Emigration als Herausforderung für Prozesse der Einbindung und Ablösung in Kindheit und Jugend: Eine Studie zu Identitätskonstruktionen von aus dem nationalsozialistischen Deutschland emigrierten Kindern und Jugendlichen

Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Untersuchung der Bedeutung des lebensgeschichtlichen Ereignisses (erzwungener) Emigration aus Deutschland zur Zeit des Nationalsozialismus für die Identitätsentwicklung von Kindern und Jugendlichen. Anhand der objektiv hermeneutischen Analyse und Interpretation lebensgeschichtlicher Interviews, objektiver Daten sowie z.T. weiterer (auto-)biographischer Materialien dreier Personen, die als Kinder in die USA emigrierten, wurde vor allem der Frage nachgegangen, welche Zusammenhänge herstellbar sind zwischen entwicklungsmäßig gewissermaßen ‚vorprogrammierten‘ Krisen der Bindung und Ablösung im Sozialisationsprozess und dem Ereignis Emigration als fallübergreifend vorliegender Besonderheit im Sinne eines potentiell traumatischen Krisenereignisses. Das zentrale Interesse bestand in der Rekonstruktion unterschiedlicher biographisch wirksamer Habitus der Krisenbewältigung. In heuristischer Absicht wurde dabei einerseits angeknüpft an das soziologisch strukturtheoretische Modell Ulrich Oevermanns von Sozialisation als Prozess der Krisenbewältigung, andererseits an Robert Kegans entwicklungspsychologisches Konzept der Entwicklung des Selbst in einbindenden Kulturen. Im Zuge der Fallrekonstruktionen ließen sich erstens von Fall zu Fall unterschiedliche Perspektiven auf die Erfahrung der Emigration herausarbeiten sowie zweitens jeweils spezifische Haltungen im Umgang mit (wie bewusst auch immer als solche wahrgenommenen) Entscheidungskrisen der Lebensgestaltung, also eine je eigene Form des Umgangs mit der für die menschliche Lebenspraxis konstitutiven widersprüchlichen Einheit von Entscheidungszwang und Begründungsverpflichtung. Die Ergebnisse verweisen zum einen auf den großen Einfluss familialer Sozialisation auf die Entwicklung, zeigen zum anderen aber auch die Bedeutsamkeit kultureller Einbindungsmöglichkeiten über die Lebensspanne auf. Sie bieten damit eine empirische Fundierung der Synthese des Oevermannschen und des Keganschen Modells.

Metabolic control of type 1 diabetic patients followed at the University Children's Hospital in Berne: Have we reached the goal?

In type 1 diabetes (T1DM), a good metabolic control is important to reduce and/or postpone complications. Guidelines regarding how to achieve this goal are published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the International Society of Paediatric and Adolescence Diabetes (ISPAD). The aims of this study were to determine the current level of metabolic control in T1DM patients on different treatment regimens, followed at the diabetes outpatient unit of the University Children's Hospital Bern, Switzerland, and to compare it with both the reported data from ten years ago (1998) and with the current guidelines of the ADA and ISPAD.

From nature versus nurture, via nature and nurture, to gene x environment interaction in mental disorders

It is now generally accepted that complex mental disorders are the results of interplay between genetic and environmental factors. This holds out the prospect that by studying G x E interplay we can explain individual variation in vulnerability and resilience to environmental hazards in the development of mental disorders. Furthermore studying G x E findings may give insights in neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorder and so improve individualized treatment and potentially prevention. In this paper, we provide an overview of the state of field with regard to G x E in mental disorders. Strategies for G x E research are introduced. G x E findings from selected mental disorders with onset in childhood or adolescence are reviewed [such as depressive disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity, schizophrenia and substance use disorders]. Early seminal studies provided evidence for G x E in the pathogenesis of depression implicating 5-HTTLPR, and conduct problems implicating MAOA. Since then G x E effects have been seen across a wide range of mental disorders (e.g., ADHD, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance abuse disorder) implicating a wide range of measured genes and measured environments (e.g., pre-, peri- and postnatal influences of both a physical and a social nature). To date few of these G x E effects have been sufficiently replicated. Indeed meta-analyses have raised doubts about the robustness of even the most well studied findings. In future we need larger, sufficiently powered studies that include a detailed and sophisticated characterization of both phenotype and the environmental risk.

