Ehezufriedenheit und ihre Prädiktoren im mittleren Erwachsenenalter: ein Ost-West-Vergleich

"Obwohl sich viele Untersuchungen mit der Ehezufriedenheit und ihren Prädiktoren beschäftigen, liegen relativ wenig Befunde zur Wirkung unterschiedlicher historisch-gesellschaftlicher Einflüsse sowie Sozialisationsbedingungen - wie sie in der DDR bzw. Bundesrepublik Deutschland gegeben waren - vor. Daten von N=294 ost- und westdeutschen Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern der Geburtsjahrgänge 1950/ 52 aus der Interdisziplinären Längsschnittstudie des Erwachsenenalters (ILSE) zur Ehezufriedenheit, zur sozio-ökonomischen Situation, zur Persönlichkeit, zum Unterstützungserleben und -verhalten wurden für die Analysen herangezogen. Obwohl keine Ost-West-Unterschiede in der Ehezufriedenheit auftreten, zeigen sich unterschiedliche Prädiktorenkonstellationen: Während in der westdeutschen Stichprobe sowohl Persönlichkeitseigenschaften als auch Unterstützungserleben und -verhalten zur Ehezufriedenheit beitrugen, sind es in der ostdeutschen Stichprobe lediglich das Unterstützungserleben und -verhalten. Konsequenzen der Ergebnisse für die weitere Forschung und Intervention werden diskutiert." (Autorenreferat)"Although many studies have been conducted on marital satisfaction and its predictors, research largely neglects the effects of different historic and societal influences or differences in socialisation, as they were found in the former GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany. With data from 294 East and West German participants of the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development (ILSE), we examined marital satisfaction, socioeconomics, personality, support behaviour and perceived support. Although results show no East-West differences in marital satisfaction, they point out important differences in the prediction of marital satisfaction: while in the Western sample personality factors, perceived support and support behaviour significantly contributed to marital satisfaction, in the Eastern sample only perceived support and support behaviour explained the variance in marital behaviour. The implications of these findings for further research are being discussed." (author's abstract

