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The present longitudinal study focused on domain-general predictors of arithmetics in elementary school. The role of executive functions (EFs) and fine motor skills for the prediction of arithmetic skills in 1st/2nd grade was examined. Data from N = 173 kindergarten children were included. Age, socioeconomic status, fluid intelligence, and processing speed were controlled. Regression analyses revealed that fine motor skills predicted arithmetic skills. When EFs were added, fine motor skills did not contribute to the prediction of arithmetic skills. Visuospatial working memory and interference control were significant predictors. Findings indicate an important role of EF as predictors of arithmetic skills.

The guidelines, which were first published in 2012, were fundamentally revised by a panel of experts from 9 medical and psychological societies and published on the website of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany in December 2019 (AWMF registration number 051-029). The guidelines contribute to interdisciplinary quality assurance when assessing applicants for insurance or other compensation benefits who claim psychological or psychosomatic illnesses with resulting functional disorders. The guidelines are divided into 3 separate parts: part I describes specific aspects of the expert examination, part II describes the criteria for assessing occupational performance capacity in terms of different legal fields and part III deals with questions of causality in cases of claimed posttraumatic mental disorders.Die erstmals 2012 publizierte Leitlinie wurde durch ein Expertengremium von insgesamt 9 medizinischen und psychologischen Fachgesellschaften grundlegend überarbeitet und im Dezember 2019 auf der Website der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e. V. publiziert (AWMF-Registernummer 051-029). Sie dient der interdisziplinären Qualitätssicherung bei der Begutachtung von Antragstellern auf Versicherungs- oder sonstige Entschädigungsleistungen, die psychische oder psychosomatische Erkrankungen mit hierdurch bedingten Funktionsstörungen geltend machen. Sie gliedert sich in 3 getrennte Teile: Teil I nennt spezifische Aspekte der gutachtlichen Untersuchung, Teil II beschreibt die Kriterien zur Begutachtung der beruflichen Leistungsfähigkeit vor dem Hintergrund unterschiedlicher Rechtsgebiete, Teil III beschäftigt sich mit Kausalitätsfragen bei geltend gemachten Traumafolgestörungen.

Chevron osteotomy with consecutive fixation is a commonly performed operative treatment option for hallux valgus deformities. The present retrospective study aims to compare the clinical and radiological outcome of novel bioabsorbable magnesium screw fixation with metal screw and Kirschner wire fixation. Eighteen matched triplets were assembled according to the following criteria: female gender, age difference less than 5 years, date of operation within 4 months, difference in preoperative intermetatarsal angle less than 5°, and equal experience of the first and second surgeon. These patients, between 18 and 85 years of age and with a minimum follow-up period of 12 months, were invited to a follow-up examination, of which only 16 matched triplets of patients entirely kept the appointment. Thus, 48 feet of 44 patients were clinically evaluated using the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society scale, Foot Function Index, University of California and Los Angeles Activity Score, as well as a visual analogue scale for pain, satisfaction, cosmetic results, and functional impairment. Radiographical assessment included measuring intermetatarsal angle and first metatarsophalangeal angles. All occurring complications and revision surgeries were noted. Significant differences were observed for postoperative intermetatarsal angle between magnesium screw and pin fixation (p = 0.009). Moreover, patients receiving magnesium screw were significantly more prone to undergo the same procedure again (p = 0.03). In conclusion, if the advantages of bioabsorbable magnesium screws outweigh the drawbacks of increased costs and a higher surgical demand, this implant might serve as possible chevron osteotomy fixation method. Compression screws and Kirschner wires also show comparable satisfactory outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III retrospective comparative study.

Achievement in different domains, such as academics, music, or visual arts, plays a central role in all modern societies. Different psychological models aim to describe and explain achievement and its development in different domains. However, there remains a need for a framework that guides empirical research within and across different domains. With the talent-development-in-achievement-domains (TAD) framework, we provide a general talent-development framework applicable to a wide range of achievement domains. The overarching aim of this framework is to support empirical research by focusing on measurable psychological constructs and their meaning at different levels of talent development. Furthermore, the TAD framework can be used for constructing domain-specific talent-development models. With examples for the application of the TAD framework to the domains of mathematics, music, and visual arts, the review provided supports the suitability of the TAD framework for domain-specific model construction and indicates numerous research gaps and open questions that should be addressed in future research.

