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Abstract. Because its secretion is changed in cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood, the neuronal polypeptide VGF (nonacronymic) has been discussed as a biomarker for neuropsychiatric disorders. We have shown an enhanced VGF expression by T-cells from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. In this study, we investigated the VGF expression by peripheral monocytes in 38 AD patients, 5 patients with vascular dementia (VD), and 20 neuropsychiatrically healthy individuals using flow cytometry. We determined an enhanced number of VGF-expressing monocytes in VD patients compared to AD patients. VGF+CD14+ monocytes were not correlated with age, body mass index, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), or Q albumin. These preliminary data support findings indicating that VGF might play a role as a peripheral biomarker in VD.

Die Fallgeschichte des Dr. A. wird triangulierungstheoretisch rekonstruiert. Das heißt, der Text der Fallbeschreibung wird bereits in seiner triadischen Struktur aufgenommen – erstens als kommunikative Praxis zwischen Autor und Leser_in, zweitens als Einblick in die arbeitsweltliche Praxis der Klinikambulanz und drittens als Zugang zu einer supervisorischen Praxis – zwischen Handwerk und Haltung. So wird vor allem die Arbeit des Supervisors rekonstruiert, wie dieser triadische Strukturen generiert und triadische Dynamiken moderiert, welche die trianguläre Kompetenz des Supervisors herausfordern. Der gesamte Supervisionsprozess wird als der Versuch des Supervisors verständlich, den Ambivalenzkonflikt zwischen Überparteilichkeit und Gerechtigkeit zu regulieren.

Although the expression of co-stimulatory molecules plays an important role in the immune system, only little is known about their regulation in dementias. Therefore, we determined the expression of CD28, ICOS (CD278) and CTLA-4 (CD152) by CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; N = 19), Alzheimer’s disease (AD; N = 51), vascular dementia (VD; N = 21) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD; N = 6) at the point in time of diagnosis compared to 19 non-demented elderly persons. The expression of CD28 and ICOS by CD4 + and CD8 + T cells was not changed in AD, FTD or VD patients. The expression of the negative regulator CTLA-4 was increased by CD4 + T cells from AD and FTD patients and by CD8 + T cells from VD patients. The classification of the AD patients according to the severity of the disorder showed stage-dependent alterations of CD28, ICOS and CTLA-4 expression. In AD patients, the correlation analysis showed an association between the decline in CD28 + T cells and the increase in CTLA-4 + T cells with cognitive decline, measured by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), tau proteins and Amyloid-β, important AD biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In FTD patients, a positive association between Q Albumin, a marker for blood-CSF-barrier function, and CD28 and a negative correlation between Q Albumin and ICOS expression were determined. Our data suggest a dysregulated balance between the expression of negative and positive co-stimulatory molecules by T cells in AD patients, which might contribute to chronic inflammation observed in dementia.

Background: Although it is known that the nutritional status among elderly persons and, in particular, patients with dementia, is compromised, malnutrition that results in insufficient uptake of several vitamins is often not diagnosed. Objective: An elevated homocysteine level is a known strong risk factor for vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several B vitamins are involved in the metabolism of homocysteine. Therefore, we investigated the serum levels of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin B12 in 97 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or different forms of dementia and 54 elderly control persons without dementia. Results: Compared to aged non-demented people, vitamins B1, B6, B12, and folate were decreased in serum of patients with AD, and patients with Lewy body dementia had reduced vitamin B12 level. Vitamin B6 was diminished in VaD. Patients with frontotemporal dementia showed no alterations in vitamin levels. Age was identified as an important factor contributing to the concentrations of vitamin B1 and B6 in serum, but not vitamin B12 and folate. Increased levels of total homocysteine were detected especially in MCI and AD. Homocysteine correlated negatively with levels of vitamins B6, B12, and folate and positively with Q Albumin. Conclusion: Our data suggest that despite increased homocysteine already present in MCI, vitamin levels are decreased only in dementia. We propose to determine the vitamin levels in patients with cognitive decline, but also elderly people in general, and recommend supplementing these nutrients if needed.

