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Biomedical subjects

H Schulz

Publications and source records attributed to H Schulz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

[Polycystic ovary syndrome. Prototype of a cardio-metabolic syndrome].

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting women in the reproductive age and is a major cause of anovulation, hyperandrogenism and infertility. Since obesity and insulin resistance are predominant features of women with PCOS, a variety of metabolic disturbances are associated. There is a marked increase in the risk of developing type-2 diabetes in these patients and a majority of women with PCOS will subsequently harbour an enhanced cardiovascular risk.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2006

Determination of lycopene and beta-carotene content in tomato fruits and related products: Comparison of FT-Raman, ATR-IR, and NIR spectroscopy.

Tomatoes and various products derived from thermally processed tomatoes are major sources of lycopene, but apart from this micronutrient, other carotenoids such as beta-carotene also are present in the fruit. They occur in tomato fruits and various tomato products in amounts of 2.62-629.00 (lycopene) and 0.23-2.83 mg/100 g (beta-carotene). Standard methods for determining the carotenoid content require the extraction of the analyte as well as other cleanup steps. In this work, FT-Raman, ATR-IR, and NIR spectroscopy are applied in order to establish new, fast, and nondestructive calibration methods for quantification of lycopene and beta-carotene content in tomato fruits and related products. The best prediction quality was achieved using a model based on IR spectroscopy (R2 = 0.98 and 0.97, SECV = 33.20 and 0.16 for lycopene and beta-carotene, respectively). In spite of the fact that Raman spectra of tomato products show characteristic key bands of the investigated carotenoids, this method gives slightly lower reliability (R2 = 0.91 and 0.89, SECV = 74.34 and 0.34 for lycopene and beta-carotene, respectively). NIR spectroscopy, which has been used for quantification purposes in the agricultural sector for several decades, in this study shows the worse prediction quality (R2 = 0.85 and 0.80, SECV = 91.19 and 0.41 for lycopene and beta-carotene, respectively).

Carotenoids↗
PubMed2006

Inhalation of ultrafine carbon particles triggers biphasic pro-inflammatory response in the mouse lung.

High levels of particulate matter in ambient air are associated with increased respiratory and cardiovascular health problems. It has been hypothesised that it is the ultrafine particle fraction (diameter <100 nm) that is largely responsible for these effects. To evaluate the associated mechanisms on a molecular level, the current authors applied an expression profiling approach. Healthy mice were exposed to either ultrafine carbon particles (UFCPs; mass concentration 380 microg x m(-3)) or filtered air for 4 and 24 h. Histology of the lungs did not indicate any pathomorphological changes after inhalation. Examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed a small increase in polymorphonuclear cell number (ranging 0.6-1%) after UFCP inhalation, compared with clean air controls, suggesting a minor inflammatory response. However, DNA microarray profile analysis revealed a clearly biphasic response to particle exposure. After 4 h of inhalation, mainly heat shock proteins were induced, whereas after 24 h, different immunomodulatory proteins (osteopontin, galectin-3 and lipocalin-2) were upregulated in alveolar macrophages and septal cells. In conclusion, these data indicate that inhalation of ultrafine carbon particles triggers a biphasic pro-inflammatory process in the lung, involving the activation of macrophages and the upregulation of immunomodulatory proteins.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2006

Single seed Raman measurements allow taxonomical discrimination of Apiaceae accessions collected in gene banks.

NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy was applied for a nondestructive analysis of single seeds (fruit mericarps) of 36 accessions belonging to various species of the Apiaceae family. Main seed components such as fatty acids, polysaccharides, proteins, and lignin were identified based on the obtained Raman spectra. Variation at the species and genus level was related to differences observed between spectra. The application of cluster analysis discriminated among most of the species evaluated and grouped them according to their taxonomical classification. The spectroscopically analyzed seeds germinated and developed into normal seedlings to demonstrate the additional advantage that Raman spectroscopy is nondestructive and can be applied to living seed without harm. These results indicate that Raman spectroscopy is a valuable tool for the rational evaluation and management of genetic resources in ex situ seed collections by providing useful information for taxonomical validation of the accessions.

Apiaceae↗
PubMed2006

[Health services research in psychosocial medicine].

