Characterization data of reference materials used for phase II of the priority program DFG SPP 2005 "Opus Fluidum Futurum - Rheology of reactive, multiscale, multiphase construction materials".

A thorough characterization of base materials is the prerequisite for further research. In this paper, the characterization data of the reference materials (CEM I 42.5 R, limestone powder, calcined clay and a mixture of these three components) used in the second funding phase of the priority program 2005 of the German Research Foundation (DFG SPP 2005) are presented under the aspects of chemical and mineralogical composition as well as physical and chemical properties. The data were collected based on tests performed by up to eleven research groups involved in this cooperative program.

[A questionnaire for assessment of "temprament in early childhood" as judged by parents]. / Ein Fragebogen zur Erfassung des "frühkindlichen Temperaments" im Elternurteil.

OBJECTIVES: This study assesses a German version of Rothbart's Infant Behavior Questionnaire for the internal consistency, inter-correlations and stability of the scales. Associations between the scales with maternal depression and anxiety are analyzed. METHODS: Independent samples of infants aged 6 to 8 months and 10 to 12 months (n = 149, respectively n = 109) and their mothers were studied. A longitudinal study of a sample of 101 mother-infant pairs was carried out at the infant's age of 4, 8 and 12 months. RESULTS: The internal consistency and independence of the five scales on the questionnaire are satisfactory. The stability coefficients correspond to a good degree to those of the American version of the IBQ scales. CONCLUSIONS: Thus a German version is now available that can be used in research and practice to measure the features of early childhood temperament by parental report.

Expression of the Krüppel-type zinc finger protein rKr2 in the developing nervous system.

Zinc finger transcription factors of the Krüppel-class figure prominently in cell fate specification and differentiation in the nervous system. One of the Krüppel-type genes that was originally cloned from an oligodendrocyte library by virtue of its homology with the prototypic Krüppel motif is the rat rKr2 gene (Pott et al., 1995). In primary cultures of rat glial cells, the rKr2 protein was only present in the oligodendrocyte lineage, predominantly in progenitors. Ninety percent of A2B5(+) oligodendrocyte progenitors displayed rKr2 immunoreactivity, while most MBP(+) oligodendrocytes lacked detectable rKr2. A similar pattern was found in vivo, in which the peak expression of rKr2 in the oligodendrocyte lineage of rats coincided with the wave of progenitor proliferation in early postnatal life. The subventricular zone, a source of neuronal and glial progenitors, displayed intense staining for rKr2 at late embryonic and postnatal stages. In the adult, cells within the remnants of this germinal zone continued to express rKr2 protein strongly. Some populations of mature neurons also displayed rKr2 immunostaining. Astrocytes and microglia were not labeled with the polyclonal anti-rKr2 antibody in vitro or in vivo. At all developmental stages, the rKr2 protein was localized to the nucleus. The stage-specific expression pattern and the subcellular localization of rKr2 recommend a role for this Krüppel-type gene in the progression of neural stem cells and in the early development of the oligodendrocyte lineage.

[Effects of significantly increased perinatal risks on developmental status in adolescence]. / Auswirkungen deutlich erhöhter Geburtsrisiken auf den Entwicklungsstand im Jugendalter.

In a 13-years-catamnesis a sample of 50 children with severe perinatal risks was assessed with regard to their physical, cognitive and behavioral development; selective drop-outs were analysed. In accordance with the results of other prospective studies there are deficits in visual-motor functioning, higher rates of somatic complaints, social withdrawal and attention deficits; a large number of these children attend special schools. The study presents predicative relations between risk factors of birth-time and the developmental status at youth. In comparison with typical single risks (e.g. gestational age or respiratory distress syndrome) a complex index for the perinatal risk, the so-called birth-optimality offers no substantial advantage. A significant influence of social factors is shown for school achievement. Children of fathers with higher educational level are attending schools of a higher grade. The combination of biological and social factors improves the reliability of developmental prognosis; the Mental Developmental Index of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development provides additional prognostic accuracy. For compensating developmental disadvantages especially parents with lower educational level should be informed about beneficial care. Even children of these families, who scored low in early cognitive assessments should receive early intervention or therapeutic support.

