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Biomedical subjects

G Schaller

Publications and source records attributed to G Schaller.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

The use of avoparcin as a growth promoter and the occurrence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species in Norwegian poultry and swine production.

This study documents a strong and statistically significant association between the use of the glycopeptide avoparcin as a growth promoter in Norwegian poultry production and the occurrence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species (VRE). Avoparcin was approved as a feed additive for broilers and turkeys in Norway in 1986 and was banned from June 1, 1995. In a survey conducted in Norway between June, 1995 and March, 1997, VRE were isolated from fecal samples from 106 out of 109 poultry houses previously exposed to avoparcin (97%) and from six out of 33 poultry houses never exposed to avoparcin (18%) (RR = 5.35). Samples from previously exposed poultry houses were collected in three time periods. The proportion of positive samples remained high (96-98%), in all three time periods indicating a persistence of vancomycin resistance among enterococci for more than a year and a half after the withdrawal of avoparcin. VRE were also isolated from six out of 10 poultry farmers living on farms previously exposed to avoparcin, and from none of 16 farmers living on farms never exposed to avoparcin. Moreover, VRE were isolated from 68 out of the 225 broiler carcasses investigated (30%). The resistance to vancomycin was a high-level type (MIC > or = 256 microg/ml) mediated by the vanA gene. For comparison, VRE could only be isolated from two out of 147 fecal samples from Norwegian flocks of swine (1%). Because avoparcin never has been used in Norwegian swine production, this observation strengthens the association between the use of avoparcin in animal husbandry and the occurrence of VRE.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1999

[The clinical importance of keratin 18 in breast cancer].

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the prognostic significance and the biological function of the structure protein keratin 18 (K18) in a group of patients with breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Paraffin sections from the primary tumors in 80 patients with breast cancer were examined for the expression of K18 by immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibody CK2. The intensity of the expression measured by an immune reactive score (IRS) was compared with clinicopathological variables and follow-up data up to 10 years. Additionally K18 expression in different human breast cancer cell lines with well defined metastatic behavior were investigated to confirm the clinical data. RESULTS: A marked positive staining was observed in 13 (16.2%) women. Mortality rate in this group was 7.7% and 46.3% in the group with a low K18 expression. The recurrence rate was with 15.4% significantly lower in the positive group than in the negative group with 56.7%. Irrespective of the morphological tumor stage, almost all patients with strong K18 expression were still free of disease after 10 years. This clinical finding is supported by observations in cell cultures. CONCLUSIONS: In our collective K18 expression was found to be an independent and significant predictor for disease-free and overall survival.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Stage I primary malignant mixed müllerian tumor of the fallopian tube. Report of a case with five-year survival after minimal surgery without adjuvant treatment.

BACKGROUND: Sarcomas of the fallopian tube are rarities in gynecologic oncology, consisting of < 1% of all genital sarcomas. CASE: A 70-year-old woman with a stage I malignant mixed müllerian tumor (MMMT) (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics classification of fallopian tube carcinomas) did not undergo radical surgery or adjuvant treatment because of the patient's refusal of them. The patient underwent only abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. She was discharged feeling well and without abnormal clinical findings. Sixty months after primary surgery there were no signs of recurrence. CONCLUSION: This case suggests the possibility of a good prognosis in early-stage MMMT, especially if there is no deep infiltration of the fallopian tube muscle layer or lymphatic permeation and if the peritoneal cytology is negative. The important feature of this report is the five year disease-free survival after nonradical surgery for prognostically favorable MMMT.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Prevention priorities in mental health in Geneva: a study using the Delphi technic].

