A pervasive real-world memory task is remembering to carry out intended activities at appropriate moments in the future, such as remembering to call one’s mother after returning from work or to hand a message to a colleague when seeing him in the office on the next morning. Such types of tasks are termed prospective memory (PM) tasks (Einstein & McDaniel, 1996). PM has been identified as one of the most frequent everyday memory challenges (e.g., Maylor, 1990), particularly in old age (McDaniel, Einstein, & Rendell, 2008) and an intact PM is considered to be crucial for the maintenance of independent living (Kliegel & Martin, 2003). Therefore, many researchers have focused on the exploration of possible age differences in PM. While age-related deficits were found in standard lab-based PM tasks, age-related benefits occured in naturalistic tasks that are carried out in participants’ everyday lives. This surprising pattern has been called the age-PM-paradox (Rendell & Craik, 2000). It has been supported by a meta-analysis comparing PM age effects found in studies that focused either on lab-based or on naturalistic PM tasks (Henry, MacLeod, Phillips, & Crawford, 2004). However, the mechanisms which are critical in determining the direction of age effects remain poorly delineated. Thus, the overall aim of the research programme presented in the present thesis was to investigate the age-PM-paradox as well as potential cognitive, motivational and emotional mechanisms and processes associated with age-related PM performance. For that purpose, three experimental studies were conducted testing adult age effects in different PM task settings with different task material. Furthermore, several possible underlying mechanisms suggested by the literature on age effects in PM were measured and/ or varied experimentally. The first aim of Study 1 was to cross-validate the age-PM-paradox within a single sample. The second aim was to empirically explore the relative importance of four recently proposed factors (motivation, metacognitive awareness, activity absorption, and control over the task) that may be associated with the direction of age effects inside and outside of the laboratory. For that purpose, 20 young and 20 older adults performed a lab-based and a naturalistic PM task, which were similar in structure and demand. The level of control was experimentally manipulated in both task settings. The remaining possibly influencing factors (motivation, metacognitive awareness, and activity absorption) were assessed via questionnaires in the laboratory and with a daily diary in the field. First, analysing mean level age differences, the paradox was confirmed. Second, exploring possible correlates of the paradox revealed that the level of daily activity absorption (i.e., everyday stress) was the most important mechanism in naturalistic PM performance. Further, high motivation and good metacognitive awareness were associated with age benefits in PM performance in the naturalistic task, while high ongoing activity absorption and low control over the PM cue were related to deficits in lab-based tasks. Thus, Study 1 confirmed the age-PM-paradox within one sample and with carefully matched lab-based and naturalistic tasks. In addition, the results indicate that the relative importance of the suggested factors may vary as a function of setting. While cognitive factors were most influential in the laboratory, motivational and knowledge-based factors were associated with high PM performance in the naturalistic task. The strong association between PM performance in the field and everyday stress highlights the need for future studies exploring the mechanisms underlying this effect. Results from Study 1 suggest that cognitive resources are most influential for PM age effects in the laboratory. Yet, it is not clear, which specific cognitive resources are needed for successful PM performance and if these processes differ between young and older adults. Thus, Study 2 explored the role of executive functions (i.e. shifting, updating and inhibition) as possible developmental mechanisms associated with PM age effects. 170 young and 110 older adults performed a battery of cognitive tests including measures of PM, shifting, updating, inhibition, working memory and speed. A comprehensive set of statistical approaches (e.g. median analyses, structural equation modelling) was used to analyze the possible cognitive correlates in predicting PM performance. First, age effects were confirmed in PM and also obtained in measures of executive control. Moreover, the facets of executive control differently predicted PM performance. Specifically, shifting was the strongest predictor of PM performance in young and older adults as well as for explaining age differences in PM. Thus, Study 2 clarified the role of different facets of controlled attention in age effects in PM and bears important conceptual implications: The results suggest that executive functions are important developmental mechanisms of PM across adulthood beyond working memory and speed. Specifically, shifting appeared to be an essential aspect of cognitive control involved in age-related PM performance. Moreover, examining PM as a latent construct confirmed the convergent and discriminant validity of PM. This demonstrates PM as a separate cognitive construct and suggests that PM is related to, but not identical with, executive control. Study 3 was set out to explore if the amount of cognitive resources needed to successfully perform a PM task in the laboratory can be influenced by the emotionality of the task material. First studies suggested that emotional task material may enhance PM performance in young and older adults by heightening the salience of the task and thereby reducing the need for controlled attention. However, the extent and mechanisms of this effect are still under debate. Therefore, Study 3 explored possible differential effects of PM target cue valence on PM age effects. For that purpose, 45 young and 41 older adults performed a PM task in which emotional valence of the PM cue was manipulated (positive, negative, neutral). Results revealed an interaction indicating that age differences were smaller in both emotional valence conditions compared to the neutral condition. This finding supports an emotionally enhanced memory effect in PM, but only for the older adults as PM performance in young adults was not affected by cue valence. From a conceptual perspective, the results from Study 3 may also contribute to the explanation of the age-PM-paradox, as they suggest that the neutral material usually applied in lab-based studies might overestimate PM age effects. In summary, the present thesis makes an important contribution to the ongoing conceptual debate concerning adult age effects in PM performance assessed in the laboratory versus participants’ everyday lives. Results strongly suggest that mostly different variables may be crucial for understanding PM age deficits in the laboratory and age benefits in naturalistic PM tasks. Successful PM performance in the laboratory seems to require high levels of cognitive resources. The present results suggest that shifting ability is especially relevant in this respect. On a task level the emotionality of the material seems to influence the required amount of cognitive resources as it reduced PM age effects. Everyday stress seems to be particularly important for successful PM performance in the field. Thus, possible future studies should specify the relation between stress and PM as outlined in the general discussion.