Infants with "Colic"-mothers' perspectives on the crying problem.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate relationships between infant crying behavior and fussing behavior and the mother's causal attributions of the crying, her emotional responses to the crying, as well as her later perception of infant temperament. METHODS: Twenty mothers who presented their 3-9-week-old infants in pediatric practices because of excessive crying ("colic complaint group") and 20 mothers who visited for public preventive screening ("control group") were compared. Mothers kept a "baby diary." A highly structured interview with the mothers was conducted. When the babies were 4 months old, mothers completed a temperament questionnaire. The colic complaint group was subdivided using the Wessel criteria. RESULTS: Infants from the colic complaint group who did not meet these criteria did not differ from control subjects in any of the parameters derived from the diaries. However, the mothers of this group described significantly heightened negative affect and cognitions of being rejected in response to the crying. In contrast, mothers of infants who conformed to Wessel's definition, and thereby far exceeded the other subjects in crying duration, did not differ from control mothers in respect of the aforementioned feelings and cognitions. Mothers' "negative affect and feelings of being rejected" were associated with the perception of high negative emotionality 4 months later. CONCLUSION: In regard to the colic problem, attention must be paid not only to the characteristics of the child, but also to aspects of maternal perception and processing of the crying problem.

[Covariation of parental judgments of child behavioral characteristics with a developmental scale and observation of behaviors]. / Zur Kovariation elterlicher Beurteilungen kindlicher Verhaltensmerkmale mit Entwicklungstest und Verhaltensbeobachtung.

The aim of the present study is the validation of a German questionnaire that was designed to assess "infant temperament" by parental judgement. The questionnaire represents an adaptation of Rothbart's "Infant Behavior Questionnaire" (IBQ). It was studied whether the parental judgements concerning positive emotionality, negative emotionality/irritability, motor activity and soothability of the infant are correlated to corresponding observed child behavior. Furthermore we tried to determine influences of parental characteristics on their judgements. 31 First-born healthy 4 months old infants were observed in their home environment as well as in the video laboratory of our institute. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Mental Scale) were applied. The mothers filled in the Temperament Questionnaire and scales to assess maternal depression and anxiety. We yielded the expected significant correlations for the scales measuring positive and negative emotionality, and motor activity with the observed behavioral characteristics of the infants. Independent of these results the mothers' judgements of their infant's positive and negative emotionality was associated with maternal depression. We can therefore conclude that the two scales contain subjective and objective elements that are independent of each other.

Infants with atopic dermatitis: maternal hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perceived infant temperament.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common disease of childhood. It frequently starts in the first year of life. There is agreement on the existence of psychological influences on this disease. Although some studies in this field examine aspects of the parent-child relationship, studies concerning early infancy are very rare. The present study was conducted in order to find out whether maternal characteristics relevant to the mother-infant relationship, i.e. depressiveness/hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perceived infant behaviour, associated with infant AD. METHODS: Two cohorts (3- to 4-month- and 10- to 12-month-old infants), each with 20 infants suffering from AD, and 20 healthy infants were recruited. AD infants were further divided into subgroups according to the diagnostic criteria: atopic family history, itching and characteristic locations of eczema. After a paediatric examination of the infant, mothers completed standardized questionnaires concerning depressiveness/hopelessness, child-rearing attitudes and perception of infant behaviour. RESULTS: Varying with different diagnostic features of the infants' AD, mothers of AD infants described themselves as more depressive/hopeless, as more anxious/overprotective and characterized their infant as less frequently positive and more frequently negative in its emotional behaviour compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The results underline the importance of psychological support for mothers of infants with AD.

[Infantile colic as maternal reason of consulting a pediatrician: characteristics of mother and child]. / Trimenonkoliken als elterliche Klage in der pädiatrischen Praxis: Merkmale von Mutter und Kind.