As a result of climate change, the frequency of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) is increasing in Chilean Patagonia. Yet, the impacts of the flood events on the physics and biology of fjords is still unknown. Current velocities, density, in-situ zooplankton samples, and volume backscatter (Sv) derived from an acoustic profiler were used to explore the response of circulation and zooplankton abundance in a Patagonian fjord to GLOF events in 2010 and 2014. Maximum Sv was found both during the GLOFs and in late winter to early spring of 2010 and the fall and summer of 2014. The increase in Sv in late winter and spring of 2010 corresponded to multiple zooplankton species found from in-situ net sampling. In addition, diel vertical migrations were found during this seasonal increase both qualitatively and in a spectral analysis. Concurrently with zooplankton increases, wind forcing produced a deepening of the pycnocline. Zooplankton abundance peaked in the fjord when the pycnocline depth deepened due to wind forcing and throughout the entire spring season, indicating that mixing conditions could favor secondary production. These results were corroborated by the 2014 data, which indicate that weather events in the region impact both fjord physics and ecology.

Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften 33 (2011) 3, S. 355-376, Das Merkmal "Migrationshintergrund" wird in der Literatur uneinheitlich definiert. In diesem Beitrag werden verschiedene Klassifizierungskriterien und Informationsquellen vergleichend gegenüber gestellt. Es wird deutlich, dass bei Bestimmung des Migrationsstatus anhand von Muttersprache und Geburtsland der Eltern mehr Kinder als über einen Migrationshintergrund verfügend identifiziert werden als bei Klassifizierung anhand der in der Familie gesprochenen Sprachen. Zudem zeigt sich eine Unterschätzung des Migrationsanteils durch Erzieherinnen im Vergleich zu Elternangaben. Analysen zum Zusammenhang der genannten Indikatoren mit den deutschen Sprachkompetenzen der Kinder ergeben, dass alle untersuchten Kriterien in der Lage sind, Kinder zu identifizieren, die ein erhöhtes Risiko für sprachliche Defizite aufweisen. (DIPF/Orig.), As the term "migration background" is heterogeneously defined in literature, this work compares different criteria and sources of information. Results show that defining migration by parents’ native language and country yields a larger number of children identified with migration background, than defining it according to languages spoken within the family. Preschool-teachers’ reports underestimate the proportion of children with migration background in comparison to parents reports. Results concerning the relationship between different indicators and children’s German language competencies show that all considered definitions are able to identify children at risk for language deficits. (DIPF/Orig.)

Zusammenfassung. Es wird ein Überblick über neuere diagnostische Verfahren zur Erfassung der Lese- und Rechtschreibleistung gegeben. Dieser verdeutlicht, dass in den letzten Jahren eine Reihe von Gruppentests zur Erfassung der Lesefertigkeit (Dekodiergeschwindigkeit und –genauigkeit) sowie des Leseverständnisses bei Schulkindern entwickelt wurden. Nachdem in diesem Bereich lange Zeit kaum geeignete Tests verfügbar waren, kann hier von eine einer grundlegenden Verbesserung der Lage ausgegangen werden, wie die Kurzbeschreibung der Verfahren verdeutlicht. Die schon seit geraumer Zeit vergleichsweise günstige Situation im Bereich der Rechtschreibdiagnostik wurde durch die Entwicklung neuerer (und ebenfalls kurz skizzierter) Verfahren weiter optimiert. Erst seit wenigen Jahren sind Verfahren zur Erfassung des Lernverlaufs und zur Online-Erfassung von Schriftsprachkompetenz verfügbar. Auf diese wird abschließend ebenfalls kurz eingegangen.

Social problems in primary care Objectives: Social problems appear in clinical work as well as in expert opinions for courts and insurances as a major factor in frequently chronic psychosomatic diseases, both in the professional and private environment. On the assumption that unemployed individuals show a higher risk for the development of mental and psychosomatic diseases, we investigated our hypothesis that mostly social issues lie at the center of patients' motivation for consultations. METHODS Our questionnaire was dispatched by the Medical Association of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) to all established general practitioners in that state (n = 1025). It collected information on how social problems were handled in primary-care practices. RESULTS The large majority of social problems in MV arise from unemployment and job-related conflicts. Doctors often evaluate these problems using pathological dimensions (medicalization) and provide certificates of disability as a "dysfunctional" approach to the problem. CONCLUSIONS The medicalization of social problems indicates a lack of alternatives in our medical system and highlights the inadequate handling up to early retirement based on dysfunctional behavior (incorrect diagnosis, certificate of disability).