ZusammenfassungDie Supervision ist schon lange keine (reine) Sozialarbeitssupervision mehr. Sie wird heute als ein generalisiertes berufs- und arbeitsweltorientiertes Beratungsformat verstanden. Dennoch sind Supervisor/innen heute beratend hauptsächlich in Feldern Sozialer Arbeit tätig. Gleichzeitig ist ihre Geschichte im deutschsprachigen Raum als eine konzeptuelle Wegbewegung von der Sozialen Arbeit zu beschreiben. Diese ist als eine Gegenstands‑, Zuständigkeits- und Kompetenzerweiterung rekonstruierbar. Ihre zentralen Professionalisierungsanforderungen bestehen jedoch im Umgang mit zentralen Widersprüchen der Spätmoderne, was sie wiederum mit ihrem „Ursprungsland“ der Sozialen Arbeit teilt.

ZusammenfassungHybridität ist ein organisationssoziologisch etabliertes Konzept, dass die Multirationalität moderner Organisationen abbildet. Hybride Organisation spiegelt die komplexen und widersprüchlichen Beziehungen zu unterschiedlichen gesellschaftlichen Sektoren wider. Exemplarisch wird dies an der Organisation Hochschule skizziert. Der Ausganspunkt ist der seit 2008 durch das Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (CHE) prämierte Hochschulmanager/in des Jahres. Hier werden Führungskompetenzen prämiert, die im Beitrag zu den Anforderungen eines multirationalen Managens und hybriden Führens in Beziehung gesetzt werden. Daraus ergeben sich interessante Anknüpfungspunkte für Beratungsbedarfe (Coaching und Supervision) in Hochschulen als hybride Organisationen.

Inflammation and alterations in essential protein structures in the brain might also change the cellular distribution in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Using flow cytometry, we analyzed cell populations of the innate and adaptive immune system associated with the most frequent forms of dementias. We included patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; N ​= ​33), Alzheimer’s disease (AD; N ​= ​90), vascular dementia (VD; N ​= ​35) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD; N ​= ​17) at the time of diagnosis, before onset of treatment and 11 elderly non-demented individuals. Dependent on the form of dementia, an increased frequency of CD14+ monocytes, NK cells and NKT cells was measured. Within the T cell population, a dementia-associated shift from central memory towards (late-stage) effector cells was detected. T cells and NKT cells were correlated with MMSE, NK and NKT cells were correlated with ptau, CD14+ monocytes and NK cells were correlated with Amyloid-β 1–40. Our data suggest that each investigated immune cell type is involved in dementia-associated alterations within the CSF, possibly having distinct functions in their pathogenesis.

Schwindende oder nachlassende Bindung ist ein Seismograph der Veranderung der Arbeitsgesellschaft. Davon sind zum einen die Erwerbsarbeit und unser Commitment an Organisationen betroffen und zum anderen unsere Bindungen, die wir in Arbeitsbeziehungen mit anderen eingehen. Im Text geht es darum, die zwei bindungstheoretischen Zugange, die sich parallel und unabhangig voneinander entwickelt haben, vergleichend zu untersuchen – zum einen die organisationspsychologische Commitmentforschung und zum anderen die entwicklungspsychologische begrundete Bindungstheorie. Sie sind nach ihrem Potenzial zu befragen, wie sie auf aktuelle Dynamiken der Arbeitswelt theoretisch und empirisch reagieren.

