An Outbreak of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus in Switzerland Following Import of Boar Semen.

An outbreak of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) occurred in November 2012 in Switzerland (CH), traditionally PRRSV-free. It was detected after a German boar stud informed a semen importer about the detection of PRRSV during routine monitoring. Tracing of semen deliveries revealed 26 Swiss sow herds that had used semen from this stud after its last negative routine monitoring and 62 further contact herds. All herds were put under movement restrictions and examined serologically and virologically. As a first measure, 59 sows from five herds that had previously been inseminated with suspicious semen were slaughtered and tested immediately. Investigations in the stud resulted in 8 positive boars with recent semen deliveries to CH (Seven with antibodies and virus, one with antibodies only). In one boar out of six tested, virus was detected in semen. Of the 59 slaughtered sows, five from three herds were virus-positive. In one herd, the virus had spread, and all pigs were slaughtered or non-marketable animals euthanized. In the remaining herds, no further infections were detected. After confirmatory testings in all herds 3 weeks after the first examination gave negative results, restrictions were lifted in January 2013, and Switzerland regained its PRRSV-free status. The events demonstrate that import of semen from non-PRRS-free countries--even from negative studs--poses a risk, because monitoring protocols in boar studs are often insufficient to timely detect an infection, and infections of sows/herds occur even with low numbers of semen doses. The outbreak was eradicated successfully mainly due to the high disease awareness of the importer and because immediate actions were taken before clinical or laboratory diagnosis of a single case in the country was made. To minimize the risk of an introduction of PRRSV in the future, stricter import guidelines for boar semen have been implemented.

The prognostic value of early aEEG in asphyxiated infants undergoing systemic hypothermia treatment.

BACKGROUND: Induced moderate hypothermia (HT) for 72 h has been shown to reduce the combined outcome of death or severe neurodevelopmental disabilities in asphyxiated full-term infants. A pathological amplitude integrated EEG background as early as 3-6 h after birth, has been shown to correlate to poor prognosis. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between amplitude integrated EEG during HT treatment and short-term outcome in asphyxiated full-term infants with moderate/severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. METHODS: Between December 2006 and December 2007, 24 infants were treated with moderate HT (33.5 degrees C for 72 h) using a cooling mattress. Motor functions were assessed at 4 and 12 months of age. RESULTS: Of the total birth cohort of 28,837 infants, 26 infants fulfilled the criteria for HT treatment (0.9/1000) of whom 23 was treated with HT and all of these infants had available amplitude integrated EEG data. Normal 1-year outcome was found in 10/15 infants with severely abnormal burst-suppression pattern or worse at 6 h of age. Severe abnormalities were found to be significantly predictive for abnormal outcome after 36 h. CONCLUSION: Among asphyxiated infants treated with HT, only those who had aEEG abnormalities persisting at and beyond 24 h after birth showed poor neurological outcome at 1 year.

Detection of autoantibodies to tumour-associated antigens in sera of patients with systemic autoimmunity using a novel protein microblot array.

It is well known that sera of patients with systemic autoimmunity contain autoantibodies to nuclear antigens. It is also known that patients with systemic autoimmunity have an increased risk for the development of tumours. Interestingly, tumour patients frequently develop autoantibodies and there is a growing list of potential tumour-associated antigens. It is, however, not known whether or not patients with systemic autoimmunity also develop antibodies to tumour-associated antigens. Here we describe the development of a novel multiprotein array allowing us to screen for autoantibodies to 30 different tumour-associated antigens in parallel. Using this novel assay, we found that the frequency of autoantibodies to the selected tumour-associated antigens is increased between 2- and 14-fold in patients with systemic autoimmunity compared with an age-matched control group.

[Orthopedics and occupational medicine. Building of ergonomic workplaces in the focus of industrial health management]. / Orthopädie und Arbeitsmedizin Ergonomische Arbeitsplatzgestaltung im Fokus des betrieblichen Gesundheitsmanagements.

