Bielefeld University
  • Bielefeld, Germany
Recent publications
Despite the recognized need to address the prevention of sexual violence against adolescents in Nigeria, significant research gaps persist in understanding the patterns, determinants, and impacts of such violence, particularly regarding regional variations and the specific developmental needs of adolescents across different stages. This study provides Nigerian regional prevalence estimates disaggregated by gender, rural/urban, and in/out-of-school populations, while also identifying socio-demographic and cultural determinants related to increased vulnerability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in South-West Nigeria with a sample of 961 adolescents, targeting in- and out-of-school adolescents aged 13–17 years. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed.The prevalence of any form of SV since age 12 was 69.4%, with higher rates among out-of-school adolescents and boys. Non-contact abuse (63.2%), passive contact abuse (41.9%), and active contact abuse (28.7%) were the most common forms reported. Peers were the dominant perpetrators (77.1%), followed by other adults (27.9%). Being male (OR 2.033), older (OR 1.214 per year), involved in a romantic relationship (OR 2.731), and experiencing SV before age 12 (OR 4.622) were significant risk factors. Higher household wealth (OR 0.902 per asset) and emotional support from both parents (OR 0.413) were protective factors.This study highlights the high burden of SV against adolescents in Nigeria, with concerning patterns of male victimization and peer perpetration. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive, evidence-based strategies addressing emotional support, social norms, power dynamics, and economic vulnerabilities to prevent and respond to this problem effectively.
Zusammenfassung Die Lage des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses wird als angespannt wahrgenommen. Um das aktuelle Stimmungsbild dieser Gruppe in Deutschland besser zu verstehen, wurde eine umfassende Untersuchung durchgeführt. Zu diesem Zweck wurde eine Umfrage an die spezifische Zielgruppe versandt, um aktuelle Herausforderungen und Lösungsvorschläge in strukturierter Form zu erfassen. Die Resultate der Untersuchung offenbaren eine Vielzahl an Faktoren, welche die Arbeitssituation des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses beeinträchtigen. Dazu zählen insbesondere eine hohe Mehrfachbelastung, Überarbeitung sowie eine fehlende langfristige Perspektive, welche durch ständige Befristungen bedingt ist. Die befragten Personen äußerten deutlich den Wunsch nach Verbesserungen ihrer Arbeitsbedingungen. Dazu zählen beispielsweise längere Vertragslaufzeiten, geringerer Stress, unbefristete Stellen sowie ein stärkerer Schutz der physischen und psychischen Gesundheit.
The Article highlights possible sources of error in criminal proceedings against physicians and shows approaches to a holistic defense. Behavior during a search and seizure is a particularly important practical area of criminal proceedings; in addition, advice is given with regard to statements of the accused and subordinate (practice) personnel in the presence of prosecuting authorities. In view of the decisive importance that is often attached to the medical expert opinion in criminal proceedings against physicians, the influence on the selection of the expert and the formulation of the expert opinion order is discussed as an essential task of the defense. Finally, defense strategies for the (rather rare) case of a main hearing are discussed as well as opportunities and risks of various forms of case resolution.
Zusammenfassung Es wird über eine 36-jährige Patientin berichtet, die den Rettungsdienst aufgrund abdomineller Schmerzen verständigte. Die Frage nach Vorliegen einer Schwangerschaft wurde verneint, klinisch zeigte sich die Untersuchung des Abdomens unauffällig. Unter der Arbeitsdiagnose Nierenkolik wurde entsprechend lokaler Standards vom Notfallsanitäter Nalbuphin i. v. dosiskonform und indikationsgerecht verabreicht. Im weiteren kurzfristigen Verlauf wurde die Patientin, die sich retrospektiv in der 32. Schwangerschaftswoche befand, von einem gesunden Kind entbunden. Im dargestellten Fall kam es nicht zu kardiorespiratorischen Nebenwirkungen des Nalbuphin beim Neugeborenen. Ob Nalbuphin sicher in der Schwangerschaft angewendet kann, muss Gegenstand weiterer Studien sein. Die prähospitale Anamnese bei Frauen im gebärfähigen Alter sollte die Frage nach der letzten Regelblutung umfassen.
