[Psychoeducation for in-patient anxiety--the evaluation of the cognitive behavioral group programme "PAsta"]. / Psychoedukation Angst bei stationären Patienten--Evaluation des kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutischen Gruppenprogramms "PAsta".

BACKGROUND: The object of this study is to develop and evaluate a psychoeducational programme that has been specifically designed for in-patients who suffer from heterogenous anxiety disorders. METHOD: 28 in-patients participated in psychoeducational group sessions in addition to psychiatric treatment as usual (TAU). This group was compared to a group of 13 patients who had received TAU without the group sessions. Using a pre-post design, the two groups were compared in terms of illness knowledge, mental health and self-efficacy. RESULTS: Analysis of the results showed a significant increase in knowledge of anxiety among participants of the psychoeducational group (d = 0.80). The effect sizes from 0.12 - 0.60 indicate clinical relevant improvement in depressive and anxiety symptoms, and a tendency towards improved self-efficacy (d = 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: The main objective of the group programme was achieved; that is, it increased illness knowledge. Despite the short measurement period, the importance of the psychoeducational group programme in the treatment of acute in-patients was confirmed.

Cognitive impairment and its association with homocysteine plasma levels in females with eating disorders - findings from the HEaD-study.

Higher plasma homocysteine levels have been found in females with anorexia nervosa. Furthermore, elevated homocysteine levels are associated with cognitive decline in dementia and healthy elderly people. Aim of this prospective study was to investigate a possible association between homocysteine serum levels and Clinically well known cognitive deficits in females with eating disorders. We found that moderately elevated plasma homocysteine levels were associated with normal short- and long-term verbal memory while normal plasma homocysteine levels were associated with poorer memory performance in 14 females with anorexia nervosa and 12 females with bulimia nervosa (logistic forward regression Wald chi(2)=8.566, OR=24.75, CI 2.89 - 212.23, P=0.003). These results indicate that under the special circumstances of eating disorders elevated homocysteine levels improve memory signaling possibly by facilitating long-term potentiation.

Prevention of blowfly strike on sheep by cypermethrin.

Merino ewe lambs (n = 500) were used in a trial to assess the efficacy of cypermethrin in preventing blowfly strike on sheep. Three hundred of these lambs were treated with 300 mg cypermethrin each and run as a separate flock. One hundred lambs were used as untreated controls and a further 100 lambs were treated topically with a larval growth regulator as treated control animals. It was found that the synthetic pyrethroid afforded total protection for 3 weeks against strike by Lucilia cuprina. The blowfly challenge was heavy, and 26% of the untreated control animals were struck in the 4 week trial period.

Resistance of Libyostrongylus douglassi in ostriches to levamisole.

While fenbendazole at 15 mg kg-1 either alone or in combination with resorantel reduced the total burden of Libyostrongylus douglassi by more than 98%, levamisole alone at 30 mg kg-1 was only 28% effective, and in combination with resorantel its efficacy was 67%. These results with levamisole do not correspond with the registered rate of efficacy which is given as at least 80% in South Africa. This is apparently the first reported case of anthelmintic resistance in ostriches.

The anthelmintic efficacy of resorantel against cestodes in sheep.

The anthelmintic efficacy of resorantel against Thysaniezia giardi and Avitellina spp. was tested in sheep at a dosage rate of 65 mg kg-1 live mass. The reduction obtained was 100% in at least 80% of the treated flock.

The anthelmintic efficacy of resorantel against Houttuynia struthionis in ostriches.

Resorantel at a dosage rate of 130 mg kg-1 live body mass was found to be highly effective against Houttuynia struthionis in ostriches when dosed alone or in combination with fenbendazole or levamisole.

Propetamphos: a comparison of three formulations in preventing blowfly strike in sheep.

A trial was conducted in an area where organophosphate resistance to the green blowfly of sheep, Lucilia curpina WIED had been reported. Three formulations containing Propetamphos, namely an oil based pour-on, a grease based smear-on, and an emulsifiable concentrate were applied to 300 sheep in an attempt to compare the protection that this insecticide afforded, in preventing progressive blowfly strike. One hundred sheep were furthermore treated with an insecticide growth regulator, Cyromazine as a treated control group and a further 300 sheep were exposed as an untreated control group in order to monitor the level of blowfly strike in the area. It was found that the grease-based formulation protected the animals for 2 weeks against blowfly strike, both the pour-on and the emulsifiable concentrate formulation for 3 weeks, while the insect growth regulator afforded 4 weeks protection. It was concluded that if organophosphate resistant blowfly were present, the length of protection might be dosage related and that blowfly strike in sheep was almost equally controlled by Cyromazine and Propetamphos.

