[Qualifying a broad range of professionals to master the demographic challenge: the Master's course of Gerontology at the University of Applied Sciences in Cottbus]. / Gerüstet für den demografischen Wandel : Gerontologische Qualifikation für viele Berufsfelder durch den Masterstudiengang Gerontologie an der Fachhochschule Lausitz.

Our new five-semester MA course in gerontology has been designed as a programme of continuing education for professionals from various fields being confronted with hitherto unknown challenges by "the greying of societies". While many services are directed to meet the needs of older clients, the elderly also represent a huge potential of various resources indispensable to society. Coming from various fields of study and different positions (mainly management or self-employed), our students engage in an interdisciplinary discourse from the beginning which helps them acquire knowledge and competencies to later deal with the complex tasks requiring interdisciplinary problem solving skills and establish "best practice" models. Universities are expected to engage in continuing education, thus being the places of choice for postgraduate studies in gerontology, which also offer research opportunities. Universities of Applied Sciences, intended to foster regional development, integrate students into applied research projects thereby transferring knowledge and skills to reach out to the community. During the first four semesters, each student enrolled in the MA Gerontology course plans, implements and evaluates a project of his/her own. This ensures the integration of gerontological knowledge and research methods and helps to extend and improve practical skills. We support students by regular coaching and supervision.

Maintenance and rehabilitation of independence in old age: an intervention program for staff.

Research has attested to the prevalence of a "dependency-support" and "independence-ignore" script characterizing the interactions between staff and elderly residents in long-term care institutions. To examine whether the scripts could be modified, a staff training program (focusing on communication skills, knowledge about aging, and basic behavior principles) was implemented in 3 different institutions. Observational data on staff-resident interactions in the context of self-care were collected pre- and postintervention. Findings revealed significant changes for the experimental group. Specifically, a decrease in dependence-supportive behavior of staff and an increase in their independence-supportive behavior, an increase in independent behavior of residents, and an increase in independence-related interaction patterns were demonstrated.

Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders (section F0)--results of the ICD-10 field trial.

The natural history of classification systems for the organic mental disorders from ICD-8 through ICD-10 and DSM-III is presented. Out of a total of 31 cases the 6 with a main diagnosis of the F0-section of ICD-10 are described and field trial results analysed in terms of classification errors, goodness of fit, difficulty, and interrater-reliability. Specific categories (instead of "collective categories") were used more frequently and fewer classification errors made on the basis of ICD-10 as compared with ICD-9. The authors suggest that an operationalized differentiation of dementia as one of the core categories would further increase the reliability and clinical practicability of this section.

In vitro transcription and translation of the psbD gene encoding the D-2 protein of photosystem II in barley.

The plastoquinone-binding polypeptide D-2 of the reaction center complex of photosystem II in barley has been expressed in vitro using the expression vector pGem3 containing the psbD gene of chloroplast DNA as template. The full length D-2 polypeptide with an apparent mol. weight of 32 kD is a major product when mRNA is transcribed with SP6 RNA polymerase from an insert containing the psbD gene with a 36 bp 5' leader sequence and a 3' tail of 99 bp downstream of the stop codon. Translation of the mRNA had to be done in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate. Translation also occurred from the internal AUG codons giving rise to truncated D-2 polypeptides with sizes of 30, 25 and 17 kD. They are immunoprecipitable with antisera either raised against amino acid residues 235 to 241 or against 345 residues of the D-2 polypeptide. A truncated translation product of 12 kD probably initiated at codon 247 is not recognized by either antiserum. An additional immunoprecipitable protein with an apparent molecular weight of 46 kD is observed by SDS-PAGE and is interpreted as a homomeric aggregate of D-2 polypeptides. Upon addition of methanol solubilized 2,6 dichloro-p-benzoquinone or other quinones a preferential translation of the full-length and truncated D-2 polypeptides is observed. The use of in vitro synthesized D-2 polypeptides for studies of binding quinones, other electron carriers and chlorophyll chromophores is discussed.

Primary structure of barley genes encoding quinone and chlorophyll a binding proteins of photosystem II.

The psbA, psbD and psbC genes encoding the quinone binding D-1 and D-2 apoproteins and the 44 kD chlorophyll a-apoprotein 3 have been located in the chloroplast genome of barley. They are found on a 23 kbp SalI restriction endonuclease fragment in the large single copy region of the chloroplast DNA adjacent to the inverted repeat. As in other species the psbD and psbC genes have reading frames which overlap by 53 bp. They are transcribed in the same direction but translated with a frameshift of one nucleotide. Ten amino acid substitutions are found among the 18 N-terminal residues of the D-2 polypeptide if barley, spinach, tobacco, pea and the liverwort Marchantia are compared. Only 8 substitutions are present among the 335 other residues of the D-2 polypeptide. The amino acid residues located in the putative binding site for the special pair reaction center chlorophyll and the residues probably serving as ligands to non-heme iron in the D-1 and D-2 proteins of barley are strictly conserved when compared to those of purple bacteria and of other higher plants. Identity is also observed for the residues of importance in the binding of quinones.

Psychosocial aspects of death and dying in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

An exploratory survey of need and availability of life expectancy information and counseling was conducted among 32 patients who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, 75 parents, and 43 professional health care workers in the muscular dystrophy clinics of the greater Los Angeles area. Regardless of their ages, which ranged from 12 years to 21, the majority of the patients, as well as the majority of the parents, rated life expectancy information and counseling as an important, but relatively unmet, need. Professionals perceived these services as more available than did the patients and their parents. Implications for intervention include restructuring psychosocial services for the entire family and providing a network of liaison services to assist the family as the disease progresses.