Blood calcium concentration and performance in periparturient and early lactating dairy cows is influenced by plant bioactive lipid compounds.

Previous studies ex vivo suggested that plant bioactive lipid compounds (PBLC) can increase ruminal calcium absorption. Therefore, we hypothesized that PBLC feeding around calving may potentially counteract hypocalcemia and support performance in postpartum dairy cows. The corresponding aim of the study was to investigate the effect of PBLC feeding on blood minerals in Brown Swiss (BS) and hypocalcemia-susceptible Holstein Friesian (HF) cows during the period from d -2 to 28 relative to calving and on milk performance until d 80 of lactation. A total of 29 BS cows and 41 HF cows were divided each into a control (CON) and PBLC treatment group. The latter was supplemented with 1.7 g/d menthol-rich PBLC from 8 d before expected calving to 80 d postpartum. Milk yield and composition, body condition score and blood minerals were measured. Feeding PBLC induced a significant breed × treatment interaction for iCa, supporting that PBLC increased iCa exclusively in HF cows; the increase was 0.03 mM over the whole period and 0.05 mM from d 1 to 3 after calving. Subclinical hypocalcemia was seen in one BS-CON and 8 HF-CON cows and 2 BS-PBLC and 4 HF-PBLC cows. Clinical milk fever was detected only in HF cows (2 HF-CON and one HF-PBLC). Other tested blood minerals, such as sodium, chloride, and potassium, as well as blood glucose, were neither affected by PBLC feeding nor breed, nor were their 2-way interactions, except for higher sodium levels in PBLC cows on d 21. Body condition score showed no effect of treatment, except for a lower body condition score in BS-PBLC compared with BS-CON at d 14. Dietary PBLC increased milk yield, milk fat yield, and milk protein yield at 2 consecutive dairy herd improvement test days. As indicated by treatment × day interactions, energy-corrected milk yield and milk lactose yield were increased by PBLC on the first test day only, and milk protein concentration decreased from test d 1 to test d 2 in CON only. The concentrations of fat, lactose, and urea, as well as somatic cell count, were not affected by treatment. The weekly milk yield over the first 11 wk of lactation was 29.5 kg/wk higher for PBLC versus CON across breeds. It is concluded that the applied PBLC induced a small but measurable improvement of calcium status in HF cows in the study period and had additional positive effects on milk performance in both breeds.

[Cystic lesions of the pancreas : Differential diagnostics and treatment]. / Zystische Raumforderungen des Pankreas : Differenzialdiagnostik und Therapie.

Cystic space-occupying lesions of the pancreas represent incidental findings in most cases. As there is a potential risk of malignant transformation further evaluation of the lesions as well as a follow-up of these patients is usually recommended. Before this work-up is initiated the clinical situation of the patient as a whole and comorbidities, age and personal preferences have to be taken into account. So far there are no biomarkers that reliably predict the risk of malignant transformation. Imaging by magnetic resonance tomography (MRI) in combination with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is more accurate than computed tomography to identify worrisome features. During follow-up, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can be used as complementary method to MRI/MRCP. Using contrast enhancement or endoscopic fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) may influence the therapeutic strategy in some patients. Whereas for some cystic pancreatic lesions consensus has been reached, varying recommendations exist for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN). There is consensus that in main-duct as well as in mixed-type IPMN surgery is recommended. The management of branch-duct type IPMN, however, remains controversial. A multidisciplinary expert panel including gastroenterologists, visceral surgeons, radiologists and pathologists is essential to discuss all cases of patients with cystic pancreatic lesions and to guarantee an optimal, patient-centered treatment recommendation.

Efficacy of group psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: The present meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of group psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults directly compared to no treatment or active treatments examined in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHOD: Electronic databases were searched for eligible studies. Effects on PTSD symptoms, depression, and anxiety were extracted. Between- and within-group effect sizes (Hedges' g) were calculated using a random-effects model. Data were adjusted to account for dependencies among observations in groups. RESULTS: Twenty RCTs were included comprising 2244 individuals. Results showed significant effects of group psychotherapy in reducing symptoms of PTSD compared to no-treatment control groups (k = 13; g = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.41; 0.99). No significant differences in efficacy were found between group psychotherapy and other active treatments (k = 8; g = 0.13; 95% CI: -0.16; 0.42). Moderator analyses confirmed gender and trauma type as important moderators of within-treatment effects for PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Group treatments are associated with improvements in symptoms of PTSD. Particularly, the efficacy of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral group therapy (group CBT) is empirically well demonstrated. Still little is known about the effects of group treatment approaches other than CBT and the comparative efficacy to alternative treatments such as individual therapy or pharmacotherapy. Clinical or Methodological Significance of this Article: This review provides an empirical base for group therapy as a viable treatment alternative for future PTSD practice guidelines. Although less is known about its comparative efficacy to alternative PTSD treatments such as individual therapy or pharmacotherapy, sufficient evidence exists to recommend group therapy (particularly exposure-based group CBT) for those who might not be able to access alternative treatments. Trauma type and gender proved to be important moderators of group treatment outcome. The results further indicate that the evidence base of recommendations for group therapy in current international treatment guidelines needs to be updated.