Musculoskeletal disorders are a challenge for the occupational physician as they can occur in a work-related situation., They must, however, be separated from occupational diseases. At first glance, the change in a worker's capability can be taken to indicate lower efficiency. The ergonomic discussion in the Porsche Improvement Process has led to solutions which could usually be realized. The change in a worker's capability led to a work conception based on current ability.

S. cerevisiae has three pathways for DNA interstrand crosslink repair.

Yeast mutants, snm1 (pso2-1), rev3 (pso1-1), and rad51, which display significant sensitivity to interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) have low relative sensitivity to other DNA damaging agents. SNM1, REV3, and RAD51 were disrupted in the same haploid strain, singly and in combination. The double mutants, snm1 Delta rev3 Delta, snm1 Delta rad51 Delta and rev3 Delta rad51 Delta were all more sensitive to ICLs than any of the single mutants, indicating that they are in separate epistasis groups for survival. A triple mutant displayed greater sensitivity to ICLs than any of the double mutants, with one ICL per genome being lethal. Therefore, Saccharomyces cerevisiae appears to have three separate ICL repair pathways, but no more. S-phase delay was not observed after ICL damage introduced by cisplatin (CDDP) or 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) during the G1-phase, in any of the above mutants, or in an isogenic rad14 Delta mutant deficient in nucleotide excision repair. However, the psoralen analog angelicin (monoadduct damage) induced a significant S-phase delay in the rad14 Delta mutant. Thus, normal S-phase in the presence of ICLs does not seem to be due to rapid excision repair. The results also indicate that monoadduct formation by CDDP or 8-MOP at the doses used is not sufficient to delay S-phase in the rad14 Delta mutant. While the sensitivity of a rev3 Delta mutant indicates Pol zeta is needed for optimal ICL repair, isogenic cells deficient in Pol eta (rad30 Delta cells) were not significantly more sensitive to ICL agents than wild-type cells, and have no S-phase delay.

Triaziflam and Diaminotriazine derivatives affect enantioselectively multiple herbicide target sites.

Enantiomers of triaziflam and structurally related diaminotriazines were synthesized and their herbicidal mode of action was investigated. The compounds caused light and dark-dependent effects in multiple test systems including heterotrophic cleaver and photoautotrophic algal cell suspensions, the Hill reaction of isolated thylakoids and germinating cress seeds. Dose-response experiments revealed that the (S)-enantiomers of the compounds preferentially inhibited photosystem II electron transport (PET) and algae growth with efficacies similar to that of the herbicide atrazine. In contrast, the (R)-enantiomers of the diaminotriazines were up to 100 times more potent inhibitors of growth in cleaver cell suspensions and cress seedlings in the dark than the (S)-enantiomers. The most active compound, the (R)-enantiomer of triaziflam, inhibited shoot and root elongation of cress and maize seedlings at concentrations below 1 microM. The meristematic root tips swelled into a club shape which is typical for the action of mitotic disrupter herbicides and cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors. Microscopic examination using histochemical techniques revealed that triaziflam (R)-enantiomer blocks cell division in maize root tips 4 h after treatment. The chromosomes proceeded to a condensed state of prometaphase but were unable to progress further in the mitotic cycle. Disruption of mitosis was accompanied by a loss of spindle and phragmoplast micotubule arrays. Concomitantly, cortical microtubules decreased which could lead to isodiametric cell growth and consequently to root swelling. In addition, a decline in cellulose deposition in cell walls was found 24 h after treatment. Compared to the (R)-form, triaziflam (S)-enantiomer was clearly less active. The results suggest that triaziflam and related diaminotriazines affect enantioselectively multiple sites of action which include PET inhibitory activity, mitotic disruption by inhibiting microtubule formation and inhibition of cellulose synthesis.

Auxin herbicides induce H(2)O(2) overproduction and tissue damage in cleavers (Galium aparine L.).