Knowledge about one’s own cognitive processes is the basis for the monitoring and regulation of learning processes for effective reading comprehension. Taking verbal cognitive ability into account, the present study aimed to examine the developmental trajectories of reading comprehension and declarative metacognitive knowledge and their interrelationship from grade 5 to grade 8. A multivariate latent growth curve analysis was conducted using longitudinal data collected from secondary school students in Germany at four time points (grades 5, 6, 7, and 8). The participants showed developmental gains in both reading comprehension and declarative metacognitive knowledge during this time period. While a widening of gap was observed for reading comprehension between high- and low-achieving students from grades 5 to 8, there was no evidence of an increase or a decrease in the gap in declarative metacognitive knowledge during the study period. The initial level of reading comprehension and the later developmental gain were significantly predicted by early verbal cognitive ability. Verbal cognitive ability had a significant effect on initial declarative metacognitive knowledge but not on later developmental gains. Developmental changes in reading comprehension and declarative metacognition were significant and appeared to be parallel in slope. While early declarative metacognitive knowledge was significantly related to later developmental gains in reading comprehension, early reading comprehension was not significantly related to later developmental gains in declarative metacognition. This study’s findings are discussed with respect to the impact of strategies (declarative metacognitive knowledge) on reading comprehension and on the developmental interplay between both constructs.

Zusammenfassung. Sprachförderprogramme im Vorschulbereich haben im deutschsprachigen Raum seit der ersten PISA-Studie sehr an Bedeutung gewonnen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die vielfältigen Ansätze zunächst grob klassifiziert und dann im Hinblick auf ihre Wirksamkeit hin bewertet. Für strukturiert konzipierte additiv-kompensatorische Ansätze zur Verbesserung von Wortschatz und Satzverständnis, wie sie in mehreren Bundesländern im Rahmen von Modellversuchen durchgeführt wurden, lassen sich in der Regel kaum nennenswerte Effekte finden. Demgegenüber fallen die Befunde für strukturiert angebotene additive Programme zur frühen Förderung schriftsprachrelevanter Merkmale („emergent literacy“) deutlich günstiger aus, insbesondere in ihrer kompensatorischen Komponente. Für die neuerdings in den Fokus gerückten unstrukturierten alltagsintegrierten Ansätze zur Förderung von Wortschatz, Sprechfreude und Sprachverständnis sind die Befunde der wenigen Evaluationsstudien kaum ermutigend. Es bleibt abzuwarten, inwieweit die durch bundespolitische Programme stimulierten neuen alltagsintegrierten Ansätze zur Verbesserung der Infrastruktur der Einrichtungen und zu einer besseren Qualifikation der pädagogischen Fachkräfte führen können. Die Zusammenschau der Befunde legt den Schluss nahe, dass die Kombination alltagsintegrierter und additiv-kompensatorischer Programme zu positiveren Ergebnissen führen dürfte. Die Erwartungen an Fördermaßnahmen dieser Art sollten dennoch eher bescheiden sein.

Trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) significantly improves overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The most common treatment-related event (grade ≥3) was hematological toxicity. We here report long-term disease-stabilizing FTD/TPI treatment of an mCRC patient (KRAS wild-type, ECOG performance status 1 at baseline and at the end of FTD/TPI therapy) with multifocal synchronous metastases and a longstanding history of extensive hematological events during previous treatments. Finally, this 62-year-old male patient was treated for 10 months with FTD/TPI by consecutive alteration of treatment parameters: (i) initial daily dose reduction to 80 mg (72% of the recommended dose), (ii) 20 days dose delay, (iii) a second and later third dose reduction to 70 mg and 60 mg (about 64% and 55%, respectively, of the recommended dose), and (iv) 30 µg per day of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration first for 3 days, and later for 5 days, for each treatment cycle.

Der vorliegende Text ist Teil einer Reihe von Berichten uber transferaffine Forschungsprojekte der empirischen Schul- und Unterrichtsforschung. Vor dem Hintergrund der Diskussion uber bislang in De...

