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Biomedical subjects

A Büssing

Publications and source records attributed to A Büssing.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Organization of socially acceptable working hours in nursing].

Three dimensions in the structure of the working hour system of nurses, rendering them socially acceptable, are becoming important: duration of the working day, the time of day which is being worked and the distribution of working hours. The latter two are of particular importance because flexible shift is becoming the dominant pattern in nursing. Six indicators are discussed as criteria for social acceptability: security of employment which includes access to the labour-market, level of income, health, opportunity for social relationships, social participation, and autonomy. Responses of 297 nurses in one General Hospital taking part in a study, were analysed to examine empirically the concept of 'socially acceptable structure of the working hours'. Ideal and factual patterns are considered first. Secondly aspects of autonomy are considered and the way this depends on time, thirdly the criteria used to define 'social acceptability' are examined for validity. Results show firstly the cross contrast between the hospital's expectation and the nurses' wishes with regard to working hours. Furthermore, inspite of the demand for flexibility, staff have very little choice and there is little sign of joint decision making. Thirdly results show that health, interpersonal and social aspects are of special importance and that, correspondingly, in the view of nurses, financial and practical problems are of lesser importance in their every day life.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

[Follow-up studies of gerontopsychiatric long-term patients following a change in residential status].

Changes in living conditions of the elderly are considered as critical life events. The degree of stress produced by such critical life events is seen largely dependent on controllability and predictability of the situation. Our study focuses on changes in behavior and well-being at four times during ten weeks while 34 long-term gerontopsychiatric patients moved into reconstructed wards, which were mainly improved under ecological aspects. Investigations were performed with the "Beobachtungsskala für alternde Patienten (BAP)" and by free observation. In summary, the results show reduced well-being and behavioral problems at all four times of measurement for female patients compared to the male group. In contrary, for male patients there is a significant reduction in need of help, physical disability, aggression and depression one week after the move. But these improvements are not stable. Partly, they are followed by decreases even beyond the baseline six weeks after the move. Therefore, unlike the male patients it seems that the older and more impaired women in our sample can not at all profit from the positive changes in the new living conditions on the ward at any time during our study. Their well-being remains obviously unsatisfactory and becomes even worse and threatening for single cases after the move. Results are discussed with respect to psychiatric impairments like dementia, paranoia, with regard to stress and coping as well as with respect to some contradictory findings in this field of research.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1987

Influence of figural complexity on the identification of Kanji and Kana characters.

Kana, simple Kanji, and complex Kanji characters differing in figural complexity (number of strokes) were tachistoscopically presented to the right and left visual half-fields of 115 German subjects. The subjects had to decide whether a stimulus (lasting 150 ms) was the same as or different from a sample stimulus (lasting 1000 ms) presented immediately before to the center of the visual field. An increased left field advantage in reaction time with higher figural complexity was hypothesized (Visual Field X Type of Script interaction). Analyses of variance, however, did not show this interaction. Because of a significant Type of Script X Response Type interaction simple main effects were calculated which were all significant. Pairwise comparisons for type of script were significant except for Kana vs. simple Kanji. No other significant effects were obtained. Reaction times were shortest for simple Kanji, intermediate for Kana and longest for complex Kanji. The results indicate that high figural complexity of Japanese characters does not favour the left visual field.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Effect of task complexity on cerebral organic reaction impairments--brain damage or patient effect?].

The contradictory results concerning the influence of task complexity on reaction time impairments following brain damage were reconsidered in this study. Patients with damage of the right or left cerebral hemispheres, as well as neurological patients without CNS lesions and normal controls were examined by four reaction tasks of varying complexity, a simple visual or auditory task and a choice reaction task. While there was no statistical interaction between the task-complexity and group effects for the brain-damaged and non-brain-damaged patients, comparison of the performance of brain-damaged patients and normal controls revealed such an interaction. Furthermore, the patients with damage of the right cerebral hemisphere showed a more distinct impairment of reaction time with the simple visual reaction task, while the patients with damage of the left cerebral hemisphere showed a more distinct impairment with the choice reaction task. These results are discussed in connection with several self-evaluations of the patients' performance and state of health.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Disorders of calculation in aphasic patients--spatial and verbal components.

