Economics of Marital Instability

This paper focuses on the causes of divorce. Section I developsa theoretical analysis of marital dissolution incorporating uncertaintyabout the outcomes of marital decisions into a framework of utilitymaximization and the marriage market. Section II explores the implica-tions of the theoretical analysis with cross-sectional data,primarilythe 1967 Survey of Economic Opportunity and the Terman sample. Therelevance of both the theoretical and empirical analyses in explainingthe recent acceleration in the U.S. divorce rate is discussed.

Telerehabilitation for aphasia – protocol of a pragmatic, exploratory, pilot randomized controlled trial

Background The Cochrane review on the effectiveness of speech and language therapy for aphasia following stroke suggests intensity of therapy is a key predictor for outcome. Current aphasia services cannot provide intervention at the intensity observed within trial contexts because of resource limitations. Telerehabilitation could widen access to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in geographically remote contexts and reduce the time spent on travel by the therapist and patient. The current academic literature within this field is in its infancy, with few trials of speech and language therapy (SLT) delivered by videoconference. Our pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will explore feasibility aspects and effectiveness of telerehabilitation for aphasia in addition to standard SLT. Method/design Our study is a pragmatic, exploratory, pilot randomized controlled trial, where participants will be randomized to a telerehabilitation group or a control group. Both groups receive standard SLT (usual care) but the telerehabilitation group receives an additional 5 h of telerehabilitation per week over 4 weeks through videoconference. This additional telerehabilitation focuses on spoken language with an emphasis on word naming. We aim to include 40 patients in each group, with inclusion criteria being aphasia any time post stroke. Participants will be assessed blindly at pre-randomization (baseline), and 4 weeks and 4 months after randomization. The primary endpoint is naming ability 3 months after the completed intervention, measured by the Norwegian Basic Aphasia Assessment (NGA) naming subtest. Secondary endpoints include other subtests of the NGA, the VAST (Verb and Sentence Test) subtest sentence production, Communicative Effectiveness Index (CETI) and the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life scale (SAQOL-39). Experiences of patients and SLPs with telerehabilitation are assessed using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Statistical between group comparisons will be in line with an intention-to-treat analysis. Discussion This pilot RCT of intensive language training by videoconference will contribute new scientific evidence to the field of aphasia telerehabilitation. Here, we describe our trial which will explore the feasibility of telerehabilitation for aphasia as an intervention, our choice of primary and secondary outcome measures and proposed analyses. Our trial will provide information for the development and delivery of future definitive RCTs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02768922 . Registered on 11 May 2016. Last updated on 17 November 2017

Mediators and Cytokines in Persistent Allergic Rhinitis and Nonallergic Rhinitis with Eosinophilia Syndrome

Background: Patients with nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia syndrome (NARES) show typical symptoms of persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR). The aim of the present study was to compare nasal cytokine patterns between NARES and PAR. Methods: Nasal secretions of 31 patients suffering from NARES, 20 patients with PAR to house dust mite and 21 healthy controls were collected using the cotton wool method and analyzed for interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1 beta) by Bio-Plex Cytokine Assay as well as eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and tryptase by UniCAP-FEIA. Results: NARES and PAR presented elevated levels of tryptase, while ECP was markedly increased solely in NARES compared to both the controls and PAR. Elevated levels of IL-1 beta, IL-17, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and MCP-1 were found in NARES compared to the controls as well as PAR. MIP-1 beta was elevated in NARES and PAR, while IL-4, IL-6 and G-CSF showed increased levels in NARES, and IL-5 was elevated in PAR only. Conclusions: In patients with NARES and PAR, eosinophils and mast cells appear to be the pivotal cells of inflammation, reflected by high levels of tryptase and ECP as well as IL-5 and GM-CSF as factors for eosinophil migration and survival. The elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines in NARES may indicate the chronic, self-perpetuating process of inflammation in NARES which seems to be more pronounced than in PAR. IL-17 might be a factor for neutrophilic infiltration or be responsible for remodeling processes in NARES. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

How did the beginnings of the global COVID-19 pandemic affect mental well-being?