An update on the Eastern South Pacific Intermediate Water (ESPIW) distribution has been possible based on ARGO (Array for Real-Time Geostrophic Oceanography) data. This study comprised over 46,000 profiles obtained during 2007-2012 from an area between the western coast of South America and 150°W, and 5° and 40°S. This information was complemented with data from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) P06 transects conducted in 1992 and 2010 at 32°30’S in the South Pacific Ocean. Based on a comparison of this update and data from 1990-2001, it was established that the ESPIW volume has increased by approximately 53%. Moreover, the area occupied by ESPIW in the 2010 WOCE P06 transect was 48% higher than in 1992. Ekman pumping velocity, calculated from the wind for the time and region of ESPIW formation, showed a significant increase in Ekman pumping between 2000 and 2012. The increase in Ekman pumping from 2000 onward could explain the observed changes in ESPIW distribution (the water mass had extended zonally) and properties (salinity showed a decrease of 0.1). These changes could be explained as the consequence of atmospheric climate variability over the interior ocean.

Die Evaluation der Therapieergebnisse von Ausbildungstherapien ist ein wichtiger Baustein der internen Qualitatssicherung und patientenorientierten Psychotherapieforschung in Lehr- und Ausbildungsambulanzen. Gleichzeitig ist die Datenlage in diesem Bereich bislang rar. Erstmalige Ergebnisevaluation in Ausbildungsinstituten der Ausbildungsakademie der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Verhaltenstherapie (DGVT). Unter Berucksichtigung der in der Literatur vorgeschlagenen Erhebungs- und Evaluationskriterien wurden Daten von 5 DGVT-Ausbildungsinstituten (Berlin, Dortmund, Hannover, Krefeld und Munchen) hinsichtlich indirekter und direkter Veranderungsmase bei 597 erwachsenen Patienten analysiert. Die durchgefuhrten Therapien zeigen Effektstarken von d = 1,24 in Psychopathologie (Brief Symptom Inventory, BSI) und d = 1,88 in Depressivitat (Beck-Depressions-Inventar, BDI). Zwischen den Ausbildungsinstituten bestehen keine Effektivitatsunterschiede. Die Ergebnisqualitat ist als gut zu bewerten, wenngleich unbedingt eine breitere Datenbasis durch vollstandige Pra-Post-Erhebungen geschaffen werden muss, um die Generalisierbarkeit dieser ersten Ergebnisse zu uberprufen.

The Humboldt Current krill, Euphausia mucronata (Crustacea: Euphausiacea), is an endemic and keystone species in the food web of this highly productive eastern border current ecosystem. The morphology and ontogeny of E. mucronata is known from calyptopis I to the adult phase, but the embryonic and early-life stages (nauplius and metanauplius) of this broadcast spawning species are unknown. We describe the morphology and development time of these life stages to complete the knowledge of its life cycle. Embryos were obtained from purple-gonad gravid females collected off Dichato, central Chile, during November 2012. Eight gravid females (mean=16 mm total length) were incubated in seawater at 12°C under laboratory conditions. The average development time from single-cell embryos to the metanauplius stage was 2.2 d and hatching occurred between 20 and 25 h. The average growth rate was 0.35 mm d−1 from the late limb bud to the metanauplius stage (range=0.21–0.48 mm d−1). Embryos of E. mucronata had a mean chorion diameter of 0.460 mm, embryo diameter of 0.343 mm, and perivitelline space of 0.056 mm. Our biological information reported here constitutes a baseline for future ecological studies on distribution and temporal variability of spawning activity and reproductive strategies of E. mucronata in the highly variable and productive Humboldt Current ecosystem.

Zusammenfassung. Sowohl die Kenntnis von Strategien als auch das Wissen über ihre situations- und aufgabenadäquate Anwendung spielen eine bedeutende Rolle beim Erwerb von Wissen und Fähigkeiten. Lernstrategiewissen wird in Auseinandersetzung mit einem konkreten Gegenstandsbereich erworben. Zur Untersuchung der Entwicklung des Lernstrategiewissens im Bereich Englisch wurde ein bereichsspezifisches Testverfahren für Schülerinnen und Schüler der 5. – 7. Klasse entwickelt und mittels einer Expertenbefragung geprüft. Im Rahmen einer Pilotierungsstudie mit 398 Teilnehmenden der 5. und 6. Jahrgangstufe erwiesen sich die psychometrischen Eigenschaften des Tests als zufriedenstellend. Zudem ließen sich Annahmen zur inhaltlichen Validität prüfen und bestätigen. Inzwischen liegen Befunde aus einer Längsschnittuntersuchung (5. – 7. Klasse) mit vier Messzeitpunkten vor (N = 835), die eine Stabilität des gemessenen Konstruktes sowie die faktorielle Validität belegen. Analysen zeitverzögerter Effekte des Lernstrategiewissens auf die Englischleistung weisen auf die Prädiktivität des erfassten Wissensbereichs hin und belegen seine Relevanz für die Leistung.

