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Previous research was not able to identify an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on family care-givers' wellbeing due to cross-sectional data structures, care-giver-specific samples or non-probability sampling designs. In this article, by drawing on longitudinal data from a random and representative sample of the German population aged 40 and older, we overcome methodological limitations of previous research. We examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing (life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, loneliness) of different groups of family care-givers (new care-givers, continuous care-givers, past care-givers) and non-care-givers in Germany. We derived a balanced sample of n = 3,875 individuals aged 43–97 (mean = 66.5 years, standard deviation = 10.2 years) from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS) to explore changes in wellbeing between 2017 (pre-pandemic) and June/July 2020 (pandemic). Using a first-difference approach, we found that the pandemic has a negative impact on both non-care-givers' and family care-givers' wellbeing, with increased levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness compared to pre-pandemic times. Changes in depressive symptoms of family care-givers did not significantly deviate from non-care-givers. However, continuous care-givers showed more pronounced increases in loneliness compared to non-care-givers. Our results suggest that family care-givers' wellbeing merits particular attention when considering the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals' wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value of children is studied to explain the decrease in fertility rate in Turkey and stable high fertility rate in Palestine. It is found that children are more important for parent's comfort and esteem in Palestine.

The article evaluates value of children for their parents for different age groups and culture in 11 countries. It reveals that childrenEs importance for esteem and comfort is highest in countries with high fertility and low affluence though lowest in countries with low fertility, high affluence and state-based insurance system.

This study examines the mobilization of close and supportive relationships following widowhood and whether these trajectories differ by educational level or gender. It is assumed that widowed spouses call up social relationships to compensate for their spousal loss and accompanying cuts in subjective well-being. Using longitudinal data from the German Ageing Survey (N = 7,012; observations = 20,816), fixed effects models were estimated. Widowhood results in increases in the network size and the providers of support up to the fourth post-widowhood year. After that, starting decreases reach pre-widowed levels around seven years after widowhood. The most pronounced changes were found for widowed spouses with university degree and for widowed women. The overall mobilization of social relationships is thus limited in time and widowed spouses without vocational degree, as well as men in part, are the most vulnerable to the adverse social consequences of widowhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives Using high-quality data from Germany, this study aims to contribute to the yet little knowledge about possible changes in adult parent–child relationships within countries over time. Method Analyzing 13,106 interviews from four rounds of the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), covering the period 1996–2014, we monitor stability and change in four dimensions of adult parent–child relationships, namely geographic proximity, frequency of contact, emotional closeness, and exchange of support. Results We observed a continuous decrease in parent–child geographic proximity between 1996 and 2008, but no further increase in distance thereafter. There was no change in intergenerational frequency of contact or emotional closeness between 1996 and 2014. Parents' propensity to support a child tended to decrease in the early 2000s, with signs of recovery in 2014. Whereas parents' receipt of material support from children remained stable, their probability to receive instrumental support declined between 1996 and 2008, but not any further thereafter. Discussion Temporal patterns of intergenerational solidarities within countries might be characterized simultaneously by stability and change, where increasing geographic mobility, for example, is paralleled by continuous family cohesion. Family members appear to react to variations in social and economic circumstances with behavioral changes allowing them to maintain high levels of overall intergenerational solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crescentic glomerulonephritis (cGN) is the most aggressive form of glomerulonephritis in humans. A widely studied mouse model is induced by sheep or rabbit antisera raised against murine renal cortical antigens. We here, report that Alpaca readily produce ample amounts of antisera that induces pathology in mice, resembling human disease regarding crescent formation, proteinuria, infiltrating immune cells and a significant Th1, but not Th17 immune response. Alpaca antiserum did not cause end-stage kidney failure, neither in a passive nor in an accelerated experimental setting, which may be advantageous for long term studies of crescentic glomerulonephritis. • Alpacas produce ample amounts of antisera that induces pathology resembling human disease regarding crescent formation and proteinuria. • Alpaca antiserum does not cause end-stage kidney failure, neither in a passive nor in an accelerated experimental setting. • These characteristics may be advantageous for long term study of proliferative glomerulonephritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of chilled semen has raised increased interest due to several reasons. The present study compares 3 extenders for chilling of canine semen over a 10 days storage period. Sperm rich fractions (n =30) were divided into three aliquots and diluted with (a) a self-made tris-egg yolk extender (TEY), (b) the commercial CaniPRO™Chill 10 (CP, Minitüb, Germany) and (c) the Uppsala Equex-2 system (UpA+B): UpA+B (n =12) or UpA (n =18). % of totally and progressively motile sperm using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA, TM, PM), % live, membrane intact spermatozoa (SYBR-14/propidium iodide), % morphologically abnormal sperm, % acrosomal changes (Spermac®) and % membrane intact sperm (HOS test) were examined on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10. Semen quality significantly decreased during storage with significantly lower motility and lower % of live, membrane intact spermatozoa in UpA+B diluted samples. Although quality of samples chilled with TEY, CP and UpA was similar within the first 3 days, only TEY and CP revealed good results in preserving semen quality over 10 days with significantly higher PM, CASA motility parameters and % morphologically normal sperm in CP-chilled samples (each p <0.05). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper investigates European patterns of intergenerational contact. A large number of studies in family sociology and gerontology demonstrate the explanatory power of micro-level variables, but the effect of the socio-cultural context on intergenerational arrangements rarely has been appraised. A comprehensive review of prominent classifications of European family and welfare regimes prompts the main research question: Do these macro-level typologies add heuristic value to the investigation of intergenerational arrangements in contemporary Europe? Further, as previous studies have focused mainly on Western Europe alone, Eastern European countries are included using comparable micro-data from the first wave of the Generations and Gender Survey (UNO, 2005). Launched and coordinated by the UNECE, the GGS panel survey was carried out between 2004 and 2010. Within each participating country nationally representative samples of the 18-79 year old resident population are conducted under the direction of national experts and institutions. For a selection of West and (South) East European countries the frequency of face-to-face contact of respondents aged 60 years and older to their adult children is explored. Controlling for several individual-level characteristics, significant country differences remain. A west-east division coincides with a less stark north-south division. Contact is most frequent in Georgia and Bulgaria; it is lower in Estonia, the Russian Federation, and Germany and lowest in France. Belgium, with its very high contact rate, is an exceptional case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Familienforschung (ZzF) is the property of University of Bamberg Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal for Sociology of Education & Socialization / Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung & Sozialisation is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)