The following article presents aspects of the field of psychosocial medicine in Germany from the perspective of health services research. First, the tasks and topics of health services research are listed. The identification and appropriate treatment of people with mental disorders is one of the core themes of psychosocial health care; therefore, a brief overview of research results on the epidemiology of mental disorders is first presented. The primary focus of this article is then to provide a description and analysis of the structures of psychosocial care in inpatient and outpatient settings. Research findings concerning treatment processes and the result of these processes are additionally presented. The findings show that there is still a considerable lack of research results regarding the treatment of patients with mental disorders, as is also the case in other health care areas. An important empirical basis for rationally founded treatment planning in this area is thus lacking.

Epidemiologic Methods↗
PubMed2006

[Fine particulate matter - a health hazard for lungs and other organs?].

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies provide evidence that particulate air pollution (PM10) increases pulmonary as well as cardiovascular mortality. This review summarises current hypotheses on the mechanisms of entry of inhaled fine particles into the systemic circulation and the mechanisms of action on the cardiovascular system. PARTICLE ENTRY: Following particle deposition in the lungs, soluble components like metal salts or soluble organics are taken up into the pulmonary capillary blood. Ultrafine particles can pass the lung-blood barrier by endocytosis, transcytosis, or stochastic transport, depending on their physicochemical properties, and a fraction (0.1 - 1 %) is thus dislocated into the systemic circulation. MECHANISMS OF ACTION: Direct actions of translocated particles, soluble compounds and/or inflammatory mediators have been shown to alter cardiovascular homeostasis. Effects associated with high PM10 are arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and cardiac failure. Cardiovascular regulation may be impaired by autonomic imbalances such as those caused by inflammatory or stress-related processes. Local or systemic inflammatory responses may cause endothelial dysfunction, a procoagulatory state with the risk of enhanced atherosclerosis. Cardiac function may be impaired by alterations in ion channel functions leading to electrophysiological instability. OUTLOOK: Systemic actions of inhaled particles are an important issue in environmental health, and there is evidence that they are in no way limited to the cardiovascular system, but also affect other organs like the brain. Details on particle translocation mechanisms and pathophysiological pathways of action remain to be elucidated.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗
PubMed2006

Distribution pattern of inhaled ultrafine gold particles in the rat lung.

The role of alveolar macrophages in the fate of ultrafine particles in the lung was investigated. Male Wistar-Kyoto rats were exposed to ultrafine gold particles, generated by a spark generator, for 6 h at a concentration of 88 microg/m3 (4 x 10(6)/cm3, 16 nm modal mobility diameter). Up to 7 days, the animals were serially sacrificed, and lavaged cells and lung tissues were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The gold concentration/content in the lung, lavage fluid, and blood was estimated by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Gold particles used were spherical and electron dense with diameters of 5-8 nm. The particles were individual or slightly agglomerated. By inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry analysis of the lung, 1945 +/- 57 ng (mean +/- SD) and 1512 +/- 184 ng of gold were detected on day 0 and on day 7, respectively, indicating that a large portion of the deposited gold particles was retained in the lung tissue. In the lavage fluid, 573 +/- 67 ng and 96 +/- 29 ng were found on day 0 and day 7, respectively, which means that 29% and 6% of the retained gold particles were lavageable on these days. A low but significant increase of gold (0.03 to 0.06% of lung concentration) was found in the blood. Small vesicles containing gold particles were found in the cytoplasm of alveolar macrophages. In the alveolar septum, the gold particles were enclosed in vesicles observed in the cytoplasm of alveolar type I epithelial cells. These results indicate that inhaled ultrafine gold particles in alveolar macrophages and type I epithelial cells are processed by endocytotic pathways, though the uptake of the gold particles by alveolar macrophages is limited. To a low degree, systemic particle translocation took place.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Vibrational spectroscopic studies to acquire a quality control method of Eucalyptus essential oils.