[Posttraumatic stress disorder after intensive care : Prevalence, risk factors, and treatment]. / Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung nach Intensivtherapie : Häufigkeit, Risikofaktoren und Behandlungsansätze.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common consequence of intensive care which might affect not only the patients but also their relatives. About one fifth of these patients develop clinically important PTSD in the first year after intensive care. Comorbid psychopathology, received benzodiazepines, and memories of the frightening, distressing ICU experiences are common risk factors for the development of PTSD symptoms. There are only a few specific approaches for the treatment of PTSD after intensive care. The efficacy of intensive care diaries has only been examined in a few studies, but could not yet be confirmed clearly. Internet-based writing therapy represents a further treatment option where the partner also becomes involved in the treatment.

Dietary supplementation of essential oils in dairy cows: evidence for stimulatory effects on nutrient absorption.

Results of recent in vitro experiments suggest that essential oils (EO) may not only influence ruminal fermentation but also modulate the absorption of cations like Na+, Ca2+ and NH4 + across ruminal epithelia of cattle and sheep through direct interaction with epithelial transport proteins, such as those of the transient receptor potential family. The aim of the current study was to examine this hypothesis by testing the effect of a blend of essential oils (BEO) on cation status and feed efficiency in lactating dairy cows. In the experiment, 72 dairy cows in mid-to-end lactation were divided into two groups of 36 animals each and fed the same mixed ration with or without addition of BEO in a 2×2 cross-over design. Feed intake, milk yield and composition, plasma and urine samples were monitored. Feeding BEO elevated milk yield, milk fat and protein yield as well as feed efficiency, whereas urea levels in plasma and milk decreased. In addition, plasma calcium levels increased significantly upon BEO supplementation, supporting the hypothesis that enhanced cation absorption might contribute to the beneficial effects of these EO.

[Importance of functional diagnostics in gastroenterology]. / Stellenwert der Funktionsdiagnostik in der Gastroenterologie.

In this review article important and frequently used investigation methods for gastrointestinal functional diagnostics are presented. Some other rarely used special investigations are also explained. The hydrogen breath test is simple to carry out, ubiquitously available and enables the detection of lactose, fructose and sorbitol malabsorption. Furthermore, by the application of glucose, the test can be carried out when there is a suspicion of abnormal intestinal bacterial colonization and using lactulose for measuring small intestinal transit time. The 13C urea breath test is applied for non-invasive determination of Helicobacter pylori infections and assessment of gastrointestinal transit time, liver and exocrine pancreas functions. The secretin cholecystokinin test was the gold standard for the detection of exocrine pancreas insufficiency. However, measurement of pancreatic elastase in stool is less invasive but also less sensitive. Scintigraphy and capsule investigations with pH and temperature probes constitute important methods for determination of gastric emptying, intestinal and colon transit times. For evaluation of constipation panoramic abdominal images are taken after intake of radiologically opaque markers (Hinton test). For the diagnosis of functional esophageal diseases manometry is indispensable. In addition, manometry is only occasionally used for diagnosing a dysfunction of the sphincter of Oddi, due to the danger of inducing pancreatitis. A 24 h pH-metry is applied for the detection of non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease and, if necessary, with impedance measurements. Recent investigation procedures, e. g. specific MRI sequences, sonographic determination of gall bladder ejection fraction, analysis of gastric accomodation or real-time lumen imaging, require further evaluation prior to clinical application.

[Neurological and psychological long-term effects of sepsis]. / Neurologische und psychische Langzeitfolgen der Sepsis.

BACKGROUND: In addition to the limitations to the health-related quality of life that have been compiled with validated test instruments, a number of former sepsis patients suffer from functional impairments, which are categorized under the terms critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) or critical illness myopathy (CIM), which have been in existence for over 20 years now. CURRENT FOCUS: The issues of delirium during intensive therapy and persistent residual neurocognitive impairments, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and states of depression related to perihospital functional development have increasingly attracted notice. FUTURE: The degree of functional deficits resulting from sepsis and the actual quality of life of those affected may, however, be influenced by taking appropriate rehabilitation measures. However, neither therapeutic rehabilitation standards nor any rehabilitation facilities tailored to the needs of these patients currently exist.

[Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas]. / Intraduktale papillär-muzinöse Neoplasien des Pankreas.

The diagnosis of cystic pancreatic lesions is raised more often within the last years. This is due to the fact that diagnostic opportunities and modalities such as endosonography (EUS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP), and computertomography (CT) have both improved and are more widely used. As such new recommendations were needed, since the knowledge on cystic pancreatic lesions has increased after the last consensus statement published in 2006.  In this review the main aspects of the recent consensus statements for diagnosis and therapy or in some cases the surveillance strategy of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm will be summarized. Main duct IPMN will in most cases in surgically "fit" patients be resected, since the risk of malignancy is high in this entity. In patients with branch duct IPMN a careful "watch and wait" strategy can be applied if no "worrisome features" or "high-risk stigmata" can be detected. MRI is the imaging modality of choice, while EUS should be applied in centers with expertise.

[Resilience in chronic heart failure]. / Resilienz bei chronischer Herzinsuffizienz.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The study investigated correlates of resilience in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients suffering from a high somatic symptom burden and/or a clinical relevant depression. Furthermore, the resilience of the sample was compared to a representative sample of the German general population. METHODS: 186 patients with CHF and high symptom burden (82 depressed and 104 non depressed) were investigated. Resilience was assessed using the Resilience Scale from Wagnild and Young. For the comparison of resilience, the sample of the general population (372 persons) was matched against the CHF sample regarding the variables age and gender. RESULTS: There was a significant positive association of resilience with age and social support, whereas hopelessness and the inability to understand and describe emotions in the self (alexithymia) correlated negatively with resilience. Comparison with the general population revealed a significantly lower resilience in depressed CHF patients. CONCLUSIONS: Resilience seems to be predominantly associated to psychosocial variables such as age or social support rather than to disease-specific parameters such as left ventricular ejection fraction or NYHA functional class. Our finding that resilience is especially low in depressed CHF patients underscores the clinical relevance of depression in CHF, necessitating further research regarding the improvement of resilience and depression.

Efficacy of hypnosis in adults undergoing surgery or medical procedures: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

This meta-analysis investigates the efficacy of hypnosis in adults undergoing surgical or medical procedures compared to standard care alone or an attention control. Through a comprehensive literature search N=34 eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, comprising a total of 2597 patients. Random effects meta-analyses revealed positive treatment effects on emotional distress (g=0.53, CI 95% [0.37; 0.69]), pain (g=0.44, CI 95% [0.26; 0.61]), medication consumption (g=0.38, CI 95% [0.20; 0.56]), physiological parameters (g=0.10, CI 95% [0.02; 0.18]), recovery (g=0.25, CI 95% [0.04; 0.46]), and surgical procedure time (g=0.25, CI 95% [0.12; 0.38]). In conclusion, benefits of hypnosis on various surgically relevant outcomes were demonstrated. However, the internal validity of RCTs seems limited and further high methodological quality RCTs are needed to strengthen the promising evidence of hypnosis for adults undergoing surgery or medical procedures.

[Genetically determined pancreatic diseases]. / Genetisch determinierte Pankreaserkrankungen.

Overall, genetically determined diseases of the pancreas are rare. Recently, it was demonstrated that in chronic pancreatitis many patients carry genetic changes in associated genes. Aside from chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis is also characterized by exocrine insufficiency in many patients. Genetic alterations in CFTR can be found in patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis and in patients with cystic fibrosis. According to this fact, the analysis of CFTR alterations in both disease forms has improved the understanding of underlying pathogenetic mechanisms. Shwachman-Diamond and Johanson Blizzard syndrome are rare pancreatic disorders, characterized by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in addition to other phenotypic features. As such, due to the early onset of both disease forms, diagnosis of cystic fibrosis has to be ruled out in patients with exocrine insufficiency, which can be achieved by performing sweat chloride tests. Even pancreatic cancer can accumulate in some families and a genetic basis was recently demonstrated for some patients. In all mentioned disease entities, a genetic analysis of associated genes has become essential for establishing the diagnosis. Although genetic knowledge and the finding of genetic alterations in different genes has not changed therapy of the mentioned diseases so far, the future will tell in which way genetic knowledge can be integrated to change modalities of therapy.

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in acute liver failure: necrosis mimics cirrhosis.