The phytotoxic effects of auxin herbicides, including the quinoline carboxylic acids quinmerac and quinclorac, the benzoic acid dicamba and the pyridine carboxylic acid picloram, were studied in relation to changes in phytohormonal ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) levels and the production of H(2)O(2) in cleavers (Galium aparine). When plants were root-treated with 10 microM quinmerac, ethylene synthesis was stimulated in the shoot tissue, accompanied by increases in immunoreactive levels of ABA and its precursor xanthoxal. It has been demonstrated that auxin herbicide-stimulated ethylene triggers ABA biosynthesis. The time-course and dose-response of ABA accumulation closely correlated with reductions in stomatal aperture and CO(2) assimilation and increased levels of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), deoxyribonuclease (DNase) activity and chlorophyll loss. The latter parameters were used as sensitive indicators for the progression of tissue damage. On a shoot dry weight basis, DNase activity and H(2)O(2) levels increased up to 3-fold, relative to the control. Corresponding effects were obtained using auxin herbicides from the other chemical classes or when ABA was applied exogenously. It is hypothesized, that auxin herbicides stimulate H(2)O(2) generation which contributes to the induction of cell death in Galium leaves. This overproduction of H(2)O(2) could be triggered by the decline of photosynthetic activity, due to ABA-mediated stomatal closure.

[Differences in the assessment of 9-14-year-old sons of divorced and not divorced parents]. / Unterschiede in der Beurteilung 9- bis 14jähriger Söhne geschiedener und nicht geschiedener Eltern.

Twenty-eight 9- to 14 years old boys from divorced families were compared with twenty-six 9- to 14 years old boys from two-parent families. Californian Child Q-Sort assessments (Block and Block 1980) were obtained from themselves, as well as from mother, father, a friend, and from the trained interviewer. Boys with divorced parents indicated more stress without showing it to others. They longed for appreciation from the others, showed lower self-esteem and more helplessness, but not more dissocial behavior. Supportive representation of their mother correlated positively with ego-resiliency and self-esteem, and negatively with helplessness, while others did not seem to notice the boys' helplessness. They indicated less dissocial and more social behavior, they were more sensitive and had better relations with other children. Supportive representation of fathers was beneficial only for the control group. The data correspond to differences in quality of narrative language published previously. They are discussed from an attachment theory perspective.

Rapid cloning of metK encoding methionine adenosyltransferase from Corynebacterium glutamicum by screening a genomic library on a high density colony-array.

The genes SAM1 and SAM2 encoding the two different methionine adenosyltransferases (EC 2.5.1.6) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used as templates to generate specific DNA-probes. This heterologous mixture of DNA-probes was hybridized under low stringency hybridization conditions to a Corynebacterium glutamicum colony-array representing the complete genome. Subsequently, one genomic fragment was isolated which contained the C. glutamicum methionine adenosyltransferase gene metK (1.224 kb). When overproduced in Escherichia coli, MetK (44.2 kDa) of C. glutamicum had methionine adenosyltransferase activity. In addition, overexpression of metK in C. glutamicum led to an increased intracellular S-adenosylmethionine concentration. The metK transcript was detected by reverse transcription PCR in C. glutamicum cells in the exponential growth phase but not in the stationary phase.

Auxin-induced ethylene triggers abscisic acid biosynthesis and growth inhibition.

