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Point-of-care sonography is a precondition in acute and emergency medicine for the diagnosis and initiation of therapy for critically ill and injured patients. While emergency sonography is a mandatory part of the training for clinical acute and emergency medicine, it is not everywhere required for prehospital emergency medicine. Although some medical societies in Germany have already established their own learning concepts for emergency ultrasound, a uniform national training concept for the use of emergency sonography in the out-of-hospital setting is still lacking. Experts of several professional medical societies have therefore joined forces and developed a structured training concept for emergency sonography in the prehospital setting. The consensus paper serves as quality assurance in prehospital emergency sonography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound practice is a longstanding tradition for radiology departments, being part of the family of imaging techniques. Ultrasound is widely practiced by non-radiologists but becoming less popular within radiology. The position of ultrasound in radiology is reviewed, and a possible long-term solution to manage radiologist expectations is proposed. An international group of experts in the practice of ultrasound was invited to describe the current organisation of ultrasound within the radiology departments in their own countries and comment on the interaction with non-radiologists and training arrangements. Issues related to regulation, non-medical practitioners, and training principles are detailed. A consensus view was sought from the experts regarding the position of ultrasound within radiology, with the vision of the best scenario for the continuing dominance of radiologists practising ultrasound. Comments were collated from nine different countries. Variable levels of training, practice, and interaction with non-radiologist were reported, with some countries relying on non-physician input to manage the service. All experts recognised there was a diminished desire to practice ultrasound by radiologists. Models varied from practising solely ultrasound and no other imaging techniques to radiology departments being central to the practice of ultrasound by radiologists and non-radiologist, housed within radiology. The consensus view was that the model favoured in select hospitals in Germany would be the most likely setup for ultrasound radiologist to develop and maintain practice. The vision for 20 years hence is for a central ultrasound section within radiology, headed by a trained expert radiologist, with non-radiologist using the facilities. Critical relevance statement The future of ultrasound within the radiology department should encompass all ultrasound users, with radiologists expert in ultrasound, managing the ultrasound section within the radiology department. The current radiology trainees must learn of the importance of ultrasound as a component of the 'holistic' imaging of the patient. Key points: 1. Ultrasound imaging within radiology departments precedes the introduction of CT and MR imaging and was first used over 50 years ago. 2. Non-radiology practitioners deploy ultrasound examinations to either 'problem solve' or perform a comprehensive ultrasound examination; radiologists provide comprehensive examinations or use ultrasound to direct interventional procedures. 3. Radiology does not 'own' ultrasound, but radiologists are best placed to offer a comprehensive patient-focused imaging assessment. 4. A vision of the future of ultrasound within the radiology department is encompassing all ultrasound users under radiologists who are experts in ultrasound, positioned within the radiology department. 5. The current radiology trainee must be aware of the importance of ultrasound as a component of the 'holistic' imaging of the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German school system employs centrally organized performance assessments (some of which are called "VERA") as a way of promoting lesson development. In recent years, several German federal states introduced a computer-based performance testing system which will replace the paper-pencil testing system in the future. Scores from computer-based testing are required to be equivalent to paper-pencil testing scores so that the new testing medium does not lead to disadvantages for students. Therefore, the current study aimed at investigating the size of the mode effect and the moderating impact of students' gender, academic achievement and mainly spoken language in everyday life. In addition, the variance of the mode effect across tasks was investigated. The study was conducted in four German federal states in 2019 using a field experimental design. The test scores of 5140 eighth-graders from 165 schools in the subject German were analysed. The results of multi-level modelling revealed that students' test scores in the computerized version of the VERA test were significantly lower than in the paper-pencil version. Students with a lower academic achievement were more disadvantaged by the VERA computerized test. The results were inconsistent regarding the interactions between testing mode and students' gender and mainly spoken language in everyday life. The variance of the mode effect across tasks was high. Research into different subjects and in other federal states and countries under different testing conditions might yield further evidence about the generalizability of these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial compounds with targeted activities that are produced by a variety of bacterial species. Different aspects of bacteriocins were intensively studied and highlighted in previous research publications. Developments in this field are best demonstrated through analysis of the most cited scientific literature concerning bacteriocins. The objective of this report was to identify and establish main characteristics of the 100 top-cited papers presenting research on bacteriocins. Publications regarding bacteriocins between 1970 and 12th May 2017 were retrieved from the Web of Knowledge database of the Institute of Scientific Information. From this list, the top-cited 100 papers in the field of bacteriocins were established. The top-cited papers in this field were published from 1991 to 2013 and, as of this date, they have received from 85 to 1097 citations. The average citation rate of the 100 top-cited papers was 166.23 times (SD 136.87). The most common fields of study were microbiology (45%), biochemistry and molecular biology (35%), and biotechnology and applied microbiology (26%). Among the top-cited papers, 24 and 17 papers originated from the United States and Germany, respectively. Among these top-cited papers close to 80% concerned mainly bacteriocins from Gram-positive bacteria, whereas, only nine of the top-cited papers described bacteriocins of Gram-negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Best Paper Prize awarded by the journal Computational Optimization and Applications. The winning paper, written by Alberto De Marchi, focuses on a numerical method for convex quadratic programs (QPs), which are optimization problems with quadratic objective functions and polyhedral constraints. De Marchi's method, called QPDO, combines the proximal point algorithm and a globalized Newton-type method to solve QPs efficiently and robustly. The paper's findings have influenced the development of methods for more general problem classes and have potential applications in various fields, including control systems and data science. Alberto De Marchi is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Germany, with expertise in computational optimization. [Extracted from the article]

Since the first statement of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is meanwhile an established treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). There are three HNS systems available in Germany which differ in their technical details of the underlying comparable basic principle. For the unilateral HNS with respiratory sensing, several comparative studies, high-volume register analysis and long-term reports exist. The continuous HNS without respiratory sensing does not require a sleep endoscopy for indication. For the bilateral continuous HNS as the single partially implantable device, a feasibility study exists. For indication, the assessment of positive airway pressure failure by sleep medicine is crucial, and the decision for HNS should be made in discussion of other treatment options for at least moderate OSA. The implantation center holds primarily responsibility among the interdisciplinary sleep team and is primary contact for the patient in problems. This depicts why structural processes are required to secure outcome quality and minimize the complications. The aftercare of HNS patients can be provided interdisciplinary and by different medical institutions, whereat, minimal reporting standards to document outcome and usage are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: The number of people suffering from dementia is increasing worldwide and so is the need for reliable and economical diagnostic instruments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the processing times of the neuropsychological tests Trail Making Tests A and B (TMT-A/B) and Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT), which were performed in both digital and paper versions. Methods: The pilot study was conducted among 50 healthy participants (age 65–83 years) using a randomized crossover design. The correlations and differences in the individual processing times of the two test versions were statistically analyzed. Further research questions concerned the influence of the individual usage of technology and the technology commitment of participants as well as the influence of the assessed usability on participants' performance. Results: Between the two versions (paper-based vs. digital) statistically significant correlations were found in all tests, e.g., TMT-A r(48) = 0.63, p < 0.01; TMT-B rs(48) = 0.77, p < 0.001). The mean value comparison showed statistically significant differences, e.g., interference table (CWIT) t(49) = 11.24, p < 0.01). Correlations with medium effect were found between the differences in processing times and the individual usage of computer (e.g., rs(48) = − 0.31) and smartphone (rs(48) = − 0.29) and between the processing times of the TMT-B and the usability (rs(48) = 0.29). Conclusions: The high correlations between the test procedures appear promising. However, the differences found in the processing times of the two test versions require validation and standardization of digitized test procedures before they can be used in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global trend in manufacturing has shifted from a manufacturing-centric process toward a user-centric process. This has resulted in a shorter lifespan and a high product replacement rate of any consumer product. Germany has introduced the concept of Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) to convert manufacturing processes and mechanisms into cyber-physical systems (CPS). Digital factory, being the first step into CPS and IR4.0, is being targeted as the most important evolution of the manufacturing industry. This paper defines digital factories and their differences between other similar domains such as smart factories, CPS, and virtual factories. The requirements and goals of a digital factory are explained in detail to facilitate future digital factory tool developments. Furthermore, the current challenges faced in the implementation of the digital factory are proposed to be approached by adapting an interoperable virtual reality technology. This paper emphasizes the usage of virtual reality (VR) in simulating a digital factory that aids in the decision-making and efficient operation of a manufacturing facility. Furthermore, recommendations gathered from previous studies for developing VR-based digital factory tools are also explained in detail in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To give an overview of the multicenter Prostate Cancer Outcomes (PCO) study, involving paper-based and web-based collection of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) in patients undergoing local treatment for prostate cancer in certified centers in Germany. The PCO study is part of the larger Movember-funded TrueNTH Global Registry. The article reports on the study's design and provides a brief progress report after the first 2 years of data collection. Methods: Prostate cancer centers (PCCs) certified according to German Cancer Society requirements were invited to participate in collecting patient-reported information on symptoms and function before and at least once (at 12 months) after treatment. The data were matched with disease and treatment information. This report describes progress in patient inclusion, response rate, and variations between centers relative to online/paper use, and also data quality, including recruitment variations relative to treatment in the first participating PCCs. Results: PCC participation