About 10-20% of infants under four months of age suffer from infantile colic (IC), an excessive screaming behaviour caused by multiple factors. WESSELS et al. (1954) definition is that babies in usually good health and nutritional condition are screaming/whining more than three hours daily, more than three days weekly for no apparent reasons. The question is whether/in what way daily routines of infants concerned differ from normal infants. Mothers of colicky infants (n = 25) and mothers in a control group (n = 25) record characteristics of the mother/child relationship, their assumptions why the child is screaming, care and attention they provide and babies' reactions. For seven days the mothers kept a diary about the babies' behaviour and worked on questionnaires concerning social support received, depressant effects and exhaustion. Interviews about the extent of care provided as well as personal thoughts and emotions were conducted. The "colic group" formed two subgroups: one fulfilling Wessels criteria (Wessel-Koliker; WK), the other more conforming with the "control group" babies though mothers complained about screaming (Non-Wessel-Koliker; NWK). "Colic group"-babies received more attention and care (compared to the "control group" babies), attempts to calm them down frequently failed and mothers in this group reacted less promptly to their babies' screaming. "NWK-group"-mothers strongly tend to attribute the babies' screaming to "meteorism" or "discontent". No differences existed between groups concerning social support, depressant effects and exhaustion. There is a risk that the colic may negatively influence the mother/child interaction beyond three months.

Gaseous emissions from vehicles in a traffic tunnel in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In August 1995, measurements of CO, NO(x') speciated nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), and CO2 were made in Vancouver's Cassiar Connector, a 730-m-long level-grade highway traffic tunnel. Two characteristics of the Vancouver setting are the presence of many propane vehicles and a mandatory inspection and maintenance (I/M) program. Although the driving conditions and vehicle fleets are otherwise outwardly similar to those of recent Tuscarora-tunnel studies, CO/NO(x) ratios at the Cassiar Connector are significantly lower than those measured at Tuscarora. The Cassiar measurements are consistent with the MOBILE5A mobile emissions model predictions. The Canadian version of MOBILE5A--known as MOBILE5C--gives nearly identical results, indicating that differences in Canadian and U.S. emission standards cannot explain differences between Cassiar and U.S. tunnels. Considering the modeling results as well as measured ethene/acetylene ratios indicative of noncatalyst vehicles, it appears that vehicle deterioration remains the major issue in in-use vehicle emissions--even in Vancouver, where there is a mandatory loaded-mode I/M program. Uncertainties in determining the ages of the vehicles in the tunnel, however, have a significant impact on the model predictions.

Signals that initiate myelination in the developing mammalian nervous system.

The myelination of axons by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system is essential for the establishment of saltatory conduction. In the absence or destruction of the myelin sheath, as seen in demyelinating diseases, impulse conduction is impeded resulting in severe sensory and motor deficits. Axon myelination is the culmination of a sequence of events that begins with the differentiation of glial cells and proceeds to the transcription and translation of myelin genes, the elaboration of a myelin sheath, and the recognition and ensheathment of axons. This review examines the regulatory mechanisms for each of these steps and compares and contrasts the role of the axon in initiating myelination in the central and peripheral nervous system.

[Neuromotor and cognitive development of high-risk newborn infants at 5 years of age]. / Neuromotorische und kognitive Entwicklung risikogeborener Kinder im Alter von fünf Jahren.

A group of 5-year-old children bearing a perinatal neurological risk is divided into subgroups according to the specific courses of their neuromotoric development. Then comparison is made between two of the subgroups consisting of children with a favourable neuromotoric development at the age of 5 and a control-group of healthy born children with regard to the neuromotoric as well as the cognitive development. As a result the children of the two subgroups, whose neuromotoric development in the age of five was comparable to that of the control group, showed a significantly lower performance on a concentration test than those of the control group. Additionally there is also a deficiency within the scope of verbal competence, whereas the level of the performance IQ of the children with perinatal neurological risk is quite comparable with that of the children of the control group.

A new Cys2/His2 zinc finger gene, rKr1, expressed in oligodendrocytes and neurons.

