Deployment abroad is associated with a high frequency of traumatic experiences and a two- to fourfold elevation of the risk of PTSD. Each year, about 300 cases of PTSD develop for every 10 000 soldiers who return to Germany; thus, the cumulative number of returnees with PTSD from the beginning of German deployment abroad may currently run into the thousands. 45% of all PTSD cases, or about one in two, are neither diagnosed nor treated. Deployment abroad also substantially increases the risk of developing a number of other mental disorders.

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The aim of this 3-year field study was to assess the value of partial substitution of sucrose with peroral xylitol (14-20 g/day) as a caries-preventive measure (X group) in comparison with systemic administration of fluoride (F group) and restorative treatment procedures solely (C group). An F dentifrice was used unsupervised in the X and F groups, the former containing 10% xylitol. The C group used customary, predominantly F-free dentifrices distributed by the local health authorities. The final material consisted of 689 institutionalized children (6-11 years). Caries was scored yearly in duplicate by two continuously calibrated teams. At base line the X group had a significantly higher caries prevalence than the F and C groups. The 3-year DMFS increment was 4.2 in the X group, 6.5 in the F group, and 7.7 in the C group. The corresponding ratio (RS) between caries incidence and the tooth surface population at risk was RSx, 4.9; RSF, 6.6; and RSC, 8.6. It is concluded that dietary xylitol in solid sweets resulted in a lower increment of caries than obtained in the F and C groups (p less than 0.001, covariance analysis, with base-line prevalence, number of permanent teeth, and visible plaque index as covariants).

Interest in the analysis and detection of triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and other organic peroxides has increased in recent years. Also of interest is the degradation and decomposition of the peroxides, not only to gain more detailed chemical information from organic peroxide samples, but also to investigate possible new procedures or mechanisms for chemical neutralisation. This report investigates the chemical degradation products of TATP after it has been treated with different acids within a sealed system over a period of 14 days. The samples were collected and analysed by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and direct liquid injection gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results of the experiments indicate that the rate of chemical degradation of TATP and the products formed are dependent on the type of acid. The observed differences enables the type of acid used in the degradation process to be determined, provide complementary information to identify the presence of TATP, and possibly indicate new pathways that may be used to chemically neutralise TATP.