Application of real-time fluorescent PCR for quantitative assessment of Neospora caninum infections in organotypic slice cultures of rat central nervous system tissue

The previously described Nc5-specific PCR test for the diagnosis of Neospora caninum infections was used to develop a quantitative PCR assay which allows the determination of infection intensities within different experimental and diagnostic sample groups. The quantitative PCR was performed by using a dual fluorescent hybridization probe system and the LightCycler Instrument for online detection of amplified DNA. This assay was successfully applied for demonstrating the parasite proliferation kinetics in organotypic slice cultures of rat brain which were infected in vitro with N. caninum tachyzoites. This PCR-based method of parasite quantitation with organotypic brain tissue samples can be regarded as a novel ex vivo approach for exploring different aspects of cerebral N. caninum infection.

Subjective pubertal timing and health compromising behaviors among on- time Swiss adolescent girls

AIM: The aim of this research is to assess the associations between subjective pubertal timing (SPT) and onset of health-compromising behaviours among girls reporting an on-time objective pubertal timing (OPT). METHODS: Data were drawn from the Swiss SMASH 2002 survey, a self-administered questionnaire study conducted among a nationally representative sample of 7548 adolescents aged 16-20 years. From the 3658 girls in the initial sample, we selected only those (n = 1003) who provided information about SPT and who reported the average age at menarche, namely 13, considering this as an on-time OPT. Bivariate and logistic analyses were conducted to compare the early, on-time and late SPT groups in terms of onset of health-compromising behaviours. RESULTS: A perception of pubertal precocity was associated with sexual intercourse before age 16 [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.10 (1.30-3.37)] and early use of illegal drugs other than cannabis [AOR: 2.55 (1.30-5.02)]. Conversely, girls perceiving their puberty as late were less likely to report intercourse before age 16 [AOR: 0.30 (0.12-0.75)]. CONCLUSION: Faced with an adolescent girl perceiving her puberty as early, the practitioner should investigate the existence of health-compromising behaviours even if her puberty is or was objectively on-time.

Erkennen von und Umgang mit Mobbing unter Jugendlichen

Mobbingopfer reden selten spontan über ihre Opfererlebnisse. Obwohl Mobbing nur selten sichtbare Spuren am Körper hinterlässt, produziert es sehr grossen Stress, der sich gelegentlich in etwas diffusen somatischen Beschwerden äussert. Ziel des Workshops ist es, 1) eine differenzierte Einführung in die verschiedenen Erscheinungsformen und die typischen Merkmale von Mobbing zu geben, sodass man es auch in der pädiatrischen Praxis leichter erkennen kann, 2) auf typische Folgen hinzuweisen und 3) Handlungsmöglichkeiten zu diskutieren.

Sporadic late-onset nemaline myopathy with MGUS: long-term follow-up after melphalan and SCT.

OBJECTIVE Sporadic late-onset nemaline myopathy (SLONM) is a rare, late-onset myopathy that progresses subacutely. If associated with a monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS), the outcome is unfavorable: the majority of these patients die within 1 to 5 years of respiratory failure. This study aims to qualitatively assess the long-term treatment effect of high-dose melphalan (HDM) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) in a series of 8 patients with SLONM-MGUS. METHODS We performed a retrospective case series study (n = 8) on the long-term (1-8 years) treatment effect of HDM followed by autologous SCT (HDM-SCT) on survival, muscle strength, and functional capacities. RESULTS Seven patients showed a lasting moderate-good clinical response, 2 of them after the second HDM-SCT. All of them had a complete, a very good partial, or a partial hematologic response. One patient showed no clinical or hematologic response and died. CONCLUSIONS This case series shows the positive effect of HDM-SCT in this rare disorder. Factors that may portend an unfavorable outcome are a long disease course before the hematologic treatment and a poor hematologic response. Age at onset, level and type of M protein (κ vs λ), and severity of muscle weakness were not associated with a specific outcome. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients with SLONM-MGUS, HDM-SCT increases the probability of survival and functional improvement.

Psychische Folgestörungen der Verdingung im Alter

Das Schicksal von Kindern und Jugendlichen aus armen Familien, die in Pflegefamilien oder Heimen fremdplatziert wurden, hat in der Schweiz in den letzten Jahren ein grosses mediales Echo ausgelöst und ist ins Zentrum gesellschaftspolitischer Diskussionen gerückt. Aus dem Themenfeld entwickelte sich zudem ein neuer Forschungsschwerpunkt, an dem mehrere Disziplinen beteiligt sind. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist das vorliegende Gemeinschaftswerk mit 29 Artikeln aus verschiedenen Sprachregionen und Landesteilen entstanden. Die Beiträge geben Einblick in kürzlich abgeschlossene oder laufende Forschungsprojekte und decken ein breites Themenfeld ab. Der Band liefert einen wichtigen historiografischen Beitrag zu einem sich rege entwickelnden Forschungsbereich und befördert die politische und öffentliche Debatte über die kritische Aufarbeitung dieses dunklen Kapitels der Schweizer Sozialgeschichte.