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Biomedical subjects

E Groll-Knapp

Publications and source records attributed to E Groll-Knapp.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Breast self-examination: attitudes and practices among young women in Europe.

Breast self examination (BSE) is recommended for the early detection of breast cancer in the European Code against Cancer. Evidence from North America suggests that there is reasonable public awareness of its importance, but compliance with regular BSE is reported by only a minority of young women. Attitudes to and practice of BSE has rarely been studied outside North America. In the present study, attitudes to BSE were evaluated by questionnaire in a sample of 16,486 students aged 17-30 from 20 European countries. Frequency of BSE practice was reported by the 9,181 women in the sample. Information on public recommendations concerning BSE was obtained from cancer organizations in each country. The data were collected as part of the European Health Behaviour Survey, an international study on health beliefs and health behaviour. The results showed that BSE was recommended in 16 countries and 'breast awareness' in two, while two countries did not recommend self-examination. 54% of women reported as never having practiced BSE. Regular practice (monthly) was reported by only 8% of the sample, with another 36% reporting occasional BSE. Significant differences emerged between centres in different countries ranging from 6% to 15% reporting regular BSE. Attitude towards BSE was a significant predictor of BSE practice within each centre and across all centres combined. Attitudes towards BSE were significantly less positive in the two centres from countries without BSE recommendations than in the others, but levels of practice were similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Connection between air quality and room climate and estimation of dwellings by health-impaired inhabitants].

The investigation was performed in winter 1990 and 1991 when measurements were taken in 16 dwellings of patients, recruited from a pulmologic outpatient centre. Patients suffered from repeated respiratory irritations which they attributed to dwelling conditions. Inhabitants reported by means of questionnaires and standardized scales the dwelling situation and their dwelling behaviour, subjective ratings of indoor environmental quality as well as ratings of wellbeing. The load of indoor pollutants (CO2, CO, NO2, HCHO), biological agents (fungal spores, house dust mites) as well as indoor climate factors were assessed. The measurements revealed an evident load at least in one parameter; in the majority of dwellings combined loads of air pollutants and biological agents were apparent. Homes supplied with gas as main energy source had significantly higher concentrations of CO2, CO and NO2. At noon, exposure limits of CO2 and NO2 were frequently exceeded. Inhabitants of homes being supplied with electricity instead of gas gave significantly better air quality ratings. The correlations between the average score concerning the rated health quality of their homes and the rate of excess of exposure limits are significant: The health quality ratings are significantly related to the concentrations of "air quality indicators", which induce the feeling of stale air (CO2) and mucosa irritations (NO2). Ratings of wellbeing are significantly connected to objective parameters, i.e. NO2 baseline load, fungal spores in the air and the difference between wall-air temperature. Our study suggests that people suspecting a connection between their health impairment and dwelling conditions should be taken serious. The measurement program proved to be a suitable screening procedure to assess adverse environmental influences in homes. More homes should be investigated to further support our findings.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed1990

Occurrence of infraslow potential oscillations in relation to task, ability to concentrate and intelligence.

The occurrence of infraslow potential oscillations (ISPOs) of the brain was investigated during a listening and a resting condition in 44 subjects (Ss) with high (HAC) and low ability to concentrate (LAC). The occurrence of ISPOs was found in 36% of the Ss. While in the HAC group the occurrence of ISPOs did not change from listening to resting, in the LAC group Ss with ISPOs were affected by experimental conditions, showing ISPOs during the listening condition. For Ss with ISPOs only during listening a lower score was found for ability to concentrate, suggesting ISPOs as a possible underlying mechanism. For Ss with stable ISPOs a higher I.Q. was found compared to Ss without ISPOs.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Prevalence of a type A behavior pattern (coronary prone behavior pattern) in the Vienna population].

The prevalence of the coronary-prone behavior pattern and its interaction with psychosocial and primary coronary risk factors was studied in a Viennese population sample consisting of 1459 people (634 men, 825 women). The sample was representative with respect to sex, age greater than 16 years, socio-economic status and local distribution. A questionnaire-based short rating scale developed by Bortner was used. The distribution of the study population on the A-B axis was unimodal (means = 174.95 +/- 40.76). The upper and the lower third of the A-B dimension was designated to represent type A1 and type B4, respectively. The mean Bortner score and rate of type A1 persons clearly decreased at lower (16 to 20 years) and higher ages (greater than 60 years). Within the group of employed subjects aged 21 to 60 years the mean type A score and the rate of A1 subjects for men (177 +/- 39; 6%) differed significantly from that of their female counterparts (188 +/- 39; 13%). Housewives had a mean score of 178 +/- 41 and 10% of them were scored A1, thus indicating significantly lower mean scores than employed females but the same rate of A1. Subjects with higher educational level showed only a tendency to increased type A. The socio-economic status was positively correlated to the global Bortner score, especially in men, but no relation was found to the rate of Type A1 persons. There was no significant correlation between type A score and systolic or diastolic blood pressure, body mass index or smoking behavior, but a significant correlation between type A score and the subjective feeling of overload. Type A subjects scored themselves significantly more often as continuously overload.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

The electromyographic DC potential as a correlate of muscular activity.