Literacy and mathematical competencies are essential for a successful school career and precursors of these abilities develop in kindergarten. In addition to children’s early cognitive abilities, family characteristics such as the socioeconomic status and the home learning environment (HLE) are predictors of early child competencies. However, few studies outside the US and the UK have analyzed long-term effects of the early HLE on child development, simultaneously considering various explanatory factors. In this longitudinal study, data of 920 German children were obtained in kindergarten some 18 months before school entry (child mean age: 4;10). At this point, precursors of reading, spelling and mathematics were assessed. In addition, parents were asked to complete surveys on family characteristics. Child assessments were repeated with standardized measures of mathematical and literacy abilities at the end of Grade 1 and in the middle of Grade 4 (child mean age: 9;9), the final grade in German elementary schools. In Grade 4, teachers were also asked to provide their recommendation for children’s secondary school track (“Hauptschule” for lowest secondary school track, “Realschule”, or “Gymnasium” as highest secondary school track). HLE was not only a good predictor of early abilities, but also directly predicted competencies at the end of elementary school when precursors, former academic achievement and child and family characteristics were controlled for. In addition, children living in more favorable HLEs were more likely to be recommended for higher secondary school tracks by their teachers.

Children develop linguistic competencies during interactions with more knowledgeable others. Consequently, one way to support this development is by enhancing the home literacy environment (HLE) in which children live. In this study a non-intensive intervention procedure was developed to improve HLE and linguistic competencies of 125 German children (mean age at time 1 [t1; beginning of the study]: 5;5 years) in their last year of kindergarten. Parents were offered to participate in one evening meeting and in an individual dialogic reading session. HLE and children’s linguistic competencies were assessed before and twice after the intervention. Families in the complete intervention group did not differ from other families in any of the study variables at the beginning of the study. However, they significantly improved their HLE, and children in these families showed greater development in phonological awareness when compared with the other families. Results indicate that less intensive interventions can have long-lasting effects on HLE and children’s development.

According to the reciprocal-effects model (REM), prior academic self-concept (ASC) has a positive effect on subsequent achievement beyond what can be explained in terms of prior achievement and vice versa. The present study investigated the REM for students studying in special classes for the gifted compared to students studying in regular classes. The sample included 283 students from 14 special classes for the gifted and 639 students from 26 regular classes from seven high-track schools of the German secondary school system (“Gymnasium”). Students’ math achievement (grades and standardized achievement tests) and their ASC in math were assessed four times from the beginning of Grade 5 to the middle of Grade 7. Reciprocal relationships between ASC and academic achievement were positive and comparable across class types, confirming the validity of the REM.

Palladium (Pd) emitted from vehicles equipped with exhaust catalytic converters has been accumulating at a greater rate relative to other platinum group elements (PGE) in the last 10–20 years. Little is known, however, regarding the various environmental factors and conditions which are likely to modulate the chemical behavior and bioaccessibility of this element post-emission. To meet data needs, soils and a Pd model substance were treated with solutions containing common anions (Cl−, NO3−, SO42− und PO43−) to shed light on the geochemical behavior of emitted Pd under ambient conditions. As part of this, the particle surface chemistry of treated residues (insoluble phase) and solutions (soluble phase) was examined using XPS to assess the chemical transformation of Pd in the presence of inorganic anions. The results show that Pd is the most soluble in the presence of anionic species, followed by rhodium (Rh) and platinum (Pt). Pd in field-collected samples was found to be considerably more soluble than the metallic Pd in the model substance, Pd black, when treated with anionic species. The results also demonstrate that the solubility of Pd black is strongly dependent on solution pH, concentration and the duration of reaction. The outer 3–4 atomic layers of metallic Pd was determined via XPS to be partially oxidized when treated with anion solutions, with the degree being dependent on anion type. The concentration of dissolved O2 in solution was found to have little impact on the transformation of metallic Pd. Given the ubiquitous nature of the anions examined, we can expect that Pd will become more bioaccessible post-emission.