The viability of a renewable electricity system depends on long-term climate variations, uneven spatiotemporal distribution of renewable energy, and technical constraints. A major problem is to achieve a sustainable balance of water usage and consumption, as well as adequate energy and water distribution and storage capacities. In particular, hydropower offers a large capacity for energy storage and production flexibility, but only stands for a minor part of the total energy potential. In this study we explored the spatial and temporal variance of hydropower availability for a 35-year period based on historical hydro-meteorological data from large parts of Europe. A spectral analysis of these historical time-series shows that spatiotemporal coordination of the hydropower system covered in the Global Reservoir and Dam Database (GRanD) can potentially contribute with a “virtual” energy storage capacity that is up to four times the actual energy storage capacity contained in the existing hydropower reservoirs. Such virtual energy storage capacity implies reduced water storage demand, hence, indirectly contributes to reduced constraints of the food-water-energy nexus also in a wider system perspective. We found that the most significant benefits from a spatiotemporal management arise at distances of 1,200 – 3,000 km, i.e. on the continental scale, which can have implications for a future renewable energy system at large. The analysis also covers what we denote “energy-domain-specific drought”, which implies a shortage of energy storage capacity to avoid a deficit of energy for a given time period, and which may be reduced by the spatiotemporal coordination of power production.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus internus was recently proposed as a potential new treatment target for opioid addiction. DBS requires computer-assisted-3D planning to implant the stimulation electrode precisely. As volumes of brain regions may differ in addiction compared to healthy controls, our aim was to investigate possible volume differences in addicts compared to healthy controls. Volumes of the globus pallidus externus (PE) and internus (PI) in heroin addicts (n = 14) and healthy controls (n = 12) were assessed using morphometry of serial whole-brain sections. Total brain volume was larger in the heroin group (mean 1479 ± 62 cm3 vs. mean 1352 ± 103 cm3), as the heroin group was more than 10 years younger (p = 0.001). Despite larger mean whole brain volume, the mean relative volume of the PE and PI was smaller in addicted subjects compared to healthy controls (PE 0.658 ± 0.183 × 10−3 vs. 0.901 ± 0.284 × 10−3; ANOVA F(1, 24) = 6.945, p = 0.014, η2 = 0.224; PI 0.253 ± 0.095 × 10−3 vs. 0.345 ± 0.107 × 10−3; ANOVA F(1, 24) = 5.374, p = 0.029, η2 = 0.183). These findings were not significantly confounded by age, duration of autolysis, and fixation time. Our results provide further evidence for structural and not only functional deficits of the globus pallidus in addiction. In the context of previous studies, our findings support the idea of shared pathophysiological processes between comorbid depression and impulsivity in opioid addiction.

Der Film „Das Leben der Anderen“ bezieht zwei Welten aufeinander – die Welt der „Staatssicherheit“ und die Welt der Kunst, des Theaters und der Literatur Mitte der 80er Jahre in der DDR. Ein Stasi-Hauptmann belauscht und kundschaftet das Leben eines zunachst linientreuen Dramatikers aus. Schritt fur Schritt verandert der „Operative Vorgang“ der Stasi nicht nur das Leben des einen, sondern auch den Stasi-Spitzel selbst, der nicht nur zum Mitwisser, sondern zu einem verdeckten Komplizen der Opposition wird. Der Film gibt einen Einblick in den Erosionsprozess einer Organisation des Verdachts und in die kulturellen Veranderungsprozesse, die am Ende ein ganzes politisches System umfassen. Er pointiert die Frage nach dem „guten Menschen“, nach der Verfuhrbarkeit durch und der Abhangigkeit von Macht und schlieslich nach der Immunitat dagegen durch das Gute und Schone.

Participatory budgeting (PB) is one of the most popular democratic innovations worldwide. PB is connected with high stakes regarding mobilizing political inactive citizens, efficient and effective ...

Alterations in the immune response that result in inflammation might play a role in the pathology of dementias. In order to analyze changes of the peripheral immune system associated with different types of dementias, we determined several innate and adaptive cell populations in whole blood using flow cytometry. We included patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 60), vascular dementia (VaD; n = 20), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD; n = 12) at the time point of diagnosis and 24 age-matched neuropsychiatric healthy persons. Monocytes and NK cells were diminished in VaD, but not in AD and FTD. B cell and T cell numbers were decreased in all investigated forms of dementia. Changes in the contribution of naïve/memory T cells were only present in AD. Correlation and regression analyses revealed associations between altered immune cell populations and Q Albumin as marker for the integrity of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid-barrier, Mini-Mental State Examination values, and age. The peripheral immune system is altered in AD, VaD, and FTD. However, each disorder presents unique changes in the investigated cell types indicating different mechanisms underlying the pathology.

N-Methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDA-R) antibodies (Abs) could play a role in neurodegenerative disorders. Since, in these diseases, NMDA-R Abs were detected in serum, but only sporadic in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the origin and impact of the Abs are still unresolved. We examined the presence of NMDA-R Abs in serum and CSF using a cell-based immunofluorescence assay as well as the function of the blood-CSF-barrier (B-CSF-B) by determination of Q albumin (ratio of albumin in CSF and serum) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; N = 59) and different types of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD; N = 156), subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD; N = 61), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD; N = 34). Serum IgA/IgM NMDA-R Abs and/or a disturbed B-CSF-B were sporadically present in all investigated patients' groups. In AD, these Abs often developed during the disease course. Patients with either no hippocampal atrophy and/or no AD-related characteristic changes in CSF, referred to "non-classical" AD, were characterized by seropositivity at diagnosis and loss of function of the B-CSF-B showed a progressive decline in cognitive functions and a poor prognosis. Our data indicate that NMDA-R Abs are present in different types of dementia and elderly healthy individuals. In combination with disturbed B-CSF-B integrity, they seem to promote their pathological potential on cognitive decline, and thus, a subgroup of dementia patients with these unique characteristics might inform clinicians.

