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The emerging energy transition is particularly described as a move towards a cleaner, lower-carbon system. In the context of the global shift towards sustainable energy sources, this paper reviews the potential and roadmap for hydrogen energy as a crucial component of the clean energy landscape. The primary objective is to present a comprehensive literature overview, illuminating key themes, trends, and research gaps in the scientific discourse concerning hydrogen production and energy policy. This review focuses particularly on specified geographic contexts, with an emphasis on understanding the unique energy policies related to renewable energy in Brazil, Austria, and Germany. Given their distinct social systems and developmental stages, this paper aims to delineate the nuanced approaches these countries adopt in their pursuit of renewable energy and the integration of hydrogen within their energy frameworks. Brazil exhibits vast renewable energy potential, particularly in wind and solar energy sectors, positioning itself for substantial growth in the coming years. Germany showcases a regulatory framework that promotes innovation and technological expansion, reflecting its highly developed social system and commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels. Austria demonstrates dedication to decarbonization, particularly through the exploration of biomethane for residential heating and cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the differences related to work values and attitudes toward the technology of Generation Z in Brazil and Germany. Method: The proposed hypotheses were tested in a survey of 122 Brazilian and German participants. The data were analyzed using t-test and logistic regression models. Main Results: The results present differences between Brazilian and German Generation Z, challenging the literature that analyzes Generation Z as a global generation and reinforcing cultural differences between nationalities. The Brazilian sample presents more instrumental and prestige work values and is more positive and less negative regarding technology than the German sample. Relevance/Originality: The paper’s contribution provides evidence of Generation Z’s differences according to nationalities relevant to shaping their relationship with work and technology. The analysis of both constructs is interesting nowadays because of their interrelationship and the current changes in global work boundaries. Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: The literature predominantly presents that Generation Z is a global generation. Comparing participants from two countries with different levels of development provides an insight into their differences regarding work values and attitudes, which can be valuable for business management literature. Practical/Social Contributions: Recommendations for businesses are provided to improve attraction and retention strategies to tackle the shortage of skilled workers. This implies management strategies for firms with multicultural teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global comparison of planning systems faces several theoretical and normative challenges. Against the background of ongoing debates on the comparability of emerging and existing ideas and practices of planning in the Global North and South, we propose a comparative approach based on field theory. Comparisons of planning systems often focus on the institutional dimension or are mere juxtapositions of cases studies. A comparison based on field theory is more appropriate for the comparative study of planning cultures as the approach allows to interpret planning as an emerging practice influenced (or not) by globalized or European knowledge communities. The two planning systems under scrutiny in this paper are Germany and Brazil. Germany presents a mature field of planning while Brazil's field of planning is emergent. The paper is based on a literature review that supports the formulation of assumptions and tests the approach through a comparison of Brazil and Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new service development process model for transport services for the inclusion of wheelchair users. In line with the principles of Universal Design, the new model aims to develop services for the widest possible range of users, including people using wheelchairs. The model is based on existing models, case studies in Brazil and Germany, and complemented with specific support material regarding wheelchair users, ultimately devised to guide the development of services that include such users. The paper illustrates a demonstration of the model in a real situation in Germany, with the development of a service for wheelchair users where early consideration of their needs results in clear benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comparative analysis of energy governance regarding nonconventional renewable energy sources (NCRES) in Brazil and Germany. Brazil is a world leader in the use of conventional renewable energy sources, such as hydro power, while Germany has been achieving outstanding results in fostering NCRES. The focus is on two critical issues: the legal and regulatory framework and the institutions created to support the NCRES market development. The comparison shows that, despite the very different energy situations and policy drivers, valuables lessons can be extracted from the German experience. The main lesson for Brazil is to think NCRES as a strategic opportunity to rely less on fossil fuel and large hydroelectric power plants, to decentralize the electric power sector, to use the huge solar, biomass and wind power potential available in the country and to create a environment-friendly NCRES industry. To this end, three critical points were identified: (1) the legal and regulatory framework should be improved; (2) long-term energy planning taking into account social, economic and climate issues and; (3) the current institutions supporting NCRES in Brazil should be upgraded and/or new ones, such as more specific energy agencies, should be created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social innovations for sustainable consumption have attracted policymakers' attention internationally as a possible means to reach sustainability and climate change goals. So far, most of the research on the emergence and potential of social innovations has been carried out in the Global North. Consequentially, some theoretical approaches and concepts have not been reviewed critically for their applicability in other contexts. This paper explores similarities and differences in the emergence and development process of social innovations for sustainable consumption in different cultural and geographical contexts to fill this gap. The objective is to enrich current concepts with more context-sensitive categories. On this account, the paper undertakes an explorative qualitative cross-country analysis of innovations for sustainable consumption in diverse sectors, using a sample of 87 cases collected by desk research in Brazil, Germany, and Iran. The analysis is based on a procedural perspective on innovation and refers to the three phases problematization, experimentation, and restabilization. The research shows that, in the problematization phase, the initiatives differ in taking up "globalized" challenges affecting most countries worldwide versus "locally emerged" ones, more connected to socio-economic, cultural, or political specifics. Experimentation with possible solutions differentiates between "imported" versus "locally" invented or appropriated context-specific approaches. Forms and degrees of restabilization depend mainly on framings for start-ups or non-governmental organizations and the local government's openness for innovative approaches. Based on the manifestation of these characteristics, the analyses result in four different qualitative types. The identified categories complement existing typologies, which so far neglect the geopolitical scope of the addressed problems and the tested solutions. Further empirical analyses in different countries will show whether the identified categories and types are helpful for a better understanding of the emergence and development of social innovations for sustainable consumption in different socio-economic, geopolitical, and cultural contexts. • The analytical framework