The present experiment was undertaken to demonstrate the effect of muscular force as well as duration of muscular work on the electromyographic (EMG) DC potential. Thirty subjects had to lift different weights by flexing the right forearm within a defined and constant setting for 20 s. The experimental variables were weight (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 kg) and time. The EMG was recorded from the belly of the right biceps brachii muscle in a quasi-unipolar manner and split into an integrated ac channel (IEMG) and a dc channel (DC-EMG). The average IEMG showed a ramp-like shape. Analysis showed a positive relationship for weight (p less than 0.0001) and time (p less than 0.0001) with the IEMG. The average shape of the DC-EMG showed a negative initiation potential, a monotonically increasing negative potential during contraction (contraction potential), a positively peaking off potential and a slow return to baseline (after potential). Analyses of variance demonstrated a significant (p less than 0.001) relationship of weight to the magnitude of the initiation and the termination potential. Regression analyses displayed an inverse relationship of time to the termination (p less than 0.01) and to the resolution potential (p less than 0.001). The DC-EMG showed higher peaks (initiation and termination potential) for heavier weights. For the termination and after potential less positive deflections were found with increasing time (fatigue). A control condition (isometric contraction) indicated that the initiation, contraction, and termination potential of the DC-EMG may also be related to aspects of the movement. Results suggest that the DC-EMG is a more complex measure of muscular activity than the IEMG.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Changes in discrimination learning and brain activity (ERP's) due to combined exposure to NO and CO in rats.

Carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) are air pollutants frequently appearing in combination. Information available on the mechanisms of NO intoxication suggests that in mixtures with CO additive effects should be assumed. In this study CO and NO-induced changes and their interaction were investigated at different levels of integration: carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (met-Hb) formation as well as centrally mediated effects were analyzed using evoked potential techniques and behavioral data from a complex discrimination learning experiment. Slight enhancements of COHb and met-Hb concentrations were seen for the combined CO + NO exposure conditions at low and high exposure levels when compared to isolated exposure conditions. The performance decrease was clearly higher under NO exposure than under CO exposure. Decrements were overadditive when simultaneous CO + NO exposure was used in higher concentration. Both gases affected early evoked potential components (P10, N30) in the same way: latencies were prolonged and amplitudes increased. Later potential components were differently influenced by CO and NO. Mainly the N150 amplitude was decreased in NO exposure and increased in CO conditions. N150 amplitude was also decreased after combined CO + NO exposure. At high levels this effect was overadditive indicating a dominant role of NO in the CO + NO combinations used in this experiment.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

[Premedication with flunitrazepam, lormetazepam or pethidine-promethazine. Psychometric study of subjective conditions].

In the course of a clinical study oral administration of two different diazepine derivatives as well as i.m. injection of pethidine and promethazine have been explored with a view to their anxiolytic, sedating and hypnotic action. The study involved 128 patients, randomized into four groups. Group 1 received flunitrazepam 1,5-2 mg p.o. only the evening before operation to group 2 flunitrazepam 1,5-2 p.o. was administered the evening before and the morning of the operation, group 3 were given lormetazepam 2-2,5 mg p.o. at the same time as group 2, in group 4 nitrazepam, 5 mg p.o. the evening before operation and pethidine, 50-100 mg combined with promethazine, 25 mg was given i.m. 60 min before surgery. In group 1 anxiolytic and sedating effect of flunitrazepam were not persistent enough to provide the patient with adequate premedication until the onset of surgery. Intensive sedation and fatigue as well as minimum recollection were observed under medication 2, however, increase in anxiety and depression as well as deterioration of mood were not prevented. Under medication 3 patients felt less exhausted and fatigued than under medication 2, but likewise anxiety and depression increased in the course of the operating day. Group 4 emerged as the last effective premedication both with regard to sleep during the previous night and the conditions of the day of the operation itself.

Adult↗