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Simple Summary: This multicenter study (n = 1133, inclusion criteria: 3.5 cm maximum tumor size and preoperative indication for a boost) provides detailed data on acute and long-term toxicities in breast cancer patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery combined with an anticipated intraoperative boost with low-energy X-rays followed by whole breast irradiation. Toxicity assessments, based on LENT SOMA criteria, were performed annually up to 10 years of follow-up. IORT boost was completed in 90% and EBRT in 97% of cases. No grade 3 or 4 acute toxicities were observed, with mild acute side effects reported in a small proportion of patients. Chronic toxicities were seen in 16.2% of patients with teleangiectasia, 14.3% with grade ≥ 2 fibrosis, 3.4% with grade ≥ 2 pain, and 1.1% with hyperpigmentation. The results show that the therapy is safe and feasible in terms of toxicity and confirms intraoperative boost as a standard method of boost application in a large prospective cohort. In the context of breast cancer treatment optimization, this study prospectively examines the feasibility and outcomes of utilizing intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) as a boost in combination with standard external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for high-risk patients. Different guidelines recommend such a tumor bed boost in addition to whole breast irradiation with EBRT for patients with risk factors for local breast cancer recurrence. The TARGIT BQR (NCT01440010) is a prospective, multicenter registry study aimed at ensuring the quality of clinical outcomes. It provides, for the first time, data from a large cohort with a detailed assessment of acute and long-term toxicity following an IORT boost using low-energy X-rays. Inclusion criteria encompassed tumors up to 3.5 cm in size and preoperative indications for a boost. The IORT boost, administered immediately after tumor resection, delivered a single dose of 20 Gy. EBRT and systemic therapy adhered to local tumor board recommendations. Follow-up for toxicity assessment (LENT SOMA criteria: fibrosis, teleangiectasia, retraction, pain, breast edema, lymphedema, hyperpigmentation, ulceration) took place before surgery, 6 weeks to 90 days after EBRT, 6 months after IORT, and then annually using standardized case report forms (CRFs). Between 2011 and 2020, 1133 patients from 10 centers were preoperatively enrolled. The planned IORT boost was conducted in 90%, and EBRT in 97% of cases. Median follow-up was 32 months (range 1–120, 20.4% dropped out), with a median age of 61 years (range 30–90). No acute grade 3 or 4 toxicities were observed. Acute side effects included erythema grade 1 or 2 in 4.4%, palpable seroma in 9.1%, punctured seroma in 0.3%, and wound healing disorders in 2.1%. Overall, chronic teleangiectasia of any grade occurred in 16.2%, fibrosis grade ≥ 2 in 14.3%, pain grade ≥ 2 in 3.4%, and hyperpigmentation in 1.1%. In conclusion, a tumor bed boost through IORT using low-energy X-rays is a swift and feasible method that demonstrates low rates in terms of acute or long-term toxicity profiles in combination with whole breast irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical collars (CC) are routinely used in prehospital trauma treatment. However, over the past years, their application was discussed more critically since they increase intravenous pressure due to reduced venous drainage and the possibility of secondary cervical spine injury. Guidelines have been adjusted accordingly. The question is how efficient has this been put into practice, and how good, as well as up to date, is the knowledge of prehospital emergency medicine personnel about indications on cervical spine immobilisation? Methods: A 15-item questionnaire regarding the self-evaluation and result checking of the right indications for the use of a cervical collar in the prehospital setting was sent to paramedics and emergency doctors in Germany. Two hundred and nineteen completed surveys were statistically analysed. Results: Mean age of the participants was 30.45 ± 8.8. 72% were male. Regarding subjective safety, the appropriate indication of CC participants reached 79.8 ± 19.5 on a metric scale from 0 (no safety) to 100 (full safety). Mean right answers were as follows: Ambulance man (RS) 0.78 ± 0.84, paramedic (RA) 0.9 ± 0.74, paramedic (NFS) 1.03 ± 0.83 and emergency doctor (ED) 1.75 ± 1.06 (p = 0.013, Kruskal–Wallis Test). Participants who estimated their knowledge < 85% had 0.83 ± 0.8 right answers, and > 85% had 1.14 ± 0.9 right answers. Conclusions: Rational spine immobilisation is still necessary in severely injured patients. This study highlights the importance of continuing education using ongoing training, lectures or online learning with a questionnaire as a monitor for success to ensure the transfer of evidence-based medicine into daily practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New psychoactive substances (NPS) have become an ongoing threat to public health. To prevent the emergence and spread of NPS, a new German law, the 'NpSG' took effect in November 2016. This study presents an overview of analytically confirmed synthetic cannabinoid (SC) intoxications from January 2015 to December 2018. In order to demonstrate effects of the NpSG, the results of 23 month before and 25 month after the introduction of the law were compared. Within the scope of a prospective observational study blood and urine samples were collected from emergency patients with suspected NPS intoxication. Comprehensive drug analyses were performed by LC-MS/MS analysis. In the period considered, 138 patients were included. Within these, SC intake was verified in 65 patients (73%) in the period before the law change, and in 30 patients (61%) after. The median age increased significantly from 19.5 to 26 years. Seizures and admission to the ICU were reported significantly less frequently (seizures 29% versus 6.7%, p = 0.0283; ICU admission 42% versus 13%, p = 0.0089). 34 different SCs were detected, including four SCs (Cumyl-PEGACLONE, 5 F-MDMB-P7AICA, EG-018, 5 F-Cumyl-P7AICA) not covered by the NpSG at the time of detection. In the first period the most prevalent SC was MDMB-CHMICA (n = 24). 