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Biomedical subjects

K Zimmer

Publications and source records attributed to K Zimmer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Contribution to the diagnosis of Johne's disease in cattle. Comparative studies on the validity of Ziehl-Neelsen staining, faecal culture and a commercially available DNA-Probe test in detecting Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in faeces from cattle.

In the present study, 132 selected faecal samples from clinically affected and subclinically infected cattle from dairy herds known to be affected by Johne's disease were investigated for the presence of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis using Ziehl-Neelsen staining, faecal culture and a commercially available DNA-Probe test. The sensitivity was 36.4% for Ziehl-Neelsen staining, 85.6% for faecal culture and 47.7% for the DNA-Probe test. Proving the presence of acid-fast bacteria in 49.3% of the samples from clinically affected cattle and 19.3% of those from subclinically infected cattle, Ziehl-Neelsen staining had the lowest detection rate of the three tests under investigation. Faecal culture showed the highest detection rate of M. paratuberculosis in samples from both clinically affected (84.0%) and subclinically infected (87.7%) animals. The DNA-Probe test showed a positive result in 68.0% of the samples from clinically affected cattle and 21.1% of those from subclinically infected cattle. Ziehl-Neelsen staining proved unreliable in diagnosing Johne's disease. Faecal culture was the most sensitive method for detecting M. paratuberculosis both in clinically affected and subclinically infected cattle. The sensitivity of a commercially available DNA-Probe test has to be enhanced to enable a quick and reliable diagnosis of Johne's disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Serological differences in Neospora caninum-associated epidemic and endemic abortions.

A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the sensitive and specific detection of bovine antibodies to Neospora caninum was developed and evaluated using sera from cattle experimentally infected with N. caninum, Toxoplasma gondii, Sarcocystis cruzi, Sarcocystis hominis, Sarcocystis hirsuta, Eimeria bovis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Babesia divergens, and field sera from naturally exposed animals. Field sera were classified using a gold standard that included the results from an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and an immunoblot (IB). Based on these gold standard results, i.e., IFAT-IB results, an equal relative sensitivity and specificity of 94.2%(theta0) was reached when a cutoff of 0.034 (d0) was employed. The analysis of IFAT-IB-positive field sera showed that within groups of aborting and nonaborting dams, the animals from herds with endemic N. caninum-associated abortions had significantly higher ELISA indices than animals from herds with N. caninum-associated epidemic abortions. By contrast, IFAT-IB-positive aborting dams from herds with endemic N. caninum-associated abortions had significantly lower IFAT titers than IFAT-IB-positive aborting dams from herds with epidemic N. caninum-associated abortions. This is the first time that statistically significant serological differences between herds exhibiting epidemic and endemic N. caninum-associated abortions are described.

Abortion, Veterinary↗
PubMed1997

Individual differences in susceptibility to the "irrelevant speech effect".

Individual differences in objective effects of noise on performance were analyzed with respect to their distribution, temporal stability, and the precision of measurement to be attained. Seventy-two subjects had to memorize sequences of visually presented digits while being exposed to one of three auditory background conditions which were randomly mixed on a trial-by-trial basis: (1) foreign speech; (2) pink noise; and (3) silence. Individual "irrelevant speech effects," operationalized by the difference in recall errors under speech and in silence, were normally distributed over a wide range extending from slight facilitation to severe disruption. When 25 subjects repeated the experiment after four weeks, the individual differences were replicated with a reliability of rtt = 0.45. Internal consistency, a measure of the precision with which individual effects can be measured in a single session, was moderate (alpha = 0.55). However, both retest, and consistency coefficients are severely attenuated by the use of (sound-minus-silence) difference scores, the reliability of which is bound to be considerably lower than that of the original error scores whenever these are correlated. Given that the original error rates in a specific auditory condition can be determined with reliabilities approaching 0.85, it may be concluded that individual performance decrements due to noise can be reliably measured in the "irrelevant speech" paradigm. Self-report measures of noise susceptibility collected to explore potential sources of the large inter-individual variation exhibited only weak relationships with the objectively measured noise effects: Subjects were quite inaccurate in assessing their individual impairment in the three auditory conditions, and a questionnaire-based measure of general noise sensitivity only accounted for a small portion of the variance in objectively measured performance decrements, although in both cases the predictive relationship was much stronger in female than in male subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Use of mini-septopal in trauma surgery of the hand. Experimental and clinical studies].