The growth-inhibiting effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at high concentration and the synthetic auxins 7-chloro-3-methyl-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid (quinmerac), 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (dicamba), 4-amino-3,6, 6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram), and naphthalene acetic acid, were investigated in cleavers (Galium aparine). When plants were root treated with 0.5 mM IAA, shoot epinasty and inhibition of root and shoot growth developed during 24 h. Concomitantly, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase activity, and ACC and ethylene production were transiently stimulated in the shoot tissue within 2 h, followed by increases in immunoreactive (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) and its precursor xanthoxal (xanthoxin) after 5 h. After 24 h of treatment, levels of xanthoxal and ABA were elevated up to 2- and 24-fold, relative to control, respectively. In plants treated with IAA, 7-chloro-3-methyl-8-quinolinecarboxylic acid, naphthalene acetic acid, 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid, and 4-amino-3,6,6-trichloropicolinic acid, levels of ethylene, ACC, and ABA increased in close correlation with inhibition of shoot growth. Aminoethoxyvinyl-glycine and cobalt ions, which inhibit ethylene synthesis, decreased ABA accumulation and growth inhibition, whereas the ethylene-releasing ethephon promoted ABA levels and growth inhibition. In accordance, tomato mutants defective in ethylene perception (never ripe) did not produce the xanthoxal and ABA increases and growth inhibition induced by auxins in wild-type plants. This suggests that auxin-stimulated ethylene triggers ABA accumulation and the consequent growth inhibition. Reduced catabolism most probably did not contribute to ABA increase, as indicated by immunoanalyses of ABA degradation and conjugation products in shoot tissue and by pulse experiments with [(3)H]-ABA in cell suspensions of G. aparine. In contrast, studies using inhibitors of ABA biosynthesis (fluridone, naproxen, and tungstate), ABA-deficient tomato mutants (notabilis, flacca, and sitiens), and quantification of xanthophylls indicate that ABA biosynthesis is influenced, probably through stimulated cleavage of xanthophylls to xanthoxal in shoot tissue.

[Differences in linguistic representation of 10- to 12-year-old boys of divorced and not divorced parents]. / Unterschiede in der sprachlichen Repräsentation von 10- bis 14jährigen Jungen geschiedener und nicht geschiedener Eltern.

Twenty-eight 10- to 14 years old boys from divorced families (separation of the parents was two years before the investigation) were compared with 26 10- to 14 years old boys from two-parent families on the basis of interviews about attachment related themes and daily situations, and by means of the California Child Q-Sort (CCQ). The interviews were analyzed with regard to coherence of language, emotional problems, reflectivity, supportive representation of their parents, verbal and nonverbal emotional openness and social network, as well as for personality variables. The boys of the divorced group did barely talk about relations, had problems in coping with emotional stress, and were less reflective about themselves and others. They felt insufficiently supported by their parents and did not show their emotions openly. They talked about themselves as dependent from their social environment and as less adaptive to new situations. These indications suggest an insecure attachment representation predominantly as a result of the parents' behavior leading to divorce (Table 1). The results show that separations and family disruptions, as a group effect, strongly affect pre-adolescent boys' state of mind. A minority of boys from the parental divorce group, however, show secure mental representations, comparable to a majority in the control group. Tables 2-5 show, independent of parental divorce, the major differences between boys with secure and boys with insecure mental representations.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking Snm1, Rev3 or Rad51 have a normal S-phase but arrest permanently in G2 after cisplatin treatment.

The role of Snm1, Rev3 and Rad51 in S-phase after cisplatin (CDDP) DNA treatment has been examined. When isogenic deletion mutants snm1 delta, rev3 delta and rad51 delta were arrested in G1 and treated with doses of CDDP causing significant lethality (<20% survival in the mutant strains), they progressed through S-phase with normal kinetics. The mutants arrested in G2 like wild-type cells, however they did not exit the arrest and reenter the cell cycle. This finding demonstrates that these genes are not required to allow DNA replication in the presence of damage. Therefore, Snm1, Rev3 and Rad51 may act after S to allow repair. At high levels of damage (<40% survival in wild-type cells) S-phase was slowed in a MEC1-dependent fashion. The cross-link incision kinetics of snm1 delta and rev3 delta mutants were also examined; both showed no deficiencies in incision of cross-linked DNA.