5 F-ADB was the most prevalent SC overall, detected in 7 patients (11%) in the first, and in 24 patients (80%) in the second period. The number of SC intoxications decreased overall after the implementation of the NpSG. The shift in the detected SCs can be considered a direct effect of the NpSG but unfortunately the market supply does not appear to have been reduced. Although changes in the age distribution and in the severity of intoxications may be seen as secondary effects of the law, the main objectives of the new law to prevent the emergence and spread of further chemical variations of known scheduled drugs, have apparently not been achieved from the perspective of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this study, we assessed the importance of local‐ to landscape‐scale effects of land cover and land use on flying insect biomass. Location: Denmark and parts of Germany. Methods: We used rooftop‐mounted car nets in a citizen science project ("InsectMobile") to allow for large‐scale geographic sampling of flying insects. Volunteers sampled insects along 278 five‐km routes in urban, farmland, grassland, wetland and forest landscapes in the summer of 2018. The bulk insect samples were dried overnight to obtain the sample biomass. We extracted proportional land use variables in buffers between 50 and 1,000 m along the routes and compiled them into land cover categories to examine the effect of each land cover, and specific land use types, on insect biomass. Results: We found a negative association between urban cover and flying insect biomass (1% increase in urban cover = 1% [95% CI: −3.0 to 0.0] decrease in biomass in Denmark, and a 3% [95% CI: −3.0 to 0.0] decrease in Germany) at a landscape scale (1,000‐m buffer). In Denmark, we also found positive effects of semi‐natural land cover types, that is protected grassland (largest at the landscape scale, 1000 m) and forests (largest at intermediate scales, 250 m). Protected grassland cover had a stronger positive effect on insect biomass than forest cover did. For farmland cover, the positive association with insect biomass was not clearly modified by any variable associated with farmland use intensity. The negative association between insect biomass and urban land cover appeared to be reduced by increased urban green space. Main conclusions: Our results show that land cover has an impact on flying insect biomass with the magnitude of this effect varying across spatial scales. However, the vast expanse of grey space in urbanized areas has a direct negative impact on flying insect biomass across all spatial scales examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This work presents the validation of an analytical pencil beam dose calculation algorithm in a commercial treatment planning system (TPS) for carbon ions by measurements of dose distributions in heterogeneous phantom geometries. Additionally, a comparison study of carbon ions versus protons is performed considering current best solutions in commercial TPS. Methods: All treatment plans were optimized and calculated using the RayStation TPS (RaySearch, Sweden). The dose distributions calculated with the TPS were compared with measurements using a 24‐pinpoint ionization chamber array (T31015, PTW, Germany). Tissue‐like inhomogeneities (bone, lung, and soft tissue) were embedded in water, while a target volume of 4 x 4 x 4 cm3 was defined at two different depths behind the heterogeneities. In total, 10 different test cases, with and without range shifter as well as different air gaps, were investigated. Dose distributions inside as well as behind the target volume were evaluated. Results: Inside the target volume, the mean dose difference between calculations and measurements, averaged over all test cases, was 1.6% for carbon ions. This compares well to the final agreement of 1.5% obtained in water at the commissioning stage of the TPS for carbon ions and is also within the clinically acceptable interval of 3%. The mean dose difference and maximal dose difference obtained outside the target area were 1.8% and 13.4%, respectively. The agreement of dose distributions for carbon ions in the target volumes was comparable or better to that between Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations and measurements for protons. Percentage dose differences of more than 10% were present outside the target area behind bone–lung structures, where the carbon ion calculations systematically over predicted the dose. MC dose calculations for protons were superior to carbon ion beams outside the target volumes. Conclusion: The pencil beam dose calculations for carbon ions in RayStation were found to be in good agreement with dosimetric measurements in heterogeneous geometries for points of interest located within the target. Large local discrepancies behind the target may contribute to incorrect dose predictions for organs at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 12-year old Elo dog was presented with recurring symptoms of conjunctivitis in November 2019. A single whitish nematode was found upon inspection of the eye and identified as a Thelazia callipaeda male. The morphological identification of the eye worm was supported by analysis of a partial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) gene sequence. The dog lived in Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany, and had not visited regions known to be endemic for T. callipaeda. This suggests that a local transmission cycle of this zoonotic nematode may exist in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans Linnaeus, 1758) can have a considerable negative impact on animal well-being, health, and productivity. Since insecticides constitute the mainstay for their control, this study aimed at assessing the occurrence of insecticide resistance in S. calcitrans on dairy farms in Brandenburg, Germany. First, the susceptibility of stable flies from 40 dairy farms to a deltamethrin-impregnated fabric was evaluated using the FlyBox® field test method. Then, S. calcitrans strains from 10 farms were reared in the laboratory, and the offspring was tested against the adulticides deltamethrin and azamethiphos and the larvicides cyromazine and pyriproxyfen. The FlyBox® method indicated 100% resistance in stable flies against deltamethrin. Later, to the offspring of those 10 established laboratory strains previously caught on suspected dairy farms, these field findings could be confirmed with mortalities well below 90% 24 h following topical application of the calculated LD95 of deltamethrin and azamethiphos. The ten strains could therefore be classified as resistant to the tested insecticides. In contrast, exposure to the insect growth regulators cyromazine and