4.9 kb Bam HI fragment of EHV-1 vaccine strain RacH was used as a probe after labelling with [alpha-32P] thymidine 5'-triphosphate ([32P]TTP) or digoxigenin-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate (dUTP). Both probes specifically detected EHV-1 DNA in either cytospin or paraffin wax-embedded preparations of infected cells. The digoxigenin-labelled probe was further used to examine tissue sections of equine fetuses which had been aborted due to EHV-1 infection. In all cases positive hybridization signals were mainly associated with the nuclei. Positive results were confirmed by immunostaining of EHV-1 antigen in adjacent sections. However, both methods failed to detect EHV-1 in spinal cord sections of six horses suffering from disseminated necrotizing myeloencephalitis (DNM). These results support the hypothesis that DNM is not caused by a productive viral infection of parenchyma of the nervous system but is immunologically mediated.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Sequence alterations within and downstream of the A-type inclusion protein genes allow differentiation of Orthopoxvirus species by polymerase chain reaction.

A PCR protocol was established that not only allows the detection of, but also the differentiation of species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. This assay was accomplished by the selection of oligonucleotides located within the gene that encodes the A-type inclusion protein of cowpox virus. The primer pair flanked a region exhibiting distinct and specific DNA deletions in the corresponding sequences of vaccinia, mousepox, monkeypox and camelpox virus. For this reason, PCR resulted in DNA fragments of different sizes. The presented PCR protocol, combined with BglII restriction digests, allowed the unequivocal assignment of 42 orthopoxvirus (OPV) strains and isolates to the correct OPV species. The resulting classification corresponded exactly with known biological data for the OPV strains investigated. Furthermore, 13 out of 22 cowpox virus isolates could be subtyped by the presence or absence of a small BglII fragment. DNA sequencing showed that the lack of this BglII fragment was caused by a deletion of 72 nucleotides.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Prader-Willi-like phenotype in fragile X syndrome.

A 3-year-old boy was referred to the pediatric department because of unexplained extreme obesity. Height and occipitofrontal circumference were just above the 90th centile. Endocrine studies failed to show any significant abnormality. Motor and speech development were generally delayed. On clinical-cytogenetic-molecular grounds, Prader-Willi syndrome was excluded. Fragile X syndrome was diagnosed by the presence of the classical FMR-1 mutation and confirmed by cytogenetic studies, revealing 20% fragile X positive cells. We compare the clinical features in the present patient with the nine reported patients with fra(X) syndrome and extreme obesity. In pathogenesis, hypothalamic dysregulation is hypothesized. In differential diagnosis of Prader-Willi syndrome, fragile X has to be considered, especially when laboratory workup for Prader-Willi syndrome is negative. Clinical behavior can be of help.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1994

Chronic aortic dissection: comparison of MR Imaging and transesophageal echocardiography.

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the follow-up of chronic dissection of the thoracic aorta. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Follow-up MR imaging and TEE were performed in 25 consecutive patients with aortic dissection. Ten patients had a type I dissection and 15 had a type III dissection. All patients with type I dissection underwent surgical intervention. Ten of 15 type III dissections were managed medically, and five were managed with surgical intervention. RESULTS: Identification of a persisting dissection and differentiation of the true and false lumina were equal with both methods. The arch vessels and all anastomoses in the surgically treated patients could be assessed only with MR imaging. An intimal flap in the aortic root and formation of an aortic thrombus were visualized in more detail with TEE. At least one entry site could be detected with both methods in 86% of the patients. TEE demonstrated small entry sites more frequently. CONCLUSION: MR imaging provides better visualization of anastomoses and easier comparison of serial studies; TEE should be employed if MR findings are equivocal.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effects of temperature and sodium on myocardial and hepatocellular fatty acid uptake.

Fatty acid influx into human myocardium was studied in 15 patients during the cooling phase of cardiopulmonary bypass at myocardial temperatures of 37 degrees to 25 degrees C. The fitting of the data to a functional relation, developed in this study, revealed fatty acid influx to be a temperature-dependent saturable process corresponding to a Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) at 37 degrees C of 0.26 +/- 0.084 mumol/g, a maximal fatty acid influx velocity (Vmax) at 37 degrees C of 0.28 +/- 0.045 mumol/g per minute, activation energy for fatty acid binding to the putative carrier (E) of 23.8 +/- 5.6 kcal/mol, and a free energy for conformational change of the carrier (U) of 10.9 +/- 8.0 kcal/mol. In short-term cultured hepatocytes, Km increased in the absence of Na+ from 171 +/- 48 to 301 +/- 71 nmol/L, and Vmax of [3H]oleate decreased from 1063 +/- 69 to 847 +/- 68 pmol/min per milligram protein. The fitting of these data to a functional relation revealed a transmembrane potential-dependent component of parameters E and U to be -0.479 and -0.374 kcal/mol, respectively. It is proposed that for fatty acid influx a protonated fatty acid form is preferred that consists of a Na+ complex with the mesomeric form of nondissociated fatty acid from which Na+ and H+ are released during collision with the carrier.

Animals↗