Temporal variability in the daily growth rate (DGR) of the Humboldt Current krill, Euphausia mucronata , was studied in eighteen incubation experiments off the coast of Dichato, central Chile (36.5°S), carried out in 2011–2014. Intermolt period (IMP) was derived from the molting rate method in order to estimate the DGRs. Mean IMP was 9.2 ± 4.8 days (range: 2.9–18.7 d). Overall mean DGR was 0.03 ± 0.13 mm d − 1 . DGR showed a dome-shaped pattern, with a higher mean DGR when upwelling was moderate (0.06 ± 0.04 mm d − 1 ) than intense (0.01 ± 0.00 mm d − 1 ) or weak (0.01 ± − 0.01 mm d − 1 ). This dome-shaped trend was observed in chlorophyll- a concentrations (Chla) at similar upwelling regimens. E. mucronata DGR variability was best explained by a generalized linear model which included the contribution of the Equatorial Subsurface Water, temperature, dissolved oxygen and Chla as predictor variables. Results suggest that E. mucronata is better adapted to grow under upwelling conditions when it can take advantage of high biological productivity, although the species growth is not limited when weak upwelling or even downwelling occurs. Analysis of the duration of the upwelling events suggest that E. mucronata growth is limited (shrinking) when upwellings last > 10 days.

The role of motor coordination and executive functions in kindergarten for reading/spelling in 1st/2nd grade was examined in the light of other domain-general predictors. N = 173 children were included in the final analyses. A structural equation model with motor coordination, fluid intelligence, age and self-concept as predictors of reading/spelling fitted well. When EF were included, motor coordination and fluid intelligence were not associated with reading/spelling performance. A final model with EF, age and self-concept fitted best. Findings indicate an important role of EF for the development of reading and spelling and for the link between motor coordination and reading/spelling.

Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or Sjögren’s syndrome can be associated with impaired renal acid excretion. Only few cases of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) have been described. Here, we present the case of a 60-year-old woman with PBC and dRTA. Her kidney biopsy showed an absence of markers of acid-secretory Type A intercalated cells (A-ICs) and expression of aquaporin-2, a marker of principal cells, in all cells lining the collecting duct. Moreover, the serum of the patient contained antibodies directed against a subset of cells of the collecting duct. Thus, PBC-related autoantibodies may target acid-secretory A-ICs and thereby impair urinary acidification.

Niedrige CO2-Emissionen zu erreichen, ist ein wichtiges Ziel fur alle Automobilhersteller, um massive Strafzahlungen zu verhindern. Ab 2020 gilt fur neu zugelassene PKW ein Flottengrenzwert von 95 g/km (fur ein Referenzfahrzeug von 1372 kg), fur den Zeitraum bis 2030 wird aktuell eine weitere, herstellerspezifische, relative Grenzwertabsenkung diskutiert. Der Umstieg vom alten NEFZ- zum neuen WLTP-Prufverfahren erschwert das Erreichen der CO2-Grenzwerte zusatzlich.

Zur Analyse des dynamischen Verhaltens von Regelsystemen werden bevorzugt solche Testsignale verwendet, die mit den vorhandenen Stelleinrichtungen einfach erzeugt werden konnen und mathematisch einfach zu beschreiben sind. Dabei muss das Testsignal als EingangsgroseDie Beschrankung auf einige wenige Testfunktionen mit einfacher charakteristischer Signalform erleichtert dann die Vergleiche untereinander hinsichtlich des statischen, stationaren und aperiodischen dynamischen Verhaltens. Die haufigsten Testfunktionen sind:Jede Differenzialgleichung eines Systems lasst sich einfacher untersuchen, wenn die Analyse auf je eine Eingangs- und Ausgangsgrose beschrankt wird. Die mathematische Beschreibungsform, die sich gut mit der experimentellen Analyse vergleichen lasst, wird „Antwortfunktion“ genannt. Der sich ergebende Verlauf der Ausgangsgrose bei normierter Eingangsgrose ist dann ein charakteristisches Merkmal fur das Ubertragungsverhalten des untersuchten Systems.