pyriproxyfen at their recommended concentrations demonstrated 100% efficacy. Both larvicides inhibited the moulting process of the stable fly larval stages completely, showing that the stable fly strains tested were susceptible to them. The intensive use of insecticides in recent decades has probably promoted the development of insecticide resistance. Systematic surveys in different livestock production systems and vigilance are therefore deemed necessary for estimating the risk of insecticide resistance development on a nationwide scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Hypoderma larva was removed from a painful swelling in the lumbar region of a 17-month-old male alpaca kept on a farm in the Brandenburg district, eastern Germany. Morphological analysis and sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene demonstrated it was a second instar larvae of Hypoderma diana. The main host of H. diana is the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). This is the first description of hypodermosis caused by H. diana in a camelid species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mining Report is the property of GVSt,GesamtverbandSteinkohlee.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Food supplements have been used for millennia. In addition to the historical reasons for their use, there are numerous reasons that have come about as a result of marketing measures. However, there are few evidence-based health reasons for otherwise healthy adults in Western countries to take these supplements. We examined literature regarding reasons for using food supplements, focusing particularly on Germany. Methods: We searched the scientific literature using Google Scholar and PubMed/Medline. German and English search terms used were "Nahrungsergänzungsmittel" (food supplement) or "Vitamin" (vitamin) in combination with "Nutzung" (use) and "Motiv" (motive) or "Anti-aging" (anti-aging). Results: We report different user motives and attempt to put them into a scientific context. Three themes emerge - performance enhancement, anti-aging / pro-beauty, and disease prevention. Conclusions: Our results raise the question of whether it is necessary to create a knowledge base as part of nutrition and health education in schools and adult education to enable people to counteract marketing and advertising related food supplements, as well as to distinguish meaningful from non-efficacious ingredients or at least to scrutinize products for their potential health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Pädagogik is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal for Educational Research Online / Journal für Bildungsforschung Online is the property of Waxmann Verlag GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An intervention study showed that promoting water consumption in schoolchildren prevented overweight, but a mechanism linking water consumption to overweight was not substantiated. We investigated whether increased water consumption replaced sugar-containing beverages and whether changes in water or sugar-containing beverages influenced body weight outcomes. In a secondary analysis of the intervention study in Germany, we analysed combined longitudinal data from the intervention and control groups. Body weight and height were measured and beverage consumption was self-reported by a 24-h recall questionnaire at the beginning and end of the school year 2006/2007. The effect of a change in water consumption on change in sugar-containing beverage (soft drinks and juices) consumption, change in BMI (kg/m2) and prevalence of overweight and obesity at follow-up was analysed using regression analyses. Of 3220 enroled children, 1987 children (mean age 8·3 (sd 0·7) years) from thirty-two schools were analysed. Increased water consumption by 1 glass/d was associated with a reduced consumption of sugar-containing beverages by 0·12 glasses/d (95 % CI −0·16, −0·08) but was not associated with changes in BMI (P=0·63). Increased consumption of sugar-containing beverages by 1 glass/d was associated with an increased BMI by 0·02 (95 % CI 0·00, 0·03) kg/m2 and increased prevalence of obesity (OR 1·22; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·44) but not with overweight (P=0·83). In conclusion, an increase in water consumption can replace sugar-containing beverages. As sugar-containing beverages were associated with weight gain, this replacement might explain the prevention of obesity through the promotion of water consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In light of the scarcity of the term 'community music' (CM) within German academic discourses, this article tries to unfold probable reasons for this from the viewpoint of music education. It questions the accuracy of previous statements on the relevance of CM and spurs on a more precisely conducted debate in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyathostomins are currently the most common internal parasites of horses. With the intensive use of anthelmintic drugs over the past decades, resistance of cyathostomins to anthelmintics is becoming a growing problem in many countries. The aim of this study was to assess the current situation on horse farms in the German federal state of Brandenburg. A pre-selected population of horses from 24 premises that had shown a prevalence of cyathostomins higher than the average in a previous study was examined for anthelmintic efficacy. Faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs) were performed for ivermectin (IVM) and pyrantel (PYR). For IVM, the egg reappearance period (ERP) was also examined, as a shortened ERP can be indicative of developing resistance. The efficacy of IVM on cyathostomins was high: 99.1 % of 224 horses had a zero egg count 14 days after treatment. No shortening of the ERP was detected. For the data of the FECRT for PYR, three different methods of calculation were employed: (a) the method as recommended by the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP), (b) a bootstrapping method and (c) a Markov chain Monte Carlo method. Two methods of interpretation for these data were used: Resistance was declared (a) when FECR was <90 % and the lower 95 % confidence interval (LCL) <80 % and (b) when additionally the upper 95 % confidence level (UCL) was <95 %. When applying the first interpretation, resistance against PYR was found on four yards, while, when considering the UCL, all three methods for calculation only detected resistance on one