increased over time; 44 centers had transferred data for 3094 patients at the time of this report. Patient recruitment varied widely across centers. Recruitment was highest among patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. The completeness of the data was good, except for comorbidity information. Conclusions: The PCO study benefits from a quality improvement system first established over 10 years ago, requiring collection and harmonization of a predefined clinical dataset across centers. Nevertheless, establishing a PROM routine requires substantial effort on the part of providers and constant monitoring in order to achieve high-quality data. The findings reported here may be useful for guiding implementation in similar initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Up-to-date management of medical emergencies implies primarily that definitive diagnoses and treatment are performed in a timely manner. These claims have been reconfirmed in 2007 by the leading German language medical associations in their 'White Paper on Emergency Treatment'. To actually realize the demands described in this paper a timely, transsectoral and close collaboration of all involved organizations is mandatory. To illustrate this race against cell death the phrase relay of survival is proposed and launched to replace the hitherto used but rigid concept of chain of survival. The tasks of each member of this relay of survival are critically scrutinized one after the other from a patient perspective. The paper presents tangible recommendations for improving the respective individual performance as well as, in particular, the cooperation and coordination between the team members which is comparable to handing over the baton in a relay race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German engineer H.A. Janssen gave one of the first accounts of the often peculiar behavior of granular material in a paper published in German in 1895. From simple experiments with corn he inferred the saturation of pressure with height in a granular system. Subsequently, Janssen derived the equivalent of the barometric formula for granular material from the main assumption that the walls carry part of the weight. The following is a translation of this article. The wording is chosen as close as possible to the original. While drawings are copied from the original, figures displaying data are redone for better readability. The translation is complemented by some bibliographical notes and an assessment of earlier work, wherein Hagen predicted the saturation of pressure with depth in 1852, and Huber-Burnand demonstrated that saturation qualitatively as early as in 1829. We conclude with a brief discussion of more recent developments resting on Janssen's work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the 150-year anniversary of the Naunyn–Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology in 2023, we studied the bibliometric development of the journal. We evaluated data from Editorial Reports, Clarivate, and Springer Nature databases. Several parameters representing the journal's performance, such as the impact factor and social impact, were analyzed over the years. We analyzed the journal's meta-data and wrote an algorithm to retrieve cities and countries of origin. We could see a decrease in publications from Germany and an increase in papers from Brazil, China, Egypt, and Iran during the last years. The decrease in publications from Germany is probably a zeitgeist effect because this country places a strong emphasis on high-impact factor papers for academic promotion and winning grants. Germany was the country with the most publications throughout the 100 most-cited articles. Most of these articles were published between 1970 and 1990, when neurotransmitters were the most published topic. Klaus Starke (Freiburg) and Manfred Göthert (Bonn) were prominent drivers of this field. The most common topics nowadays are "Drugs for the Treatment of Malignant Tumor Diseases" and "Immunopharmacology." The internationality of the journal substantially increased after introduction of English as mandatory language in the 1970s. The journal also experienced substantial COVID-19 pandemic-related effects. This paper is not only of relevance for the field of pharmacology but for science in general in the sense that Naunyn–Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology is a case study for profound changes in a traditional scientific journal, requiring permanent adjustment by editors, referees, publisher, authors, and readers alike. The development of the journal has been strongly influenced by historic and political developments, cultural attitudes (zeitgeist), language changes, global changes in research topics, and eminent individuals who published many papers in Naunyn–Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an innovative approach to decentralized data management in the German energy market, focusing on the use of decentralized data management with the help of Data Spaces to facilitate the automated change of energy suppliers within 24 h. The central focus of this research is the MakoMaker Space, a demonstrator project that employs the Connector from the Eclipse Data Space Components. The MakoMaker project demonstrates the successful automation of energy supplier changes, emphasizing the preservation of customer data sovereignty. It shows an alternative approach to the process, putting the customer into the center. Customers retain control of their data, which is accessible to providers as needed. While the paper discusses the potential for further enhancements, such as the integration of an identity provider and the development of a sustainable business model for service coordination, the primary focus is on the demonstrator's successful application in a pilot setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified and analyzed the characteristics of the 100 top-cited papers in the field of biogas using the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database. The characteristics analyzed were the publication year, type of document, journal of publication, country and research institution, and citation life cycle. The top-cited papers were published between 1988 and 2015, with the majority published between 2006 and 2011, and were from 36 countries. These papers appeared in 44 journals and represent 28 Web of Science categories. Germany published most of the papers and the Technical University of Denmark was the most productive research institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To extend knowledge about