Friendship as a relationship infiltration tactic during human mate poaching.

Previous research has characterized human mate poaching as a prevalent alternative mating strategy that entails risks and costs typically not present during general romantic courtship and attraction. This study is the first to experimentally investigate friendship between a poacher and his/her target as a risk mitigation tactic. Participants (N = 382) read a vignette that differed by whether the poacher was male/female and whether the poacher and poached were friends/acquaintances. Participants assessed the likelihood of the poacher being successful and incurring costs. They also rated the poacher and poached on several personality and mate characteristics. Results revealed that friendship increased the perceived likelihood of success of a mate poaching attempt and decreased the perceived likelihood of several risks typically associated with mate poaching. However, friend-poachers were rated less favorably than acquaintance-poachers across measures of warmth, nurturance, and friendliness. These findings are interpreted using an evolutionary perspective. This study complements and builds upon previous findings and is the first experimental investigation of tactics poachers may use to mitigate risks inherent in mate poaching.

Friendship as a Relationship Infiltration Tactic during Human Mate Poaching

Previous research has characterized human mate poaching as a prevalent alternative mating strategy that entails risks and costs typically not present during general romantic courtship and attraction. This study is the first to experimentally investigate friendship between a poacher and his/her target as a risk mitigation tactic. Participants (N = 382) read a vignette that differed by whether the poacher was male/female and whether the poacher and poached were friends/acquaintances. Participants assessed the likelihood of the poacher being successful and incurring costs. They also rated the poacher and poached on several personality and mate characteristics. Results revealed that friendship increased the perceived likelihood of success of a mate poaching attempt and decreased the perceived likelihood of several risks typically associated with mate poaching. However, friend-poachers were rated less favorably than acquaintance-poachers across measures of warmth, nurturance, and friendliness. These findings are interpreted using an evolutionary perspective. This study complements and builds upon previous findings and is the first experimental investigation of tactics poachers may use to mitigate risks inherent in mate poaching.

Alveolarization continues during childhood and adolescence: new evidence from helium-3 magnetic resonance

The current hypothesis that human pulmonary alveolarization is complete by 3 years is contradicted by new evidence of alveolarization throughout adolescence in mammals.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) in children and adolescents--a consensus on therapeutic strategies

Hereditary angioedema due to C1 inhibitor (C1 esterase inhibitor) deficiency (types I and II HAE-C1-INH) is a rare disease that usually presents during childhood or adolescence with intermittent episodes of potentially life-threatening angioedema. Diagnosis as early as possible is important to avoid ineffective therapies and to properly treat swelling attacks. At a consensus meeting in June 2011, pediatricians and dermatologists from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland reviewed the currently available literature, including published international consensus recommendations for HAE therapy across all age groups. Published recommendations cannot be unconditionally adopted for pediatric patients in German-speaking countries given the current approval status of HAE drugs. This article provides an overview and discusses drugs available for HAE therapy, their approval status, and study results obtained in adult and pediatric patients. Recommendations for developing appropriate treatment strategies in the management of HAE in pediatric patients in German-speaking countries are provided.Conclusion Currently, plasma-derived C1 inhibitor concentrate is considered the best available option for the treatment of acute HAE-C1-INH attacks in pediatric patients in German-speaking countries, as well as for short-term and long-term prophylaxis.