single yard. Twelve species of cyathostomins were detected in larval cultures derived from strongyle egg positive faecal samples collected 14 days after treatment with PYR by reverse line blot hybridization (RLB). In order to generate comparable data, it is suggested to establish international standards for the calculation of FECRT data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purchase of food supplements on the Internet plays an increasingly important role for German consumers. These supplements are not regarded as actual foods, which they legally are, but rather, as drugs or a combination of both. This situation creates high expecta-tions for consumers concerning potential results achievable through product use. However, not all advertised outcomes are reliable. It is not only the potential economic concerns but also the more important detrimental health effects caused by food supplements that are alarming pub-lic health officials in Germany. Method: This paper reviews the various problem areas in Germa-ny with respect to customs authorities, foodstuff control, consumer protection organizations, and reports of the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. Results: Potential health hazards result especially from undeclared prescription agents or non-approved pharmacologi-cal substances, insufficiently controlled botanicals, toxic heavy metals, and excessive pesticide residues. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to improve international monitoring and control of Internet trade in food supplements. Moreover, further consumer education about the dan-gers of Internet-purchased food supplements is required. Healthcare professionals must bear in mind that unusual or unexplained reactions, side effects, and interactions may be due to the ingestion of food supplements and they should ask explicitly for this information during patient examination and history-taking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Culicoides spp. play an important role in the transmission of several vector-borne pathogens such as Bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus in Europe. To better understand the biology of local Culicoides species, a study divided into three parts was performed in northeast Germany to elucidate the feeding activity patterns (study A), preferential landing and feeding sites (study B) and host feeding preferences (study C) of Culicoides spp. using cattle and sheep as baits. Methods In study A, the activity of Culicoides spp. was monitored over a 72 h period by collecting insects at regular intervals from the interior of drop traps with cattle or sheep standing inside. In study B, Culicoides spp. were directly aspirated from the coat and fleece of cattle and sheep during the peak activity period of Culicoides. In study C, Culicoides spp. were collected using drop traps with either cattle or sheep standing inside and located 10 m apart. Results In study A, 3,545 Culicoides midges belonging to 13 species were collected, peak activity was observed at sunset. In study B, 2,024 Culicoides midges were collected. A significantly higher number of midges was collected from the belly and flank of cattle in comparison to their head region. In study C, 3,710 Culicoides midges were collected; 3,077 (83%) originated from cattle and 633 (17%) from sheep. Nearly half (46.7%) of the midges collected from cattle were engorged, significantly more than the number of engorged midges collected from sheep (7.5%). Culicoides from the Obsoletus complex (C. obsoletus and C. scoticus) were the most common Culicoides species encountered, followed by C. punctatus. Other species identified were C. dewulfi, C. chiopterus, C. pulicaris, C. lupicaris, C. pallidicornis, C. subfascipennis, C. achrayi, C. stigma, C. griseidorsum and C. subfagineus, the last two species are reported for the first time in Germany. Engorged C. chiopterus were collected in relatively high numbers from sheep, suggesting that this species may have a preference for sheep. Conclusions An insight into the feeding behaviour of local Culicoides species under field conditions in northeast Germany was obtained, with implications for the implementation of control measures and midge-borne disease risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Recently, several synthetic cannabinoids were identified in herbal mixtures consumed as recreational drugs alternative to cannabis products. The aim was to characterize the acute toxicity of synthetic cannabinoids as experienced by emergency patients. Design This was a retrospective study targeting patients seeking emergency treatment after recreational use of synthetic cannabinoids. Setting and participants Patients were selected from the database of the Poisons Information Center Freiburg between September 2008 and February 2011. The inclusion criteria were: hospitalization, available clinical reports and analytical verification of synthetic cannabinoid uptake. In total, 29 patients were included (age 14-30 years, median 19; 25 males, four females). Measurements Clinical reports were evaluated and synthetic cannabinoids and other drugs were determined analytically. Findings CP-47,497-C8 (one), JWH-015 (one), JWH-018 (eight), JWH-073 (one), JWH-081 (seven), JWH-122 (11), JWH-210 (11), JWH-250 (four) and AM 694 (one) were quantified in blood samples. JWH-018 was most common in 2008-9, JWH-122 in 2010, and JWH-210 in 2011. Tachycardia, agitation, hallucination, hypertension, minor elevation of blood glucose, hypokalaemia and vomiting were reported most frequently. Chest pain, seizures, myoclonia and acute psychosis were also noted. Conclusions There appears to have been an increase in use of the extremely potent synthetic cannabinoids JWH-122 and JWH-210. Acute toxic symptoms associated with their use are also reported after intake of high doses of cannabis, but agitation, seizures, hypertension, emesis and hypokalaemia seem to be characteristic to the synthetic cannabinoids, which are high-affinity and high-efficacy agonists of the CB1 receptor. Thus, these effects are due probably to a strong CB1 receptor stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Data from the ongoing, open-cohort Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) study were used to describe warm family lunch meals and the association of the lunch composition with total diet quality. Methods: 2,095 three-day weighed dietary records, collected between 2004 and 2009, from a 4- to 18-year-old DONALD study subgroup were used. Results: Warm lunch (eating occasions between 11.30 a.m. and 2.29 p.m. including at least one course that is typically consumed warm) was eaten on 68.8% of all record days. Meat lunch (>50%) was predominant, followed by vegetarian (25%), fish (13%) and sweet lunch meals (3%). The prevalence of desserts at lunch was high and beverages were drunk at 80% of lunch meals. A meat lunch was associated with a higher protein (+1.4% energy intake, %E) and fat intake (+1.7%E) than a sweet lunch; also densities of vitamin A, folate and iron were higher. A dessert at lunch decreased protein intake slightly (-0.2%E), but increased carbohydrate (+0.7%E) and added sugar intake (+1.4%E) as well as density of calcium (+18 mg/MJ). Conclusion: Our study proves the impact of lunch on daily dietary quality and yields valuable insights on the development of food and meal-based dietary guidelines. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experience after the establishment of EMU shows that the behaviour of private consumers differs considerably among member countries and that average and marginal propensities to consume are fairly heterogeneous. In particular, there are clear differences between Germany and the rest of the euro area. These asymmetric consumption functions may be responsible for cyclical divergences within the currency area. The following paper presents an econometric analysis of the available data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control strategies for horse helminths are controversially discussed, and no ideal strategy exists. Presently, the spreading of anthelmintic resistance against all three classes of anthelmintics is of special concern. Advice on how to slow the development of anthelmintic resistance does not seem to have reached the majority of horse owners yet. In our study, we wanted to capture the current standard of helminth control and to analyse the effectiveness of these control strategies. Seven hundred horse farms in Brandenburg, Germany were sent a questionnaire in June/July 2006 asking various questions on farm structure and practices of helminth control. Two hundred thirty-five farms (33.6%) with 6,007 horses in total returned the questionnaire. The number of horses held on each farm varied from 1 to 320. From those returned questionnaires, a random sample of 126 horse farms and 1,407 horses was selected for faecal examination from August to December 2006. The questionnaire results from these farms were correlated with results from the faecal examination to perform risk analysis via multivariate regression. For each farm, results from faecal examination were summarized in index values. Risk was defined as an over-average level of strongyle egg shedding. Risk factors as established by multivariate regression analyses were integrated into three models. Rare deworming and infrequent cleaning of stables were identified as significant risk factors throughout all three models. Additional risk factors could be identified with respect to individual models: elevated percentage of young horses on a farm, not using macrocyclic lactones in the deworming process and dosing anthelmintics on the basis of weight and height. Pasture hygiene did not lead to significant risk reduction, indicating that such measures are inadequately performed on many farms. The questionnaire on its own gave us an insight into control strategies throughout a representative scope of farms in Brandenburg, Germany: faeces were collected from pasture on 22% of horse farms, 79% cleaned out the stables daily. A number of other measures were employed. With respect to anthelmintic use, 21% of the farms stated to use results from faecal examination as a criterion for deworming. We could also identify the most common deworming frequencies, with adult horses being dewormed two times a year (46% of farms) and foals being dewormed four times a year (35% of farms). The frequency ranged from 1 to 7 and 2 to 12 times, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archiv für Kriminologie is the property of Schmidt-Roemhild Verlag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We tested whether a simple overweight prevention program promoting water consumption in elementary schools is equally effective in children with an immigrational background (MIG) and in those without (non-MIG). Thus, a secondary analysis of a controlled cluster trial, lasting one school year, was conducted. Thirty-two elementary schools located in low socioeconomic districts in two German cities were included. Of the 2,950 school children analyzed, 1,306 were MIG children. Water fountains were installed in the schools of the intervention group (IG) and teachers held lessons to promote water consumption. Control schools (control group (CG)) did not receive any intervention. Before and after intervention, body weight and height was measured. Overweight was defined by age- and sex-specific BMI cutoffs that are linked to an adult BMI of 25 kg/m2. Beverage consumption was assessed in questionnaires. Modification of intervention effects by immigrational background was tested by interaction terms. The immigrational background modified the intervention effect on prevalence and remission of overweight (interaction term: P = 0.03 and P = 0.02), but not on the incidence of overweight (P = 0.06). After intervention, the risk of being overweight was reduced in the IG compared to the CG among non-MIG (odds ratio = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31–0.83), but not among MIG children (odds ratio = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.63–1.65). After intervention, water consumption significantly increased in the IG equally among both, non-MIG and MIG, by ~1 glass/day. A simple school-based intervention promoting water consumption prevented overweight in non-MIG children, but failed in MIG children. Different beverage consumption, among other lifestyle factors, may account for this effect but scientific discussion remains open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the author's reflection on the past and future of the "Women in the German Yearbook," and the feminist scholars status in Germany. An overview of the author's first involvement in the yearbook in 1980 is presented in which feminist scholarship in German studies were less recognized and developed. However, with perseverance, determination, and sense of urgency the yearbook established reputation as a feminist publication with a positive impact on the academic careers.

