Zygomycetes in Vesicular Basanites from Vesteris Seamount, Greenland Basin--A New Type of Cryptoendolithic Fungi.

Fungi have been recognized as a frequent colonizer of subseafloor basalt but a substantial understanding of their abundance, diversity and ecological role in this environment is still lacking. Here we report fossilized cryptoendolithic fungal communities represented by mainly Zygomycetes and minor Ascomycetes in vesicles of dredged volcanic rocks (basanites) from the Vesteris Seamount in the Greenland Basin. Zygomycetes had not been reported from subseafloor basalt previously. Different stages in zygospore formation are documented in the studied samples, representing a reproduction cycle. Spore structures of both Zygomycetes and Ascomycetes are mineralized by romanechite-like Mn oxide phases, indicating an involvement in Mn(II) oxidation to form Mn(III,VI) oxides. Zygospores still exhibit a core of carbonaceous matter due to their resistance to degradation. The fungi are closely associated with fossiliferous marine sediments that have been introduced into the vesicles. At the contact to sediment infillings, fungi produced haustoria that penetrated and scavenged on the remains of fragmented marine organisms. It is most likely that such marine debris is the main carbon source for fungi in shallow volcanic rocks, which favored the establishment of vital colonies.

How much orientation towards the host culture is healthy? Acculturation style as risk enhancement for depressive symptoms in immigrants.

AIMS: As the specific acculturative tasks and challenges involved in the migration process can lead to an increased risk for depressive symptoms, the study was designed to gain further insight into the interrelation between acculturation styles and mental health. METHODS: A total of n = 90 patients with different ethnic backgrounds from an outpatient consultation service for immigrants at the Hannover Medical School were investigated by the Hannover Migration and Mental Health Interview (HMMH), the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Frankfurt Acculturation Scale (FRAKK). RESULTS: The majority of the subjects (84.4%) had a clinically significant depression. The extent of depressive symptoms was determined by the selected acculturation style (1) (F = 3.29, p = .025): Subjects with integration as acculturation style showed less depressive symptoms than subjects with assimilation as acculturation style. Furthermore, subjects with segregation as acculturation style also showed less depressive symptoms than subjects with assimilation. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that even when undergoing extreme emotional distress, eventually leading to mental disorder, integration, as an acculturation style, seems to serve as a protective resource and possibly prevents further decline.

[Integration without equalization: on necessary modifications of therapeutic strategies in the treatment of migrants]. / Gleichbehandlung ohne gleiche Behandlung: zur Notwendigkeit der Modifikation therapeutischer Strategien für die Arbeit mit Migranten.

Given an increased knowledge for the special requirements of patients with a history of migration in mental health care, different approaches varying between an adaptation of existing systems and the implementation of specialized institutions are being discussed. The present study investigates the treatment courses of 55 first generation immigrants and a control sample of 55 native patients treated in a psychiatric day clinic of a university clinic. Besides the application of questionnaires concerning treatment outcome, a detailed content analysis of treatment records was performed investigating the preference for different therapeutic approaches, migration- and culture-related aspects as well as language problems. Treatment outcome and the reactions to different therapeutic strategies (i. e., verbal-oriented vs. body-centered approaches) suggest a good fit of a common treatment concept also for patients from different countries of origin and ethnic backgrounds. Qualitative analyses, however, imply that migration biography and cultural diversity should be included in diagnostic and therapeutic considerations to a much bigger extent. Language problems, in contrast, appeared to be less salient in the present study.

[Migration biography and culture as determinants of diagnostic and therapeutic processes in mentally ill immigrants. A systematic differentiation based on a qualitative content analysis of treatment courses]. / Migration und Kultur als Determinanten diagnostischer und therapeutischer Prozesse bei seelisch erkrankten Migranten. Eine systematische Differenzierung anhand einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse von Behandlungsverläufen.

A systematic differentiation of culture- in contrast to migration-related influence factors in diagnostic and therapeutic processes is introduced. "Culture-related" refers to characteristics caused by values, behavior norms and religious attitudes of the ethnic community a person belongs to. "Migration-specific" refers to consequences of moving one's residence from one country to another (e. g., absence of family, trouble with authorities concerning the legal status or ambivalence with respect to returning to the home country). Based on a theoretic background of these determinants, categories for a content analysis were defined and applied to the treatment records of n = 55 first generation immigrants treated in a psychiatric day clinic of an university hospital. The results suggest that migration biography should not only be considered as affecting vulnerability in the genesis of a mental illness, but rather be classified as a factor of at least as much relevance for therapeutic situations as the usually named cultural diversity: summarizing the results of the qualitative content analysis of the entire treatment courses more cases were influenced by migration specific aspects rather than culture specific aspects.

[Integration of immigrants into the mental health care system in Germany]. / Integration von Migranten in die psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutische Versorgung in Deutschland.

OBJECTIVE: Due to the effects of globalization there has to be dealt with an increased number of immigrants in the German health care system. However, esp. the mental health care system in Germany is not sufficiently prepared for this challenge. METHODS: It will be given an overview on the current situation of mental health care of immigrants with mental disorders. RESULTS: The aspect of creating specialized care units vs. opening established institutions for immigrants will be discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Examples of good clinical practice will be highlighted. Recommendations for opening the mental health care services for immigrants in Germany will be proposed.