The Effect of Interpersonal Psychotherapy and other Psychodynamic Therapies versus ‘Treatment as Usual’ in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder afflicts an estimated 17% of individuals during their lifetimes at tremendous suffering and costs. Interpersonal psychotherapy and other psychodynamic therapies may be effective interventions for major depressive disorder, but the effects have only had limited assessment in systematic reviews.Cochrane systematic review methodology with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomized trials comparing the effect of psychodynamic therapies versus ‘treatment as usual’ for major depressive disorder. To be included the participants had to be older than 17 years with a primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Altogether, we included six trials randomizing a total of 648 participants. Five trials assessed ‘interpersonal psychotherapy’ and only one trial assessed ‘psychodynamic psychotherapy’. All six trials had high risk of bias. Meta-analysis on all six trials showed that the psychodynamic interventions significantly reduced depressive symptoms on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (mean difference −3.12 (95% confidence interval −4.39 to −1.86;P<0.00001), no heterogeneity) compared with ‘treatment as usual’. Trial sequential analysis confirmed this result.We did not find convincing evidence supporting or refuting the effect of interpersonal psychotherapy or psychodynamic therapy compared with ‘treatment as usual’ for patients with major depressive disorder. The potential beneficial effect seems small and effects on major outcomes are unknown. Randomized trials with low risk of systematic errors and low risk of random errors are needed

Neue energiesparende Pumpenantriebe fuer Solaranlagen und Heizungstechnik. Phase B Abschlussbericht

The project investigated whether the established 'wet rotor technology' can be used with a different type of motor - the EC motor -, which has a higher efficiency. This necessitated investigations of fundamental physical problems of life, quality, corrosion and vibration characteristics. Further criteria of assessment were acceptance by the customers, process integration, and production cost. Prototypes of 10 - 1000 W were developed which consume about half as much electric power than current serially produced pumps of the same hydraulic capacity.Es war das Ziel dieses Forschungsvorhabens (Phase A und Phase B), das vom Bundesministerium fuer Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi) gefoerdert wurde, energie-effiziente Pumpen zu entwickeln, die in Zuverlaessigkeit und Geraeuscharmut den heute gefertigten Spaltrohrpumpen nicht nachstehen sollen. Untersucht wurde, ob sich die bewaehrte ''Nasslaeufertechnologie'' mit einem anderen Motortyp - dem elektronisch kommutierten Motor mit Permanentmagnet-Rotor auch EC-Motor genannt - realisieren laesst, der einen deutlich hoeheren Wirkungsgrad aufweist. Dabei waren grundlegende physikalische Fragen hinsichtlich Lebensdauer, Qualitaet, Korrosions- und Schwingungsverhalten zu klaeren. Zu den weiteren Bewertungskriterien gehoerten Kundenakzeptanz, Prozessfaehigkeit und Herstellkosten. Die bei den Forschungsvorhaben entwickelten Prototypen im Leistungsbereich von 10 W bis 1.000 W weisen gegenueber den heutigen Serienpumpen bei gleicher hydraulischer Leistung einen nahezu halbierten elektrischen Leistungsbedarf auf. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F03B392 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, Berlin (Germany)DEGerman

Isolation of an n-alkylated benzylamine derivative from Pseudomonas putida BTP1 as elicitor of induced systemic resistance in bean

Root treatment of Phaseolus vulgaris with the nonpathogenic Pseudomonas putida BTP1 led to significant reduction of the disease caused by the pathogen Botrytis cinerea on leaves. The molecular determinant of P putida BTP1 mainly responsible for the induced systemic resistance (ISR) was isolated from cell-free culture fluid after growth of the strain in the iron-poor casamino acid medium. Mass spectrometry analyses performed on both the bacterial product and synthetic analogues revealed a polyalkylated benzylamine structure, with the quaternary ammonium substituted by methyl, ethyl, and C-13 aliphatic groups responsible for the relative hydrophobicity of the molecule. The specific involvement of the N-alkylated benzylamine derivative (NABD) in ISR elicitation was first evidenced by testing the purified compound that mimicked the protective effect afforded by crude supernatant samples. The evidence was supported by the loss of elicitor activity of mutants impaired in NABD biosynthesis. Our experiments also showed that other iron-regulated metabolites secreted by the strain are not involved in ISR stimulation. Thus, these results indicate a wider variety of Pseudomonas determinants for ISR than reported to date