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Volunteer firefighters are an established institution in many rural areas across Europe. In spite of this ubiquity, many volunteer brigades have been increasingly facing challenges in discharging their functions. Issues such as undertaking necessary investments, and ensuring daytime availability have become particularly critical against the backdrop of an increase in the number of interventions. Many of the measures intended to futureproof volunteer firefighting are based on transferring responsibility to different actors. To this end developing and expanding the reach of fire safety education functions to enhance the public's prevention and self-protection skills. The aim of this paper is to explore the process of institutional change induced by innovative initiatives, which aim to advance fire safety education. For the study, we draw on empirical research, which follows the development and mainstreaming of two projects in Austria and Germany. These initiatives aim to standardise disparate approaches and are underpinned by new forms of multi-level cooperation. Our inductive analysis identifies five key steps which define the successful long-term implementation of projects in coproduced services of general interest. We conclude with observations on the redistribution of responsibility for fire services and hazard prevention in contemporary societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The e-prescription was introduced in Austria in 2022 and digitizes the prescription process in the healthcare system. The introduction of the e-prescription poses special challenges and risks, which are examined in the article from various perspectives. The e-prescription replaces the previous paper prescription and is intended to increase efficiency and improve data quality. The prescription process is carried out electronically from the prescription to the billing, with the relevant information being stored in the administrative system. The e-prescription can be redeemed using an e-card or QR code, and reimbursement is done exclusively electronically. The e-prescription enables the electronic prescribing of medications in Austria. The pharmacy electronically records the data and forwards it to the social insurance companies on a daily basis. However, there are certain areas where the e-prescription cannot be used, such as for long-term anesthetics. The system currently only applies to medications reimbursed by the social insurance companies. Data protection plays an important role in the digitization of the healthcare system, and appropriate technical and organizational measures must be taken to ensure an adequate level of protection. A risk analysis shows that the electronic prescription (e-prescription) provides effective security measures against dangers such as unauthorized access or forgery. As part of the Health Telematics Act, a closed network has been established to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of personal data. The e-prescription is considered more forgery-proof than the traditional paper prescription and can only be redeemed once. To prevent abuse, information about the patient and the issuer must be included, and the prescription must be electronically signed. Although there were initially difficulties, around 1.2 million e-prescriptions have already been issued and the system is largely implemented. The e-prescription is an important step towards digital health management, but further modernizations are still required. The Vienna Medical Chamber provides information on the topic of e-prescriptions on its website. There is also an FAQ document that answers questions about the e-prescription. There is excitement about the new e-prescription, as reported on orf.at. The electronic health record ELGA also provides information on digitization in healthcare. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: This paper critically reflects on the current situation of students with neurocognitive deficiencies regarding their participation in the academic setting. After providing a brief summary of the relevant judicial frameworks implemented at universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, we (1) present single-case histories to delineate characteristic difficulties encountered by students with attention and/or specific learning disorders; and (2) formulate a desirable target state regarding successful participation and equal opportunities for students with neurocognitive deficiencies. We suggest a tentative model targeted at fostering students' participation and discuss the necessity to provide effective basic parameters at different levels both within and outside the academic setting which go beyond the currently offered disadvantage compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education for academic librarians in Austria is organised by several universities based on a continuing education programme on Library and Information Studies. Current changes on the legal regulations of this programme interfere with the difficult general situation in present times of crisis. The paper shows how effects can be tackled and discusses several approaches for an adapted curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper critically reflects on the current situation of students with neurocognitive deficiencies regarding their participation in the academic setting. After providing a brief summary of the relevant judicial frameworks implemented at universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, we (1) present single-case histories to delineate characteristic difficulties encountered by students with attention and/or specific learning disorders; and (2) formulate a desirable target state regarding successful participation and equal opportunities for students with neurocognitive deficiencies. We suggest a tentative model targeted at fostering students' participation and discuss the necessity to provide effective basic parameters at different levels