Friendship As A Relationship Infiltration Tactic During Human Mate Poaching: An Experimental Investigation

Previous research has characterized human mate poaching as a prevalent alternative mating strategy that entails risks and costs typically not present during general romantic courtship and attraction. This study is the first to experimentally investigate friendship between a poacher and poachee as a risk mitigation tactic. Participants (N = 382) read a vignette that differed by whether the poacher was male/female and whether the poacher and poachee were friends/acquaintances. Participants assessed the likelihood of the poacher being successful and incurring costs. They also rated the poacher and poachee on several personality and mate characteristics. Results revealed that friendship increased the perceived likelihood of success of a mate poaching attempt and decreased the perceived likelihood of several risks typically associated with mate poaching. However, friend-poachers were rated less favorably than acquaintance-poachers across measures of warmth, nurturance, and friendliness. These findings are interpreted using an evolutionary perspective. This study complements and builds upon previous findings and is the first experimental investigation of tactics mate poachers may use to mitigate risks inherent in mate poaching.

The Impact of Parental Psychological Control on College Students’ Relational Aggression and Friendship Quality

The present study investigated the relationships between parental psychological control and college students’ relational aggression and friendship quality. Based on previous research, it was expected that parents’ use of psychological control would be associated with students’ increased use of relational aggression with peers and lower friendship quality. Students completed a series of survey measures assessing their mothers’ and fathers’ use of psychological control, behavioral control, and warmth/acceptance. Students also completed a series of survey measures assessing their friendship quality, social skills, relational aggression, self-esteem, and social desirability. The study’s findings revealed that parental psychological control was associated with and predicted students’ increased use of relational aggression with peers. Parental psychological control was also associated with students’ lower friendship quality. However, parents’ use of psychological control did not predict students’ friendship quality after accounting for the influence of students’ personal and peer relationship variables. This finding suggests that characteristics of peer relationships may play a larger role than parenting behaviors in shaping college students’ friendships. The study also found that students who displayed higher levels of relational aggression had lower quality friendships. Other findings revealed that the relationship between parental psychological control and students’ friendship quality can be partially explained by students’ use of relational aggression with peers. Students’ friendship quality can also help to explain the influence of parental psychological control on students’ relational aggression. In addition, the study found that combinations of parenting behaviors were more informative predictors of students’ relational aggression and friendship quality than psychological control alone. Finally, this study revealed the importance of assessing participants’ social desirability when measuring sensitive personal qualities such as relational aggression, friendship quality, and self-esteem. Overall, this study contributes to the field of research on parental psychological control by revealing its effects on college students’ relational aggression and friendship quality.

Parental Divorce in Young Adulthood: Some Preliminary Findings

Developmental differences in reactions to parental divorce have not been examined beyond adolescence, and the impact of divorce on older offspring has thus been minimized. Central themes that emerged from an exploratory study of 18-to-23-year-olds suggest that the break-up of their parents' marriage represents a critical event deserving of further attention from researchers and clinicians.

Childhood Adoption: Long-Term Effects in Adulthood

Clinicians and researchers have characterized early life experiences as permanent and stable influences on the personality and subsequent life experiences of an individual. Recent conceptualizations have suggested that personal and environmental factors influencing development are not deterministic. Multiple pathways into adulthood are possible. Adoption is one potential early life stressor that may illustrate the usefulness of such conceptualizations for assessing long-term effects in adulthood. Previous studies of adoption have characterized the effects of adoption into adolescence and young adulthood. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial assessment of the long-term impact of adoption. The participants were taken from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. From the original sample, we identified a subsample of 60 pairs of twins who were separated and reared apart, with one member being raised by a biological parent or parents and the other by an adoptive parent or parents with no biological relationship. A series of univariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken to assess the elements associated with being reared in either an adoptive home or the home of biological parent(s). The results suggest few significant effects of adoption on the adult adjustment of adoptees. In particular, the results reflect the important mediating role of childhood socioeconomic status, suggesting that the stress of adoption itself is mediated by the type of rearing environment provided by the adoption process.

