Search

We present the case of a 7-month-old baby with Cushing’s disease due to an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenoma combined with cells producing thyreotropin-secreting hormone (TSH). In MRI scans, a contrast-enhancing lesion was seen inside the pituitary fossa, and it extended into the suprasellar region. On the assumption of a pituitary adenoma, surgery was performed. Corresponding with biochemical findings, histopathological evaluation revealed an ACTH- and TSH-producing tumor. Genetic analysis did not demonstrate an alteration at codon 201 (Arg) and 227 (Glu). To our knowledge, this is the first case described in a child of this age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the first few decades, from 1892–1917, of the social policy journal "Soziale Praxis" focusing on issues that shaped its formation and development. In particular, the role of public opinion on shaping the publication is outlined. Those influencing the publication over the years are mentioned including liberal social politician Ignatz Jastrow and his fight against the "Handelsminister von Berlepsch", who sought to stifle the voice of liberal social policy publications.

Background: In the third year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, little is known about the vaccine- and infection-induced immune response in liver transplant recipients (LTR) and liver cirrhosis patients (LCP)., Objective: This cross-sectional study assessed the vaccination coverage, infection rate, and the resulting humoral and cellular SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses in a cohort of LTR and LCP at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany between March and May 2023., Methods: Clinical and laboratory data from 244 consecutive patients (160 LTR and 84 LCP) were collected via chart review and a patient survey. Immune responses were determined via standard spike(S)- and nucleocapsid-protein serology and a spike-specific Interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA)., Results: On average, LTR and LCP were vaccinated 3.7 and 3.3 times, respectively and 59.4% of patients received ≥4 vaccinations. Altogether, 68.1% (109/160) of LTR and 70.2% (59/84) of LCP experienced a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most infections occurred during the Omicron wave in 2022 after an average of 3.0 vaccinations. Overall, the hospitalization rate was low (<6%) in both groups. An average of 4.3 antigen contacts by vaccination and/or infection resulted in a seroconversion rate of 98.4%. However, 17.5% (28/160) of LTR and 8.3% (7/84) of LCP demonstrated only low anti-S titers (<1000 AU/ml), and 24.6% (16/65) of LTR and 20.4% (10/59) of LCP had negative or low IGRA responses. Patients with hybrid immunity (vaccination plus infection) elicited significantly higher anti-S titers compared with uninfected patients with the same number of spike antigen contacts. A total of 22.2% of patients refused additional booster vaccinations., Conclusion: By spring 2023, high vaccination coverage and infection rate have resulted in a robust, mostly hybrid, humoral and cellular immune response in most LTR and LCP. However, booster vaccinations with vaccines covering new variants seem advisable, especially in patients with low immune responses and risk factors for severe disease., (© 2024 The Authors. United European Gastroenterology Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of United European Gastroenterology.)

Background: In times of accelerating changes, teachers who proactively engage in activities towards school improvement and innovation are increasingly needed. Still, studies on factors that affect teachers' proactive behaviour are rare., Aims: Integrating previous research on proactive behaviour within the Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) Model, this paper investigates how job characteristics (time pressure, bureaucratic structures, participative climate, personal initiative of the team) and aspects of teachers' professional competence (self-efficacy, self-regulation skills and knowledge) contribute to and interact with their proactive behaviour., Sample: A total of 130 German secondary school teachers (M(SD) age  = 44.05 (11.36), 65% female) participated in this study., Methods: We employed a full two-wave panel design, with measurement points 5 months apart. The data were analysed with (moderated) single indicator modelling and a cross-lagged panel model., Results: While teachers' self-efficacy in implementing change and self-regulation skills predicted their concurrent proactive behaviour, job characteristics and teachers' knowledge had no such cross-sectional effects. In addition, we found an interaction effect of time pressure and teachers' self-efficacy on proactive behaviour. Including the second measurement point, data indicated no cross-lagged effects of the job and personal factors on proactive behaviour. However, cross-lagged analysis revealed that teachers' proactive behaviour predicted their later self-efficacy in implementing change and the time pressure they perceive., Conclusions: Examining both cross-sectional and longitudinal effects, this study highlights the importance of measurements over time when analysing factors that influence teachers' proactive behaviour: While aspects of professional competence appear to be trainable concurrent resources, time pressure can limit their effect. Finally, cross-lagged effects of teachers' proactive behaviour on their later self-efficacy and time pressure appear as influential in the long run., (© 2023 The Authors. British Journal of Educational Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.)

The question of what makes a good teacher has been asked by practitioners, policymakers, and researchers for decades. However, there is no guiding framework about which qualities are important for teachers. Thus, it is necessary to examine these qualities using a recognized framework and to summarize the previous literature on this topic. We conducted a meta-analysis on the 25 studies (total N  = 6294) reporting the relationships between teacher Big Five personality domains (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability) and two teacher job-related outcomes (i.e., teacher effectiveness and burnout). Furthermore, the influence of three moderators was assessed, namely, the type of teacher effectiveness measure (i.e., evaluations of teaching, student performance self-efficacy, classroom observation, and academic achievement), source of personality report (i.e., self-report vs other-report), and the instructed educational level (i.e., elementary, secondary, and tertiary). Overall, teacher Big Five domains (except for agreeableness) were positively associated with teacher effectiveness, especially for evaluations of teaching. Furthermore, teacher emotional stability, extraversion, and conscientiousness were negatively associated with burnout. Other-reports of teacher personality were more strongly associated with outcomes than self-reports. There were no differences in the strength of the associations between the educational levels. The need for using common descriptors in teacher research as well as practical implications of the findings for teacher personality measurement is discussed.