Cisplatin DNA cross-links do not inhibit S-phase and cause only a G2/M arrest in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Cisplatin (CDDP) has been used as a DNA cross-linking agent to evaluate whether there is a specific cell cycle checkpoint response to such damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae). Fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis showed only a G2/M checkpoint, normal exit from G1 and progression through S-phase following alpha-factor arrest and CDDP treatment. Of the checkpoint mutants tested, rad9, rad17 and rad24, did not show increased sensitivity to CDDP compared to isogenic wild-type cells. However, other checkpoint mutants tested (mec1, mec3 and rad53) showed increased sensitivity to CDDP, as did controls with a defect in excision repair (rad1 and rad14) or a defect in recombination (rad51 and rad52). Thus, by survival and cell cycle kinetics, it appears that DNA cross-links do not inhibit entry into S-phase or slow DNA replication and that replication continues after cisplatin treatment in yeast.

Old and new internal working models of attachment: the organization of feelings and language.

Old internal working models of attachment are based on the organization of feelings and behavior which develop on the basis of parents' sensitivity to infants' and young children's attachment and exploratory needs. New internal working models reflect the process of language discourses with older and wiser conversation partners during the many subsequent years of immaturity. It is proposed that successful linguistic co-construction of internal coherence of attachment emotions and their external correspondence may lead to secure states of mind even in cases of less than optimal early attachment experiences--and vice versa. Attachment theory needs to address the problem of how early secure or insecure organizations of attachment emotions interact with the later construction of mature internal working models through language discourse with others, and with what emotional outcome. This would help to solve the theoretical paradox between continuity--unchangeable determinism from early infancy--and non-continuity--irrelevancy of early attachment experiences for later states of mind.

[Principles of attachment theory in subjective life satisfaction and individual orientation to the future in advanced adulthood]. / Bindungstheoretische Grundlagen subjektiver Lebenszufriedenheit und individueller Zukunftsorientierung im höheren Erwachsenenalter.

Attachment representation was assessed in 48 elderly people with an average age of 69 years. The adult attachment interview was used plus an additional question about wishes for the future. Coherent correlations with subjective life satisfaction and individual future perspective were demonstrated. Elderly participants with secure attachment representation were more satisfied, they were also less anxious, and more often positive about their future. If their adult children had secure attachment representation, they were reported by their elderly parents to be socially, emotionally, and materially more supportive. Attachment representation as a biographical variable is the result of developmental processes. Our findings show qualitative differences in attachment representation with clear consequences for lifestyles in advanced age. Perception and interpretation of environment, and the ability to integrate negative emotions into positive life perspectives is mainly a matter of social-emotional experiences with significant attachment figures.

Lipid metabolism in the liver studied in vivo with two isomers of labeled fatty acid analogs.

UNLABELLED: The two radioiodinated fatty acid analogs 15-(para-131 I-phenylpentadecanoic acid (pPPA) and 15-(ortho-131I-phenyl)-pentadecanoic acid (oPPA) are isomers with individually different routes in lipid metabolism but with near equal transport kinetics into tissue. METHODS: Normal adult male Wistar rats (n = 79) and those with liver cell damage from adriamycin treatment (n = 84) received 1.48- 1.85 MBq 131I-pPPA or 131I-oPPA (specific activity, 33.3-46.3 GBq/microM) into the jugular vein. At 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 20 min, livers of up to five animals per group were examined for total tracer uptake and tracer incorporation into various lipid fractions. RESULTS: Uptake of both isomers into the total liver plateaued at about 2 min; the ratio oPPA/pPPA in normal liver averaged 2.63 and was significantly higher than the average ratio of 1.50 after adriamycin treatment. This fall in ratio was mainly due to an increase of pPPA uptake. Significant differences of the respective ratios were found in the plateau for the phospholipids (9.7 versus 3.0), cholesterol (2.4 versus 0.7) and triglycerides (2.0 versus 0.4). CONCLUSION: The dual-tracer technique with pPPA and oPPA promises to be clinically useful for the diagnosis of liver disease by imaging the ratios of tracer uptake in the total liver and by in vitro analysis of the uptake ratio in serum triglycerides.