Introduction Breastfeeding is the biological norm for infant nutrition. In certain scenarios, feeding at the breast is not possible, because of either maternal or neonatal reasons. In those cases, infants can still receive expressed mother’s own milk (MOM) and its beneficial properties. Mothers can express their milk using a variety of methods, while applying different hygiene practices, in different settings; moreover, expressed milk might receive processing before it is fed to the infant, particularly to reduce transmission of viruses such as cytomegalovirus to premature infants. The present protocol was designed to gather the evidence on the effect that the expression method, the hygiene regimen and setting and any processing used on expressed MOM can have on the clinical outcomes of recipient infants. Methods This systematic review will follow the methodological recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration, in accordance with WHO recommendations and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We will apply a hybrid search strategy, by combining structured database search with predefined snowballing searches. We will include primary research studies only, without restrictions on the type and including observational studies; no publication time, setting or language restriction will be applied, provided the abstract is available in English. Studies evaluating different methods of MOM expression, hygiene practices or settings during expression, processing of MOM and reporting clinical outcomes on recipient infants will be eligible. The searches have been planned to be performed in April–May 2024. Two reviewers will independently perform the reference screening, data extraction and risk of bias analysis of eligible studies, by using standardised tools specific for each study design. Quantitative and thematic narrative data synthesis will be performed and statistical heterogeneity between studies tested. Meta-analyses of extracted data will be performed where applicable. For relevant outcomes, certainty of the evidence will be tested by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this study since no original data will be collected. There is patient and public involvement throughout this research process. The results of this review will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and through conference presentations. Moreover, this systematic review will inform recommendations on milk banking of the WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety. PROSPERO registration number CRD42024523299.
In contemporary philosophical discourse, there is a widespread assumption that meaning in life is individual: that it is a value inherent in individual human lives, that the content of this meaning varies from individual to individual, and that it differs in degree based on the individual. Despite these claims, however , objectivist theories of meaningful life have so far failed to do full justice to this assumption of individuality, leading to certain deficiencies and distortions in the understanding of meaningful life. This paper aims to highlight these shortcomings and to explain how the individuality of meaning in life can be better understood within an objectivist framework. This proposed individuality account provides a necessary correction and complement to existing objectivist accounts of meaningful life. The paper demonstrates how the individuality account successfully addresses common shortcomings, withstands various objections , and differs significantly from current approaches.
Several factors endanger the psychological well-being of children and adolescents growing up in post-conflict settings. The risk of experiencing traumatic events at early stages of their development renders them more vulnerable for developing mental disorders. Furthermore, they have to deal with ongoing socioeconomic insecurity, loss of close relatives, disrupted family systems, and the disruptive consequences of their caregivers’ mental health status on child-rearing practices. In this chapter, we identify the particular risk factors for children and adolescents growing up in post-conflict settings. We highlight the need for and provide an overview of existing and developing evidence-based interventions, aimed at preventing and treating trauma-related disorders in children and adolescents in these potentially insecure and volatile environments. Specifically, we present the research-based interventions Parent Management Training Oregon model adapted to family systems in post-conflict settings and Interaction Competences with Children for Caregivers in institutional facilities, both aimed at promoting caring and violence-free child-rearing practices. The results of both interventions indicate their feasibility of implementation and effectiveness, cultural acceptance, and adaptability to specific post-conflict settings. Finally, we introduce Narrative Exposure Therapy for Forensic Offender Rehabilitation as a promising treatment approach to reduce trauma-related symptoms and the risk of aggressive behavior in street children and child soldiers. Throughout the chapter, we highlight the feasibility of scientifically evaluating interventions in post-conflict settings and emphasize the need for evidence-based prevention and treatment approaches.
