[Systemic sclerosis]. / Systemische Sklerose.

BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a very heterogeneous, chronic, rare, but socioeconomically important disease with a severe disease course and severe impairment of the quality of life of affected patients. OBJECTIVES: Overview of the current state of research on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy of SSc. METHODS: A literature search was performed. RESULTS: The pathogenesis of SSc is not fully understood. ACR/EULAR criteria allow the diagnosis of early forms of SSc. Classification into limited cutaneous SSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc is of prognostic and therapeutic relevance. New organ-specific treatment options for SSc have led to improved quality of life and prognosis.

Mental health care reform in The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the major changes in mental health care for adults in the Netherlands during the past 25 years. METHOD: Scientific literature and official documents. RESULTS: Phases of the reform process are the integration of ambulatory services in the early 1980s and the following implementation of community mental health centres (RIAGGs); the differentiation and extramuralization of mental hospitals; the differentiation within the field of living accommodations; and the final fusion process between these three into integrated regional mental health care organizations. Current issues in the development of services are, e.g. the ever growing demand for mental health care, special programmes for defined target populations, legislation and patient rights, rehabilitation and empowerment. CONCLUSION: The Dutch mental health care system has a low threshold and a comparatively good quality. There is a long-lasting and strong influence of user and family organizations on the content and quality of services. Recently important organizational changes are taking place.

Microanalysis of plant mitochondrial protein synthesis products: : Detection of variant polypeptides associated with cytoplasmic male sterility.

A mitochondrial fraction obtained from 0.5 g of leaves was purified on a 0.75 ml Percoll gradient and used for an in vitro mitochondrial protein synthesis assay in the presence of [(35)S] methionine. A set of 15 to 20 labeled polypeptides were revealed by autoradiography after sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This could be applied at an early growth stage by using a few leaves from individual seedlings. It revealed the presence of variant mitochondrially translated polypeptides in green leaves of cytoplasmic male sterile lines from various cultivated plants of large economic importance: maize, wheat, sugar beet, tobacco and faba bean. This non-destructive microanalysis is thus of general use and opens new possibilities for rapid and large mass screening of mitochondrial parameters such as male sterility.