Reaction behavior of iron and copper complexes towards dioxygen

To provide a better understanding of the reactions of iron and copper proteins with dioxygen, the corresponding reactions of small molecule model complexes with dioxygen were analysed using spectroscopic and kinetic methods. Special attention focused upon the binding and activation of dioxygen by iron proteins such as hemerythrin (Hr) and protocatechuat-3,4-dioxygenase (3,4-PCD) and by copper proteins like hemocyanin (Hc) and tyrosinase. Iron complexes of the ligand tmpa (tmpa = tris[(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine, also known as tpa in literature) were synthesised and modifications of the tmpa ligand were made. Increasing as well as decreasing chelate ring sizes in the highly active complex [Fe(tmpa)(dbc)]B(C6H5)4 (dbc = 3,5-di-tert-butylcatecholate dianion), only resulted in decreased reactivity of the investigated compounds. A detailed low-temperature stopped-flow investigation of the reaction of dioxygen with [Fe(tmpa)(dbc)]B(C6H5)4 was performed and activation parameters of Delta H# = 23 +- 1 kJ mol-1 and Delta S# = -199 +- 4 J mol-1 K-1 were obtained. Crystal structures of bromo-(tetrachlorocatecholato-O,O\u27)(bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)-2-pyridylamine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27)-iron(III) (2), (mu-oxo)-bis(bromo)(bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)-2-pyridylamine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27,N\u27\u27\u27)-diiron(III) (3), dichloro-((2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl)bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)amine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27,N\u27\u27\u27)-iron(III) (4) and (tetrabromocatecholato-O,O\u27)((2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl)bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)amine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27,N\u27\u27\u27)-iron(III) (5) are reported (Chapter 2). Besides altering the chelate ring size the influence of the donor atoms of the ligand on catechol dioxygenase reactivity was investigated. Two derivatives of the tmpa ligand (uns-penp and acetyl-uns-penp) were synthesised, where one aromatic nitrogen donor was replaced by an aliphatic nitrogen donor. The iron(III) complexes of the tripodal ligands N\u27,N\u27-bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]ethylenediamine (uns-penp), [Fe(uns-penp)Cl2]ClO4 x CH3CN, [{Fe(uns-penp)Cl}2O](ClO4)2 x 2CH3CN and the amide derivative N-Acetyl-N\u27,N\u27-bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]ethylenediamine (acetyl-uns-penp), [Fe2(acetyl-uns-penp)2O](ClO4)2 x H2O, [Fe(acetyl-uns-penp)(tcc)Br] x (C2H5)2O and [{Fe(acetyl-uns-penp)(tcc)}2O] x (C2H5)2O x CH3OH were synthesised and characterised. Catechol dioxygenase reactivity of in situ prepared complex solutions only showed slower reactions in comparison with the iron tmpa system (Chapter 3). Corresponding ligand system variations in the small molecule model complexes of copper proteins were made and analysed with respect to dioxygen reactivity. Intramolecular ligand hydroxylation was observed during the reactions of dioxygen with the dicopper(I) complexes of the ligands L3 (L3 = alpha,alpha\u27-bis[(2-pyridylethyl)amino]-m-xylene) and L5 (L5 = alpha,alpha\u27-bis[N-(2-pyridylethyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-amino]-m-xylene). The dinuclear copper(I) complex [Cu2L5](ClO4)2 and the dicopper(II) complex [Cu2(L3-O)(OH)(ClO4)]ClO4 were characterised by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. Furthermore, phenolate-bridged complexes were synthesised with the ligand L4-OH and Me-L5-OH (structurally characterised: [Cu2(L4-O)Cl3] with L4 = alpha,alpha\u27-bis[N-methyl-N-(2-pyridylethyl)amino]-m-xylene and [Cu2(Me-L5-O)(mu-X)](ClO4)2 x nH2O with Me-L5-OH = 2,6-bis[N-(2-pyridylethyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]-4-methylphenol and X = C3H3N2- (prz), MeCO2- and N3-). Temperature-dependent magnetic studies revealed the antiferromagnetic coupling of the copper ions of these complexes (Chapter 4). The reactions of dioxygen with copper(I) complexes of the tridentate ligands 1,1,4,7,7-pentamethyldiethylethylenetriamine (Me5dien), 1,1,4,7,7-pentaethyldiethylethylenetriamine (Et5dien), N-methyl-[bis(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine (Me-bpa) and N-methyl-[(2-pyridyl)ethyl(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine (MeL) have been investigated using low-temperature stopped-flow techniques. The formation of a bis(mu-oxo) copper complex as a reactive intermediate could only be detected spectroscopically at low temperatures for [Cu(Me5dien)(CH3CN)]ClO4 and allowed a quantitative kinetic analysis to be performed. Crystal structures of the copper(II) complexes [(Me-bpa)Cu(Cl)2], [{(Me-bpa)Cu(Cl)(ClO4)}2], [{(MeL)Cu(Cl)(ClO4)}2] and [(MeL)Cu(NCS)2] are reported. (Chapter 5)Zum besseren Verständnis der Reaktionen von Eisen- und Kupferproteinen mit elementarem Sauerstoff wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit für Eisen- und Kupferproteine Modellkomplexe mit geringer Molekularmasse mit spektroskopischen oder kinetischen Methoden untersucht. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit wurde hierbei der Bindung und der Aktivierung von elementarem Sauerstoff durch die Eisenproteine, wie z. B. Hämerythrin (Hr) und Protocatechuat-3,4-dioxygenase (3,4-PCD), und die Kupferproteine, wie z. B. Hämocyanin (Hc) und Tyrosinase, gewidmet. Bezüglich der Modelle für Eisenenzyme wurde der Ligand tmpa (tmpa = tris[(2-pyridyl)methyl]amin; in der Literatur auch mit tpa abgekürzt) untersucht und systematisch variiert. Die Vergrößerung und Verkleinerung der Chelatringgröße im hochreaktiven Komplex [Fe(tmpa)(dbc)]B(C6H5)4 (dbc = 3,5-Di-tert-butylcatecholat Dianion) führte nur zu einer verringerten Reaktivität der untersuchten Verbindungen. Die Reaktion von elementaren Sauerstoff mit [Fe(tmpa)(dbc)]B(C6H5)4 wurde mittels der Tieftemperatur-\u27stopped-flow\u27-Technik untersucht und ergab die Aktivierungsparameter Delta H# = 23 +- 1 kJ mol-1 und Delta S# = -199 +- 4 J mol-1 K-1. Weiterhin wurden die Kristallstrukturanalysen der Verbindungen bromo-(tetra-chlorocatecholato-O,O\u27)(bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)-2-pyridylamine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27)-eisen(III) (2), (mü-oxo)-bis(bromo)(bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)-2-pyridylamine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27,N\u27\u27\u27)-dieisen (III) (3), dichloro-((2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl)bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)amine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27,N\u27\u27\u27)-eisen (III) (4) und (tetrabromocatecholato-O,O\u27)((2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl)bis((2-pyridyl)methyl) amine-N,N\u27,N\u27\u27,N\u27\u27\u27)-eisen (III) (5) beschrieben (Kapitel 2). Neben der Änderung der Chelatringgröße wurde auch der Einfluss der Donoratome des Liganden untersucht. Dazu wurden abgeleitet vom tmpa zwei Liganden (uns-penp und acteyl-uns-penp) synthetisiert, bei denen ein aromatischer Stickstoff durch einen aliphatischen Stickstoff ersetzt wurde. Die Eisen(III)-Komplexe mit den tripodalen Liganden N\u27,N\u27-bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]ethylenediamin (uns-penp), [Fe(uns-penp)Cl2]ClO4 x CH3CN, [{Fe(uns-penp)Cl}2O](ClO4)2 x 2CH3CN und dem Amidderivat N-Acetyl-N\u27,N\u27-bis[(2-pyridyl)methyl]ethylenediamin (acetyl-uns-penp), [Fe2(acetyl-uns-penp)2O](ClO4)2 x H2O, [Fe(acetyl-uns-penp)(tcc)Br] x (C2H5)2O und [{Fe(acetyl-uns-penp)(tcc)}2O] x (C2H5)2O x CH3OH wurden synthetisiert und charakterisiert. Untersuchungen zur Catecholdioxygenasereaktivität der in situ dargestellten Komplexlösungen zeigten nur langsamere Reaktionen im Vergleich zu dem Eisen-tmpa-System (Kapitel 3) Die Ligandensysteme für Modelle von Kupferproteinen wurden nach denselben Gesichtspunkten verändert wie bei den Modellen für die Eisenproteine. Intramolekulare Hydroxylierung des Liganden war bei der Reaktion von elementaren Sauerstoff mit Dikupfer(I)-Komplexen der Liganden L3 (L3 = alpha,alpha\u27-bis[(2-pyridylethyl)amino]-m-xylol) und L5 (L5 = alpha,alpha\u27-bis[N-(2-pyridylethyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-amino]-m-xylol) zu beobachten. Der dinukleare Kupfer(I)-Komplex [Cu2L5](ClO4)2 und der Dikupfer(II)-Komplex [Cu2(L3-O)(OH)(ClO4)]ClO4 konnten durch Einkristallröntgenstrukturanalyse charakterisiert werden. Zusätzlich wurden Phenolatverbrückte Komplexe mit den Liganden L4-OH und Me-L5-OH synthetisiert (Strukturlösungen für [Cu2(L4-O)Cl3] mit L4 = alpha,alpha\u27-bis[N-methyl-N-(2-pyridylethyl)amino]-m-xylol und [Cu2(Me-L5-O)(mü-X)](ClO4)2 x nH2O (Me-L5-OH = 2,6-bis[N-(2-pyridylethyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]-4-methylphenol und X = C3H3N2- (prz), MeCO2- und N3-). Temperaturabhängige magnetische Untersuchungen zeigten antiferromagnetische Kopplung der Kupferionen in diesen Komplexen (Kapitel 4). Die Reaktionen von elementaren Sauerstoff mit Kupfer(I)-Komplexen der dreizähnigen Liganden 1,1,4,7,7-pentamethyldiethylethylenetriamin (Me5dien), 1,1,4,7,7-pentaethyldiethylethylenetriamin (Et5dien), N-methyl-[bis(2-pyridyl) methyl]amin (Me-bpa) und N-methyl-[(2-pyridyl)ethyl(2-pyridyl)methyl]amin (MeL) mit Hilfe der Tieftemperatur-\u27stopped-flow\u27-Technik untersucht. Die Bildung eines bis(mü-oxo)-Kupferkomplexes konnte dabei bei tiefen Temperaturen nur für den Komplex [Cu(Me5dien)(CH3CN)]ClO4 spektroskopisch beobachtet und quantitativ kinetisch analysiert werden. Die Komplexe [(Me-bpa)Cu(Cl)2], [{(Me-bpa)Cu(Cl)(ClO4)}2], [{(MeL)Cu(Cl)(ClO4)}2] und [(MeL)Cu(NCS)2] konnten kristallographisch charakterisiert werden. (Kapitel 5