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a trauma-memory-focused psychotherapeutic intervention that is effective in treating PTSD and other forms of trauma-spectrum disorders across different cultural contexts. KIDNET is a safe and robust treatment variant of NET specifically tailored for children and adolescents as young as 7 years of age. It can be delivered in schools, communities, outpatient clinics, private practices, or even refugee camps and is scalable also in low-resource contexts. It has been shown to be feasible and acceptable for gender diverse and intersectional groups.
The intramolecular migration of three hydrogen atoms from one moiety of a gaseous radical cation to the other prior to fragmentation is an extremely rare type of redox reaction. Within the scope of this investigation, this scenario requires an ionized but electron‐rich arene acceptor bearing a para‐(3‐hydroxyalkyl) residue. The precise mechanism of such unidirectional 3H transfer processes, including the order of the individual H transfer steps, has remained unclear in spite of previous isotope labelling and recent infrared ion spectroscopy (IRIS) studies. Herein, the details of this peculiar process have been investigated for ionized 4‐(N,N‐dimethylaminophenyl)‐2‐butanol, 2, by state‐of‐the‐art density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The energetically most favorable pathway consists of a sequence of successive 1,4‐, 1,6‐ and 1,5‐H steps. During these steps the secondary alcohol functionality is oxidized to a carbonyl group and the radical‐cationic aniline ring is reduced to an ionized 2,3–dihydroaniline unit. Several alternative sequences, such as three successive 1,5‐H shifts, could be excluded. A concomitant unidirectional 2H migration reaction of ion 2 was also investigated and the intermediacy of ion‐neutral complexes (INCs) enabling sequential hydride and proton transfer was confirmed by the calculations.
Introduction Adolescent mental health problems represent a significant global health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, such as the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Moldova. Effective and scalable interventions are urgently needed to address these challenges. Methods and analysis This protocol outlines a multicountry cluster randomised factorial trial, implemented according to the multiphase optimisation strategy (Phase 2), which evaluates the effectiveness and costs of three add-on components for the Parenting for Lifelong Health for Parents and Teens programme: adolescent mental health tools based on UNICEFs Helping Adolescents Thrive comics, adolescent peer support based on UNICEFs ‘I Support My Friends’ intervention and engagement booster designed to enhance attendance and programme completion through incentives. The study will recruit 720 families and involve 64 clusters in North Macedonia and Moldova. Primary outcomes will include adolescent internalising problems and social support, family functioning and attendance during the programme. Secondary outcomes will assess broader aspects of mental health among caregivers and adolescents, as well as implementation and cost outcomes. Data will be collected at baseline and postintervention, approximately, 8 weeks later. Statistical analyses will include regression models to assess the main and interaction effects of the intervention components and cost analyses. Ethics and dissemination The study received ethical approval from the University of Klagenfurt in Austria (approval number: 2023–013), the Medical Faculty at St. Cyril and Methodius University in North Macedonia (approval number: 03-2144/4) and the National Committee of Ethical Expertise for Clinical Trials in Moldova (approval number: 1476). The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conferences, webinars in multiple languages, regional forums, stakeholder meetings with policymakers and practitioners, public communication through media engagement and open access platforms, including data sharing and early release of findings. Trial registration details Trial registration: NCT06562244 ; Project page: https://www.flourish-study.org/about.html
Biodiversity collapse, driven by increasing environmental changes, poses significant threats to ecosystem stability and the provision of essential ecosystem services. Understanding the recoverability of collapsed food webs thus is crucial for devising effective conservation strategies. This study delves into the theoretical exploration of the recoverability of food webs from a collapsed state. Through simple tools like dimension reduction, propagation of species-specific perturbation, and dynamical simulations, we explore whether simple tri-trophic food webs can be recovered from a collapsed state. Our study examines in detail the topological features of food webs that could either facilitate or impede their recovery. We demonstrate that the recoverability of complex food webs can be predicted by using a simple dimension-reduced model, with certain structural factors that could constrain the full recovery of collapsed food webs. Furthermore, we found that such a simple dimension-reduced model can accurately capture the rate of recovery for complex collapsed food webs. In addition, dynamic simulations highlighted the significance of topological features such as connectance and the number of predator links in determining recoverability. Our dimension-reduced modeling framework offers insights into the feasibility of restoring entire complex predator–prey networks through species-specific interventions. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of ecosystem resilience and aids in the development of targeted conservation strategies.
