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Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the quality of life and the sense of coherence in a sample of former German child soldiers of World War II., Methods: 103 participants were recruited by the press, then administered a Short-Form-Health-Survey (SF-12), a sense-of-coherence scale (SOC) and 2 qualitative questions on possible resources in the combat situation., Results: The quality of life was not lowered compared to a comparison group of the same age. The sense of coherence was significantly higher than that of the comparison group., Conclusions: The participants belonged to a comparably unobtrusive group of veterans. A possible protective variable might be the high sense of coherence.

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the amount of trauma impact and significant post-traumatic stress symptoms, which can indicate a possible post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in a sample of former German child soldiers of World War II., Methods: 103 participants were recruited through the press, then administered a modified Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS)., Results: Subjects reported a high degree of trauma exposure, with 4.9% reporting significant post-traumatic stress symptoms after WW II, and 1.9% reporting that these symptoms persist to the present., Conclusion: In line with other studies on child soldiers in actual conflict settings, our data document a high degree of trauma exposure during war. Surprisingly, the prevalence of significant post-traumatic stress symptoms indicating a possible PTSD was low compared to other groups of aging, long-term survivors of war trauma. Despite some limitations our data highlight the need for further studies to identify resilience and coping factors in traumatized child soldiers.

Aim: It has been suggested that homocysteine (tHcy) levels and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotype are primary risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). We performed a case-control study to investigate whether tHcy levels and MTHFR genotype (677 C-->T mutation and 1298 A-->C mutation) are associated with CHD under special consideration of the possibility for confounding., Methods: German speaking patients aged 40-68 years who underwent coronary angiography at the University of Ulm between April 1996 and November 1997 and who had at least one coronary stenosis greater than 50% were included in the study. Controls were sampled from voluntary blood donors and were matched for sex and age. tHcy levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography and MTHFR genotype by means of polymerase chain reaction. In addition, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, leukocytes, HDL-cholesterol and Lp(a) were determined., Results: Overall, 312 patients and 479 controls were enrolled in the study (response in patients 78%, in controls 84%). Mean tHcy value was 9.43 micromol/l in CHD patients and 8.91 micromol/l in controls (P=0.145). Prevalence of 677TT-polymorphism was 9.9% in patients and 10.4% in controls (P=0.295). Prevalence of 1298CC-polymorphism was 9.7% in patients and 13.8% in controls (P=0.346). There was a clear association of tHcy-values, but not of 677TT- or 1298CC-genotype with conventional CHD risk factors. After adjustment for these risk factors no increased risk for CHD could be associated with increased tHcy-values, with 677TT or 1298CC-genotype, or with their combination. Also no statistically significant relationships of these parameters to inflammatory, rheologic or hemostatic parameters or lipids were detectable., Conclusion: These results do not confirm an independent relationship of tHcy values and MTHFR genotype with risk of CHD in the population studied.

Human bone samples of 123 Alemans of the 5th to 7th c AD were investigated for nicotine. In 23 individuals nicotine was found at levels between 31 and 150 ng/g, and in 49 others nicotine was found in traces. The results indicate that in Germany plants of the genus Nicotiana should have been present, known and used, well before Columbus. The purposes behind this use might have been domestic/medical or ritual, or possibly even as a luxury as occurs today.

Because of the discovery of astigmatism, a type of lens fixation was needed in eyeglass (pince-nez) frames to maintain a constant angle for the patient's astigmatism. Bar spring frames were an answer to this problem.