Biomedical subjects

A Kuhlmann

Publications and source records attributed to A Kuhlmann.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Patient satisfaction and quality of life in cancer outpatients: results of the PASQOC study.

BACKGROUND: Satisfaction with care and quality of life (QoL) are indicative of the quality of care of cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to lay a cornerstone for patient-centred quality management by assessing the current status of satisfaction with care and QoL among oncological outpatients in Germany, and by identifying the key factors that determine a patient's willingness to recommend a medical facility. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A self-constructed and validated patient satisfaction questionnaire plus the SF-36 were distributed to a random sample of 3384 cancer patients who presented at 24 investigators' offices nationwide within a defined recruiting period and who met the inclusion criteria. The return rate was 81.9% (n=2772). A total of 2659 (78.6%) questionnaires were evaluable. The most common cancer types were breast (22.9%) and intestine (19.8%). RESULTS: Overall satisfaction was high, but specific reporting questions revealed many areas for improvement such as shared decision making, doctor-patient communication and organization of care. QoL was significantly impaired in many domains. Patient-provider relationship, facility setting and information on diagnosis and treatment options are major determinants of a patient's willingness to recommend a facility to a friend or relative if needed. CONCLUSIONS: This multicentre study focusing on patient perspectives highlights that, although the overall degree of satisfaction was quite high, there are numerous areas for improvement.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Longitudinal study examining the neurotoxicity of occupational exposure to aluminium-containing welding fumes.

OBJECTIVES: The neurotoxicity of occupational exposure to aluminium (Al)-containing welding fumes has been discussed with controversial results. The aim of the longitudinal study was to examine a group of Al welders for significant central nervous changes in comparison with a non-exposed cohort. METHODS: A group of 98 Al welders (mean age 37 years) in the car-body construction industry, with a median of 6 years of occupational exposure to Al welding fumes, and an education-matched, gender-matched, age-matched control group of 50 car-production workers (mean age 36 years) at the same plant, were included in this longitudinal study. Two cross-sectional studies were done in 1999 and 2001. In the second cross-sectional study 97 welders and 50 controls could be examined. The examination programme consisted, for example, of a standardised anamnesis, focussing on occupational history, education, illnesses, medication, accidents and current alcohol consumption, a physical examination that included neurological status, and the assessment of Al concentration in plasma and urine. The neurobehavioral methods included a symptom questionnaire, modified Q16, and computerised and non-computerised tests: psychomotor performance (steadiness, line tracing, aiming, tapping), verbal intelligence (WST), simple reaction time, digit span, block design (HAWIE), symbol-digit substitution, digit span, switching attention (European neurobehavioral evaluation system, EURO-NES), and standard progressive matrices. The data were analysed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) for repeated measurements with covariates age, education, and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in plasma (CDT). RESULTS. The median Al urine concentration (mean preshift/postshift) was 52.4 microg/g creatinine (2001) and 57.6 microg/g creatinine (1999). Median respirable air dust was 0.67 mg/m(3) (2001) and 0.47 mg/m(3) (1999). Welders and controls did not report significantly more symptoms in the modified Q16. Furthermore, no significant differences in psychomotor performance and other neurobehavioral tasks, except for reaction time, were seen between welders and non-welders. Regression analyses reveal a significant relationship between reaction time and Al excretion in urine that was confounded by other factors. CONCLUSIONS: At present the outcome for reaction time has to be interpreted as a single result. However, as the modified Q16 questionnaire and the rest of the psychomotor performance showed no significant changes, the next cross-sectional study, in 2003, will provide further information on which a final conclusion can be based.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

ACE-inhibitors but not endothelin receptor blockers prevent podocyte loss in early diabetic nephropathy.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: It was the aim of our study to investigate the influence of a selective ET-A receptor antagonist LU 135252 alone and in combination with the ACE-inhibitor, trandolapril on podocyte number and morphology in streptozotocin diabetic rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with 65 mg streptozotocin i.v. and subsequently developed diabetes. Animals were left untreated or received daily either trandolapril (0.3 mg/kg body weight), LU 135252 (50 mg/kg body weight) or a combination of both. After 6 months the experiment was terminated. Glomerular geometry and cellularity were assessed by stereological techniques. Protein expression of TGF-beta, ET-1, PDGF-AB, fibronectin, desmin and alpha-smooth muscle cell actin was investigated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The mean number of podocytes per glomerulus was lower (86+/-17 vs. 138+/-25; p<0.05) and mean podocyte volume was higher in untreated diabetic animals than in non-diabetic controls. Only ACE-i alone and in combination, but not ET(A)-RB alone prevented loss of podocytes and podocyte hypertrophy. In diabetic rats, increased numbers of PCNA positive and p27(kip1) positive cells (mainly podocytes) were reduced by all treatments, but only ACE-i decreased numbers of desmin positive podocytes and tubulointerstitial expression of TGF-beta. Albuminuria was increased in untreated diabetes and was prevented only by ACE-i and combination treatment. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Podocyte hypertrophy and degeneration is an early event in diabetic nephropathy leading to a loss of podocytes. Treatment with an ACE-i, but not with an ET(A)-RB, prevented the development of albuminuria as well as damage and loss of podocytes. The well known anti-proteinuric effect of ACE-i is presumably due at least in part to conservation of podocyte structure. Increased plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentrations and urine excretion of ET-1 have been documented in patients with diabetes and proteinuria [1]. It has been shown that experimental diabetes mellitus increases renal ET-1 gene transcription [2]. To assess the relevance of the ET-system in the pathogenesis of renal structural changes in the model of the STZ-induced diabetic rat we compared the effect of an ET(A)-receptor specific antagonist with the well known beneficial effect of an ACE-i, especially on podocyte cell number and morphology.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed1999