A Delphi technique was used to determine priorities for mental health prevention in Geneva. The study comprised two rounds of postal questionnaires targeted at 58 participants concerned and/or interested by mental health through their association or their work. From the responses given in the first round mental health problems were listed, essentially health problems (65%) and service problems (11%) and less frequently resources problems (< 1%). Consensus produced in the second round indicated that 3 problems were priorities for the development of preventive measures: depression, alcohol abuse, maltraitance and sexual abuse. Using the Delphi technique, a qualitative method corresponding to a subjective consensus issued from a group of experts, priorities for mental health prevention were identified in Geneva, in 1995.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

A cladistic analysis of mitochondrial ribosomal DNA from the Bovidae.

There is a huge data base of genetic information for the domestic artiodactyl species Bos taurus (cow), Ovis aries (sheep), and Capra hircus (goat). However, the phylogenetic relationships of these economically critical taxa and their close relatives, family Bovidae, remain for the most part unresolved. In this report, we aligned new mitochondrial (mt) 12S and 16S ribosomal (r) DNA sequences from 26 bovid taxa with published sequences. Phylogenetic analyses of the more than 64 kilobases of mt rDNA from 57 taxa support a basal division in the Bovidae that separates Bos and its close relatives from Capra, Ovis, and their kin. As suggested by previous molecular and morphological studies, "antelopes" are a paraphyletic assemblage. Caprinae (sheep, goats, goat antelopes, and musk oxen) groups consistently with hippotragine and alcelaphine antelopes, while Bovini (cattle and buffaloes) clusters with tragelaphine and boselaphine antelopes. The traditional tribal subdivisions of Bovidae are supported in most cases, but there are exceptions within Caprinae and Antilopinae (gazelles and close relatives). The rDNA data consistently place the enigmatic genera Pelea, Pantholops, and Saiga, but the origin of Aepyceros, the impala, remains obscure. Combined phylogenetic analyses of the rDNA data with the skeletal characters of Gentry (1992) were used to assess the stability of the molecular results.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The "knot before loop" technique for the endoscopic ligation and suture-instrument set. Knot formation and application.

BACKGROUND: In minimally invasive surgery intracorporal knot-tying is complicated by a limited field of vision and depth perception. METHODS: The "knot before loop" technique aims to reduce intraabdominal movements in number and space needed. A grasping instrument 3 mm in diameter guides a slipfit hollow knot pusher with a notch to hold the thread, when extracorporally forming the knot on the instrument tip and an axial slot. The loop is finished under endoscopic vision, yet a second loop is created along the thread. The knot is tightened and secured by closing the second loop without troublesome instrument change. RESULTS: The strength of the knot was tested and the feasibility of the instrument set was proven in pigs and 25 cholecystectomies and hernia repairs in humans. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic application of a secured slip knot is simplified by the "knot before loop" technique. The independent formation of the knot by the assisting personnel allows quick application, equivalent to the use of clips and staples. The benefit in cost saving is high.

Feasibility Studies↗
PubMed1997

Amino acid sequence, S-S bridge arrangement and distribution in plant tissues of thionins from Viscum album.

The complete primary structure of a cytotoxic 5 kDa polypeptide, viscotoxin A1, isolated from Viscum album L., has been determined by combining classical Edman degradation methodology with advanced mass spectrometric procedures. The same integrated approach allowed correction of the sequence of viscotoxin A2 and definition of the pattern of the disulfide bridges. The arrangement of the cysteine pairing was determined as Cys3-Cys40, Cys4-Cys32 and Cys16-Cys26. The primary structure of viscotoxin A1 shares a high degree of similarity with the known viscotoxins and more generally with the plant alpha- and beta-thionins. The pattern of S-S bridges determined for viscotoxin A2 and A1 is similar to that inferred by X-ray and NMR analysis in crambin and related to that present in alpha-purothionin and beta-hordothionin, thus indicating a highly conserved organization of the S-S pairings within the entire family. This arrangement of S-S bridges describes a peculiar structural motif, indicated as 'concentric motif', which is suggested to stabilize a common structure occurring in various small proteins able to interact with cell membranes. The distribution of the new variant toxin in different mistletoe subspecies was investigated. Viscotoxin A1 is abundant in the seeds of the three European subspecies of V. album whereas it represents a minor component in the shoots.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

[Risk factors in self-injurious behavior in a Swiss prison].