This article presents a novel and original approach to analyze in situ the main components of Eucalyptus oil by means of Raman spectroscopy. The obtained two-dimensional Raman maps demonstrate a unique possibility to study the essential oil distribution in the intact plant tissue. Additionally, Fourier Transform (FT)-Raman and attenuated total reflection (ATR)-IR spectra of essential oils isolated from several Eucalyptus species by hydrodistillation are presented. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were performed in order to interpret the spectra of the essential oils of the Eucalyptus species. It is shown that the main components of the essential oils can be recognized by both vibrational spectroscopic techniques using the spectral information of the pure terpenoids. Spectroscopic analysis is based on the key bands of the individual volatile substances and therefore allows one to discriminate different essential oil profiles of several Eucalyptus species. It has been found that the presented spectroscopic data correlate very well with those obtained by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. All these investigations are helpful tools to generate a fast and easy method to control the quality of the essential oils with vibrational spectroscopic techniques in combination with DFT calculations.

Eucalyptus↗
PubMed2005

Chemotaxonomy of aromatic plants of the genus Origanum via vibrational spectroscopy.

Fourier transformed-Raman (FT-Raman) and attenuated total reflection-infrared (ATR-IR) spectra of essential oils obtained from marjoram and oregano plants by hydrodistillation are presented. It is shown that the main components of the essential oils can be ascertained through both of these complementary techniques, using spectral information from the pure terpenoids. Spectroscopic analysis is based on the characteristic key bands of the individual volatile substances and therefore, in principle, these techniques allow us to discriminate between different essential oil profiles from individual oil plants of the same species (chemotypes). The combination of vibrational spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis provides a fast, easy and reliable method for chemotaxonomy characterisation. The spectroscopic data presented here correlate very well with those found by gas chromatography (GC) analysis.

Classification↗
PubMed2005

Quality control of Harpagophytum procumbens and its related phytopharmaceutical products by means of NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy.

NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy was used for identification and quantification of harpagoside in secondary roots of Harpagophytum procumbens as well as in related phytopharmaceutical products, e.g., ethanolic extracts and tablets. Applied Raman mappings reveal the spatial distribution of this valuable iridoid glycoside within the different samples. The same technique can be used for quality control purposes beginning from the plant to its final products. Based on the obtained spectral data and reference HPLC values of harpagoside, a reliable multivariate calibration model was developed.

Calibration↗
PubMed2005

On the way to a quality control of the essential oil of fennel by means of Raman spectroscopy.

Essential oils are one of the most valuable natural products. The price of special essential oils that can be purchased on the market strongly depends on the quality of the product. The quality, which depends on the quantitative and qualitative variation of different monoterpenes, varies with respect of the origin and the harvesting period. This contribution reports on a Raman spectroscopic study on the essential oil occurring in fennel. Cross-sections of fennel seed were investigated by use of Raman spectroscopy and Raman mapping to localize the essential oil and to analyze its chemical composition directly in the plant. Furthermore the practicability of a home-built mobile transportable Raman spectrometer to perform on-site measurements was successfully tested.

Foeniculum↗
PubMed2005

Potential of NIR-FT-Raman spectroscopy in natural carotenoid analysis.

This paper demonstrates the special advantages of FT-Raman spectroscopy for in situ studies of several carotenoids that occur ubiquitously in the plant kingdom. Spectra obtained from various tissues of a range of plant species indicate that the wavenumber location of C=C stretching vibrations is mainly influenced both by the length as well as by the terminal substituents of the polyene chain of carotenoids and by their interaction with other plant constituents. The obtained results show also the usefulness of Raman spectroscopy in the investigation of cis-trans isomerization of carotenoids during processing. Additionally, 2-D Raman mappings present a unique possibility to evaluate the individual distribution of carotenoids in the intact plant tissue; in this context different 7-, 8-, and 9-double bond conjugated carotenoids can be analyzed independently in the same sample. Furthermore, the use of Raman spectroscopy for in situ detection of unstable substances such as epoxycarotenoids is discussed.

Carotenoids↗
PubMed2005

Isotope studies to the sorption behavior of atmospheric sulfate in humus layers of scots pine ecosystems.