The myelination of nerve fibers is essential for the function of the vertebrate nervous system as a prerequisite for fast saltatory conduction of action potentials. In the central nervous system (CNS), myelin is produced by oligodendrocytes. In order to identify gene regulatory proteins involved in the differentiation of this glial cell type or in the expression of myelin-specific genes, we have constructed a cDNA library from a highly enriched population of rat oligodendrocytes and screened this library for members of the Krüppel family of Cys2/His2 zinc finger proteins. One of the identified clones, named rKr1, encodes a novel protein of 650 amino acids which contains 12 carboxy-terminal zinc finger domains and an amino-terminal acidic domain. On Northern blots, a single rKr1 mRNA of 4.3 kb is detected. This message is present in all adult rat tissues tested, with the highest levels found in the CNS and testis. In situ hybridization on the P15 brain revealed that the transcript is expressed in differentiated oligodendrocytes and in subtypes of neurons. Particularly high message levels are found in motor neurons of the brainstem and the spinal cord. The modular structure of the rKr1 protein, in which a potential DNA binding region (the zinc fingers) is combined with a putative activation domain (the acidic region), suggests a function as sequence-specific transcriptional activator.

Molecular and developmental characterization of novel cDNAs of the myelin-associated/oligodendrocytic basic protein.

Several novel myelin-associated/oligodendrocytic basic protein (MOBP) isoforms were identified in this study by cDNA cloning. They are small, highly basic polypeptides comprising 69, 81, and 99 amino acids (8.2, 9.7, and 11.7 kDa, respectively) and show no significant homology with described proteins or domain structures. All (as yet) identified MOBP isoforms are identical in amino acids 1-68 but differ in the length and polarity of the C-terminal region. One isoform, designated MOBP81, was shown to be expressed abundantly during development. Interestingly, MOBP81 has a significant clustering of positively charged residues at positions 69-81, a feature that also has been observed for myelin basic protein (MBP) and Po. As demonstrated by in situ hybridization, MOBP gene expression occurs during development of the rat optic nerve later than that of MBP and proteolipid protein and coincides exactly with the beginning of myelin compaction. The 2.6 kb MOBP81-A transcript is localized in the processes of oligodendrocytes, whereas the 3.8 kb MOBP81-B transcript is restricted to the perinuclear region. Therefore, MOBP81-A and related mRNAs seem to be transported to the periphery of the oligodendrocytes, as is known for the transcripts of the MBP gene. The late developmental expression of the MOBP gene suggests that the MOBP proteins act at the late steps of myelin formation, possibly in myelin compaction and in the maintenance of the myelin sheath.

Transcription of a new zinc finger gene, rKr1, is localized to subtypes of neurons in the adult rat CNS.

Proteins which share zinc finger DNA binding motifs comprise one of the main families of transcription factors. We have previously described rKr1, a new rat Cys2/Hys2 zinc finger gene of the Krüppel gene family. This gene is predominantly expressed in the nervous system, with highest abundance in neurons and with lower abundance in developing oligodendrocytes of the CNS. Here, we have undertaken a detailed anatomical analysis of rKr1 expression in the adult brain of the rat using in situ hybridization. Our results show that rKr1 is expressed in a specific manner in defined subpopulations of neurons in many regions of the adult brain. Moderate levels of rKr1 mRNA were detectable in some structures of the telencephalon (e.g. cerebral cortex and hippocampus) and a few nuclei of the thalamus. The highest degree of labelling was seen in both upper and lower motor neurons of the mesencephalon and rhombencephalon (e.g. red nucleus, gigantocellular reticular nuclei, motor nuclei of the cranial nerves). High levels of rKr1 expression were also present in spinal motoneurons and dorsal root ganglion cells. In order to determine if rKr1 gene expression can be regulated, we have examined the expression pattern of rKr1 in the facial nucleus in response to facial nerve lesion. The expression of rKr1 in the facial nucleus showed a differential downregulation, reaching lowest levels 1 week after transection of the facial nerve. By 3 weeks after lesion, expression of rKr1 on the operated side of the brain reached normal levels and was identical to that of the unoperated side. These data suggest that rKr1 could be involved in the maintenance of the phenotypic differentiation of specific neuronal subtypes including motoneurons.

A new Cys2/His2 zinc finger gene, rKr2, is expressed in differentiated rat oligodendrocytes and encodes a protein with a functional repressor domain.