Suicide is reported to be one of the leading causes of death in prison (25-45% of deaths), and attempted suicide is observed more frequently in prison than in the general population. The purpose of this study is to identify the risk factors of the suicidal gestures (including wrist slashing) in the Geneva prison, and their impact; with a view to elaborating possible preventive measures. A case-control study (172 cases and 169 controls) was conducted retrospectively on the basis of medical records. Demographic and medical data for cases were compared to similar data for non-suicidal inmates. A multivariate analysis of the data revealed that the risk of suicidal inmates. A multivariate analysis of the data revealed that the risk of suicidal gestures increased for the following characteristics: age less than 25 years (RR = 4.4), previous suicide attempts (RR = 4.7), a past history of psychiatric treatment (RR = 2.5), and finally, opiate drug dependence (RR = 2.8).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Information on health risks in prisons: evaluation of a leaflet].

An illustrated full colour brochure has been elaborated for Swiss prisoners. This brochure, named "Hygiene and Health in detention", concerns transmissible diseases in general and AIDS in particular. It is meant to replace typed A4 sheets which were not generally read. The evaluation of the brochure took place in a Swiss prison on the basis of 22 questions put to inmates during interviews. Answers of inmates having received the old sheet were compared with answers of inmates who received the new brochure. The evaluation concerning the informations' presentation is positive. The brochure is more attractive than the A4 sheet thanks to its illustrated and coloured presentation (chi-square = 6.52, p = 0.01). Prisoners remember having received the brochure more than the old sheet (chi-square = 10.02, p = 0.001). More prisoners have read the folder than the A4 sheet (chi-square = 4.22, p = 0.04). The evaluation concerning the principal preventive messages is only partially positive. Inmates do not appear to have assimilated the medical information any better than from the old A4 sheet.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Elevated keratin 18 protein expression indicates a favorable prognosis in patients with breast cancer.

This study was performed to determine if keratin 18 (K18) has prognostic significance in breast cancer cell lines and patients with breast carcinoma. Paraffin sections of primary breast carcinoma tumors and human breast carcinoma cell lines were examined for K18 expression by immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibody CK2. K18 protein expression was low in highly metastatic cell lines and, conversely, high in weakly metastatic cell lines, suggesting that it may function as a prognostic indicator. K18 expression was consequently examined in 134 patients with breast cancer. The staining intensity was compared with clinicopathological variables and follow-up data spanning 8 years. A definitive positive staining was observed in 22 (16.4%) women. The mortality rate was 4. 5% in the K18-positive group and 44.6% in the K18-negative group. Multivariate analysis found K18 expression to be an independent and significant predictor for overall survival.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[AIDS prevention in European prisons].

Informations on HIV/AIDS in prisons which include 32 prison-systems in 17 European countries have been collected. The principle of equivalence of preventive measures and health care between prisons and the outside community, prison authorities should strive to prevent HIV transmission in prisons. There have been major developments in effective prevention programmes in the community, there has been less progress within the prison-systems. Information on AIDS is provided to prisoners in almost all prison-systems. While condom distribution is practiced in a growing number of systems, no prison systems have adopted syringes/needle distribution or exchange during incarceration. A few system have accepted distribution of a disinfectant (diluted bleach) with instruction on cleaning injection materials. Despite clear recommendations made by international bodies in 1987/88, it must be concluded that discrimination and segregation (restriction from access to workshops, specially work in kitchens) remain widespread in 1992.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Quantitative determination of lectins in mistletoe preparations.