: This article investigates the hymnals of four Lutheran churches in Germany, North America, Sweden and Denmark in order to identify the connection between ecclesiastic and theological development during the 20th century, as well as the editorial process used in creating the hymnals of the period. The hymnals reflect a significant development from a traditional non-ritualistic to an Anglican-inspired ritualistic conception of the Sunday service as a side-effect of the transition of the typical Lutheran churches from majority to minority churches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the German wastewater sector, innovations are often regarded to be the key to better service provision. Our focus is on the question of whether less direct control by the authorities does improve the innovativeness of providers of wastewater services. On the basis of data from a survey among German service providers a structural model explaining firms’ innovativeness is estimated. Estimation results suggest that firm size improves in novativeness; however, the organizational arrangement, i.e. the legal dependency on municipalities does not. We conclude that reforms directed towards increased legal autonomy have only limited effects on innovations if not accompanied by market liberalization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To identify the vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV) in Germany, we monitored Culicoides spp. biting midges during April 2007-May 2008. Molecular characterization of batches of midges that tested positive for BTV suggests C. obsoletus sensu stricto as a relevant vector of bluetongue disease in central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The unforeseen outbreak of bluetongue in north-western Europe in August 2006 raised the question, which Culicoides spp. were involved in the transmission of bluetongue virus (BTV). Based on the decision 2007/20/EU of December 2006, a large-scale entomological surveillance programme was initiated in the five affected EU member states including Germany. This paper reports on the entomological findings obtained from March/April 2007 to May 2008 at 15 sampling sites in the federal states of Lower Saxony (eastern region), Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt: The number of captured biting midges in one trap varied from none or few Culicoides during winter (December 2007 to April 2008) to up to more than 12,500 individuals during summer and autumn. Catches of the C. obsoletus group were consistently higher than those of the C. pulicaris group. C. imicola, the principal afro-asiatic vector of BTV, was not detected. High numbers of midges were caught inside the cattle sheds. Eleven pools of biting midges were RT-PCR-positive to BTV-8 including pools of non-engorged midges of the C. obsoletus and of the C. pulicaris groups. The first BTV-genome positive pool of midges was detected in August 2007; the remaining genome-positive pools were detected during October and November 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Due to the severe outbreaks of bluetongue disease (BTD) in the years 2006/2007 in Germany in the absence of the main African vector Culicoides imicola, a rapid and easy applicable method for identification of autochthonous Culicoides spp. had to be developed. Morphological identification is time-consuming, rendering impossible the identification of large numbers of midges in a short period of time. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based procedure in connection with a species-specific primer greatly simplifies the identification process. The region of internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) of the ribosomal DNA has shown great potential for developing a reliable PCR-based procedure. Culicoides midges were caught with ultraviolet-light traps installed on different farms in Germany during 2007 and 2008. The midges were mounted on slides and morphologically characterised. Midge DNA was extracted and the ITS-1 region amplified using conservative primers. Potential primer regions within ITS-1 were determined and a species-specific Culicoides dewulfi primer was developed to correctly identify autochthonous C. dewulfi, one of the suspected BTV vectors in northwestern Europe. The developed primer was used to identify C. dewulfi in a pool of Culicoides midges from a farm in the state of Brandenburg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The outbreak of bluetongue (BTV-8) in many parts of north-western Europe led to efforts to curb the spread of the disease, particularly in farms with valuable livestock, as on a stud bull farm in Schmergow, Brandenburg, Germany. In the abundance of the putative BT vectors, Palaearctic Culicoides species, several vector control methods were applied in the hope for a reduction of the target insect populations. Insecticide-impregnated ear tags and regular treatments at 6-week intervals of all bulls with deltamethrin pour on were expected to achieve the desired control of the biting midges. Additionally, insecticide-treated mosquito fences circumventing much of the pens were tried for the first time against Culicoides. Two suction black-light traps (BioGents® sentinel traps) helped to monitor the densities of Culicoides and other haematophagous nematocera during the trial period from July to December 2007. Despite all efforts, the densities of Culicoides were not distinctly reduced. Several thousand midges were repeatedly recorded during one-night catches. Examinations of midges and other haematophagous nematocera (Aedes and Anopheles species) revealed high percentages of successful feedings between 10% and 35% for Culicoides and more than 50% for Aedes and Anopheles species. Since all insects were caught inside the pens, the concept of endophily vs exophily or endophagy vs exophagy for some Culicoides species needs to be revised accordingly. Also, stabling of valuable livestock does not reduce the host–vector interface and, hence, the risk of transmission of BT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  In the summer of 2006, a bluetongue epidemic started in the border area of Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany, spread within 2 years over large areas of Western and Central Europe, and caused substantial losses in farm ruminants. Especially sheep and cattle were severely affected, leading to a case–fatality ratio of nearly 40% in sheep (Conraths et al., Emerg Inf Dis 15(3):433–435, 2009). The German federal ministry of food, agriculture, and consumer