Regular use of illegal drugs is suspected to cause cognitive impairments. Two substances have received heightened attention: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ‘ecstasy’) and δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC or ‘cannabis’). Preclinical evidence, as well as human studies examining regular ecstasy consumers, indicated that ecstasy use may have negative effects on learning, verbal memory and complex attentional functions. Cannabis has also been linked to symptoms of inattention and deficits in learning and memory. Most of the published studies in this field of research recruited participants by means of newspaper advertisements or by using word-of-mouth strategies. Because participants were usually aware that their drug use was critical to the research design, this awareness may have caused selection bias or created expectation effects. Focussing on attention and memory, this study aimed to assess cognitive functioning in a community-based representative sample that was derived from a large-scale epidemiological study. Available data concerning drug use history allowed sampling of subjects with varying degrees of lifetime drug experiences. Cognitive functioning was examined in 284 young participants, between 22 and 34 years. In general, their lifetime drug experience was moderate. Participants completed a neuropsychological test battery, including measures for verbal learning, memory and various attentional functions. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between cognitive functioning and lifetime experience of drug use. Ecstasy and cannabis use were significantly related to poorer episodic memory function in a dose-related manner. For attentional measures, decrements of small effect sizes were found. Error measures in tonic and phasic alertness tasks, selective attention task and vigilance showed small but significant effects, suggesting a stronger tendency to experience lapses of attention. No indication for differences in reaction time was found. The results are consistent with decrements of memory and attentional performance described in previous studies. These effects are relatively small; however, it must be kept in mind that this study focussed on assessing young adults with moderate drug use from a population-based study.

Die vorliegende Arbeit ist eine Staatsexamensarbeit im Fach Geschichte. Sie beschäftigt sich mit der Rezeption des Bombenangriffes auf Dresden am 13./14. Febraur 1945 in der Geschichtspolitik der DDR. Die Arbeit untersucht anhand der Vor- und Nachberichterstattung der lokalen Zeitungen, der politisch inszenierten Gedenkveranstaltungen und -rituale sowie der entstandenen Erinnerungsorte die Funktion und den Stellenwert dieses Gedenktages in der DDR.