The present study aims to investigate longitudinal changes in mental well-being as well as the role of individual differences in personality traits (Big Five) and the level of Personality Organisation during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Overall, 272 adults (Mage= 36.94, SDage= 16.46; 68.62% female, 23.45% male, 0.69% non-binary) took part in our study with four weekly surveys during the lockdown as well as a follow-up one month after restrictions were lifted. To analyse the development of mental well-being during and shortly after the first lockdown in Germany latent growth curve models (LGCM) were calculated. The considered facets of well-being differ by their trajectory. Additionally, results suggest that the lockdown did not affect all facets to the same extent. While Life Satisfaction decreases in the short term as a reaction to the lockdown, Stress and Psychological Strain were reduced after the second week of contact restrictions. When adding personality characteristics, our results showed that Neuroticism and Conscientiousness were the two dimensions associated most strongly with SWB during the first month of the pandemic. Thus, our research suggests that personality traits should be considered when analysing mental well-being

EXPRESSION OF A FUNCTIONAL CHIMERIC lg-MHC CLASS II PROTEIN

composed of the a- and ß-chains of the MHC class I1 I-E molecule fused to antibody V regions derived from anti-human CD4 mAb MT310. Expression vectors were constructed containing the functional, rearranged gene segments coding for the V region domains of the antibody H and L chains in place of the first domains of the complete structural genes of the I-E a- and ß-chains, respectively. Celltsr ansfected with both hybrid genes expressed a stable protein product on the cell surface. The chimeric molecule exhibited the idiotype of the antibody MT310 as shown by binding to the anti-idiotypic mAb 20-46. A protein of the anticipated molecular mass was immunoprecipitated witha nti-mouse IgG antiserum. Furthermore, human soluble CD4 did bind to thetr ansfected cell line, demonstrating that the chimeric protein possessed the binding capacity of the original mAb. Thus, the hybrid molecule retained: 1) the properties of a MHC class I1 protein with regardt o correct chain assembly and transport to the cell surface: as well as 2) the Ag binding capacity of the antibody genes used. Thgee neration of hybrid MHC class I1 molecules with highly specific, non-MHC-restricted bindingc apacities will be useful for studying MHC class 11-mediated effector functions such as selection of the T cell repertoire in thymus of transgenic mice

The Sol-gel process for nano-technologies : new nanocomposites with interesting optical and mechanical properties

Various nanocomposite systems have been synthesized by sol-gel routes. For this reason, prefabricated nanoparticles (SiO2 sols or boehmite powder) have been dispersed after surface modification in sol-gel-derived organically modified or polymeric ligand matrices. In all cases, a significant effect on dispersibility by surface modification could be observed. After curing, the mechanical or optical properties depend strongly on the dispersion and surface modification. Using these results, composites to be used in chip coupling and as hard coatings on polycarbonate and CR 39 have been developed

ForDigitStress: presentation and evaluation of a new laboratory stressor using a digital job interview-scenario