Fabry's disease: otoneurologic findings in twelve members of one family

Fabry's disease corresponds to an inherited disorder transmitted by an X-linked recessive gene. It generates a dysfunction of glycosphingolipid metabolism due to an enzymatic deficiency of alpha-galactosidase activity, resulting in glycosphingolipid deposits in all areas of the body. The clinical (heart, kidney, and central nervous system) manifestations are more severe in hemizygous boys than in heterozygous girls. They appear during childhood or adolescence: acroparesthesia, joint pain, angiokeratoma, corneal dystrophy, hypohydrosis or anhydrosis, and renal failure. The otoneurologic symptoms consist of hearing fluctuation, progressive unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, and episodes of vertigo or dizziness. Otoneurologic findings in 12 of 26 members of the same family are presented: the mother and 9 of her 12 children, as well as 2 of her 14 grandchildren: 4 healthy persons, 4 heterozygous female carriers, and 4 hemizygous male patients. Three of the male patients had fluctuation of hearing, sudden hearing loss, and episodes of vertigo and dizziness. The otoneurologic examinations showed a bilateral cochleovestibular deficit (n = 1), a right cochleovestibular deficit (n = 1), and a bilateral hearing loss combined with a right vestibular deficit (n = 1). Histopathologic evidence of glycosphingolipid accumulation in vascular endothelial and ganglion cells, as well as atrophy of the stria and spiral ligament, might explain the otoneurologic symptoms and findings.

On the postnatal development of the striate cortex (V1) in the tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri)

Histological serial sections, three-dimensional reconstructions and morphometry served to study the postnatal development of V1 in tree shrews. The main objectives were to evaluate the expansion of V1, the implications of its growth on the occipital cortex and, vice versa, the effects of the expanding neocortex on the topography of V1. The future V1 was identified on postnatal day 1 by its granular layer IV, covering the superior surface of the occipital cortices including the poles. A subdivision of layer IV, distinctive for the binocular part, was evident in the central region. V1 expanded continuously with age into all directions succeeded by the maturation of layering. The monocular part was recognized from day 15 onward, after the binocular part had reached its medial border. In reference to the retinotopic map of V1, regions emerged in a coherent temporo-spatial sequence delineating the retinal topography in a central to peripheral gradient beginning with the visual streak representation. The growth of V1 was greatest until tree shrews open their eyes, culminated during adolescence, and completed after a subsequent decrease in the young adult. Simultaneous expansion of the neocortex induced a shifting of V1. Translation and elongation of V1 entailed that the occipital cortex covered the superior colliculi along with a downward rotation of the poles. The enlargement of the occipital part of the hemispheres was in addition associated with the formation of a small occipital horn in the lateral ventricles, indicating an incipient 'true' occipital lobe harbouring mainly cortices involved in visual functions.

Strengthening of laterality of verbal and visuospatial functions during childhood and adolescence

Cognitive functions in the child's brain develop in the context of complex adaptive processes, determined by genetic and environmental factors. Little is known about the cerebral representation of cognitive functions during development. In particular, knowledge about the development of right hemispheric (RH) functions is scarce. Considering the dynamics of brain development, localization and lateralization of cognitive functions must be expected to change with age. Twenty healthy subjects (8.6-20.5 years) were examined with fMRI and neuropsychological tests. All participants completed two fMRI tasks known to activate left hemispheric (LH) regions (language tasks) and two tasks known to involve predominantly RH areas (visual search tasks). A laterality index (LI) was computed to determine the asymmetry of activation. Group analysis revealed unilateral activation of the LH language circuitry during language tasks while visual search tasks induced a more widespread RH activation pattern in frontal, superior temporal, and occipital areas. Laterality of language increased between the ages of 8-20 in frontal (r = 0.392, P = 0.049) and temporal (r = 0.387, P = 0.051) areas. The asymmetry of visual search functions increased in frontal (r = -0.525, P = 0.009) and parietal (r = -0.439, P = 0.027) regions. A positive correlation was found between Verbal-IQ and the LI during a language task (r = 0.585, P = 0.028), while visuospatial skills correlated with LIs of visual search (r = -0.621, P = 0.018). To summarize, cognitive development is accompanied by changes in the functional representation of neuronal circuitries, with a strengthening of lateralization not only for LH but also for RH functions. Our data show that age and performance, independently, account for the increases of laterality with age.