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Introduction: The lying and rumination behavior of dairy cows is internationally used as an animal welfare indicator. Dairy cow housing in Switzerland is subordinated to detailed legal requirements. It is particularly described that the lying area for cows must be covered with a sufficient amount of bedding. In the current study, we investigated whether bedding depth influences the lying and rumination behavior and thus, the animal welfare of healthy dairy cows housed in tie stalls. Bedding depth was categorized as ≤ 2 cm and > 2 cm. The lying and rumination behavior of 145 cows from 33 farms was recorded and analyzed considering farm effects; 105 cows were housed on ≤ 2 cm bedding, and 40 cows on > 2 cm bedding. Cows on > 2 cm bedding had on average a one hour longer daily lying time compared with cows on ≤ 2 cm bedding (mixed-effects linear regression: mean difference [cows on > 2 cm bedding - cows on ≤ 2 cm bedding] = 60,7 min/d; standard error = 28,6 min/d; p-value = 0,037). The odds of a cow to lie while ruminating were significantly higher in cows on > 2 cm bedding against cows on ≤ 2 cm bedding (mixed-effects logistic regression: Odds ratio = 1,27; CI95% [1,17-1,38]; p-value  2 cm can make a significant difference in the lying and rumination behavior of healthy dairy cows housed in tie stalls. Consequently, the animal welfare of dairy cows in tie stalls is improved by providing at least 2 cm of bedding.

As a result of decentralized and non-harmonized documentation of poisoning cases within Germany, in comparison to other countries (e.g. the USA, Switzerland, Sweden, and the Netherlands), there is a substantial lack of harmonized national data, in particular for the early detection and risk assessment at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).The establishment of a national monitoring system for poisonings in Germany is therefore an important step towards enabling faster and more efficient technical access to consolidated accumulated national poisoning data. Additionally, the monitoring would consolidate the publication of annual reports (modelled on the USA National Poison Data System reports) of the German Poison Information Centres and the BfR. Timely assessment of poisoning cases enables fast recognition and confirmation of acute as well as previously unrecognized poisoning hazards. Also relevant here is the safety of products and the associated protection, especially of children, against poisoning accidents.The continuous monitoring and reporting requirements of such a system necessitate additional and challenging work, suitable human resources and IT infrastructure and an annual budget that must be taken into consideration for overall as well as financial planning.

Objective: Studies investigating the frequency of psychoeducation in depression for patients and their family members in hospital settings and assessing how psychoeducation is offered are lacking., Methods: Two postal surveys were done five years apart addressing these questions to the heads of all psychiatric hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland., Results: 67 % of the participating hospitals offered psychoeducation in depression. 60 % of the patients treated in the hospitals participated in psychoeducation groups, whereas only 13 % of the family members did. In the mean, a single psychoeducational session lasted for 61 minutes (SD = 14), took place 1.4-times per week (SD = 0.5) and there were 7.4 sessions (SD = 2.8). 56 % of the moderators of the psychoeducational groups used a published manual for conducting the groups., Conclusion: The frequency of offering psychoeducation in depression for patients is almost comparable to that in schizophrenia. However, there is still room for improvement, especially when it comes to family psychoeducation in depression where all efforts need to be done to increase the number of groups offered in order to inform more families and help them coping with depression., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The precondition for introducing medical products, e.g. new filling materials, in the European Union is their safety, not their clinical reliability. The latter arises from longitudinal studies and is assessed on the basis of available standards or, if not existant, on formulated quality guidelines. In the case of the specific products Ariston Liner and Ariston pHc (Vivadent, Schaan, FL), designed as an amalgam substitute, the material combination did not correspond to the Swiss standard 2 of restorative dentistry. Although after a short-term application testing on caries free premolars the pulp and dentin were free from inflammation and bacteria, the material combination clinically failed within the 18 months control period with a cumulative failure rate of 16.1% due to marginal caries. After six months of function the subjectively assessed sensitivity tended to increase. Gap formations and porous zones were detected in the composite-tooth-interface in vitro as well as in vivo. Neither the lining, designed to ensure the passage of cations and anions out of the filling material, nor the concept of an adequate caries protective effect proved successful. Marginal caries and hypersensitivity of teeth were the main reasons for the replacement of this amalgam substitute. The specific material combination was withdrawn from the market. As long as laboratory methods cannot substitute clinical evaluations, the introduction of new materials or systems into the market should be supported by short-term clinical studies and the further quality assessment should result from intermediate to long-term longitudinal studies. In this respect guidelines are valuable, such as the Swiss guidelines concerning materials as amalgam substitute.

Aim: The paper is aimed at investigating what the actual topics of social-psychiatric research in German speaking countries are., Method: German and international journals covering psychiatry and adjacent disciplines were screened for articles dealing with social-psychiatric topics. All in all, 426 relevant articles were identified and subjected to a content analysis., Result: Almost one third of all articles was dealing with research on mental health services. Another research area that was strongly represented was epidemiology. By contrast, articles devoted to the study of psycho-social causes of mental disorders and psycho-social determinants of its course were rather rare., Discussion: Possible reasons for the observed trends in social-psychiatric research are discussed. Potential risks for social psychiatry resulting from a too one-sided emphasis on health service research are pointed out.