Associations between Parenting, Temperament-Related Self-Regulation and the Moral Self in Middle Childhood.

The moral self is increasingly being debated in research, i.e., what causes children to internalise and evaluate the importance of certain moral values. The aim of the present study is to analyse associations between parental warmth and harsh parenting, temperamental self-regulation (inhibitory control and impulsivity), and the moral self in middle childhood. A total of 194 (n = 52 children with special educational needs in emotional-social development) six- to eleven-year-old children (Mage = 8.53, SDage = 1.40) and their primary caregivers (Mage = 40.41, SDage = 5.94) participated in this cross-sectional questionnaire study. Parental warmth and impulsivity were associated with the moral self. Impulsivity mediated the relationship between harsh parenting as well as parental warmth and the moral self. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to social information processing theory. The importance of parenting and temperamental self-regulation is discussed as implications that may in turn strengthen children's moral selves.

A toolbox for the upscaling of ethanolic human serum albumin (HSA) desolvation.

Nanoparticles consisting of human serum albumin (HSA) play an emerging role in the development of new drug delivery systems. Many of these protein-based colloidal carriers are prepared by the well-known desolvation technique, which has shown to be a robust and reproducible method for the laboratory-scale production of HSA nanoparticles. The aim of the present study was to upscale the ethanolic desolvation process utilizing the paddle stirring systems Nanopaddle I and II in combination with a HPLC pump in order to find the optimal conditions for the controlled desolvation of up to 2000 mg of the protein. For characterization of the HSA nanoparticles particle size, zeta potential as a function of the pH, polydispersity index and particle content were investigated. The particle content was determined by microgravimetry and by a turbidimetry to allow optimized in-process control for the novel desolvation technique. Furthermore the sedimentation coefficient was measured by analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) to gain deeper insight into the size distribution of the nanoparticles. The formed nanocarriers were freeze dryed to achieve a solid preparation for long-term storage and further processing. Particles ranging in size between 251.2 ± 27.0 and 234.1 ± 1.5 nm and with a polydispersity index below 0.2 were achieved.

Smoking cessation during pregnancy: a systematic literature review.

ISSUES: Second-hand smoke presents a health risk for a large group of entirely helpless nonsmokers: unborn children. Reliable data on women continuing to smoke during pregnancy are essential for effective preventive and interventional programs. The aim of this review is therefore to identify this risk group compared with spontaneous quitters of smoking. APPROACH: This systematic literature review is based solely on empirical original papers derived from samples of pregnant women smoking at the beginning of pregnancy. In accordance with the QUOROM Statement all population or clinic-based samples were included. Collectives from intervention studies were not included. All studies were from developed nations and published between January 1997 and March 2008. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 19 studies were identified. The rate of quitters was between 4.0% and 69.7% for population-based studies, and 26.5% and 47.0% for clinic-based studies. A smoking partner, a large number of children, a high rate of tobacco consumption, as well as deficiencies in prenatal care were predictors of smoking during pregnancy. IMPLICATIONS: This study identifies risk factors and correlates and indicates common obstacles for women to quit smoking during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The risk groups that can be defined based on our results are a key target population for preventive measures.

Who smokes during pregnancy? A systematic literature review of population-based surveys conducted in developed countries between 1997 and 2006.

OBJECTIVES: Smoking during pregnancy is a major risk for the unborn child. Reliable data on the relevant high-risk groups are essential for devising effective preventive and interventional programmes. This review aims at identifying factors which differentiate women who smoke during pregnancy from those who do not, in developed countries. METHODS: This systematic literature review is based solely on empirical original papers with population-representative samples of pregnant women. All studies concerned developed countries and were published between 1997 and 2006. Two blinded investigators working in parallel selected the papers in accordance with the recommendations formulated in the QUOROM Statement. Cross-checking was then carried out to identify any differences. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies were identified. Correlates for smoking during pregnancy can be grouped according to biological, material/structural, psychosocial and behavioural factors. Women of younger age, with a low social status, a large number of children, without a partner or with a partner who smokes, and deficient prenatal care, are more likely to smoke than women in the respective reference groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified risk groups with an above-average prevalence of smoking during pregnancy. These risk groups are a key target population for preventive measures.