Acoustic radiation force Impulse (ARFI) technology correlates shear-wave velocity with fibrosis. It can differentiate between advanced fibrosis and normal tissue in chronic liver disease. However, specificity is impaired by cholestasis, inflammation or oedema in acute hepatitis. In patients with acute liver failure (ALF) necessitating liver transplantation ARFI has not been evaluated yet. We investigated 3 patients with ALF and compared their ARFI results to those of healthy controls (n = 33) and cases with liver cirrhosis (n = 21). In the 3 ALF patients shear-wave velocities were 3.0, 2.5, and 2.7 m/s, respectively. These results were significantly increased compared to those of healthy controls (median: 1.13 m/s; p < 0.001) and similar to those of cirrhotic individuals (median: 2.93 m/s). Two individuals underwent liver transplantation. Explants showed massive necrosis, but no signs of chronic liver disease. Patient 3 recovered spontaneously and showed decreasing ARFI results during follow-up. In conclusion, hepatic necrosis can mimic liver cirrhosis at ARFI evaluation in ALF patients and this impairs the specificity of ARFI.

Dieting and disordered eating in German high school athletes and non-athletes.

The purpose of this study was to examine weight concerns, dieting, body dissatisfaction as well as eating behavior of German high school athletes and to compare disordered eating behavior of these athletes with regular high school students. Five hundred and seventy-six young athletes of Elite Sports Schools in the German state of Thuringia and a reference group consisting of 291 non-athletes from regular high schools completed a questionnaire regarding eating behavior and attitudes, dietary history, body image and demographics. The Eating Attitude Test was used to measure disordered eating. Athletes did not show a higher frequency of disordered eating than non-athletes. A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and dietary experience, but not group (athletes vs non-athletes), were significant predictors of disordered eating. It can be concluded that dietary experience and female gender proved to be important risk factors of disordered eating. Participation in sports seems to be protective for developing serious eating problems, especially in girls. Potentially, regular monitoring of athletic performance by coaches might be a reason for this finding.

UGT1A7 polymorphisms in chronic pancreatitis: an example of genotyping pitfalls.

UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) catalyze the glucuronidation of various compounds and thus inactivate toxic substrates. Genetic variations reducing the activity of UGT1A7 have been associated with various gastrointestinal cancers. Most recently, the UGT1A7*3 allele has been reported as a significant risk factor for pancreatic disorders, but we could not confirm these data. This study focused on the possible causes for the noted discrepancy. UGT1A7 genotypes were assessed in 37 samples, which were previously analyzed for UGT1A7 polymorphisms by others. We determined genotypes by melting curve analysis and by DNA sequencing. Additionally, we produced UGT1A7*1 and *3 constructs with or without a mutation at position - 57 of UGT1A7 and analyzed various combinations of these constructs. In 14/37 samples UGT1A7 genotyping results differed. The discrepancy could be explained by polymerase chain reaction bias owing to an unbalanced allelic amplification which was caused by a -57T>G variant located within the sequence of the chosen primer template in previous studies. Our findings indicate that most of the previously reported genetic associations between UGT1A7 and gastrointestinal cancers are based on primer-dependent genotyping errors.

Doping, drugs and drug abuse among adolescents in the State of Thuringia (Germany): prevalence, knowledge and attitudes.

Goal-directed measures to prevent doping and drug abuse in sports requires empirical data. In this connection, a cross-sectional analysis was carried out in 2004. The purpose of the study, on the one hand, was to register reliable data of the current situation in Thuringia, and, on the other hand it was to give information on possible interventional steps with scientific support. Within three months, 2319 adolescents from 16 Thuringian schools (5 regular schools, 4 secondary schools, 3 sport schools and 4 vocational schools) were surveyed. Three hundred and forty-six (15.1 %) students out of 2287 students (26 students without a statement) indicated use of prohibited substances from the WADA list in the previous year: 16 (0.7 %) anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), 10 (0.4 %) growth hormones, 56 (2.4 %) stimulants, 305 (13.2 %) cannabis, 2 (0.1 %) diuretics, 52 (2.2 %) cocaine/heroin and 6 (0.3 %) erythropoeitin. Moreover, nonathletes (N = 490) reported a substance use that was approximately 5.0 % higher than that of recreational athletes (N = 1254) and nearly three times higher than that of competitive athletes (497). All three groups (nonathletes, recreational athletes and competitive athletes) performed poorly on a knowledge test regarding doping in general with an average below 60 % in each case. Another main aspect of the study was to determine factors influencing substance use in sports. Besides the doping specific knowledge (beta = 0.06, p < 0.05), age contributed (beta = 0.09, p < 0.05), as well as anti-doping attitude (beta = -0.34, p < 0.05), to the resulting variance. Gender, however, played no role. The findings of the study point towards the need for improvement of specific knowledge of doping among students and that their attitude towards doping must be altered. The goal in this case is to test the effectiveness of appropriate scientific intervention.