Behavioral and emotional problems reported by parents for ages 6 to 17 in a Swiss epidemiological study

In an epidemiological sample of children aged 6 to 17 a total of 1964 parents responded to the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL). A subgroup of 399 parents were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC). The mean syndrome scale scores in the various sex/age groups were in the lower range of several international studies using the CBCL. Effect analyses revealed sex to be more important than nationality (indigenous vs. immigrant) and age. All effects had to be considered as being small. Convergence between syndrome scales of the CBCL and interview-derived DSMIII-R diagnoses was good for three major groups of disorder

Revision and Update of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan's Streams Campaign: Final Report

We used new and existing information to revise and update the Streams Campaign of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan (IWAP). The draft produced is organized around six focalthemes and contains newly articulated goals developed with the assistance of the Streams Campaign Steering Committee. The draft includes sections describing the current status of aquatic habitats, stressors and threats to wildlife and habitats, focal species (selected to act as ecological indicators for effectiveness monitoring), focal areas, and conservation actions. We have also conducted a broad scale priority watershed analysis that identifies areas for protection and enhancement based on their bio logical richness and relative anthropogenic disturbance. Finally, we have identified potential performance measures for each of the Streams Campaign Implementation Goals.IDNR State Wildlife Grant Program Project Number T-97-R-001unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Hierarchical Framework for Wadeable Stream Management and Conservation: Final Report

This project produced a series of attributed GIS feature classes that describe nested classification units consisting of Ecological Drainage Units and Aquatic Ecological Systems that can be used for conservation and management planning for stream systems at a variety of landscape scales. Valley Segment Types were also developed for the 1:100,000 scale GIS that was available when the project was started but have not yet been redeveloped for the finer scale system (1:24,000). We also examined existing Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) Natural Community Types (NCT), and Subtypes, associated with streams and identified areas that meet the physical descriptions of these NCTs based on stream size and gradient. We discuss the identification of natural features in terrestrial and stream systems within the initial development of the INAI and how this lead to differences in their evaluation and separation into different Categories (Category I: High Quality Natural Communities; Category VII: Outstanding Aquatic Features). An approach for defining and evaluating natural features for stream systems that is more similar to that used for terrestrial NCTs is presented. Information from recent and historical surveys of fish, mussels, and other invertebrate taxa was assembled for use in identifying potential Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) sites using existing criteria for streams. We identified stream reaches that contained current element of occurrence records for Illinois Endangered and Threatened fish and mussels including those that were not currently listed on the INAI that may qualify as Category II sites (Specific Suitable Habitat of Endangered and Threatened Species) and give recommendations for their further evaluation. These data were also used to identify stream reaches that may qualify for the INAI as Category VI (Unusual Concentration of Flora and Fauna). Additional guidance is provided for implementation of existing criteria that use mussel species richness, the mussel classification index, and the fish index of biotic integrity as criteria for qualifying as Category VI INAI sites.Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Natural HeritageIllinois Department of Natural Resources, State Wildlife Initiative Grants Program T-75-R-001unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Hierarchical Framework for Wadeable Stream Management and Conservation: Annual Report 2014

Work focused on integrating existing da ta for bio logi cal assemblage s with new GIS infrastruc ture and existing classificat ion efforts within Illinois (e.g., National Fish Habitat Partnership [Esselman et al. 2011]; Upper Mississippi River Basin Assessment [Khoury et al. 2011]). Updated fish and mussel data were prepa red for application within Ecological Drainage Unit s (EDU) and summarization with Aquatic Ecologi cal System (AES) being developed during this reporting pe riod. We have also incorporated an expa nded taxonomic resolut ion by adding informat ion from the Illinois Natural History Sur vey (INHS) collections database, and IEPA macroinvertebrate surveys for aquatic macroinvertebrates (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera or collectively EPT) throughout Illinois.Work on this project was mainly conduc ted by one part time research scientist for the majority of the reporting period due to delays in obtaining completed summarizes for the IDNR update GIS infrastructure. While EDU, AES, and VSTs were initially developed using the previous version their integration wit h the new system has been more difficult than anticipated and effectively delayed work on defining Natural Community Types (Job 5) which requires their use. This project will produce attributed GIS feature classes that describe a series of nested classification units that can be used for conservation and management planning for stream systems at a variety of landscape scales. A request for a second one year no-cost extension was accepted for the project during this reporting period.Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois State Wildlife Grant T-75-R-001unpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Spin-filter effect of the europium chalcogenides: An exactly solved many-body model

A model Hamiltonian is introduced which considers the main features of the experimental spin filter situation as s-f interaction, planar geometry and the strong external electric field. The proposed many-body model can be solved analytically and exactly using Green functions. The spin polarization of the field-emitted electrons is expressed in terms of spin-flip probabilities, which on their part are put down to the exactly known dynamic quantities of the system. The calculated electron spin polarization shows remarkable dependencies on the electron velocity perpendicular to the emitting plane and the strength of s-f coupling. Experimentally observed polarization values of about 90% are well understood within the framework of the proposed model.Comment: accepted (Physical Review B); 10 pages, 11 figures; http://orion.physik.hu-berlin.de

Frequency, course and correlates of alcohol use from adolescence to young adulthood in a Swiss community survey