Objective: The present study investigated, for the first time, event- and time-based prospective memory (PM) in the same sample of adults with ADHD within one paradigm using parallel task constraints. Method: A total of 25 individuals with ADHD and 25 matched neurotypical controls completed a computerized version of the Dresden Breakfast Task, which required participants to prepare breakfast following a set of rules and time restrictions. Results: Although groups did not differ in event-based PM, results demonstrated a large-sized impairment in individuals with ADHD in time-based PM. Conclusion: Findings suggest a task-specific impairment in PM functioning and are discussed in an executive control framework of neurocognitive functioning in ADHD. (J. of Att. Dis. 2014; 18(7) 617-624)

Die Erinnerung an die Lebensgeschichte der Gräfin Cosel verdanken wir den Literaten. Wie bei nur wenigen Personen der sächsischen Geschichte vermischen sich dabei Mythos und Wahrheit, Legenden und Wirklichkeit. Der ausführliche Aufsatz zeichnet den Weg dieser Überlieferung von den Anfängen noch zu Lebzeiten der Gräfin bis in die Gegenwart nach und zeigt, wie sich jede Epoche ihre Cosel schuf.

Verstärkte Anstrengungen zur Förderung der T-Zell-basierten Immunität haben eine zwingende Notwendigkeit für unser Verständnis der menschlichen T-Zell-Funktion und –Erhaltung geschaffen. Das Paradigma, dass Gedächtnis-T-Lymphozyten kontinuierlich durch den Körper zirkulieren wurde vor kurzem durch die Entdeckung der Gedächtnis-T-Zellen, die in einer Vielzahl von Geweben, einschließlich des Knochenmarks angesiedelt sind, herausgefordert. Allerdings bleibt der Unterschied zwischen Funktionsweise von zirkulierenden und gewebeansässigen Gedächtnis-T-Zellen nur unzulänglich verstanden. Die Knochenmark ist die Heimat für eine große Anzahl Gedächtnis-T-Zellen. CD4+ Gedächtnis-T-Zellen aus dem Knochenmark beinhalten ein breites Spektrum an Antigenspezifitäten. Interessanterweise wurden CD4+ Gedächtnis-T-Zellen spezifisch für systemische Kindheitsantigene im Knochenmark von älteren Menschen gefunden, auch wenn sie nicht mehr in der Blutzirkulation nachgewiesen werden konnten. Gedächtnis-T-Zellen aus dem Knochenmark sind sesshaft und ruhend und Langzeitgedächtnis gegen systemische Antigene erhalten. Sowohl der Überlebensmechanismus von Gedächtnis-T-Zellen, als auch die Kapazität von gewebsansässigen Gedächtnis-T-Zellen nach einer systemischen Herausforderung mobilisiert zu werden, sind bisher nur unzureichend geklärt. Ich habe gezeigt, dass Gedächtnis-T-Zellen aus dem peripheren Blut und Knochenmark unterschiedliche Überlebensfähigkeiten haben. Weiterhin habe ich die Rolle von Überleben Faktoren in ihrer Erhaltung identifiziert. Zudem habe ich bestimmt, dass Gedächtnis-T-Zellen aus dem Blut und Knochenmark unterschiedliche Zellpopulationen sind, mit unterschiedliche TCRβ Repertoires. Schließlich konnte ich zeigen, dass sesshafte Gedächtnis-T-Zellen, die spezifisch für systemische Antigene sind, schnell in die Blutzirkulation mobilisiert werden. Zusammenfassend bieten diese Studien ein umfassenderes Verständnis der Funktion und des Erhalts des immunologischen Gedächtnisses. / Intensified efforts to promote protective T cell-based immunity in vaccines and immunotherapies have created a compelling need to expand our understanding of human T cell function and maintenance. The paradigm that memory T lymphocytes are continuously circulating through the body in search of their cognate antigen has been recently challenged by the discovery of memory T cells residing in a variety of tissues, including the bone marrow (BM). However, the division of labor and lifestyle of circulating versus tissue resident memory T cells remains poorly understood. The human BM is home to a great number of memory T cells. BM memory CD4+ T cells contain a wide array of antigen specificities. Interestingly, memory CD4+ T cells specific for systemic childhood antigens have been found in the BM of elderly humans, even when they were no longer detectable in peripheral blood (PB) circulation. BM memory T cells are resident, resting and maintain long-term memory to systemic antigens. The survival mechanisms of circulating and BM resident memory T cells; as well as the capacities of tissue resident memory T cells to be mobilized into blood circulation after systemic antigen re-challenge to confer us with immune protection remains to be elucidated. I have shown that PB and BM memory T cells have different survival capacities, as well as identified the role of survival factors in their maintenance. Moreover, using sequencing analysis of the TCRβ repertoire, I have determined that PB and BM memory T cells are separated cell populations. Finally, by tracking the dynamics of antigen-specific memory CD4+ T cells after systemic MMR re-vaccination I could show that TRM CD4+ T cells specific for systemic antigens can be rapidly mobilized into blood circulation and contribute to the immune response. These studies provide a more comprehensive understanding of the function and maintenance of immunological memory in humans.