combines the phenomena of sustainable consumption with the three phases of the innovation process. • Social innovations for sustainable consumption differ in their reaction to global or local challenges. • The solutions to global and local challenges can be imported, locally invented, or appropriated context-specific approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been medicalized in the United States since the 1960s. Primarily used in North America until the 1990s, ADHD diagnosis and treatment have increasingly been applied internationally. After documenting the expansion of ADHD in a global context, this paper presents five brief international examples examining ADHD usage and expansion: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Brazil. We then identify and describe several vehicles that facilitate the migration of the ADHD diagnosis: the transnational pharmaceutical industry; the influence of western psychiatry; moving from ICD to DSM diagnostic criteria; the role of the Internet including the related advent of easily accessible online screening checklists; and advocacy groups. Finally, we discuss what this globalization of a diagnosis reflects about the potential global medicalization of other conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing climate change challenges, many local governments worldwide became active deploying green urban transport policies (GUTP). By doing so, their central objective was to curb CO2 emissions and manage the latent tension between accessibility, mobility and quality of life. However, in some cases, those policies indirectly foster the localized development of cleantech innovations. In this paper, we analyse in-depth the mechanisms through which this phenomenon takes place. Combining literatures from innovation studies and economic geography, we ground our analysis on the experiences of three cities active in GUTP: Curitiba (Brazil), Göteborg (Sweden) and Hamburg (Germany). We start by framing the emergence and development of GUTP within a co-evolutionary context. Subsequently, for each case, we decompose the relevance of GUTP in providing a mix of incentives to cleantech innovation processes: (i) levering technological exploration; (ii) providing room for experimentation and testing and (iii) creating ground for exploitation and demonstration of new technologies. We illustrate how GUTP can foster rich processes of localized learning, but also support local anchoring and diffusion of cleantech mobile knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A significant number of German companies are installed in Brazil, many of them in the automotive or automotive supplier sectors. Information about the economic, environmental and social performance of major companies in these sectors is easily obtainable from sustainability reports, available as printed reports distributed by the head offices or as files for downloading in corporate websites. This paper gives a brief review about corporate sustainability and the results of a study carried out on sustainability reports of three companies with head offices (or, in one case, a relatively independent subsidiary) in Germany and subsidiaries in Brazil. The results show that, although the sustainability reports of the analyzed companies contain relevant information, they do not allow any sustainability benchmarking that could distinguish better and worse environmental and social performances. They also do not help an environmental and social performance comparison between plants in the European Union (e.g. Germany) and Mercosur (e.g. Brazil). Nevertheless, they give some evidence of efforts aligned with the principles of the Global Compact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Several studies suggest that many women would prefer to avoid menses altogether, but few studies have examined the social or clinical predictors of such preference. Study Design: In total, 1224 healthy women of reproductive age were surveyed in Brazil, Germany and the United States regarding social, menstrual and reproductive characteristics and preferences for various dimensions of menstruation, including the ideal interval between menses. The extent to which a preference to never bleed was predicted by current experiences with menses was evaluated. Results: Long menses, menstrual pain and a perceived high cost of pads and tampons were predictive of preferring amenorrhea over all other menstrual patterns after controlling for age, parity and education. Independent significant associations were also found with increasing degrees of life stress and ever use of injectable contraceptives. Conclusion: A negative experience with menstruation, a high ranking of life stress and ever use of injectable contraception were independently associated with a preference to avoid menses altogether. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a framework for guiding policy-makers intervening in emerging innovation systems in ‘catching-up’ countries. The process whereby the central policy issues are identified rests on the notion that there are seven key processes, or ‘functions’, involved in the formation of such systems and that these processes can be empirically studied. A ‘functional approach’ is argued to be helpful in finding ‘system weaknesses’ that can act as focusing mechanisms for policy-makers. An illustrative case from Germany is followed by an analysis of emerging innovation systems in catching-up countries, in particular Brazil, Korea and Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of agricultural land for planning purposes has been done traditionally on the basis of its use capability through the application of methodologies based on soil survey and interpretative soil classification. It is now becoming important to evaluate agricultural land also with respect to their environmental performance. In this paper we present a methodology for evaluating the agricultural land use, rather than land capability, based on interpretative soil classification, from which an indicator of sustainability is derived. The evaluation methodology was applied in different sites in Germany and Brazil, and showed good applicability under different site characteristics. The results also confirm the main assumptions adopted by the methodology as well as indicate its potential use in agricultural landscape planning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient safety in primary care is an emerging field of research with a growing evidence base in western countries but little has been explored in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) including the Sultanate of Oman. This study aimed to review the literature on the safety culture and patient safety measures used globally to inform the development of safety culture among health care workers in primary care with a particular focus on the Middle East. Methods: A systematic review of the literature. Searches were undertaken using Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL and Scopus from the year 2000 to 2014. Terms defining safety culture were combined with terms identifying patient safety and primary care. Results: The database searches identified 3072 papers that were screened for inclusion in the review. After the screening and verification, data were extracted from 28 papers that described safety culture in primary care. The global distribution of the articles is as follows: the Netherlands (7), the United States (5), Germany (4), the United Kingdom (1), Australia, Canada and Brazil (two for each country), and with one each from Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The characteristics of the included studies were grouped under the following themes: safety culture in primary care, incident reporting, safety climate and adverse events. The most common theme from 2011 onwards was the assessment of safety culture in primary care (13 studies, 46%). The most commonly used safety culture assessment tool is the Hospital survey on patient safety culture (HSOPSC) which has been used in developing countries in the Middle East. Conclusions: This systematic review reveals that the most important first step is the assessment of safety culture in primary care which will provide a basic understanding to safety-related perceptions of health care providers. The HSOPSC has been commonly used in Kuwait, Turkey, and Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]