The impact of antipsychotic drugs on food intake and body weight and on leptin levels in blood and hypothalamic ob-r leptin receptor expression in wistar rats

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs on leptin concentration in blood and changes in the receptor expression in the hypothalamus of male Wistar rats. METHODS: From the age of 13 to 18 weeks, three groups of 20 animals were fed an average dose of 3.5 + 0.03 mg/ kg body weight (BW) haloperidol; 30.6 + 0.22 mg/kg BW clozapine; or 14.9 + 0.13 mg/kg BW ziprasidone in ground food pellets containing 15% fat. Twenty control animals received no drugs. Blood samples were taken at week 14, 16, and 19. Locomotor activity and exploratory behavior were measured using the alcove test at weeks 15 and 17. The expression of the hypothalamic leptin receptor in rat brains was determined by using a Western blot. RESULTS: Rats medicated with haloperidol and ziprasidone showed a significantly decreased percentage weight gain and food consumption. We observed no differences in the alcove test, but locomotor activity was significantly reduced in the haloperidol group. Except for rats in the clozapine and ziprasidone groups, after 2 weeks of drug application, we found no changes in the leptin blood concentrations among the four groups or animals within each group. Moreover, we did not find specific differences in hypothalamic leptin receptor expression among the groups. CONCLUSION: We concluded that in male Wistar rats during this treatment period, the tested drugs did not act directly on the leptin regulatory system. We recommend further studies using long-term treatment of different rat strains

Sex-dependent behavioral effects and morphological changes in the hippocampus after prenatal invasive interventions in rats: implications for animal models of schizophrenia

OBJECTIVES: Although schizophrenia affects both human genders, there are gender-dependent differences with respect to age of onset, clinical characteristics, course and prognosis of the disease. METHODS: To investigate sex-dependent differences in motor coordination and activity as well as in cognitive and social behavior, we repeatedly tested female (n = 14) and male (n = 12) Fisher rats (postnatal days, PD 56-174) that had received intracerebroventricular injections of kainic acid as well as female (n = 15) and male (n = 16) control animals. The hippocampus was examined histologically. RESULTS: Compared to male controls, in the alcove test both female controls and female animals with prenatal intervention spent less time in a dark box before entering an unknown illuminated area. Again, animals that received prenatal injection (particularly females) made more perseveration errors in the T-maze alternation task compared to controls. Female rats exhibited a higher degree of activity than males, suggesting these effects to be sex-dependent. Finally, animals that received prenatal intervention maintained longer lasting social contacts. Histological analyses showed pyramidal cells in the hippocampal area CA3 (in both hemispheres) of control animals to be longer than those found in treated animals. Sex-dependent differences were found in the left hippocampi of control animals and animals after prenatal intervention. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate important differences between males and females in terms of weight gain, response to fear, working memory and social behavior. We also found sex-dependent differences in the lengths of hippocampal neurons. Further studies on larger sample sets with more detailed analyses of morphological changes are required to confirm our data

Seroprevalence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Swiss dairy herds and risk factors for a positive herd status and within-herd prevalence.