Assay of lectins in mistletoe preparations was based on an improved and validated version of ELLA (enzyme-linked lectin assay) to meet the requirements given in the guidelines for drug tests. The monoclonal antibody used has more than 90% cross reactivity with the three known mistletoe lectins, so that total lectin content is determined with much greater accuracy. With the detection and quantitative analysis limit below 5 ng/ml and a linear measuring range of 5-50 ng/ml, dosages in therapeutic range can be assayed. Tests to establish the accuracy of the analytical method showed that up to 26% of lectin activity is suppressed by other constituents of the extract, so that the recovery must be taken into account. The recovery increases following ultrafiltration to remove low-molecular constituents. Analysis for precision gave a variation coefficient of < or = 7.7% and a confidence interval < or = 5.7% (p = 0.05) for total lectin concentrations of approx. 250 ng/ml. This level of precision, which is good for an immunologic assay, makes it possible to standardize mistletoe preparations.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1995

The optical "Veress-needle"--initial puncture with a minioptic.

Laparoscopic access is a necessary part of minimally invasive surgery. The double blind puncture with Veress-needle and trocar can cause lethal complications such as bowel injury, bleeding and gas-embolisation. Some authors have reported alternative techniques for laparoscopic abdominal access. Because no blind procedure can absolutely prevent injury, permanent visual control of perforated tissue layers as in open surgery should be achieved to prevent possible injury at an early stage. Previously described procedures could not fulfil all requirements to comply with this ideal, i.e. permanent visual control of abdominal wall penetration prior to establishment of pneumoperitoneum and trocar insertion without further possible damage. We designed a 2 mm fibreglass optic 250 mm in length that is inserted into a suitable cannula. Special construction allows rinsing through the cannula to clear the vision and to open spaces in the puncture track by water dissection. After incision of the skin, all layers of the abdominal wall can be visualised, including blood vessels and internal surfaces. Once the abdominal cavity is reached, the needle tip is retracted and a two-step dilation allows the trocar to be introduced via the puncture track. Only then does insufflation begin. The fibreglass optic-equipped safety needle was used for visually controlled access in 184 laparoscopic surgical procedures. After a period of training, all layers of the abdominal wall could be recognised exactly. In two patients with dense adhesions, perforation of the small bowel was diagnosed immediately by endoscopic viewing. The small injury needed no treatment, and the intended procedure was completed laparoscopically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Catheterization↗
PubMed1994

Bacillus cereus in infant foods and dried milk products.

Dried milk products and infant food are known to be frequently contaminated with Bacillus cereus. Sources of the organism and its behaviour in the product and in the equipment during processing are discussed. With regard to the incidence of B. cereus in infant food, 261 samples distributed in 17 countries were collected and examined for its B. cereus content. Fifty-four percent of the samples were contaminated with B. cereus reaching levels from 0.3 to 600/g. Counts higher than 10/g were found in only 27 samples (10%). Most of the positive samples (44%) contained 0.3 to 10 B. cereus/g. Four samples (1.5%) were contaminated with more than 100 organisms/g reaching a maximum level of 600 B. cereus/g. When classified into different types of products about 50% of the infant formulae based on milk, the follow-on formulae and the weaning foods were contaminated with B. cereus as well as 69% of those based on soy protein and 92% of the special dietetic foods. Compared to our earlier studies from 1982/83, the percentage of contaminated samples from Germany increased from 31% to 70% in the case of infant formulae, from 28% to 55% in the case of follow-on formulae, and from 40% to 100% in the case of special dietetic food. The percentage of weaning food contaminated with B. cereus remained nearly unchanged. It should be stressed, however, that the numbers of B. cereus were almost the same in both studies with the highest count in 1982/83 being 460 and in 1992 600/g. Samples naturally contaminated with counts of about 100 B. cereus/g were reconstituted and incubated at a room temperature of 27 degrees C. Levels of 10(5) B. cereus/g were reached after 7-9 h. Toxigenicity of B. cereus in dried milk products and infant food as well as food poisoning outbreaks attributed to B. cereus are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[The characterization of semirigid coaxial antennae for interstitial and endocavitary microwave hyperthermia].

