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Substantial progress has been made in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region toward reaching the goal of measles and rubella elimination. We analyzed the surveillance data of 2012 on measles and rubella for age-group, diagnosis confirmation status (clinical, laboratory-confirmed and epidemiologically linked), vaccination status, and measles-related deaths. For 2012, there were 23,871 measles cases and 29,361 rubella cases reported in the region, mostly among unvaccinated persons. Almost one in three patients with measles and one in five patients with rubella were aged 20 years and older. In a few countries, widespread outbreaks or indigenous transmission of measles persisted in 2012. While most countries in the region have controlled rubella, a small number still reported a high incidence and several outbreaks. Therefore, more efforts are required to achieve the goal of eliminating measles and rubella in the WHO European Region by 2015, particularly in high-incidence countries. The WHO measles and rubella elimination plan stipulates that all countries should achieve and maintain the required high vaccination coverage while conducting high-quality surveillance.

Since patients with recurrent atrial fibrillation are prone to recurrences, even under treatment with antiarrhythmic agents, alternative treatment modalities are being sought. Today, the non-pharmacological treatment modalities such as modification or ablation of the AV node or the operative procedures ("maze" or "corridor" operation) do not cure these patients. The non-pharmacological therapies are indicated if severe symptoms are due to high ventricular rate with hemodynamic compromise. In such cases, His bundle ablation followed by rate adaptive pacing can achieve control of symptoms in the majority of patients. In the future, more refined techniques for ablation or the introduction of automatic atrial cardioverters will extend therapeutic options.

The trace element balance in laboratory rats was found to be affected by somewhat lasting application of "Unitiol". Unambiguous decline of manganese, copper, and zinc concentrations was recorded from blood and liver. Complex fixation of copper was stronger than that of the other elements tested. No dose-dependent changes were observed with the experimental arrangement described. The chromium levels in all examined organs were affected but slightly or not at all. The proposal is made that long-term therapeutic use of chelate formers should be accompanied by properly balanced application of essential trace elements.

Solubilisation was tested for its suitability to prepare organic samples for metal determination. Flameless atomic-absorption spectrophotometry was used as test method. Copper, manganese, zinc, and chromium levels were determined from various organ systems of Wistar rat, in response to "normal" feeding of pelletised standard feed. A comparison between experimentally established concentrations, on the one hand, and literature data, on the other, suggested that solubilisation was applicable with good success to the preparation of samples from which to determine reliable values, in ppm and ppb, of the above elements.