IntroductionSince the COVID-19 pandemic, working environments and private lives have changed dramatically. Digital technologies and media have become more and more important and have found their way into nearly all private and work environments. Communication situations have been largely relocated to virtual spaces. One of these scenarios is digital job interviews. Job interviews are usually—also in the non-digital world—perceived as stressful and associated with biological stress responses. We here present and evaluate a newly developed laboratory stressor that is based on a digital job interview-scenario.MethodsN = 45 healthy people participated in the study (64.4% female; mean age: 23.2 ± 3.6 years; mean body mass index = 22.8 ± 4.0 kg/m2). Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and cortisol were assessed as measures for biological stress responses. Furthermore, perceived stress was rated at the time points of the saliva samplings. The job interviews lasted between 20 and 25 min. All materials, including instructions for the experimenter (i.e., the job interviewer) and the data set used for statistical analysis, as well as a multimodal data set, which includes further measures, are publicly available.ResultsTypical subjective and biological stress-response patterns were found, with peak sAA and perceived stress levels observed immediately after the job interviews and peak cortisol concentrations 5 min afterwards. Female participants experienced the scenario as more stressful than male participants. Cortisol peaks were higher for participants who experienced the situation as a threat in comparison to participants who experienced it as a challenge. Associations between the strength of the stress response with further person characteristics and psychological variables such as BMI, age, coping styles, and personality were not found.DiscussionOverall, our method is well-suited to induce biological and perceived stress, mostly independent of person characteristics and psychological variables. The setting is naturalistic and easily implementable in standardized laboratory settings

Homo faber disabilis?

Auch unter dem Einfluss der UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention bleibt die Ermöglichung beruflicher Teilhabe von Menschen mit Behinderungen eine zentrale soziale Aufgabe. Die im Band enthaltenen Beiträge greifen die Ambivalenzen auf, die sich aus den vorrangigen Zielen der Teilhabe am Erwerbsleben ergeben: das eigenständige Bestreiten des Lebensunterhalts mit dem daraus nicht zuletzt resultierenden gesamtgesellschaftlichen Nutzen einerseits und die mit Erwerbstätigkeit verbundene soziale Begegnung, das heißt Selbstbestätigung und Anerkennung andererseits. Diese Ambivalenzen werden entlang allen Stufen des Erwerbsprozesses – von der Qualifizierung über die Einstellung und das laufende Arbeitsverhältnis bis hin zur Entlassung – in einen multidisziplinären Kontext gestellt. Mit Beiträgen von: Alfons Adam, Konzern- und Gesamtschwerbehindertenvertretung bei der Daimler AG, Werk Bremen Jun.-Prof. Dr. Minou Banafsche, Fachgebiet für Sozialrecht am Institut für Sozialwesen des Fachbereichs Humanwissenschaften der Universität Kassel Prof. Dr. Iris Beck, Lehrstuhl für Erziehungswissenschaft unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Behindertenpädagogik, Schwerpunkt Allgemeine Behindertenpädagogik und Soziologie an der Fakultät für Erziehungswissenschaft der Universität Hamburg Prof. Dr. Ulrich Becker, L.L.M. (EHI), Direktor am Max-Planck-Institut für Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik und Professor an der Juristischen Fakultät der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München Anke Berger, Richterin am Bundesarbeitsgericht, Erfurt Prof. Dr. Olaf Deinert, Lehrstuhl für Bürgerliches Recht, Arbeits- und Sozialrecht an der Juristischen Fakultät der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Regierungsrat Andreas Heilek, Zentrum Bayern Familie und Soziales – Integrationsamt, Nürnberg Rechtsanwalt Andreas Melzer, Siemens AG, München Prof. Dr. Katja Nebe, Lehrstuhl für Bürgerliches Recht, Arbeitsrecht und Recht der Sozialen Sicherheit an der Juristischen und Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg Jens Nitschke, Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Nürnberg Dr. Katja Robinson, Geschäftsführerin der Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Berufsbildungswerke e. V., Berlin Jürgen Rodewald, Deutsche Rentenversicherung Braunschweig-Hannover, Laatzen Oswald Utz, Behindertenbeauftragter der Landeshauptstadt München Prof. em. Dr. Wilhelm Vossenkuhl, Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Wacker, Lehrstuhl für Diversitätssoziologie an der Fakultät für Sport- und Gesundheitswissenschaft der TUM und Max Planck Fellow am Max-Planck-Institut für Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik, München Prof. Dr. Felix Welti, Fachgebiet für Sozialrecht der Rehabilitation und Recht der behinderten Menschen am Institut für Sozialwesen des Fachbereichs Humanwissenschaften der Universität Kasse