both within and outside the academic setting which go beyond the currently offered disadvantage compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental awareness is affected by fluctuations, which occur when other social events are prioritized. This paper investigates how environmental awareness of persons between the age of 20 and 30 living in Austria has changed during the period of the Covid-19 crisis compared to the period directly before. To answer this question a literature review and a quantitative survey (n = 210) on the affective and cognitive component of environmental awareness have been conducted. The results show a slight increase in the affective/cognitive component. This correlates with some socio-demographic characteristics and the change in certain behaviors but not with the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on one's life. However, the high topicality of the Covid-19 crisis, as well as the dynamic of the crisis, should be highlighted. Therefore, no assessment of the long-term development of environmental awareness can be made and further research is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and the policy measures imposed to contain the virus affected people's health and lifestyles. Based on data available to the Federal Agency "Statistics Austria", this paper asks about the impact of the pandemic years 2020 and 2021 (and partly beyond) on the Austrian demographics and population. It shows that mortality in creased significantly during this period but varied by waves of infection also with the introduction of different policy measures (e.g., lockdowns). There are also changes in the number of births over the course of the pandemic, which can be interpreted through insecurities related to lockdowns and vaccinations. People who wanted to marry or get divorced during the pandemic years were confronted with closed offices and restrictions on holding celebrations, which is why there were significantly fewer marriages and divorces. International migration dropped significantly, especially in the spring of 2020, when European and global mobility was severely restricted, with differences between people of different nationalities. This was also reflected in the number of asylum applications filed in Austria. Migrations within Austria were strongly reduced during the first lockdown in 2020, all further lockdowns had less influence on them. However, in 2020 and 2021 there were several phases in which more people moved from urban to rural areas than before the pandemic. The number of registered secondary residences - which took on new relevance in the context of mobility restrictions and the use of home offices - also changed: overall, their number increased during the pandemic, but in many municipalities, deregistrations of seasonal workers were also noticeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1940s to 1960s, the German Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) had a relatively high proportion of former Nazis among its employees. Reasons were a system of uncontrolled chain recruitment and the initially high esteem of "expertise" acquired in wartime. By taking over personnel from various agencies of the Third Reich, the BND acquired various inherent dangers for the institution and its public perception. This biographical micro-study explores, how a Nazi past was assessed within the BND during the Cold War. The process of evaluating individual incriminations allows conclusions about the BND's general perception of staff continuities between the Third Reich and the Federal Republic. Herbert Kukuk was an enthusiastic Nazi who made his career in central institutions of the NSDAP. The BND accepted that the 1947 hired employee provided only scanty information about his past and also tolerated obvious contradictions. This was typical for dealing with the Nazi past and did not change when perceptions in society regarding the recent past and the integration of former Nazis changed in the 1960s. Although Kukuk's pre-1945 occupations were known, he was consistently well evaluated and promoted. The Kukuk case makes clear that in the BND, awareness of the Nazi burden set in much later than in West German society, and the learning process, which the BND authorities followed hesitantly, dragged on until the 1980s. Methodologically, this paper emphasizes that biographical micro-studies can provide information about the evaluation criteria state authorities in West Germany and Austria after 1945 applied to an occupational biography during the Third Reich, and thus about changing perceptions regarding the integration of the Nazi functional elites in post-war societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chaîne opératoire of Neolithic Korenovo ceramics is poorly known, as hitherto potsherds from only three sites, Malo Korenovo, Tomašica in central Croatia, and Becsehely–Bukkaljai dűlő in Hungary have been analysed archaeometrically. Korenovo is considered the southernmost aspect of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK). In this paper, the ceramic assemblage from Kapelica-Solarevac and Kaniška Iva (Central Croatia) will be discussed. Kapelica-Solarevac and Kaniška Iva are the only two sites in which Starčevo and Korenovo ceramics have been found together in closed contexts. Twenty potsherds from the Kapelica-Solarevac and Kaniška Iva assemblages were analysed using polarised microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDX). In combination with equivalent data from 49 Korenovo ceramics from Tomašica and Malo Korenovo, the results offer an insight into the practices of Korenovo potters and show the lack of exchange of technological knowledge between Korenovo and LBK potters in Austria and central Transdanubia (Hungary). On the other hand, Korenovo potters seem to closely follow ceramic recipes typical of the neighbouring Vinča potters, suggesting Korenovo to be a hybrid group between the Vinča and the LBK pottery communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]