The function of the vertebrate nervous system is dependent on the proper myelination of its fiber tracts. Myelin of the CNS is produced by oligodendrocytes. To identify gene regulatory proteins expressed in this particular glial cell type, we isolated cDNAs coding for Cys2/His2 zinc finger proteins from a rat oligodendrocyte cDNA library. One clone, named rKr2 (rKr for rat Krüppel-type protein), encodes a protein with 19 carboxy-terminal zinc finger domains and an amino-terminal Krüppel-associated box domain. This amino-terminal domain of the rKr2 protein behaved as a strong transcriptional repressor module when fused to the DNA binding domain of yeast GAL4 and tested on an appropriate reporter construct. High levels of rKr2 mRNA in adult rat tissues were found only in the CNS and testis; in the CNS, the message was predominantly expressed in differentiated oligodendrocytes. The modular structure of the rKr2 protein (carboxy-terminal DNA binding domain, amino-terminal repressor module) and its expression pattern suggest that it acts as a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor in the myelin-producing glial cells of the CNS.

The chronology of oligodendrocyte differentiation in the rat optic nerve: evidence for a signaling step initiating myelination in the CNS.

In order to determine the signals that initiate axon myelination in the CNS, we have chronicled the differentiation of oligodendrocytes in the rat optic nerve and related this to the time course and spatial gradient seen for optic axon myelination. By using markers specific to the varying stages of oligodendrocyte differentiation we found that oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, present throughout the length of the nerve at postnatal day 2, mature into GC+ oligodendrocytes in a chiasm to eye progression. This gradient along the nerve of oligodendrocyte differentiation continues with oligodendrocytes near the chiasm expressing the genes and encoded proteins to MBP and PLP 3 d before oligodendrocytes near the eye. Although oligodendrocyte differentiation and maturation occurs in a chiasm to eye gradient along the nerve, optic axon segments near the eye are ensheathed with myelin before segments near the chiasm. This suggests that the myelination of optic axons is initiated by a signaling step that is independent of oligodendrocyte differentiation and is stronger near the eye than the chiasm region of the nerve. By examining proposed axonal signals, we found that the onset of myelination is independent of the electrical activity of an axon but can be correlated to the size of an axon.

[Behavioral markers of premature infants--a study of "temperament in early childhood"]. / Verhaltensmerkmale frühgeborener Säuglinge--Eine Untersuchung zum "frühkindlichen Temperament".

In a two-point longitudinal study we compared preterm and fullterm infants with respect to certain behaviour patterns known as "infant temperament". Interdependencies between depression and childrearing attitudes of the mothers and temperamental characteristics of infants are analysed. Investigations took place after birth and four months (corrected age) later and comprised, among other questionnaires, a new German temperament assessment scale as well as clinical data. Our results show that, independent of their depression and childrearing attitudes, mothers of preterm infants describe their babies as showing much less positive emotions and having far more problems in being soothed. In both groups the baby's positive reactions and soothability was related to the extent of its mother's motivation to stimulate the baby and care for it. However, showing many negative emotions cannot sufficiently be explained by prematurity and certain mother characteristics at time of birth.

Developmental expression of the prion protein gene in glial cells.

Replication of prions is dependent on the presence of the host protein PrPc. During the course of disease, PrPc is converted into an abnormal isoform, PrPSc, which accumulates in the brain. Attempts to identify the cell type(s) in which prion replication and PrP conversion occur have reached conflicting results. Although PrP mRNA is present in high amounts in neurons throughout the life of the animal, PrPSc initially accumulates in astrocytes and possibly other glial cells and, later in the course of the disease, spreads diffusely in the tissue, often in white matter. We report here that PrP mRNA is expressed not only in neurons but also in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes throughout the brain of postnatal hamsters and rats. The level of glial Prp mRNA expression in neonatal animals was comparable to that of neurons and increased two-fold during postnatal development. A substantial portion of brain PrP mRNA is therefore contributed by glial cells. Our results provide an explanation for the accumulation of PrPSc in white matter tissue and in the cytoplasm of glial cells and argue for a direct involvement of glia in prion propagation.