PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Seidl

Publications and source records attributed to A Seidl.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

A financial analysis of treatment strategies for Trypanosoma evansi in the Brazilian Pantanal.

The Brazilian Pantanal is a 138,000 km2 tropical seasonal wetland located in the center of South America bordering Bolivia and Paraguay. The Pantanal contains approximately 1100 cattle ranches, 3 million cattle, 49,000 horses and a unique diversity of wildlife. Cattle ranching is the most important economic activity in the Pantanal. This study explores the direct financial impacts of the adoption of seven treatment strategies for the control of Trypanosoma evansi in the Brazilian Pantanal. T. evansi adversely affects the health of the horse population in the region. Horses are indispensable to the cattle ranching industry in the Pantanal. Estimated costs include risk of infection, costs of diagnosis, alternative treatments, collecting animals for treatment, and costs of animal losses. The estimated total cost of T. evansi to the Pantanal region's cattle ranchers is about US$2.4 million and 6462 horses/yr. Results indicate that one preventive and two curative treatment strategies are financially justifiable. The best available technology for the treatment of T. evansi from an economic perspective is a curative treatment employed year-round. This treatment represents an annual net benefit of more than US$2 million or US$1845/ranch and spares about 5783 horses. It represents an annual net benefit of over US$200,000 and 600 horses relative to the currently most widely adopted strategy.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Elastase-induced hyperfunction of submucous glands develops independent of elastase-induced emphysema].

We instilled 2 mg of pancreatic elastase into the lungs, and insufflated a further 2 mg into the trachea of 6 male ferrets. Six control animals were given 0.9% NaCl (lungs) and glucose powder (trachea). This combined treatment was administered on days 1, 8 and 15. On these days, and again on days 29 and 39, we obtained chest x-rays. On the 39th day, we removed the lungs and measured the mean linear intercept. In tracheal sections, we measured goblet cell density, glandular structure and function by quantitative histology and autoradiography. Although, up to day 39, no emphysema developed, both structural and functional changes occurred in the glands: the volume density of the serous glands (S) decreased, that of the mucous glands (M) increased, the ratio S/M decreased from 2.0 to 1.5 (p = 0.05). The turnover of radioactive sulphur (indication of mucus synthesis) was significantly increased in animals treated with elastase (p = 0.001). Goblet cells increased from 0.9 +/- 0.4 to 3.4 +/- 1.8 cells per mm epithelium (p = 0.05). The results show that elastase induces structural and functional changes in submucosal glands and goblet cell hyperplasia, independently of emphysema.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

School administrators, parents, and sex education: a resolvable paradox?

The emergence of AIDS as an untreatable, lethal disease, responding to educational prevention strategies in high-risk populations, has brought the issues of sex education in the public schools to the forefront. However, administrators, teachers, and parents perceive different barriers to sex education implementation. This study, undertaken in a northeastern, multigenerational, ethnic city, characterized by adolescent pregnancy rates a third higher than the state overall, polled 42 junior and senior high school administrators regarding educational priorities, perceived barriers to expansion of sex education, and preferred methods of introducing sex education. Administrators perceive parents as a major barrier to the introduction of more formalized sex education in their schools. Paradoxically, these same administrators felt that parents were generally uncomfortable in talking to their children about human sexuality. Recommendations are offered from existing models of health education for resolution of administrators' conflicting views on parental roles.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Energy-structure correlations of plasmid DNA in different topological forms.

Differential scanning microcalorimetry (DSC), UV absorption and circular dichroism (CD) have been used to study structure and stability of linear (lin), open circular (oc), supercoiled (cd) and relaxed circular duplex (rd) DNA and calf thymus (CT) DNA. Investigations were made in low salt buffer and in the presence of 7.2 M NaClO4. The chaotropic action of perchlorate promotes a reduction of the overall stability of DNA, which permits a direct determination of the transition enthalpies of all four DNA configurations. The stabilities against thermal denaturation have been found to increase in the series lin approximately oc less than cd less than rd. These relative stabilities can be rationalized on the basis of the linkage between supercoiling and secondary structural changes in topologically constrained duplex DNA. On the basis of these studies, a model of the melting process could be suggested that is consistent with the energetic and spectroscopic data.

Buffers↗
PubMed1986

Histological and histochemical studies of the effect of a devitalizing preparation on the cervix uteri.

