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The multiple-choice vocabulary intelligence test MWT (Mehrfachwahl-Wortschatz-Intelligenztest) as a measure of premorbid IQ is widely used in clinical practice and research in Germany. The study examined whether the MWT is actually insensitive to brain dysfunction and psychopathology in patients with schizophrenia.81 post-acute patients with schizophrenia and 27 matched healthy controls completed the MWT at two points in time. At baseline, we further applied a neuropsychological test battery and a psychopathology rating.The multiple linear regression analysis showed that the MWT-IQ of patients is significantly confounded by neuropsychological dysfunctions and psychopathology. The repeated measurement ANOVA pointed to a significant recovery effect of the MWT-IQ during clinical remission in the patient group.The results question the validity of the MWT as a measure of premorbid IQ in schizophrenia.

On the basis of the scientific state of knowledge it is outlined that psychotherapy is an important part of an efficacious and guideline-compliant treatment of schizophrenia. Firstly, aspects of the methodologically sound British National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines regarding the field of psychosis psychotherapy are presented in which cognitive behavioral therapy and family interventions are recommended without restrictions. Afterwards, empirically substantiated starting points for psychosis psychotherapy are described, taking particular account of the cognitive model of delusions. Furthermore, disorder-specific strategies of building the therapeutic relationship are identified, which take account of symptoms, such as mistrust or affective flattening. Finally, the evidence-based therapeutic strategies for relapse prevention and symptom reduction are delineated. In conclusion, psychosis psychotherapy does not have an evidence problem but an implementation problem.

Hintergrund: Set Shifting beschreibt die Fähigkeit, flexibel zwischen unterschiedlichen Aufgaben, Tätigkeiten oder mentalen Zuständen zu wechseln. Die bisherige Forschung zeigte, dass die Set Shifting Fähigkeit sowohl bei Anorexia nervosa (AN) als auch bei unipolaren Depressionen[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 3. Wissenschaftlicher Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Essstörungen

The aim of this study was a systematic literature review of cost-of-illness studies for schizophrenia in Germany.We conducted a database search in Pubmed and PsychINFO. Cost data were inflated to the year 2007.We finally included 11 studies in our review which show that schizophrenia causes societal cost of several billion Euros per year. After adjustment for inflation, costs per patient and year estimated between 1980 and 2002 tended to be relatively stable at around 14,000 to 18,000 Euro. Additionally, relatives are confronted with spending of 950 to 1,700 Euro due to the patients' disorder. Indirect costs are mainly due to early retirement or unemployment and amount to 25,000 to 30,000 Euro per patient when using the human capital approach. We found that changes in treatment settings and increasing costs of drug treatment seem to be reflected in published cost-of-illness studies.When corrected for inflation, treatment cost per patient for schizophrenia show changes in their distribution over different cost sectors in the health care system but no substantial increases between 1980 and 2002.

Psychotherapy in psychotic disorders is a rare condition and is confronted with much scepticism. On the background of intensive research - in particular in Great Britain, sufficient empirical evidence is available from randomised clinical trials to recommend Cognitive Behavioural Treatment for routine care. However, many research questions are open. In particular, the specific efficacy compared to supportive treatment is unclear and the mechanisms of action as well as economical aspects should be investigated more intensively. The psychotherapy research network "psychotherapy of psychotic syndromes" conducts research projects on these issues. The present paper gives an overview over the treatment and the scientific concept of this network.

The friction and wear characteristics of DLC coatings were examined in aqueous solutions with different contents of solved NaCl with oscillating sliding motion. As counter bodies balls of stainless steel and Al 2O3 were used. The results were compared with those from tests with uncoated disks of X5CrNil8-9. The friction is lower for the coated samples against both ball materials, independently of the salt concentration, by a factor 3 to 4. The wear for the coated samples is substantially smaller than for the uncoated, it shows for both ball materials the same tendencies with about 10 times smaller wear for the coated sample in distilled water, with increasing salt concentration the protective effect of the a-C:H-layers rises to over 100.

Diamantahnliche Kohlenstoffschichten (DLC) zeichnen sich durch ein sehr gunstiges Reibungs- und Verschleisverhalten aus. Auf vielen Werkzeugen und hochbelasteten Bauteilen ist DLC daher bereits erfolgreich im Einsatz. In naher Zukunft wird die Bedeutung dieser Schichten als Oberflachenschutz in tribologischen Systemen weiter ansteigen. Wie viele Applikationsbeispiele zeigen, ist die Leistungsfahigkeit von DLC als Schicht zur Verringerung von Reibung und Verschleis zwar gros, weist aber auch Grenzen auf. Vor allem bei hoheren Temperaturen (> 300 °C) treten Strukturveranderungen oder sogar Oxidationsvorgange auf, die auch die tribologischen Eigenschaften der Schichten verschlechtern konnen. Reibungs- und Verschleisuntersuchungen (Schwingungsverschleis) von DLC-Schichten wurden im Temperaturbereich von 25 °C bis 250 °C durchgefuhrt und zeigen ein schnelleres Durchreiben der Schicht bei hoheren Temperaturen. Die „Lebensdauer” der Schichten wird mit zunehmender Pruftemperatur reduziert. Einsatzgrenzen fur DLC-Schichten konnen abgeleitet werden. Effect of temperature on the tribological behaviour of DLC coatings Diamond like carbon coatings (DLC) are of great importance for tribological application due to attractive low friction and low wear rates under many conditions. On tools and high loaded components DLC coatings are already in use, further areas of application are expected to follow. In many applications DLC coatings can reduce friction and wear considerably at room temperature, at elevated temperature, however, structural changes and oxidation processes can limit the protective properties. Friction and wear of DLC coating on HSS substrates were investigated in the range from room temperature up to 300 °C with oscillating sliding motion. The coating is worn through during the tests at elevated temperature. The life time decreases with increasing temperature. Limits of applicability can be derived from the results.