The antibiotics application in treatment of infections makes necessary that they are present in the focus of infection in concentration which is enough to fight back bacteria responsible for the symptoms of disease. Concentration higher then MIC is especially difficult to obtain in tissue with poor blood supply.c. in the cortical bone. Many attempts has been made to find proper method to obtain high antibiotic concentration in the infection focus without overloading the rest of the organism. In the years 1972-1973 Klemm in Frankfurt/Main had first very promising results treating bone infections by filling bone cavities after proper surgical debridement with hand-made beads made of bone cement with gentamicin. This method has been developed by the E. MERCK company which started to produce drug as Septopal. Very good results of treatment using this form of antibiotic created natural demand for this method also in hand surgery, where big sized Septopal beads couldn't be used. E. MERCK company has provided us with Septopal Mini Chains where small ellipsoids are gathered in 10- or 20 elements chains. Starting investigations on SMC application the following aims of experimental and clinical studies has been pointed out: observation of tissue reaction for the implanted ellipsoids, studies on gentamicin releasing velocity and its concentration in the implantation site as well as in the tissues of peripheral organs, observation of the potential toxicity and observation of the ellipsoids structure in the scanning electron microscopy, evaluation of usefulness of the SMC in the treatment of bone and soft tissue infections and in prophylactics in high risk wounds treatment, evaluation of its efficiency in comparison with gentamicin-resisted bacterial strains. Statistical analysis of results has proved very high efficiency of this form of drug by obtaining very high local antibiotic concentration even 100 times higher then after parenteral application. No toxic reactions has been noticed. In the Department of Traumatology Medical Academy in Wrocław in the years 1983-1991 Septopal Mini Chains has been applied in 76 cases and very good results-complete healing has been obtained in 83% of patients. These data allow us to evaluate very high the usefulness of the Septopal Mini Chains as very good, new method of bone and soft tissue infection treatment in the area of hand.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Application of mini-septopal in surgery of the hand].

Successful application of the Septopal in treatment of osteomyelitis has created the demand for this form of drug available for implantation into the small operation field, e.c. in the hand. The Chair and Clinic for Traumatology of the Medical Academy in Wrocław has been chosen to cooperate in the clinical trial on application of the Septopal-minichains in surgery of hand. There were 76 patients treated with the Mini-Septopal implantation. In 18 cases the osteomyelitis or active bacterial soft tissue infection gave indications for this type of treatment. In 58 cases Mini-Septopal was implanted because of high risk of infection in contaminated wounds. In both groups bacteriological examinations have been performed and statistical study revealed successful results even in primary resistant for gentamicin bacteries. Very good results of treatment let us estimate very high the usefulness of Mini-Septopal in bone and soft-tissue infections treatment, if the proper surgical procedures are performed to clean the focus of infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Poxvirus infections in a cat and its owner].

A poxvirus infection in a cat and its owner is recorded. The clinical course of the disease as well as the pathological and the histopathological changes are described. The diagnosis "poxvirus infection" was confirmed by electronmicroscopy and cell culture techniques. This is the first human poxvirus infection in the Federal Republic of Germany in which the source of infection was found to be an infected cat. The serological investigation of 104 cat sera revealed antibody titres in 14 cases, indicating that poxvirus infections in cats are not isolated cases.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Evaluation of five different methods for routine diagnosis of rabies.

Brain tissue from 187 animals of different species was investigated by means of fluorescent antibody test, peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique, mouse inoculation test and cell culture technique for a diagnosis of rabies. With peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique the rabies specific reaction comprised inclusion bodies and a granular staining of the cytoplasm of affected cells. A specific positive reaction was found only in neurons, in which perikaryon as well as cell processes were affected. Fluorescent antibody test and peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique detected 98% each, mouse inoculation test 95% and cell culture technique 81% of the rabies positive animals. In conclusion, peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique allows a highly reliable diagnosis of rabies when only formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded material is available. Histopathological alterations comprising Negri bodies, inflammatory and degenerative lesions were encountered in 53% of the rabies positive brains.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

The interaction between oxygen and vascular wall.

In vascular strips of canine carotid arteries stepwise lowering of oxygen tension from hyperoxic levels of 550 mmHg to 20 mmHg caused in preparations with endothelium a dose-dependent hyperpolarization and relaxation of smooth muscle cells when oxygen tensions between approximately 150 mmHg and 35 mmHg were attained. Pronounced hypoxia with oxygen tensions below 30 mmHg induced a depolarisation and an increase in force generation. During comparable investigations on vessel preparations without endothelium only a slight hyperpolarization and relaxation of the smooth muscle were observed when decreasing the oxygen tension from 550 mmHg to approx. 35 mmHg. In the presence of indomethacin (10(-5) M) a small but significant reduction in the hypoxia-induced hyperpolarization and decrease in smooth muscle tone was found in intact vascular strips with endothelium. Depolarisation and contraction occurred at oxygen tensions below approx. 50-60 mmHg.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

The significance of the endothelium for hypoxic vasodilatation.