The aim of the study is to investigate whether the disorders of calculation observed in patients with Broca's aphasia are due to linguistic factors whereas those observed in patients with Wernicke's aphasia may be reduced in part to a disorder in the ability of spatial visualization. Two sets of arithmetic tasks were given to 20 Broca's aphasics, 20 Wernicke's aphasics, 20 patients with right hemispheric retrorolandic cerebral lesions and 40 patients with no brain damage. The solution of the tasks required different degrees of spatial visualization. The statistical evaluation of the data showed, as hypothesized, that Wernicke's aphasics perform significantly poorer than Broca's aphasics in tasks with a more pronounced spatial component than in the tasks having a predominantly verbal component.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[Investigations for pathogenesis of depression of lymphocyte transformation in chronic uremia (author's transl)].

In order to investigate the depressive effect of the hypothetical low molecular weight "uremic toxins" methylguanidine and phenol on lymphocyte transformation these substances were added to lymphocyte cultures with increasing concentrations. 3H-thymidine uptake and LDH-activity in the supernatant culture medium as a parameter of continuous cell destruction were analyzed after incubation for 5 days. Both substances induced in spontaneous as well as in PHA-stimulated cultures dose-dependent depression of 3H-thymidine uptake and simultaneous increase in LDH-activity. Thus the effect of both toxins may be cytotoxic depression of lymphocyte viability. Furthermore in the same arrangement-way higher molecular weight metabolites from urine of healthy and chronic uremic persons were added in increasing concentrations to lymphocyte cultures. The same result: dose-dependent depression of transformation and increase of LDH-activity was slightly diminished by urine metabolites from uremic patients as compared to healthy persons. This may be due to a shift toward non-toxic compounds. But as these metabolites are excreted in 20-30 fold larger quantities in chronic renal insufficiency, an accumulation in the serum and classification as "uremic toxins" can be excluded.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[SCE rate and lymphocyte differentiation in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and SCE rates of leukemia patients in long-term remission].

Sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and lymphocyte subsets of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were investigated in children with ALL during chemotherapy and at least 5 years after chemotherapy. The treatment of the new admitted patients followed protocol ALL-BFM-90. Children with ALL at the time of diagnosis showed statistically significant higher SCE frequencies (4.9 +/- 0.77) than healthy controls (3.6 +/- 0.93; p = 0.002). The in vivo effects of cyclophosphamide (CP) resulted in a dramatic increase of the SCE frequency (20.5 +/- 3.76). This increased SCE level of lymphocytes might reflect an instability of DNA or a deficiency of DNA repair capacity. However, immediately one week after the administration of CP, the SCE rate decreased. This decline of SCE frequency correlates with a severe reduction of the absolute numbers of T lymphocytes. The observed reduction of SCE frequency may be due to a depletion of T lymphocytes, or a repair of DNA. The patients in long term remission ( > 5 years) have had the therapy according BFM-83 (9 pat.) and modified 'Pinkel-regime' (2 pat.). No difference was found between the SCE-rate of the patients in remission and of the age-dependent control group. These results might correlate with the low risk for future development of relaps or second malignancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor does not influence distribution or sister chromatid exchange frequency of proliferating mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood.

Phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were treated with increasing concentrations of filgrastim, the unglycosylated methionine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor of man (rhG-CSF), and cultured for 72 h. There were no impaired proliferation or differentiation of proliferating PBMC, no impaired expression of activation markers such as the low-affinity interleukin 2 receptor and transferrin receptor, and no induction of sister chromatid exchanges. Under these conditions, no effects of a general DNA destabilization of peripheral blood leukocytes was observed. Thus, longterm administration of therapeutical concentrations of rhG-CSF should not produce severe mutagenic effects.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Apoptosis-inducing properties of Viscum album L. extracts from different host trees, correlate with their content of toxic mistletoe lectins.