The efficacy of alternative routes for the infection or vaccination of animals with Cowdria ruminantium.

The efficacy of subcutaneous, intramuscular and intraperitoneal inoculation of heartwater infective blood or nymph suspensions was tested in 5 experiments involving a total of 199 sheep. The success rate of subcutaneous injections varied greatly (0-100%) in the different groups. However, it was found that certain additives to the inoculum, such as dimethyl sulphoxide or uninfective brain tissue, increased the efficacy of the subcutaneous route. Indications are that the site of inoculation and especially the dose volume are important factors in the success rate of such inoculations. Intramuscular injection with infective nymph suspensions containing bradikynin or hyaluronidase produced heartwater reactions in 11 out of 14 sheep. In 2 experiments, involving 25 cattle, it was found that, although very few animals showed definite reactions after the subcutaneous or intramuscular injection of nymph suspension and additives, the majority were afterwards immune to challenge. This phenomenon, which was also present in some sheep, needs further investigation.

Problems encountered in the control of heartwater in Angora goats.

This preliminary investigation confirmed that when Angora goats were immunized against heartwater, either when kids or young goats, they still had an immunity to heartwater a year later when they were challenged with a vaccine containing Cowdria ruminantium. An overwhelming majority of the uninoculated animals which were challenged at the same time were susceptible to clinical heartwater. Strategic immunization to obtain enzootic stability to heartwater is suggested. In these experiments the immunization of Angora goats was not accompanied by severe losses.

[Chronification of neuroses--on the critical phase of the inpatient-ambulatory care transition]. / Chronifizierende Neurosen--zur kritischen Phase des stationär-ambulanten Ubergangs.

The contribution deals with the critical transition from ward treatment and follow-up care as an outpatient. Patients with primary psychic maldevelopment are compared with those of a secondary psychic development. Changes in symptoms and personality were measured with a battery of tests during a pre-post follow-up study (intervals of eight weeks between tests). Special attention is paid to changes after discharge from hospital and deterioration, which was common among the patients with secondary psychic maldevelopment, is discussed.

The orange-yellow pigment of heartwater-infected angora goats.

Heartwater is a highly fatal disease of ruminants in South Africa, caused by the parasite Cowdria ruminantium. A consistent pigment, associated with serum albumin, could be readily extracted from heartwater exudates and serum samples using n-butanol. The pigment gave a characteristic absorption spectrum between 400 and 500 nm which was absent in control serum samples. RP-HPLC of the isolated pigment revealed two components with absorption maxima at 440 and 460 nm and mol. wts of 558 and 1239. The pigment closely resembled bilirubin and/or its conjugates when compared by HPLC.

The danger of immunising Boergoats against heartwater.

Ten 6-toothed Boergoat does and 215 Boergoat kids were injected by the intravenous route with the Onderstepoort heartwater blood vaccine and then temperatured daily. On Day 10, all the does had rectal temperatures in excess of 40 degrees C and were treated with oxytetracycline intravenously, while the kids received an intramuscular injection of the antibiotic. One kid died from heartwater on Day 11. On Day 15, 7 does had a febrile reaction and all the does and kids were treated as before. Two does died of heartwater on Days 16 and 17 respectively, while 12 kids developed heartwater on Day 17 and 6 kids on Day 18. All were treated for heartwater. A total of 2 does (20%) and 16 kids (7.4%) died during the experiment.

[The epidemiology of Wilson's disease in the German Democratic Republic and current problems from the viewpoint of population genetics]. / Die Epidemiologie der Wilson schen Erkrankung in der DDR und die derzeitige Problematik einer populationsgenetischen Bearbeitung.

Between 1949 and Nov. 30, 1977 a total of 123 cases of Wilson's disease have been registered in the GDR. Using the available statistics the incidence rate of the disease is assumed to be about 2.9/100,000, the gene frequency approx. 0.53 per cent and the heterozygote incidence 1.05 per cent, supposing that the Hardy-Weinberg law applies to a large extent. Conclusions are drawn from the available material with a view to detection of the disease infuture and to genetic family counselling.

[EEG studies of spinocerebellar ataxia]. / EEG-Untersuchungen bei spinozerebellaren Ataxien.

Electroencephalographic examinations of eighteen patients with spinocerebellar ataxias and of thirteen normal sibs of four of the subjects are reported. The authors frequently observed low levels of potential and a tendency toward slackening in basic activity, which is in agreement with data presented in the literature; theta-delta inclusions in the temporal regions were found especially in cases of cerebellar ataxia. Examinations of the sib frequently showed low-potential curves. However, the use of electroencephalography for the purpose of identifying, in the case of hereditary ataxia, latently diseased sibs for heterozygous individuals does not seem possible.