In isolated segments of the A. carotis communis of the dog, the membrane potential and isometric tension were recorded in dependence on the oxygen partial pressure. In the range between 535 and 35 mmHg PO2, lowering of oxygen tension leads to a dose-dependent hyperpolarization of maximally 9.8 mV with a simultaneous decrease in tone of 0.746 g. Further reduction of PO2 below 35 mmHg causes depolarization and contraction. These effects can be abolished almost completely by alpha-receptor blockade. Application of 6-hydroxydopamine (1.8 mM) augments the hypoxic hyperpolarization and relaxation in the entire PO2 range between 535 and 0 mmHg, i.e., below 35 mmHg depolarization and contraction fail to appear. The increasing release of noradrenaline from terminal sympathetic nerve endings thus limits the hyperpolarization and relaxation occurring with reduction of PO2 and is mainly responsible for the depolarization and contraction below 35 mmHg. Application of indomethacin (10(-5) M) or BW 755 C (3.8 x 10(-5) M) reduces the hypoxic hyperpolarization and dilatation by circa 20-30%. Their maximum is shifted towards a higher PO2 of 65 mmHg. Only complete removal of the endothelium effects a 70-80% restriction of dilatory vascular reactivity. Identical quantitative statements hold also for control conditions, i.e. in carbogen Krebs solution. This means that the basal release of prostacyclin from endothelial and smooth muscle cells has a share of 20-30%, the basal release of the endothelial dilator EDHF of 70-80% in the membrane polarization and reduction in muscle tone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Determination of selenium in foods by inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and hydride generation.

Within the framework of a survey launched by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità to assess the average daily intake of Se with food in the Italian population, a preliminary study was carried out to develop an analytical procedure for the quantification of the element in food products. The method implies the use of a hydride generation system in combination with inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and exploits the inherent advantages of this last also for the analysis of non-metals. The overall approach was tested in some Hungarian and Italian foods, adequately lending itself to routine and reliable Se assay.

Food Analysis↗
PubMed1988

The influence of oxygen tension on membrane potential and tone of canine carotid artery smooth muscle.

In vascular smooth muscle of canine carotid artery segments the decrease in oxygen tension from approximately 550 mmHg to approximately 30 mmHg leads to a dose-dependent hyperpolarization and relaxation of the vessel strip. At PO2 values below approximately 15-20 mmHg depolarization and subsequent contraction were found. All changes of the parameters investigated were reversible. Indomethacin (10(-5) M) had no significant effect on the hypoxia-dependent potential and tension changes. The hyperpolarized part of the activation curve was obtained by plotting tension versus membrane potential values.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Performance of a demand oxygen saver system during rest, exercise, and sleep in hypoxemic patients.

Demand oxygen systems have been shown to be effective in treating hypoxemia during seated rest and during exercise, but the performance of these systems during sleep has not been previously studied. We compared the efficacy of a new demand oxygen saver system with that of continuous flow nasal oxygen during the usual activities of daily life including sleep, seated rest, and exercise. Six hypoxemic patients were studied. All six had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, though one patient had kyphoscoliosis with mixed obstructive and restrictive lung disease. Patients were studied during each activity of daily life while receiving supplemental oxygen by continuous flow nasal cannula at 2 liters per minute and during use of the demand oxygen saver system. The demand oxygen system produced arterial oxygenation equivalent to continuous flow nasal cannula under all conditions while utilizing substantially less oxygen. When compared with administration of oxygen by continuous flow nasal cannula, the demand oxygen saver cannula utilized only 45 percent as much oxygen during seated rest, 44 percent as much oxygen during exercise, and 39 percent as much oxygen during sleep. Our data support the use of demand oxygen systems for treatment of hypoxemia in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Characteristics of the binding of aminoglycoside antibiotics to teichoic acids. A potential model system for interaction of aminoglycosides with polyanions.

The binding of the aminoglycoside antibiotic dihydrostreptomycin to defined cell-wall teichoic acids and to lipoteichoic acid isolated from various gram-positive eubacteria was followed by equilibrium dialysis. Dihydrostreptomycin was used at a wide range of concentration under different conditions of ionic strength, concentration of teichoic acid, presence of cationic molecules like Mg2+, spermidine, other aminoglycoside antibiotics (gentamicin, neomycin, paromomycin). Interaction of dihydrostreptomycin with teichoic acid was found to be a cooperative binding process. The binding characteristics seem to be dependent on structural features of teichoic acid and are influenced by cationic molecules. Mg2+, spermidine and other aminoglycosides antibiotics inhibit the binding of dihydrostreptomycin to teichoic acid competitively. The binding of aminoglycosides to teichoic acids is considered as a model system for the interaction of aminoglycoside antibiotics with cellular polyanions. Conclusions of physiological significance are drawn.

Aminoglycosides↗