BACKGROUND: Few studies have analyzed the frequency of alcohol use across time from adolescence to young adulthood and its outcome in young adulthood. A Swiss longitudinal multilevel assessment project using various measures of psychopathology and psychosocial variables allowed for the study of the frequency and correlates of alcohol use so that this developmental trajectory may be better understood. METHOD: Alcohol use was studied by a questionnaire in a cohort of N = 593 subjects who had been assessed at three times between adolescence and young adulthood within the Zurich Psychology and Psychopathology Study (ZAPPS). Other assessment included questionnaire data measuring emotional and behavioural problems, life events, coping style, self-related cognitions, perceived parenting style and school environment, and size and efficiency of the social network. RESULTS: The increase of alcohol use from early adolescence to young adulthood showed only a few sex-specific differences in terms of the amount of alcohol consumption and the motives to drink. In late adolescence and young adulthood, males had a higher amount of alcohol consumption and were more frequently looking for drunkenness and feeling high. Males also experienced more negative consequences of alcohol use. A subgroup of heavy or problem drinkers showed a large range of emotional and behavioural problems and further indicators of impaired psychosocial functioning both in late adolescence and young adulthood. CONCLUSION: This Swiss community survey documents that alcohol use is problematic in a sizeable proportion of youth and goes hand in hand with a large number of psychosocial problems

Psychosocial adaptation of adolescent migrants in a Swiss community survey

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare psychosocial adaptation in adolescent (first generation) migrants, double-citizens (mainly second generation with one migrant parent), and native Swiss, and to compare migrants from various European regions. METHOD: Data from a community survey were based on 1,239 participants (mean age 13.8, SD = 1.6 years) with 996 natives, 55 double-citizens, and 188 migrants. The adolescents completed the youth self-report measuring emotional and behavioural problems, and various questionnaires addressing life events, personality variables, perceived parental behaviour (PPB), family functioning, school environment, and social network. RESULTS: Adolescent migrants had significantly higher scores for internalizing and externalizing problems. There was a pattern of various unfavourable psychosocial features including life events, coping, self-related cognitions, and PPB that was more common among adolescent migrants than natives. Double-citizens were similar to natives in all domains. Young adolescents from South and South-East Europe differed from natives in terms of more unfavourable psychosocial features. Migrant status was best predicted by adverse psychosocial features rather than emotional and behavioural problems. CONCLUSION: There is some indication that certain migrant adolescents are at risk of psychosocial mal-adaptation. Obviously, ethnic origin is an important moderator

Evaluating Water Temperature, Habitat, and Fish Communities in Candidate Coolwater Streams in Illinois Annual Project Report 2009

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Grant/Contract No: T-13-P-001Work during this reporting period focused on characterizing temperature, habitat, and biological communities at candidate coolwater sites. During the past year we have collected additional temperature data from 48 candidate streams and other locations and now have records from 188 stream reaches. Sixty-three sites in Illinois have been identified as cool- or coldwater based on these records. Physical habitat surveys have been conducted at 68 sites where temperature data were available. Fish and macroinvertebrate data were obtained from the cooperative basin survey program data managers for candidate sites whenever possible and added to collections made during previous project years. This report summarizes progress for the period beginning 1 October 2008 and ending 30 September 2009. Additional analyses associated with this project are ongoing and results will be presented in a final report to be submitted upon completion of this project.INHS Technical Report Prepared for Illinois Department of Natural Resource

Eltern und Kinder: Der Zürcher Kurzfragebogen zum Erziehungsverhalten (ZKE)

Evaluated the Zürcher Kurzfragebogen zum Erziehungsverhalten (Zurich Brief Questionnaire for the Assessment of Parental Behavior; M. Reitzle, 1993). The questionnaire, which assesses parental behavior from the children's perspective, was administered to 877 students (452 males, 425 females; aged 10.7–17.9 yrs) in Switzerland. Also used were the German versions of the Child Behavior Checklist (T. M. Achenbach, 1991) and the Youth Self Report (T. M. Achenbach, 1991), the Coping Fragebogen für Jugendliche (CFB–J; coping questionnaire for adolescents; I. Seiffge-Krenke, 1989), the Allgemeine Depressionsskala (general depression scale; M. Hauzinger and M. Bailer, 1993) as well as a scale assessing overall self-esteem. The results of the confirmatory factor analyses show that the questionnaire reliably measured the 3 dimensions "warmth and support," psychological pressure," and "demands and control." The findings indicate that high levels of parental support correspond to children's positive developmental outcomes, while higher psychological pressure was associated with a less favorable outcome. The 3 scales also allowed for a differentiation of multidimensional types of parenting that differ with regard to children's developmental outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

Prediction of major affective disorders in adolescents by self-report measures

BACKGROUND: The Youth Self-Report (YSR) has been used widely as a screening instrument for adolescent psychopathology. The present study aimed at a test of the diagnostic accuracy of the various YSR-scales including a DSM-oriented affective problem scale (YSR AFF) in the prediction of depressive episodes and a comparison with results based on the Center of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). METHODS: A consecutive clinical sample of 140 adolescents diagnosed with major depressive episodes according to ICD-10 criteria was compared to a sample of 140 non-referred controls matched by age and sex from a community survey. All subjects responded both to the YSR and CES-D. Diagnoses were provided by the treating clinicians. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analyses were performed and cut-off scores were calculated based on quality efficiency statistics. RESULTS: The YSR AFF scale was found to have high diagnostic accuracy and showed quite comparable results to the CES-D scale. None of the other multivariate model showed a better performance in the identification of major depression disorders. Based on quality efficiency indicator analyses, scores between 5 and 9 on the YSR AFF scale and between 12 and 31 on the CES-D scale served best in the prediction of clinical depressive episodes in adolescents. LIMITATIONS: No formal reliability test of the diagnoses was available. CONCLUSION: The DSM-oriented YSR AFF scale shows a high diagnostic accuracy and can be recommended for the clinical assessment of depression in adolescents