Genotype, phenotype, and protein structure in a regulator of sporulation: effects of mutations in the spoIIAA gene of Bacillus subtilis.

SpoIIAA, a phosphorylatable protein, is essential to the regulation of sigmaF, the first sporulation-specific transcription factor of Bacillus subtilis. The solution structure of SpoIIAA has recently been published. Here we examine four mutant SpoIIAA proteins and correlate their properties with the phenotypes of the corresponding B. subtilis mutant strains. Two of the mutations severely disrupted the structure of the protein, a third greatly diminished the rate of its phosphorylation and abolished dephosphorylation, and the fourth left phosphorylation unaffected but reduced the rate of dephosphorylation about 10-fold.

Bacillus subtilis↗

PubMed1987

[Psychology of the physically handicapped patient--an outline of development in Germany].

The present article is directed at giving a broad account of the emergence and subsequent differentiation of a specific "psychology of the physically disabled" in Germany, based on articles by selected authors, that appeared in "Zeitschrift für Krüppelfürsorge" (1909-1943) and "Jahrbücher der Fürsorge für Körperbehinderte" (1951-1962). With the cripple care sector just beginning to organize itself around the turn of the century, a historical-chronologically oriented overview is given of those psychological currents that have made decisive contributions toward shaping today's understanding of rehabilitation. Essential positions are brought out, with core ideas presented by original quotations. It turns out in this process that many of our contemporary ideas, which are deemed so modern and novel, have in fact originated already in the first half of the century.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1978

[Comparison of the values of automatic ECG analysis according to the Smith and the Pipberger diagnostic programs by means of a serial study in a large industry].

It could be shown that an ECG-screening could be integrated into the routine work of a factory outpatient department. As a result of the automatical analysis of the ECG we got an exact knowledge of the efficiency of Smith's and Pipberger's diagnostic programmes. The suitability of the two programmes for screening examinations resulted from the 91% and 97% certain separation of normal and pathological findings and the small proportion of falsely negative results (Smith, Pipberger). Concerning the exact differentiation of pathological ECG the frequency of recognition of Pipberger's programme still surpassed that one of Smith's programme. However, the two programmes show a diagnostic security which lies above the visual diagnosing. The establishment of findings performed off line per week ascertained a rapid disposal of results. In comparison to former examinations newly detected cases could be established only in a small percentage. The importance for health polities of such examinations results from the necessity of the prophylaxis of cardio-vascular diseases, the numbers of morbidity and mortality of which are permanently increasing.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMed1977

[Experience in the use of Smith's ECG evaluation program].

After the experiences with the use of the programme of Pipberger concerning the automatised ECG-analysis in clinic, outpatient department and factory public health, which were made at the Medical Academy Erfurt during the last years, at this time comparative examinations with the ECG-analysis programme of Smith were performed. The intake of data (3 orthogonal leads) is done by means of a data establishing unit developed by us. For the analog-digital-changing, the pretreatment of data and the transmission of the ECG-data on the digital magnet tape a process-calculator TPA-i is used. The analysis is performed by the computer Robotron 21. The evaluation of the results shows that, when a great number of patients is examined, normal curves are correctly estimated at 100%. The recognition rate of pathological curves has with 79.5% about the same size as the visual judgment. The deficiencies of the diagnostic programme of Smith must be essentially found in the relatively high proportion of falsely negative findings, the insufficient differentiation of the changes of the chamber variation, in the sometimes incorrect formation, why the classification of the curves in individual groups was performed. On account of the certain centage of falsely negative ones the programme is well recognition of normal findings and the tolerable pernotion of the diagnosis and the sometimes lacking insuited for screening examinations.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