Solcogyn is a new acid preparation for the treatment of benign changes in the portio uteri. Histological and histochemical investigations of the treated cervix in patients scheduled for hysterectomy revealed a differential effect of this acid mixture in that ectocervical squamous epithelium was scarcely affected, while ectopic and endocervical cylindrical epithelium and the subepithelial stroma were devitalized by in vivo fixation. The maximum depth of penetration of the fixative effect was 2.5 mm. The treated cervical ectopies and transformation zones re-epithelialized within 3-4 weeks. The comparatively slight but sufficiently deep devitalization of affected tissue explains the clinical advantages observed with this preparation as compared to thermocoagulation and cryotherapy.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1984

The free energy of DNA supercoiling is enthalpy-determined.

The thermodynamics of superhelix formation was determined by combining superhelix density data with enthalpy values obtained from microcalorimetric measurements of the relaxation of supercoiled ColE1 amp plasmid DNA in the presence of topoisomerase I from Escherichia coli (omega protein). The thermodynamic quantities for superhelix formation at 37 degrees C in 10 mM Tris/2 mM MgCl2/1 mM EDTA pH 8, are: delta G = 921 kJ X (mol of plasmid)-1; delta H 2260 kJ X (mol of plasmid)-1; deltaS = 4.3 kJ X (mol of plasmid X K)-1. These data clearly demonstrate that the unfavorable Gibbs free energy associated with supercoiling of DNA results exclusively from the positive enthalpy involved in formation of superhelical turns. A positive overall entropy change accompanies superhelix formation, which overcompensates the expected decrease of configurational entropy. By neglecting contributions from bending, an estimate of the torsional rigidity C = 1.79 X 10(-19) erg X cm (1 erg = 0.1 microJ) of the supercoiled ColE1 amp plasmid DNA was made on the basis of the enthalpy value. This value is in excellent agreement with values of C derived from subnanosecond time-resolved fluorescence depolarization measurements for pBR322 DNA [Millar, D. P., Robbins, R. J. & Zewai, A.H. (1982) J. Chem. Phys. 76, 2080-2094]. The magnitude of C is larger than for linear DNAs, indicating that supercoiled DNA is more rigid than linear DNA.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed1979

[Foetal complications associated with use of foetal scalp electrodes and scalp blood sampling (author's transl)].

A retrospective study was performed in the context of 1,047 cases of internal foetal monitoring, using direct foetal electrocardiography and/or foetal scalp blood sampling. Seven minor foetal complications have been observed, including six cases of infection and one of haemorrhage, representing a rate of 0.66 per cent. The advantages obtainable from internal foetal monitoring appear to outweigh the low risk associated with these methods.

Abscess↗
PubMed1978

[Experiences with a computer documentation of obstetrical data (author's transl)].

Experiences with a computer information system at the 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Vienna Medical School are reported. The data input is done via video-terminals located at different places in the department. Included are anamnestic data, results of physical examinations, pelvic examinations and laboratory findings and data concerning the course of delivery. The print-out of the stored data replaces the conventional charts. The advantages of this information system are: 1. The support of the clinical routine work by a more accurate and systematic documentation; 2. a comprehensive compiling of the patients data; 3. all stored data are readily available for scientific evaluation.

Electronic Data Processing↗
PubMed1976

[Prostaglandins compared with oxytocin for induction of labour at term (author's transl)].

12 cases of induction of labour with prostaglandin F2 alpha and 8 with prostaglandin E2 were compared with 14 cases in which induction was undertaken with oxytocin. All inductions were successful, the induction--delivery intervals being slightly shorter in the prostaglandin groups than in the oxytocin group. Both with prostaglandin F2 alpha and with prostaglandin E2 the cardiotocogram showed uterine hyperactivity in most of the cases with an unexpected, episodically-occurring increase in basal uterine tone and remarkable tachysystoly. Uterine hyper-activity led to fetal heart rate alterations of the "dip 2" type in about 50% of the cases. According to these results prostaglandins cannot be considered superior to oxytocin for the induction of labour at term.

Female↗
PubMed1976

[Documentation of obstetric case reports by means of video-terminals as a part of the Vienna General medical information system "WAMIS" (author's transl)].

A report is given on the introduction of a complete documentation system of obstetric case reports by means of video-terminals and printer-terminals in both departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the 1niversity of Vienna. The special routine for the admission of patients, which produces the heading of the case report is demonstrated, as well as the sheets of collecting the data in respect to case history, antenatal examinations, labour room reports and details of obstetric operations. The computer prints the case history using the collected data. These computer-printed case reports replace the customary handwritten reports. Laboratory data, therapeutic measures and final diagnosis are computed in the same way. The advantages of this form of organization of data collection for clinical purposes and research work are discussed.

Austria↗