measurement equivalence of depression measures assessed by tablet and paper-pencil administration, the present study evaluated the effect of mode of administration (MoA) on scale and item level for the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Aachen Depression Item Bank (ADIB) in elderly patients.Methods: Primary care patients (N = 193, ≥60 years) were assessed following a crossover design in Leipzig, Germany. All participants filled out the PHQ-9 and the ADIB in both MoAs under study. Effects of MoA were analyzed by intra-class correlation, mixed-effects regression, and differential item functioning (DIF). Additionally, detection rates between both MoAs were compared using receiver operating characteristics analysis compared to a diagnostic interview (SCID-I, N = 163).Results: No effect of MoA was found in the PHQ-9 on scale score or item level. Two ADIB items showed DIF according to MoA. In terms of discriminatory power, MoA did not influence detection rates of both instruments.Conclusions: In summary, our findings suggest that no severe effect of mode of administration on self-report assessments of depression should be expected. It can be concluded that tablets provide a valid way to electronically assess depressive symptoms in elderly patients. Yet changes in item presentation can influence the psychometric properties and require equivalence testing using sophisticated analyses on item level such as DIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the Maximum Acquisition Values (MAVs) of weeding robots and their determinants in both organic and conventional sugar beet farming in Germany. The MAV is defined in this paper as the price of the weeding robot that renders the same net profit as the current weeding methods. For our analysis, a Monte Carlo simulation approach is used, combined with empirical data and data collected from weeding robot companies. The results show that the MAVs of mechanical weeding robots for organic farming are substantially higher than that of spot spraying robots for conventional farming. Technology attributes are more influential than labour cost in determining the MAVs of weeding robots: in organic farming, technology attributes such as area capacity and weeding efficiency impact the MAVs of mechanical weeding robots the most; in conventional farming, supervision intensity and the robot's ability to save herbicides are the most influential factors. The wage rate of unskilled labour, relevant for manual weeding, plays a more important role in determining the MAVs than that of skilled labour, relevant for supervision of the robot. This implies that a shortage of seasonal workers and hence increases in the wage of low-skilled labour could be important drivers of the adoption of mechanical weeding robots. Plot characteristics such as plot size and mechanisation level only have limited impacts on the MAVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be vital in transitioning to a low-carbon energy system. However, integrating EVs into the power grid poses significant challenges for grid operators and energy suppliers, especially regarding the uncertainty and variability of EV charging demand. Accurate forecasting of EV charging demand is essential for optimal power system integration, yet previous studies have often only considered point predictions that are inadequate for risk assessment. Therefore, this paper compares different probabilistic forecasting models for the short-term prediction of EV charging demand at various aggregation levels, using a large and novel dataset of over 350,000 charging processes at more than 500 locations across Germany. The performance of both machine learning and deep learning methods is evaluated against a naïve benchmark model, and the impact of data availability on the forecasting models is investigated. Further, the paper examines the effects of forecast accuracy on energy procurement, which has so far received minor attention in the literature. The results show that machine learning methods such as Ada Boosting and Random Forest yield robust results with a normalized root mean square error of 0.42 and 0.41 and a mean absolute scaled error of 0.36 and 0.34 at the highest aggregation level. Furthermore, the results show the influence of different site compositions on the forecast quality and how many charging points are likely to yield a robust forecast. Energy and fleet managers can use the described method to reliably predict the required energy quantities for fleets of sufficient size and procure them at low risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of how entrepreneurial a region or country is, has generally been shaped by a narrow view of what actually constitutes entrepreneurship. In the case of Germany, this has led to a characterization of Germany as not being particularly entrepreneurial. Such a view is at odds with the remarkable, high-performing family business, widely held to be the backbone of the economy. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that the interpretation prevalent in entrepreneurship literature is problematic due to a too narrow operationalization of the entrepreneurship concept. As Zahra (2007; 2014) emphasized, context matters for entrepreneurship, especially on a local or spatial level. One particular organizational manifestation of entrepreneurship, family business, may be congruent in specific spatial and institutional contexts but not in others. Other geographic and institutional contexts may be congruent with the contrasting startups. Thus, an important and novel contribution of this paper is to analyze the geography of family business as distinct from startups: two ends of the entrepreneurship continuum, embedded in different kinds of entrepreneurial ecosystems. We generate innovative maps working with official data, showing the distinct distribution of both kinds of entrepreneurship in different ecosystems. These findings are connected with spatial effects, living conditions and lead to recommendations for policy measures. The paper focuses on Germany, because startups as well as family business are prevalent and can be found in all regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing demographic change in most developed countries consists of two coinciding independent developments that differ in structure and persistence: A slow, monotonic and (presumably) permanent longevity effect caused by an increasing life expectancy; and a more rapidly changing, non-monotonic and less permanent cohort effect caused by fluctuations in the size of cohorts. This paper shows the longevity effect