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is the main source of serotonergic innervation of forebrain limbic structures disturbed in suicidal behaviour. We have evaluated the transcriptional activity of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in DRN neurons by AgNOR silver staining method. The cohort (containing 24 suicidal and 20 non-suicidal patients, and 28 controls) was previously analysed regarding diagnosis-related differences between schizophrenia and affective disorders. Significant decreases in both AgNOR and nuclear areas suggestive of attenuated rDNA activity were currently found in suicidal versus non-suicidal patients. This effect, which was more accentuated in affective disorders patients, was not explained by antidepressant and antipsychotic medication.

The viability of a renewable electricity system depends on a relatively small share of hydropower storage resources to regulate climate variations and the spatially uneven distribution of renewable energy. By spatio-temporal coordination of hydropower production over larger regions, the energy storage demand will be reduced and contribute to a “virtual” energy storage gain that in Europe was found to be almost twice the actual energy storage capacity of hydropower reservoirs. In an attempt to quantify this gain, hydropower availability was simulated for most parts of the European continent for a 35-year period based on historical hydrometeorological data. The most significant benefits from spatio-temporal management arise at distances between 1200 and 3000 km, i.e., on the continental scale, which can have implications for a future renewable energy system at large. Furthermore, we discuss a condition termed “energy-domain-specific drought”, which is a risk that can be reduced by the spatio-temporal management of power production. Virtual energy storage gain is not explicitly considered in the management models of hydropower production systems but could in principle complement existing management incentives.

Although monocytes and macrophages could serve as new therapeutic targets for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and aging of the human innate immune system, its role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as AD are only poorly understood. We have addressed this here by determining the number of CD14+ monocytes and the frequency of HLA-DR-, CD80-, and CD86-expression in peripheral blood from healthy volunteers aged 20-79 years, and in AD patients at diagnosis and after 12, 30, and 52 weeks of rivastigmine treatment. While the number of CD14+ monocytes remained constant, the expression of HLA-DR, CD80, and CD86 by monocytes increased with age. However, no differences were identified by comparing AD patients with age-matched healthy controls or following treatment of AD patients with rivastigmine. These results indicate that changes in the expression of HLA-DR, CD80, and CD86 are caused by immunosenescence rather than by AD pathology or treatment of AD patients with rivastigmine.

Secretion of VGF is increased in cerebrospinal fluid and blood in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and VGF is a potential biomarker for these disorders. We have shown that VGF is expressed in peripheral T cells and is correlated with T cell survival and cytokine secretion. The frequency of VGF+CD3+ T cells increases with normal aging. We found an increased number of VGF-expressing T cells in patients with AD compared to aged healthy controls, which was associated with enhanced HbA1c levels in blood. Upon treatment with rivastigmine, T cell proliferation and VGF expression in AD patients decreased to the level found in controls. Moreover, rapamycin treatment in vitro reduced the number of VGF+CD3+ cells in AD patients to control levels.

