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S Feiler

Publications and source records attributed to S Feiler.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Using interaction graphs for analysing the therapy process.

BACKGROUND: Therapy processes are complex dynamical systems where several variables are constantly interacting with each other. In general, the underlying mechanisms are difficult to assess. Our approach is to identify the dependency structure of relevant variables within the therapy process using interaction graphs. These are instruments for multivariate time series which are based on the analysis of partial spectral coherences. We used interaction graphs in order to investigate the therapy process of a multimodal therapy concept for fibromyalgia patients. Our main hypothesis was that self-efficacy plays a central role in the therapy process. METHODS: Patients kept an electronic diary for 13 weeks. Pain intensity, depression, sleep quality, anxiety and self-efficacy were assessed via visual analogue scales. The resulting multivariate time series were aggregated over individuals, and partial spectral coherences between each pair of the variables were calculated. From the partial coherences, interaction graphs were plotted. RESULTS: Within the resulting graphical model, self-efficacy was strongly related to pain intensity, depression and sleep quality. All other relations were substantially weaker. There was no direct relationship between pain intensity and sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: The relations between two variables within the therapy process are mainly induced by self-efficacy. Interaction graphs can be used to pool time series data of several patients and thus to assess the common underlying dependency structure of a group of patients. The graphical representation is easily comprehensible and allows to distinguish between direct and indirect relationships.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Association of the telomere-telomere-binding protein complex of hypotrichous ciliates with the nuclear matrix and dissociation during replication.

Telomeric interactions with the nuclear matrix have been described in a variety of eukaryotic cells and seem to be essential for specific nuclear localization. Macronuclear DNA of hypotrichous ciliates occurs in small gene-sized DNA molecules, each being terminated by telomeres. Each macronucleus contains over 10(8 )individual DNA molecules. Owing to the high number of telomeres present in this nucleus it provides an excellent model to study telomere behaviour throughout the cell cycle. In this study we provide experimental evidence that the telomere-telomere-binding protein (TEBP) complex specifically interacts with components of the nuclear matrix in vivo. In the course of replication the specific interaction of the TEBP with components of the nuclear matrix is resolved and an attachment of the telomeres to the matrix no longer occurs.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[Pattern of injuries and risk of injury in skateboarding].

After the first big wave in the late seventies skateboarding is facing a revival as a leisure sport nowadays. 63 Skateboarders with a mean age of 18.1 years were personally interview with a survey form. 148 injuries with a resulting sport break of at least one week were registered. Sprains (36.5%), bruises (24.3%), fractures (18.2%) and lacerations of the skin (12.8%) were the most common injuries. 86.5% were injuries of the extremities almost equally distributed among the upper and lower limbs. Most fractures happened to the upper limbs (81.5%) mainly distal of the elbow joint. Sprains were mainly located at the lower limbs (70.4%) especially at the ankle joint as the most vulnerable part of the body (26.4% of all injuries). 101 injuries (68.2%) were treated by physicians. The resulting risk of injury was one injury per athlete and 1000 hours of exposure time. A higher acceptance of prophylactic measures could minimize the risk of injury. Parallels to inline skating and snowboarding can be shown.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Telomeric interactions result in the formation of intramolecular circles behaving as topologically constrained.

The gene-sized macronuclear DNA molecules of hypotrichous ciliates carry telomeric sequences of homogenous length. Incubation of these molecules at low concentrations in the presence of monovalent cations (K+, Na+, Cs+) leads to the formation of intramolecular circles. They can be visualized on one or two-dimensional agarose gels only when KCl is present in the gel. From their electrophoretic behavior on agarose gels as well as on density gradients it can be concluded that they are topologically constrained. Digestion of macronuclear DNA with S1 as well as various exonucleases indicate that both the 3' overhang and the 5' C-rich strand of the telomeric repeat is involved in these interactions. Several models of these interactions are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Effect of Fluosol-DA and hetastarch on local cerebral blood flow, cortical O2 availability and computerized EEG data during cerebral ischaemia.

This study was designed to assess the effects of volume expansion with Fluosol-DA and hetastarch on local cerebral blood flow (CBF), cortical O2 availability (O2a) and computerized EEG power data during cerebral ischaemia in a primate stroke model. Focal cerebral ischaemia was produced in 20 anaesthetized Macaca monkeys by right unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion by the transorbital technique. Following occlusion of the right MCA, monkeys were randomized into one of the following treatment groups: Group A--Fluosol-DA 15 ml kg-1 i.v. + 40% O2; Group B--Fluosol-DA 15 ml kg-1 i.v. + 100% O2; Group C--hetastarch 30 ml kg-1 i.v. + 40% O2; Group D--hetastarch 30 ml kg-1 i.v. + 100% O2. In Group A, local CBF increased and EEG power data improved while O2a showed no change in the right MCA territory. In Group B, local CBF increased from 84% (P less than 0.001), O2a improved significantly, and EEG power data showed significant improvement in the right hemisphere. Cardiac output did not change during the Fluosol-DA infusions. In Groups C and D, local CBF increased significantly, O2a did not change, and EEG power data improved significantly in the right hemisphere. Cardiac output also increased significantly during the hetastarch infusions. These results show that Fluosol-DA and hetastarch improve local CBF and EEG power data in ischaemic brain. Only the Fluosol-DA + 100% O2 increased the O2a in the ischaemic brain. We conclude that the benefits with Fluosol-DA are due to its ability to increase O2 delivery to ischaemic brain.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Idoxuridine-liposome therapy for herpes simplex keratitis.

In the treatment of acute and chronic herpetic keratitis, an idoxuridine-liposome preparation was more effective than a comparable therapeutic regimen of idoxuridine alone. Both antiviral agents were more effective than a control combination of liposome and saline.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Analysis of genetic and environmental sources of variation in serum cholesterol in Tecumseh, Michigan. I. Analysis of the frequency distribution for evidence of a genetic polymorphism.

Analyses of serum cholesterol measurements on 4,619 males and 4,730 females residing in the community of Tecumseh, Michigan, were conducted to estimate the contribution of sex, age, temporal variation, and bimodality to determining the normal variation among individuals sampled without regard to their health status. Female values had a higher mean (2.8 mg/100 ml greater) but smaller variance than males when adjusted by polynomial regression to a common age. Positive skew in the frequency distribution for both sexes was removed by natural logarithm (ln) transformation. Age variation accounted for 28.5% and 29.4% of the variance in a ln cholesterol measurement of males and females, respectively. Between 7% and 10% of the variance in a ln cholesterol value was estimated to be attributable to differences between age-adjusted replicate measurements of the same individual. The reduction in individual variability by adjustment for these contributions to variance will allow a more precise evaluation of the relative contribution of alternate genetic hypotheses as explanations for normal variation in cholesterol. Assuming bimodality, approximately one in 1,000 males and one in 1,000 females belong to a second mode of hypercholesterolemic individuals. The locus determining familial hypercholesterolemia is not a major source of normal phenotypic variation in the Tecumseh population.

Adolescent↗