INTRODUCTION Bovine paratuberculosis (PTB) is a chronic enteric disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). Control of PTB is important given its negative economic consequences and the potential zoonotic role of MAP in Crohn's disease in humans. METHODS To determine the seroprevalence of MAP in Swiss dairy herds and to identify risk factors associated with seropositive herd status and high within-herd seroprevalence, 10,063 serum samples collected from cattle over 12 months of age in 171 Swiss dairy farms were analyzed using a commercial ELISA test. Eight herds were excluded due to non-interpretable ELISA results. Risk factors associated with seropositive herd status and high within-herd seroprevalence were investigated with regression models using results from a questionnaire on management practices possibly associated with the introduction or spread of MAP in the remaining 163 herds. Univariable logistic regression was performed, carrying forward for multivariable regression analysis when p < 0.2. RESULTS The calculated between-herd true seroprevalence was 3.6% (95% CI, 0.96-8.4%). Due to the low within-herd seroprevalence, it was not possible to calculate the true seroprevalence at animal level; the apparent within-herd seroprevalence ranged from 2.3 to 5.5% with a median of 3.6% in nine positive farms. Herd size (p = 0.037) and the common grazing of lactating cows with cows from other herds (p = 0.014) were associated with seropositive herd status, while heifers sharing alpine pasture with dairy cattle from other herds were associated with a decreased probability of the herd to test seropositive (p = 0.042). Reliable identification of significant risk factors associated with MAP spread and high seroprevalence of PTB within seropositive herds was not possible due to low observed seroprevalence within herds and low sensitivity of the ELISA test. DISCUSSION These results highlight the limitation of serology for MAP diagnosis in small herds with low infection prevalence

Susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis is modulated by TGFβ responsiveness of T cells

The objective of our study was to determine the regulatory effects that endogenous transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) exerts on T cells in the pathogenesis of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). CIA was induced in transgenic mice expressing a dominant negative TGFβ type II receptor in T cells under the control of the human CD2 promoter. Clinical and histological arthritis scores were determined and experiments on disease induction and the healing phase of disease were performed. The proliferation and cytokine production of draining lymph node cells in vitro were analyzed. Transgenic mice were more susceptible to induction of CIA. The overall incidence was higher in transgenic mice than in wild-type mice (57% vs 35%, P < 0.05). Affected transgenic animals displayed a significantly higher clinical (4.5 ± 0.6 vs 1.67 ± 0.19, P = 0.001) and histological arthritis score (8.01 ± 0.9 vs 4.06 ± 1.1, P < 0.05). Draining lymph node cells of transgenic mice secreted more tumor necrosis factor α and IFNγ and proliferated more vigorously in response to collagen type II and upon CD3/CD28 costimulation in vitro. Therefore, the regulation of T cells by endogenous TGFβ is important for the maintenance of joint integrity after arthritis induction. Defects in TGFβ-signalling as a susceptibility factor for rheumatoid arthritis may warrant further investigation

The advantage of a toxicokinetic model of the honey bee colony in the context of the risk assessment of plant protection products

Within the current discussions about risk assessment of plant protection products regarding honey bees, one of the most important aspects is how to link pesticide exposure on field and landscape scale to potential effects within the colony. A dynamic toxicokinetic model may help to improve the evaluation of dose rates individuals are exposed to through various compartments of the colony, which may result from the application of plant protection products in the field. In addition, it may help to interpret the significance of ecotoxicological test results, especially from lower-tier studies, in the risk assessment and help to refine the exposure assessment and risk evaluation. Linking it to a realistic population model and a landscape-based foraging model would give an improved insight into the dynamics in a honey bee colony under exposure of plant protection productsKeywords: modelling, toxicokinetics, risk assessment, exposur

Creación de espacios de aprendizaje y enseñanza para la investigación transformadora y transdisciplinar : el Laboratorio de Innovación Transformadora

Para lograr una transición hacia el desarrollo sostenible son fundamentales la ciencia y la educación, especialmente la educación superior. Se necesitan formatos educativos para capacitar a los estudiantes en la realización de investigaciones transformadoras. Con base en la investigación transdisciplinaria y transformadora en laboratorios del mundo real y estudios del futuro, desarrollamos un módulo de aprendizaje y enseñanza integral: el Laboratorio de Innovación Transformadora (lit). El laboratorio desarrolla cinco competencias clave y tres tipos de conocimiento necesarios para impulsar innovaciones en sostenibilidad socialmente robustas. En este artículo se presentan las principales características de este formato vivencial y reflexivo, además de un manual para facilitar el laboratorio. También se comparten y discuten los aprendizajes centrales de la implementación de este formato en programas de estudio existentes a partir de dos pruebas realizadas en dos universidades alemanas