The niobium-90 radioisotope ((90)Nb) holds considerable promise for use in immuno-PET, due to its decay parameters (t½ = 14.6h, positron yield=53%, Eß(+)(mean) = 0.35 MeV and Eß(+)(max) = 1.5 MeV). In particular, (90)Nb appears well suited to detect in vivo the pharmacokinetics of large targeting vectors (50-150 kDa). In order to be useful for immuno-PET chelators are required to both stabilize the radionuclide in terms of coordination chemistry and to facilitate the covalent attachment to the targeting vector. Different chelators were evaluated for this purpose in terms of radiolabelling efficiency and stability of the radiolabelled Nb(V) complex and in order to determine the most suitable candidate for conjugation to a biologically relevant targeting vector. For the purpose of studying the complexation properties the niobium radioisotope (95)Nb was used as an analogue of (90)Nb, by virtue of its longer half-life (35 days) and lower cost (reactor-based production). Acyclic and cyclic chelators were investigated, with desferroxamine [Df: (N'-{5-[acetyl(hydroxy)amino]pentyl}-N-[5-({4-[(5-aminopentyl) (hydroxy)amino]-4-oxobutanoyl} amino)pentyl]-N-hydroxysuccinamide)] emerging as the best candidate. Greater than 99% radiolabelling was achieved at room temperature over a wide pH range. The (95)Nb-Df complex is sufficiently stable for immuno-PET (7% degradation over 7 days in vitro). As a proof-of-principle, a Df conjugate featuring a well-established targeting vector, (D)-Phe(1)-octreotide, was evaluated. The fast labelling kinetics of the unconjugated chelator (Df) were retained for Df-succinyl-(D)Phe(1)-octreotide (Df-OC), with90% labelling after 1h at room temperature over the pH range 5-7. Stability studies, performed in vitro in serum at physiological temperature (37 °C), revealed that 87 ± 2% of the radiolabelled molecule remained intact after 7 days. Competition studies with relevant metal ions (zirconium((IV)), gallium((III)) and iron((III))) have been performed with Df-OC to gain insight to the relative stability [Nb-Df]-OC complex to transmetallation. At equimolar metal ion concentrations the [Nb-Df]-OC complex showed the greatest overall stability. The favourable radiolabelling characteristics of Df-OC and its stability indicate that Df is a potentially very useful chelator for the development of radiopharmaceuticals for (90)Nb-PET.

Patients suffering from cognitive decline such as mild cognitive impairment or neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's dementia, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and Lewy body dementia are often accompanied by symptoms like psychosis, depression, agitation, and apathy. Aging increases not only the prevalence of dementia but also the development of kidney disorders, which had emerged as possible risk factor of cognitive impairment and dementia. However, a contribution of renal dysfunction to psychosis associated with cognitive decline remains to be investigated. We addressed the question whether patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and co-symptoms show alterations in serum parameters. Analyzing 309 patients in total, we detected a positive correlation between the occurrence of psychotic symptoms and increased retention parameters in serum, including creatinine and urea levels and the estimated glomerular filtration rates. This was in particular detected in female patients. In male patients, psychotic symptoms were associated with an increased number of leukocytes in blood. We propose that clinicians should be aware of psychotic symptoms in patients with reduced cognitive functions that could be associated with changes in the retention parameters.

Das Leben der Anderen bezieht zwei Welten aufeinander – die Welt der Staatssicherheit (des Ministeriums fur Staatssicherheit) und die Welt der Kunst, des Theaters und der Literatur Mitte der 80er Jahre in der DDR. Ein Stasi-Hauptmann belauscht und kundschaftet das Leben eines zunachst linientreuen Schriftstellers aus. Schritt fur Schritt andert der »Operative Vorgang« der Stasi nicht nur das Leben des einen sondern auch den Stasi-Spitzel selbst, der nicht nur zum Mitwisser, sondern zu einem verdeckten Komplizen der Opposition wird. Der Film gibt einen Einblick in den Erosionsprozess einer Organisation des Verdachts und in die kulturellen Veranderungsprozesse, die am Ende ein ganzes politisches System umfassen. Er pointiert die Frage nach dem »guten Menschen«, nach der Verfuhrbarkeit durch und der Abhangigkeit von Macht, nach der Immunisierbarkeit dagegen durch das Gute und Schone.

The central serotonergic system is implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, where the imbalance between dopamine, serotonin and glutamate plays a key pathophysiological role. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is the main source of serotonergic innervation of forebrain limbic structures disturbed in schizophrenia patients. The study was carried out on paraffin-embedded brains from 17 (8 paranoid and 9 residual) schizophrenia patients and 28 matched controls without mental disorders. The transcriptional activity of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in DRN neurons was evaluated by the AgNOR silver-staining method. An increased rDNA transcriptional activity was found in schizophrenia patients in the cumulative analysis of all DRN subnuclei (t test, P = 0.02). Further subgroup analysis revealed that it was an effect specific for residual schizophrenia versus paranoid schizophrenia or control groups (ANOVA, P = 0.002). This effect was confounded neither by suicide nor by antipsychotic medication. Our findings suggest that increased activity of rDNA in DRN neurons is a distinct phenomenon in schizophrenia, particularly in residual patients. An activation of the rDNA transcription in DRN neurons may represent a compensatory mechanism to overcome the previously described prefrontal serotonergic hypofunction in this diagnostic subgroup.