Diamond like carbon (DLC or a-C:H) coatings can help to solve friction and wear problems. The improvement of coatings can help to solve friction and wear problems. The improvement of coatings can be steered on the base of tribological laboratory tests. An often used method is a gross slip fretting test (cyclic motion) with a ball-on-flat configuration. A meaningful tribological characterisation of coatings at room temperature has to take into account effects of humidity and ball material. The friction and wear behaviour of different carbon based coatings with and without metal doping was investigated at RT in dry, normal and moist air, respectively. Counter bodies were balls of bearing steel and ceramic (Al2O3 and Si3N4). The lowest friction is found for a-C:H and a-C:H:C, metal doped coatings show higher friction and reduced wear resistance. The worst friction and war behaviour is found to be better against 100Cr6 and Al2O3 than against Si3N4.

In spindle-bearing systems capable of high speeds in machine tools the highest demands are made on the surfaces of the running tracks. Running surfaces coated with diamond-like carbon films provide high wear resistance and improve the friction properties. This considerably lengthens the service life of the bearing. The discussion covers introduction; adhesion and emergency running properties; efficiency of DLC films with use of lubricants; DLC-coated gearings; wear; surface fatigue; and summary.

As different tribological tests show the load capacity of pitting and the wear resistance of surfaces in rolling contacts can be clearly improved by using coating technologies. Diamond-like carbon coatings deposited by different CVD- or PVD-processes lead to an increased performance of bearings and gearwheels and therefore to new products in new applications.

Diamond like carbon (DLC) can be used as wear reducing coatings with low friction in various applications. Since carbon is chemical inert, it can be used also in tribo-systems where tribological and corrosive processes usually reduce the life time. Reciprocating sliding tests with stainless steel in different liquid media show the benefit of DLC in comparison to the unlubricated system. The wear is reduced by nearly two orders of magnitude when one of the tribo partners is coated with a-C:H. The friction is reduced to low values (o.1 to 0.2) for all liquid media of investigation. Thus, DLC coatings are candidate for components in systems for chemical, food, and other industries.

Bei hochgeschwindigkeitstauglichen Spindel-Lager-Systemen in Werkzeugmaschinen unterliegen die Laufbahnen hoechsten Beanspruchungen. Das Beschichten der Laufflaechen mit diamantaehnlichem Kohlenstoff (DLC) bietet hohe Verschleissfestigkeit und verbessert die Reibungseigenschaften. Es wurden die DLC-Beschichtungen a-C:H, W-DLC und CrN+W-DLC getestet. Die a-C:H-Schicht stellt man mittels PA-CVD her. Eine W-DLC-Beschichtung erzeugt man mit PVD (Magnetron-Sputtern). Ein Lager mit a-C:H Beschichtung lief 54 h ohne Schmierstoff bis die Lagertemperatur anstieg, waehrend eine normales Lager und gleichen Bedingungen schon nach 2 min zerstoert war. Mit der Beschichtung kann das im SFB 442 entwickelte biologisch leicht abbaubare Schmiermittel ohne Additive eingesetzt werden. Die geringeren Schmiereigenschaften werden durch die Beschichtung kompensiert. Auch die Beschichtung von Zahnflanken von Zahnraedern in Getrieben mit dem DLC verbessert deren Belastbarkeit und Haltbarkeit erheblich. Dies wurden mit dem Fresstest nach DIN 52354 Teil 2 und einem Pittingtest nachgewiesen. Die UEbertemperaturen sind bei den beschichteten Zahnraedern bei gleichen Geschwindigkeiten wesentlich niedriger. Auch die Oberflaechenermuedung, die mit dem Pittingtest bestimmt wurde, tritt erst nach wesentlich laengeren Zeiten ein. Die Untersuchungen wurden im Rahmen des SFB 442 'Umweltvertraegliche Tribosysteme durch geeignete Werkstoffverbunde und Zwischenstoffe am Beispiel der Werkzeugmaschine' ausgefuehrt.

Interfaces and grain boundaries in [001]-oriented diamond films deposited on silicon (001) by chemical vapor deposition has been investigated in plan-view and cross-section samples by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The different interface structures and orientation relationships between diamond films and silicon substrates, Si$_{1-x}$C$_{x}$-buffer layers, $\beta$-silicon carbide interlayers and substrates are shown. Interfaces with a direct coupling of the lattice planes are observed with an average matching of either three diamond to two silicon lattice planes or five diamond to four silicon carbide lattice planes. The interfaces are analyzed by the use of a near coincidence-site lattice model. Smallangle and {l11}-faceted large-angle grain boundaries are formed during columnar growth of the diamond grains. Small-angle grain boundaries in 10 $\mu$m thick diamond films are shown in high-resolution micrographs in the [001]-zone axis and can be described by the dislocation model. The presence of boron in the gas phase was found to enhance the step-flow lateral grain growth and leads to the formation of sm all-angle grain boundaries. As a result, the degree of orientational perfection of the diamond films is improved. A model is proposed for the formation of the interfaces in the early stages of the diamond film deposition. The use of Si$_{1-x}$C$_{x}$-buffer layers for the diamond heteroepitaxy is discussed and the structures of the interfaces and of the grain boundaries are analyzed.