No description available.

August der Starke ist eine Marke. Als Werbefigur für verschiedenste Produkte scheint er in Sachsen fast omnipräsent. Doch das heute weitgehend positive Image des 'sächsischen Nationalheiligen' unterlag über die Jahrhunderte einem stetigen Wandel. 'Jede Zeit schuf sich ihren August.' Der Artikel beschreibt diesen Wandel anhand der Rezeption Augusts in den verschiedenen Medien vom 18. Jahrhundert bis in die Gegenwart.:Themen und Temperamente Dichtung und Wahrheit Werbe-Ikone Unterm Brennglas der Wissenschaft

Recent developments in today’s art music reflect a general trend of cultural globalisation: It can be characterised as an oscillation between a standardisation of compositional idioms (usually following standards established in the West) and claims for sustainable forms of cultural difference. Even though it is obviously necessary to counterbalance and criticise an academically established »avant garde’s« ethnocentrism and its tendency to dominate a worldwide discourse of new music, references to cultural difference can prove to be naïve or self-deceiving, since they are often linked to essentialist, post-nationalist concepts of (musical) culture. A critical discussion of paradigms and paradoxes in the aesthetics of cultural difference is opened with an analysis of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s universalist Telemusik (1966) as a main example showing how compositional processes can easily eradicate those »cultural« peculiarities in musical styles that the composer claims to preserve. Whereas such processes are often due to a fundamentally mono-cultural discourse and – in Stockhausen’s case – can be traced back to the 19th century Western universalist concept of »art religion«, the three remaining case studies introduce works from Asian contexts that exemplify a dense interpenetration of political, historical and aesthetical strata of both Asian and Western origins. While José Maceda’s Pagsamba (1968), Ge Ganru’s Yi Feng (1983) and Yuji Takahashi’s Sojo Rinzetsu (1997) all use highly idiosyncratic »Asian« material, their works remain informed by key principles of Western modernity, namely incommensurability and the deconstruction of cultural or stylistic stereotypes. This allows for the conclusion that the »space« in which their musical art evolves is a globalised cultural memory that reflects the inner contradictions and the historicity of music as a »cultural« technique.

Am 27. Januar erinnern wir an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus. Millionen Kinder, Frauen, Männer verloren in dem von Deutschen und ihren Helfern zwischen 1933 und 1945 europaweit begangenen »Zivilisationsbruch« aus politischen, ethnischen, religiösen, weltanschaulichen und anderen Gründen ihr Leben. Am heutigen Jahrestag der Befreiung des Konzentrations- und Vernichtungslagers Auschwitz durch Soldaten der Roten Armee erinnern wir an sie. Insbesondere erinnern wir an die beinahe vollständige Vernichtung der europäischen Juden im Holocaust, wir mahnen an den Massenmord an den Sinti und Roma. Wir verneigen uns still vor den Opfern und gedenken ihrer Seelen.