The N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDA-R) plays a central role in learning and memory and has therefore a potential role in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. Recently, we detected NMDA-R autoantibodies in aged healthy volunteers without neuropsychiatric disorders. Since studies showing the involvement of NMDA-R antibodies in mild cognitive impairment and different forms of dementia are rare, we examined NMDA-R antibodies (Abs) in serum of 46 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 26 patients with subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVD), 18 patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), 11 patients with Lewy body disease (LBD) and 33 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in 21 healthy aged, gender-matched volunteers. While IgM and/or IgA NMDA-R Abs were present in all groups, IgG was only detected in one AD sample. Seropositivity could be correlated with the presence of co-symptoms: MCI and AD patients suffering from depression and AD and SIVD patients with a psychosis were almost all NMDA-R Ab positive. We conclude that the presence of NMDA-R Abs in dementia could influence the incidence of comorbid depressive and/or psychotic states.

VGF is a protein expressed by neurons and processed into several peptides. It plays a role in energy homeostasis and promotes growth and survival. Recently, VGF mRNA was detected in peripheral leukocytes. Since it is known that aging is associated with a decrease in the development and function of neuronal as well as immune cells, we addressed the question whether a peripheral expression of VGF by CD3+ T cells and CD56+ NK cells is correlated with age. Therefore, the frequency of VGF+CD3+ and VGF+CD56+ cells was determined in mentally healthy volunteers aged between 22 and 88. We found an age-dependent increase in the number of VGF+CD3+ T cells that correlated with HbA1c and the body mass index (BMI). VGF-expression by NK cells was age-independent. Blockade of VGF reduced proliferation and secretion of cytokines such as IL-2, IL-17A, IL-1β, IL-10 and TNF by CD3+ T cells and PBMCs. Rapamycin-mediated T cell blockade significantly reduced the frequency of VGF-expressing T cells. We conclude that VGF contributes to survival and function of peripheral T cells. The age-dependent increase in VGF-expression could serve as mechanism that counterregulates the decrease in functionality of T lymphocytes.

Die Modernisierung der Gesellschaft lasst sich an der Geschichte der Kindheit besonders gut verfolgen. Kindheit als Lebensphase ist selbst ein „Kind“ der Moderne. Fur alle Epochen war ein spezifischer Blick auf Kindheit pragend. So ist die Idee der Kindheit als „Schutz-, Schon- und Lebensraum“ erst eine Erfindung der Aufklarung des spaten 18. Jahrhunderts und damit viel junger als man gemeinhin glaubt. Fur die heutige Zeit ist eine Vervielfaltigung von Kindheiten und von Kindheitsbildern als Zeitdiagnosen zu konstatieren. Es gibt nicht mehr die eine Kindheit und auch kaum mehr eine gemeinsame generationale Kindheit. Vielmehr ist die heutige Kindheit von Ambivalenzen und einer Gleichzeitigkeit unterschiedlicher Entwicklungen gekennzeichnet. Die Kindheit der reflexiven Moderne ist durch das Verschwinden alter Risiken wie Hunger, Krankheit oder Kindersterblichkeit gekennzeichnet, aber auch durch neue Risiken, wie die beispielsweise die Mediatisierung des Kinderalltags, bestimmt.

Was ist modern? Das war die Ausgangsfrage einer Ringvorlesung an der Hochschule Mittweida im Sommersemester 2014. Das Ziel dieser Veranstaltung war, sich den Facetten dieses schillernden Phanomens bzw. Begriffs aus unterschiedlichen disziplinaren Perspektiven zu nahern. Vermutlich hat es keine Zeit gegeben, in der Menschen nicht modern sein wollten, ohne vielleicht einen Begriff davon zu haben. Fur einen Gutteil unserer Zeitgenoss_innen scheint es jedenfalls wichtig, „modern zu sein“, weil es bedeutet, mit der Zeit zu gehen, „in“ oder „en vogue“ zu sein, den Anschluss nicht zu verpassen, dem Zeitgeist sogar ein Stuck voraus zu eilen. Wer modern ist oder sich modern gibt, verkorpert ein Stuck Zukunft und Fortschritt, er gehort irgendwie dazu, zumindest zu jenen, die jetzt oder kunftig das Sagen haben. Modern sein kann aber auch heisen, dem Zeitgeist einfach zu gehorchen, einem dumpfen Mainstream hinterher zu laufen und so dem modischen Effekt Tradition und Identitat zu opfern.