Continuity in parent-child relationships from infancy to middle childhood and relations with friendship competence.

This cross-cultural study examined continuity in parent-child relationships from infancy to middle childhood in a sample of German families. Connections were traced between individual differences in a composite of markers of the parent-child attachment relationship system (including classification of the infant via the Strange Situation and parent via the Adult Attachment Interview and for mothers' ratings of sensitivity) and later parent-child communications. Findings within the mother-child relationship revealed modest links between the composite and communications and were taken to suggest that the divergent fields of attachment and family communication research are addressing similar underlying relationship processes involving the interplay between relatedness and autonomy. Further findings revealed that the composite modestly predicted variability in children's competence in forming friendships and that differences in concurrent child-mother communications significantly added to and possibly mediated these effects. Results were interpreted as supporting a process model of development, whereby adaptation is influenced by both current and past relationship status.

Investigation of the efficacy of oxerutins compared to placebo in patients with chronic venous insufficiency treated with compression stockings.

The aim of this study was to investigate, if the the combined treatment of compression stockings and drug treatment with oxerutins (O-(beta-hydroxyethyl)-rutosides, Venoruton) provides additional benefit for patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) compared to compression treatment alone. Oxerutins belong to the group of oedema protective agents and possess anti-exudative and membrane protective activity. A total of 133 female patients with CVI grade II participated in this double-blind, randomised, multi-centre, parallel-group study with two treatment groups. The whole study lasted for 19 weeks, and consisted of a one week placebo run-in phase, 12 weeks treatment phase, followed by a 6 weeks treatment-free follow-up period. All patients received a basis compression therapy that consisted of standard compression stockings. In order to standardise initial fitting of stockings in this multi-centre setting, stockings were fitted after one week of standard diuretics starting at baseline and then stockings were worn for the following 11 weeks. Patients were randomised to receive oxerutins (2 x 500 mg daily) or matching placebo. Leg volumes (water displacement) and associated subjective symptoms (visula analogue scale) were measured during a placebo run-in period at enrolment (week - 1) and half a week later (week - 1/2), at baseline week 0), at 4, 8, 12 weeks on treatment, and again after a 3- and 6-weeks treatment-free follow-up. The primary efficacy criterion, the area under the baseline from week 0 to week 18 (AUB0-18) of leg volume changes, as measurement of the global change of leg oedema during the study, resulted in a superior reduction of -5589 ml.d for the combined treatment with oxerutins compared to -2101 ml.d for placebo (p = 0.012). The mean change of leg volume compared to baseline after 12 weeks of treatment was -63.9 ml for stockings and oxerutins, and -32.9 ml for the patients who received stockings and placebo (p < 0.05). Oxerutins showed a prolonged effect in the follow-up phase compared to placebo, with mean AUB values for week 12 to week 18 of -1769 ml.d versus -133 ml.d (p < 0.01). The study demonstrated that the combined therapy of compression stockings and drug treatment with oxerutins is significantly superior in reducing leg oedema resulting from chronic venous insufficiency compared to compression treatment alone.

[Quality of attachment representation, social integration and use of social network resources in advanced age]. / Qualität der Bindungsrepräsentation, soziale Integration und Umgang mit Netzwerkressourcen im höheren Erwachsenenalter.

This study explores a possible biographical basis of interindividual differences in the extent of social integration and use of network resources in old age. Attachment theory was therefore integrated into a sociogerontological research approach. The attachment representations of 48 elderly people were assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview by Main and Goldwyn (31, 56, 57), whereas the subjects' social network was examined using a network questionnaire by Schütze (72). Results indicate that elderly persons' availability as well as use of social resources were, among other things, related to the biographically based attachment representation, which has been shown to be closely connected to emotional experiences usually made in one's family of origin.