protection (BMELV) established a countrywide monitoring on the occurrence of the vectors of this virus, i.e., midges (family Ceratopogonidae) of the genus Culicoides. The monitoring was done on 91 sites, most of which were localized in the 150-km restriction zone that existed in December 2006. A grid consisting of 45 × 45 km2 cells was formed that covered the monitoring area. As a rule, one trap was placed into each grid cell. The monitoring program started at the end of March 2007 and lasted until May 2008. It included the catching of midges by ultraviolet light traps—done each month from days 1 until 8, the selection of midges of the Culicoides obsoletus, Culicoides pulicaris group, and other Culicoides spp., the testing of midges for bluetongue virus (BTV) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the daily registration of weather data at each trap site for the whole monitoring period. The following main results were obtained: (1) Members of the C. obsoletus group were most commonly found in the traps, reaching often 3/4 of the catches. The African and South European vector of BTV—the species Culicoides imicola—was never found. (2) Members of the C. obsoletus group were most frequently found infected with BTV besides a few cases in the C. pulicaris group and other species. (3) Members of the C. obsoletus group were also found in winter. Their numbers were reduced, however, and they were caught mostly close to stables. Therefore, a true midge-free period does not exist during the year in Germany. (4) The amounts of midges caught daily depended on the weather conditions. If it was cold and/or windy, the traps contained only a few specimens. Since the months from January to May 2008 were considerably colder (at all farms) than their correspondents in 2007, the growing of the population of midges started 2–3 months later in 2008 than in 2007. (5) The highest populations of midges occurred in both years (2007 and 2008) during the months September and October. This corresponded significantly to the finding of highest numbers of infected midges and to the number of diseased cattle and sheep during these 2 months. (6) It is noteworthy that in general, the first virus-positive midges of the species C. obsoletus were found about 1 1/2 months later than the first clinical cases had occurred or later than the first PCR-proven virus-positive sentinel animals had been documented. In 2007, the first BTV-positive cattle were detected in May in North Rhine-Westphalia, while the first positive Culicoides specimens were only found in August on the same farm. Evaluating these main results of the entomological monitoring and the fact that many wild ruminants have also been infected with BTV, it becomes evident that bluetongue disease has become endemic in Central Europe, and that only constant effort including vaccination and perhaps also insecticidal protection of cattle and sheep will keep the economical losses at a reasonable level. The following papers (1–10) in this journal will contribute more details obtained from this worldwide unique entomological monitoring: Bartsch et al. 2009; Bauer et al. 2009; Stephan et al. 2009; Clausen et al. 2009; Hörbrand and Geier 2009; Kiehl et al. 2009; Mehlhorn et al. 2009; Kiel et al. 2009; Vorsprach et al. 2009; Balczun et al. 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Host feeding patterns of engorged sibling species of the Culicoides obsoletus and Culicoides pulicaris groups captured during three nights on two selected farms maintaining either cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs (Seedorf, Brandenburg) or cattle, sheep, moufflons, and red and fallow deer (Paulinenaue, Brandenburg) were determined by polymerase chain reaction amplification using conserved primers and sets of species-specific primers derived from vertebrates mitochondrial cytochrome b. Out of a total of 177 blood meals analysed, 115 (65%) tested positive for a blood meal from vertebrates. 63.5% (n = 73) of the cyt b positive specimens could be further assigned down to the species level. Cattle appeared to be the most attractive hosts for Palaearctic biting midges (79.5%, n = 58) even if other large vertebrates were kept in their immediate vicinity. If pigs or horses were additionally maintained on a farm, they were likewise attacked by biting midges but at a distinctly smaller rate than cattle (pigs 13.7%, horses 2.7%). In this study, game animals appear to be less attractive than cattle since only a few engorged midges had taken a blood meal from red deer (4.1%). None of the blood meals analysed tested positive for sheep. Preliminary results reveal that biting midges of the C. pulicaris and C. obsoletus groups can feed on a range of vertebrate hosts but with a distinct preference for cattle even if other livestock are maintained in adjacent areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of open landscapes around prehistoric burial mounds is founded on their topographical position and findings of plaggen clots within the hills at some sites. We have investigated the surroundings of four Bronze Age burial mounds at Bornhöved (northern Germany) to test whether this assumed landscape openness enabled soil erosion and colluviation or not. The soils and colluvia within a watershed below the burial mounds were investigated in six large exposures and additional auger cores. The chronology is based on 21 AMS-radiocarbon dates, complemented by charcoal analysis and the content of selected heavy metals in the sediments. Colluvia were deposited in the Late Neolithic (~2500-2200 cal. BC), Roman Emperor Times (~ 250-400 cal. AD), Mediaeval Times (~ AD 600-1400) and Modern Times (~ AD 1800-2000). Our findings indicate that the soil surfaces were protected against soil erosion during the phase of Bronze Age funeral use (~ cal. 1800-600 BC). Either the prehistoric gravediggers practised a well suited form of pasturing to keep the scenery open or the surroundings of the burial mounds were forested at the time of funeral use. The results of charcoal analysis reflect the known succession of woody taxa in the region and underline the great potential of anthracology on colluvial layers for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions apart from traditional archives such as lakes or mires. Bulk radiocarbon dating of organic matter overestimated the time of burial of a buried soil as well as the time of deposition of colluvial layers considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 165 mm Mar CCD detector has been fitted on a large Huber