The sorption potential for SO4(2-) in humus layer samples from field sites along a deposition gradient was determined experimentally in batch experiments. The Freundlich equation was used to quantify the sorption of added SO4(2-) in humus layer samples and to determine site-dependent sorption parameters. SO4(2-) sorption in humus layers is a concentration-dependent process. The linearity of isotherms reveals that SO4(2-) is reversibly bound in the organic surface layer, as long as soil solution concentrations remain above 26 to 44 mg SO4(2-) L(-1). Natural isotope variations of sulfur in SO4(2-) were analysed to investigate the degree of sorption of dissolved atmospheric and added SO4(2-). Both sulfate species differed significantly in their isotope composition. The pattern of delta34S values for SO4(2-) in all equilibrium solutions confirm the findings from sorption isotherms, showing a close relationship between the sulfur isotope ratios of SO4(2-) in soil solutions and the amount of SO4(2-) sorbed at the humus layer matrix. Stored atmospheric SO4(2-) in humus layers is released at sites where sulfate concentration in throughfall drops below 26 mg SO4(2-) L(-1). Concentration of soluble Fe decreased with increasing sulfate sorption, thus supporting the assumption that active Fe for example is important. Iron probably stabilizes the reactive surface of humus complexes and therefore has a positive influence on the SO4(2-) sorption in humus layers.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2004

Fate and toxic effects of inhaled ultrafine cadmium oxide particles in the rat lung.

Female Fischer 344 rats were exposed to ultrafine cadmium oxide particles, generated by spark discharging, for 6 h at a concentration of 70 microg Cd/m(3) (1 x 10(6)/cm(3)) (40 nm modal diameter). Lung morphology and quantification of Cd content/concentration by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-mass spectrometry were performed on days 0, 1, 4, and 7 after exposure. Cd content in the lung on day 0 was 0.53 +/- 0.12 microg/lung, corresponding to 19% of the estimated total inhaled cumulative dose, and the amount remained constant throughout the study. In the liver no significant increase of Cd content was found up to 4 days. A slight but statistically significant increase was observed in the liver on day 7. We found neither exposure-related morphological changes of lungs nor inflammatory responses in lavaged cells. Another group of rats were exposed to a higher concentration of ultrafine CdO particles (550 microg Cd/m(3) for 6 h, 51 nm modal diameter). The rats were sacrificed immediately and 1 day after exposure. The lavage study performed on day 0 showed an increase in the percentage of neutrophils. Multifocal alveolar inflammation was seen histologically on day 0 and day 1. Although the Cd content in the lung was comparable between day 0 and day 1 (3.9 microg/lung), significant elevation of Cd levels in the liver and kidneys was observed on both days. Two of 4 rats examined on day 0 showed elevation of blood cadmium, indicating systemic translocation of a fraction of deposited Cd from the lung in this group. These results and comparison with reported data using fine CdO particles indicate that inhalation of ultrafine CdO particles results in efficient deposition in the rat lung. With regard to the deposition dose, adverse health effects of ultrafine CdO and fine CdO appear to be comparable. Apparent systemic translocation of Cd took place only in animals exposed to a high concentration that induced lung injury.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Daytime variation in performance and tiredness/sleepiness ratings in patients with insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea and normal controls.

Daytime tiredness or sleepiness and deficits in cognitive performance are common complaints in sleep disordered patients. Till now there are few studies comparing patients from different diagnostic groups of sleep disorders in the same experimental protocol. We studied the time course of cognitive functions and subjective alertness in a parallel group design with four groups of patients [narcolepsy, untreated or treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or psychophysiological insomnia] and a control group of subjects without sleep complaints. Each group consisted of 10 subjects, matched for age and gender. After a night with polysomnography, subjects were studied for 10 h from 08:00 hours to 18:00 hours at 20 min intervals under standardized environmental conditions. Four psychological tests were applied, (1) a critical flicker fusion (CFF) test to measure optical fusion threshold (alertness); (2) a paper-and-pencil visual line tracking test (selective attention); (3) a visual analog scale (VAS) for tiredness/sleepiness; and (4) the Tiredness Symptoms Scale (TSS), a 14 items check list. Each test session lasted for 8 min, followed by a 12 min pause. The level and time course of cognitive performance and self-rating data were analysed with hierarchical linear mixed effects models. Cognitive tests showed decrements in alertness and selective attention in untreated patients with insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea. Narcoleptic patients and untreated OSA had a lower CFF threshold than controls, and for narcoleptic patients the time course differed from that of all other groups. In the visual tracking test the performance of all groups of patients was worse compared with normal controls. Self-rated tiredness/sleepiness was significantly more pronounced in the three groups of untreated patients than in control subjects.

Attention↗