Understanding magnetic domain wall (DW) dynamics is vital for improving the performance of heavy metal/ferromagnet based spintronic devices. Pd/Co/Pd multilayers hosting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii‐Moriya interaction are prototypes for high density magnetic memory devices. This work presents the creep regime DW dynamics in Pd/Co/Pd trilayers with Ta buffer layer excited by symmetric field‐induced domain wall motion using Kerr microscopy. A systematic increment of DW velocity with increasing Co thickness is observed. SQUID‐VSM measurements reveal that the effective anisotropy constant decreases with the Co layer, leading to an increased DW width. Kerr microscopy images confirm that the DW is becoming rougher with magnetic layer thickness because of the dominance of magnetostatic energy over the DW energy. Hard X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES) reveals the presence of alloying at interfaces of Co/Pd. The asymmetry in magnetic circular dichroism HAXPES at the Pd 3d edge pictures the induced magnetic moment in Pd which is consistent with the larger saturation magnetization obtained from vibrating sample magnetometry. Extended X‐ray absorption fine structure performed in out‐of‐plane and in‐plane geometry shows the disordered nature of the Co local environment with the interdiffusion of Pd atoms into Co causing an asymmetry in the bonds.
Racism permeates societies globally, including within Germany’s educational system. Specifically, people from the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) region experience anti-Muslim racism. This study explores how racially minoritized parents subjected to the asylum system navigate racist discourse within societal and institutional structures, focusing on their strategies of resistance and accommodation. Guided by a social constructionist epistemology, interviews were conducted with 11 parents migrating from regions and countries with a majority of Muslim residents. Utilizing reflexive thematic analysis, four themes were constructed: Language as an exclusion and excuse mechanism, Meaning-making of being racialized, Good Migrant, and Going the extra mile. The analysis highlights the dialectical tension parents experience as they navigate racist discourse within social and institutional structures. Parents resisted by challenging school practices, defending “cultural norms”, and advocating for their children’s educational opportunities. Simultaneously, they strategically accommodated by stressing gratefulness, assimilation, and praising German systems. This research illuminates how racially minoritized parents navigate oppressive systems and racist discourse, emphasizing the interplay between resistance and accommodation. It underscores the importance of recognizing informal resistance within societal constraints, offering a nuanced perspective through the resistance and accommodation framework. Additionally, it informs policy and social responses to migration by elucidating racialization and oppression dynamics.
Giant viruses are extraordinary members of the virosphere due to their structural complexity and high diversity in gene content. Haptophytes are ecologically important primary producers in the ocean, and all known viruses that infect haptophytes are giant viruses. Our in-depth electron microscopic, phylogenomic and virion proteomic analyses of two haptophyte-infecting giant viruses, Haptolina ericina virus RF02 (HeV RF02) and Prymnesium kappa virus RF02 (PkV RF02), unravel their large capacity for host manipulation and arsenals that functions during the infection cycle from virus entry to release. The virus infection induces significant morphological changes of host cell that are manipulated to build a virus proliferation factory. Both viruses’ genomes encode a putative nucleoprotein (dinoflagellate/viral nucleoprotein; DVNP), which was also found in the virion proteome of PkV RF02. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that DVNPs are widespread in marine giant metaviromes. Furthermore, the analysis shows that the dinoflagellate homologues were possibly acquired from viruses of the order Imitervirales.
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7,212 members
Sven Thoms
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
Lutz Kraushaar
  • Public Health Medicine
Jacob Engelmann
  • Faculty of Biology
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Address
Bielefeld, Germany
Head of institution
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Sagerer