Von Schulbeginn an unterscheiden sich Lernende erheblich im Erfolg ihrer Lernbemuhungen. Wahrend einige Schulerinnen und Schuler keinerlei Probleme zeigen, verzeichnen andere haufig Misserfolge. Von Lernschwachen bzw. Lernstorungen wird allgemein dann gesprochen, wenn es zu einem bedeutsamen und auch zeitlich uberdauernden Leistungsversagen kommt. Der Begriff der Lernschwierigkeiten wird meist etwas weiter gefasst und beinhaltet auch zeitlich begrenzte Leistungsprobleme (vgl. Gold 2011; Hasselhorn & Gold 2013). Minderleistungen im Lesen, Rechtschreiben und Rechnen werden dann als „erwartungswidrig“ bezeichnet, wenn es sich um umschriebene, also auf einen spezifischen Leistungsbereich beschrankte Probleme handelt und die Intelligenz der Kinder im durchaus normalen Bereich liegt. Allgemein lernschwache Schulerinnen und Schuler weisen demgegenuber Probleme in fast allen schulrelevanten Leistungsbereichen auf, was haufig mit unterdurchschnittlicher Intelligenz einhergeht.

Hypokalemia contributes to the progression of chronic kidney disease, although a definitive pathophysiological theory to explain this remains to be established. K+deficiency results in profound alterations in renal epithelial transport. These include an increase in salt reabsorption via the Na+-Cl−cotransporter (NCC) of the distal convoluted tubule (DCT), which minimizes electroneutral K+loss in downstream nephron segments. In experimental conditions of dietary K+depletion, punctate structures in the DCT containing crucial NCC-regulating kinases have been discovered in the murine DCT and termed “WNK bodies,” referring to their component, with no K (lysine) kinases (WNKs). We hypothesized that in humans, WNK bodies occur in hypokalemia as well. Renal needle biopsies of patients with chronic hypokalemic nephropathy and appropriate controls were examined by histological stains and immunofluorescence. Segment- and organelle-specific marker proteins were used to characterize the intrarenal and subcellular distribution of established WNK body constituents, namely, WNKs and Ste20-related proline-alanine-rich kinase (SPAK). In both patients with hypokalemia, WNKs and SPAK concentrated in non-membrane-bound cytoplasmic regions in the DCT, consistent with prior descriptions of WNK bodies. The putative WNK bodies were located in the perinuclear region close to, but not within, the endoplasmic reticulum. They were closely adjacent to microtubules but not clustered in aggresomes. Notably, we provide the first report of WNK bodies, which are functionally challenging structures associated with K+deficiency, in human patients.

In the southern hemisphere, macroscale atmospheric systems such as the westerly winds and the Southeast Pacific Subtropical anti-cyclone (SPSA) influence the wind regime of the eastern Austral Pacific Ocean. The average and seasonal behaviors of these systems are well known, although wind variability at different time and distance scales was previously unexamined. The main goal of this study was, therefore, to determine the space and time scale variabilities of surface winds from 40° to 56° S, using QuikSCAT, ASCAT, and ERA-Interim surface wind information, complemented by in situ meteorological data. In addition, interactions between atmospheric systems, together with the ocean–atmosphere dynamics, were evaluated, from 1999 to 2015. The empirical orthogonal function detected dominance at the synoptic scale in mode 1, representing approximately 30 % of the total variance. In this mode, low and high atmospheric pressure systems characterized wind variability, with a cycle length of 16.5 days. Initially, mode 2, representing approximately 22 % of the variance, was represented by westerly winds (43° to 56° S), which occurred mostly during spring and summer, with an annual time scale (1999–2008), until they were replaced by systems cycling at 27.5 days (2008–2015), reflecting the influence of the Southern Hemisphere's baroclinic annular mode. Mode 3, representing approximately 15 % of the variance, involved passage of small scale, low and high atmospheric pressure (LAP, HAP) systems throughout Patagonia. Persistent Ekman suction south of the Gulf of Penas, and up to and beyond the Pacific mouth of the Magellan Strait, occurred throughout the year. Easterly Ekman transport (ET) piled these upwelled waters onto the western shore of South America, when the winds blew southward. These physical mechanisms were essential in bringing nutrients to the surface, and then transporting planktonic organisms from the oceanic zone into Patagonian fjords and channels. In a variation, between 41° and 43° S, surface wind from the SPSA produced offshore ET during spring and summer, causing reduced sea surface temperature, and increased chlorophyll-a; this is the first time that such upwelling conditions have been reported so far south, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The influence of northward migrating LAP systems on the ocean–atmosphere interphase allowed us to understand, for the first time, their direct relationship with recorded night time air temperature maxima (locally referred to as Nighttime heat wave events). In the context of global climate change, greater attention should be paid to these processes, based on their possible impact on the rate of glacier melting, and on the austral climate.