BACKGROUND: Extracts from Viscum album L. (VAL), which are one of the most widely used alternative cancer therapies in Europe, have been recognised to induce apoptosis. A clinically relevant direct anti-tumour effect might be induced only by their intratumoural or intrapleural injection, and thus effectiveness is highly dependent on the apoptosis-inducing potencies of the extracts used. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To characterise these properties, human lymphocytes were incubated for 72 hours with VAL extracts from different host trees and harvest times. Cell death-associated changes such as an apoptotic sub-G1 peak, binding of Annexin-V, generation of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), expression of mitochondrial Apo2.7 molecules, and uptake of the DNA-intercalating dye propidium iodide were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Biologically active VAL compounds, and thus cytotoxicity, are dependent on the manufacturing process, host tree, and time of harvest. Although the mistletoe lectin (ML) content of VAL extracts strongly correlated with their apoptosis-inducing properties, the presence of these proteins will not guarantee its biological activity, indicating the involvement of other components which may modulate ML cytotoxicity.

Apoptosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thionins from Viscum album L: influence of the viscotoxins on the activation of granulocytes.

BACKGROUND: Extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) are applied in adjuvant cancer treatment, and some components, especially the mistletoe lectins (ML) have been immunologically characterised, but not the thionins, termed viscotoxins (VT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The influence of the VT on human granulocytes was studied by flow cytometry: E.coli co-stimulated respiratory burst by oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123 to rhodamine 123 and phagocytosis by ingestion of FITC-labelled E.coli. RESULTS: VT (25 and 250 micrograms/ml), in contrast to ML, significantly enhanced phagocytosis and burst activity. VT-rich mistletoe extracts also exerted significant effects. In addition, E.coli-activated granulocytes positively stain with Annexin-V and propidium iodide only due to 250 micrograms/ml VT incubation, suggesting that at this concentration burst activity was induced by the physiological activity of granulocytes after microbial ingestion and also by cytotoxic effects. CONCLUSION: Viscotoxins exert yet unknown strong immunomodulatory effects on human granulocytes, which might be of benefit for tumour patients, in addition to their cytotoxic properties.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Induction of Fas ligand (CD95L) by the toxic mistletoe lectins in human lymphocytes.

BACKGROUND: Fas ligand (FasL, CD95L) predominantly expressed on activated cytotoxic T cells and NK cells triggers apoptosis in Fas receptor (Apo-1, CD95) positive target cells. We investigated the expression of FasL, Fas and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor 1 (TNF-R1, CD120a) on cultured human lymphocytes and leukemic T and B cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lymphocytes from six healthy individuals, from four patients with chronic lymphocytic T or B cell leukaemia, and leukemic Molt-4 cells were incubated with the apoptosis- inducing mistletoe lectins (ML I and ML III). RESULTS: Incubation of differentiated lymphocytes with the ML resulted in a significant upregulation of FasL in the surviving CD4+ T helper cells, CD8+ cells and CD19+ B cells. Similarly, the TNF receptor expression increased, while the Fas molecule decreased. In contrast, FasL was not induced in leukemic cells. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from a direct induction of apoptosis in response to an inhibition of protein synthesis by the enzymic ML A chain, ML treatment may indirectly induce apoptosis in Fas+ tumour cells through activated FasL+ lymphocytes.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of polysaccharides from Viscum album L. on human lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes in vitro.

BACKGROUND: An acidic arabinogalactan from European mistletoe (Viscum album L, VAL; 1.34 x 10(6) Dalton) was studied in detail because its immunological properties are poorly characterised. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Flow cytometric studies focussed on PS-activated proliferation of human lymphocytes measured via incorporation of bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU), granulocyte phagocytosis via ingestion of FITC-labelled E.coli, and respiratory burst via oxidation of dihydrorhodamine 123 to rhodamine 123. Cytokines were detected in the cell culture supernatants by ELISA. RESULTS: PS, in contrast to mistletoe lectins (ML), significantly stimulated proliferation of CD4+ T-cells but not CD8+ and CD19+ cells. However, ML influenced PS-mediated stimulation, with a synergistic effect in one and an inhibitory effect in another individual. Furthermore, IFN-gamma release was significantly enhanced by PS, favouring a T-helper cell type-1 cytokine pattern, further IL-6 was significantly stimulated, while granulocyte activity was not affected. CONCLUSIONS: VAL-PS exert yet unknown stimulatory activities, especially on specific CD4+ T-cells which may be influenced by other extract components like the ML. These components may contribute to the anti-tumour effect of VAL.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