four-circle diffractometer together with a helium cryostat at beamline D3 at Hasylab, DESY in Hamburg. This setup allows fast collection of accurate, shortwavelength, very low temperature X-ray diffraction data for charge-density analysis. As a test example, diffraction data have been collected in 10 h on a hydrogen-bonded network system with 15 unique atoms, and the electron density was modelled with the multipole formalism in an X-N procedure using matching-temperature neutron diffraction data collected at Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Each year, 80,000 to 100,000 calls to the Poison Information Centres (PIC) concern pediatric exposures in Germany. Plant exposures are the fourth most common category, accounting for 22% of pediatric exposures. Methods. Information on plant exposures in children (0-14 years) was collected from annual reports of German PIC. The severity of pediatric plant exposures was classified using the number of ingestions and a calculated hazard factor. Results. A total of 58,641 cases involving 248 different plant genera were reported from 1998 to 2004. Most plant exposures were not associated with clinical effects at time of call, but 9.6% of cases had noticeable effects, including 0.4% classified as moderate and major effect. Conclusions. The majority of plant genera have low hazard factors. Most severe poisoning (highest hazard factors and exposures) in children involved Brugmansia, Laburnum, Phaseolus, and Thuja. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a semi-structural modelling approach to study asymmetric monetary transmission in Europe. A system of dynamic equations containing reaction functions for monetary policy as well as output gap and inflation equations is simultaneously estimated for France, Germany and Italy. We find asymmetries on the demand side in the strength of interest rate transmission and on the supply side in the effects of the output gap on inflation. The responses are similar in Germany and Italy and generally stronger than in France. Out-of-sample tests do not find a structural break in the transmission mechanisms prior to the establishment of the European Monetary Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Parts of the model of educational productivity provided by Walberg and colleagues (e.g., Walberg, 1981) were tested on the basis of the German TIMSS data. Due to its national extensions, the German study allows longitudinal analyses. Structural equation modelling was applied to the data at student level. Findings supported cum grano salis the model of educational productivity. The most powerful predictors were cognitive variables. Nevertheless, motivational determinants, leisure activities and students' gender were also significant predictors of achievement. Mass media as well as home background, that is, the educational level of parents, their job prestige and their number of books at home, had no direct impact on learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interviews Christa Wolf, a writer from Germany. Reasons for her interests in biographies; Perceptions on romanticism; Reader response to her book 'No Place on Earth.'

Understanding budget policy in West Germany is not possible without a look at budget history and the federal structure of government. Both of these factors have influenced budget policy deeply, though in the long run they could not prevent progressive spending demands on the federal budget. Legal and technical improvements over the years, however, have kept pace with these changing circumstances. But growing political constraints, both domestically and internationally in the European Community, have tended to go in the opposite direction to reduce freedom of budgetary action. Consequently, successful planning and budgeting in the Federal Republic today are primarily political problems and less technical-legal issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the ethics involved in the field of biomedical research and human embryology. In this context, the author has made use of some studies based on embryonic stem cell research and cloning. These studies have posed a question on the existence and well-being of human beings in the society. In Germany, both an abortion and an embryo transfer against the will of a woman are ethically not justifiable and are considered as punishable.

This study examined the association between energy density (ED, g/kJ) and diet costs (\[euro]/day) in a sample of 494 German children and adolescents aged 4-18 years using 1100 3-day-weighed dietary records from the Dortmund Nutritional and Anthropometric Longitudinally Designed (DONALD) Study (open cohort study) and retail food prices of 341 empirically selected recorded food items including special brands. ED was negatively associated with diet costs (β=−0.20 kJ/g, P<0.0007) with a non-linear term (β=0.01 kJ/g*kJ/g, P=0.0440). Diet costs increased with age (β=0.32 yr, P<0.0001) with a negative non-linear term (β=−0.01 yr*yr; P<0.0001). In conclusion, the inverse association between diet costs and ED was more pronounced in the older than in the younger age groups and in low-ED diets than in high-ED diets. Higher % diet costs of fruit/vegetables could be compensated by lower % diet costs of meat/sausage to lower ED without increasing diet costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a Chinese weight loss preparations, available over the Internet, which contains undeclared concentrations of sibutramine greater than those in licensed medicines. In Germany. sibutramine has been approved as an anti-obesity drug, and the recommended daily dose is 5 to 15 mg. Since 2005, 17 cases of health problems after taking Chinese slimming capsules have been reported to the poison information centers in Freiburg and Göttingen. In the same year, studies performed by the Official Food Control Laboratory in Rhineland-Palatinate showed that slimming capsules distributed over the Internet under another name--Evolution Slim & Slender, also contain sibutramine. Findings related to shaken baby syndrome and child abuse are also presented.

The article discusses a study that tested whether a combined environmental and educational intervention solely promoting water consumption was effective in preventing overweight among elementary school children. Findings showed that risk of overweight was reduced by 31% in the intervention group compared with the control group. It concludes that school based intervention to prevent overweight is effective even in population from socially deprived areas.