PURPOSE: The increased dissemination of interstitial hyperthermia techniques requires suitable action in quality assurance for the used applicators. This work presents physical-technical methods for complete characterisation of interstitial and endocavitary coaxial antennas used for microwave hyperthermia. METHODS: After a short introduction about the antennas' physical principle 2 fundamental experiments for acquisition of specific absorption rate (SAR) are described: There are the thermometric method, especially the power pulse technique, using a static solid state phantom and the direct measurement of the amplitude square of emitted electric field using miniaturized E-field probes in a fluid phantom. Principal problems occurring during E-field measurements in the near field zone of insulated antennas in media (phantom fluid) are discussed in detail. RESULTS: Characteristic relative SAR profiles were found for each tested applicator design. The profiles were described using the following parameters: depths of SAR maximum, effective heating lengths and lengths of the dead end of the antennas relative to the 50%-iso-SAR-surface. Antenna designs for endocavitary and interstitial purposes were measured at variable insertion depths. The changing SAR-patterns were discussed regarding the found measurement data. Additionally measurements of parallel and inclined antenna arrays consisting of 4 interstitial applicators are described. CONCLUSION: The final discussion give future perspectives to forthcoming developments for interstitial and endocavitary microwave hyperthermia.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed1993

Differential expression of proliferation-associated molecules in individual micrometastatic carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: The development of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to cytokeratins, which are integral components of the epithelial cytoskeleton, has made possible immunocytochemical detection of epithelial tumor cells. Importantly, this technique allows the detection of epithelial tumor cells that have metastasized from primary adenocarcinomas to secondary sites such as the bone marrow. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was not only to detect micrometastatic cells in bone marrow, but also to assess the expression of nuclear proliferation markers (Ki-67 and p120) and the erbB2 oncogene (also known as ERBB2) in these cells and, thus, hopefully improve prognostic precision. METHODS: Bone marrow aspirates were obtained from both sides of the upper iliac crest of 532 patients having definitive diagnoses of either breast or gastrointestinal cancer. The presence of micrometastatic epithelial tumor cells in bone marrow was assayed using the MAb cytokeratin 2 (CK2) to cytokeratin component 18 (CK18), in combination with the alkaline phosphatase-anti-alkaline phosphatase immunostaining technique. After primary screening of all marrow samples with MAb CK2, representative subgroups of CK18+ samples were selected for co-labeling with MAbs either to ErbB (n = 16), ErbB2 (n = 121), Ki-67 (n = 33), or p120 (n = 36) protein. An alternative labeling protocol based on the combination of immunogold and immunoenzymatic techniques was utilized to confirm the results derived from immunoenzymatic double staining. RESULTS: In total, single CK18-positive tumor cells were detected in 180 (33.8%) of 532 bone marrow aspirates, with few differences among patients with breast or gastrointestinal cancer in TNM stage M0 (i.e., no distant metastasis). In patients with overt metastasis (stage M1), however, the incidence of metastatic cells in marrow increased to 73.7% in breast cancer, 52.5% in gastric cancer, and 39.0% in colon cancer. Whereas expression of Ki-67 or p120 on micrometastatic cells was observed only in 11 (15.9%) of 69 cancer patients analyzed, ErbB2+/CK18+ cells were found in 48 (67.6%) of 71 breast cancer patients and 14 (28.0%) of 50 patients with gastrointestinal cancer (P = .0001). The incidence of ErbB2+/CK18+ cells was positively correlated with the clinical stage of tumor progression. CONCLUSIONS: The high incidence of ErbB2 expression on micrometastatic breast cancer cells in the bone marrow suggests that these cells might have been positively selected during early stages of metastasis. The majority of these cells appear to be in a dormant state of cell growth. IMPLICATIONS: Although support from clinical follow-up is still needed, this study demonstrates that, beyond the mere presence of micrometastatic cells in bone marrow, useful prognostic information can be obtained by analysis of additional cell growth markers.

Adenocarcinoma↗