The role of monocytes and macrophages in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is poorly understood. Recently, we have shown that the number of CD14+ monocytes remained constant during healthy aging and in AD patients. Although only little is known about the function of activated macrophages and microglia in AD, one important mechanism involves the expression of quinolinic acid (QUIN), an endogenous N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDA-R) agonist which mediates excitotoxicity especially in the hippocampus. We used immunofluorescence stainings of PBMCs to determine the expression of quinolinic acid (QUIN) and the MHC class II molecule HLA-DR in peripheral monocytic cells in 51 healthy volunteers aged 22–87 years and 43 patients with AD at diagnosis (0 weeks) and during the course of rivastigmine treatment at 0.25 year (12 weeks), 0.5 year (30 weeks), 1 year, and 1.5 years. The number of QUIN+ HLA-DR+ cells rises in healthy persons aged 30–40 years compared to persons aged 60–70 years, indicating that this cell population increases with aging. AD patients at diagnosis had an increased frequency of QUIN+, QUIN+ HLA-DR+, and QUIN+ HLA-DR+/HLA-DR+ cells compared to aged-matched controls. These cell populations remained increased in AD for up to one year after initiation of treatment with rivastigmine; no alterations were detected in aged healthy persons. We conclude that the expression of the neurotoxic agent QUIN is increased in peripheral monocytes from AD patients. These cells could enter the brain and contribute to excitotoxicity.

Im Professionalitatsdiskurs der Sozialen Arbeit ist der Gegenstand „Organisation“ bzw. die Frage nach dem Verhaltnis von Professionalitat und Organisation keineswegs neu. Es geht hier im Kern darum, die Realisierungsmoglichkeiten „professionellen Handelns“ in modernen Dienstleistungsorganisationen kritisch auszuloten, die vor allem dann auch in der Praxis zum Thema werden, wenn es, wie seit Ende der 1980er und vor allem in den 1990er Jahren, um die Neuorganisation oder „Modernisierung“ sozialer Dienste geht.

// Theresa Lowinus 1 , Tanima Bose 2, 6 , Stefan Busse 3 , Mandy Busse 4 , Dirk Reinhold 1 , Burkhart Schraven 1, 5 , Ursula H.H. Bommhardt 1 1 Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany 2 Molecular Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany 3 Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany 4 Department of Pediatric Pulmonology & Allergology, Medical University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany 5 Department of Immune Control, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany 6 Current address: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore Correspondence to: Ursula H.H. Bommhardt, email: Ursula.Bommhardt@med.ovgu.de Keywords: human T cells, memantine, K v 1.3 potassium channel, NMDA receptor antagonist, Alzheimer´s disease Received: February 04, 2016 Accepted: July 09, 2016 Published: July 22, 2016 ABSTRACT Memantine is approved for the treatment of advanced Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and reduces glutamate-mediated neuronal excitotoxicity by antagonism of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. In the pathophysiology of AD immune responses deviate and infectious side effects are observed during memantine therapy. However, the particular effects of memantine on human T lymphocytes are unresolved. Here, we provide evidence that memantine blocks K v 1.3 potassium channels, inhibits CD3-antibody- and alloantigen-induced proliferation and suppresses chemokine-induced migration of peripheral blood T cells of healthy donors. Concurrent with the in vitro data, CD4 + T cells from AD patients receiving therapeutic doses of memantine show a transient decline of K v 1.3 channel activity and a long-lasting reduced proliferative response to alloantigens in mixed lymphocyte reactions. Furthermore, memantine treatment provokes a profound depletion of peripheral blood memory CD45RO + CD4 + T cells. Thus, standard doses of memantine profoundly reduce T cell responses in treated patients through blockade of K v 1.3 channels. This may normalize deviant immunopathology in AD and contribute to the beneficial effects of memantine, but may also account for the enhanced infection rate.