has a positive impact on the rates of return households generate within a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pension system. The cohort effect, by contrast, results in winners and losers in PAYG systems. The paper additionally shows that the type of PAYG pension system alters the results significantly. Taking the remarkable demographic change in Germany as an example, a large-scale overlapping generation model quantifies rates of return within the PAYG pension system for every cohort. The results show that the two effects combined cause return differentials of almost 1.3 percentage points between generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I study the role of gender-typical parental occupation for young adults' gender-typical university major choice using data on a recent cohort of university students in Germany. Results show significant intergenerational associations between the gender typicality in parental occupation and young adults' majors. As to why these effects occur, findings suggest that the transfer of occupation-specific resources from parents to their children plays an important role and that a transmission of gender roles explains at least some of the father-son associations. The paper contributes to existing literature by introducing a novel measure that operationalises the extent to which majors and occupations are 'typically female' or 'typically male' and by studying different transmission channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization and complex supply chain networks have been affecting Logistics Services Providers' (LSPs) service delivery and service expectations. Logistics Service Quality (LSQ) is becoming a more important aspect for LSPs and logistics service customers. In recent years, there has been an increase in the studies on service quality in logistics. Researchers have been trying to identify aspects of LSQ and its dimensions in order to create a measurement model that could be used in overall logistics services. However, there is still neither a unified nor agreed LSQ measurement model in the literature and researchers have been debating continuously on the proposed models. This paper targets to investigate and suggest LSQ measurement dimensions obtained from previous studies by analyzing the findings within a systematic approach and improving the findings with semi-structured interviews. In this study, systematic literature analysis has been conducted to research papers published in selected academic databases with specific keyword and keyword cluster searches to identify the related articles published within a specified period. Papers have been selected in accordance with the predefined criteria. As a result, a total of 59 articles have been determined for the search criteria and the findings obtained were analyzed. Most frequently used research trends and methods on service quality in logistics have been identified. In addition, the most frequently used LSQ dimensions and factors have been reviewed. Moreover, the most frequently used service quality approaches and measurement models have been analyzed. The results received from systematic literature review have been composed and dimensions have been identified. Semi-structured interviews with LSPs and customers of LSPs in Germany-based companies have been conducted to strengthen the findings gained from systematic literature review. 5 LSQ dimensions and 24 factors have been formed with the help of semi-structured interviews. This paper represents the basis for further research for empirical studies and can be used as a guideline for quality management practices in logistics applications and transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viability of fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) for the differentiation of red chalk drawing media was investigated, focusing on the group of drawings from the workshop of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1778) at the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, Germany. The evaluation of spectra was supported by principal component analysis (PCA). The method was tested on mock-up drawings made with recently acquired natural and synthetic red chalks of known origin. It was possible to sort these mock-up drawings according to chalk type and application technique. The compositional differences of these reference chalks were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Subsequent FORS analysis of selected original drawings revealed the existence of several closely grouped clusters, implying similarities on the basis of the underlying spectral features among the historical red chalks used in Rome. These similarities distinguished the historical drawings from the red chalk mock-up drawings, except for the drawings made with red chalk samples from the area near the town of Theley, Germany, which were shown to bear close similarities to those in the cluster of historical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), a fundamental change in psychiatric care in Germany was proposed in 2019 by Zinkler and von Peter, supported by a legal perspective from Kammeier, which has since led to controversial debates. Essentially, the aim is not only to reduce coercion in psychiatry to a minimum, but also to fundamentally exclude it in a psychiatry that only provides care. The function as an agent of social control is to be returned from psychiatry to state institutions. Psychiatric hospitals will only admit patients with their consent; patients who refuse therapy will not be admitted regardless of their capacity for self-determination and will remain untreated or, if they have committed a criminal offence or threaten to commit a criminal offence, they will be taken into custody or imprisoned in accordance with the legal regulations applicable to all people. There they will receive psychiatric care if they so wish. Aim of the paper: The paper outlines the background of this concept, including international sources, traces the discussion in German specialist literature and takes a critical look at it. Results: The criticism is primarily directed against the fact that responsibility for a relevant proportion of psychiatric patients would be handed over to the police and judiciary and that, as a result, two realities of care would be established that would considerably differ in terms of quality. Conclusion: Arguments are put forward in favor of retaining the function of social control and considerations are suggested as to how caring coercion can be largely minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate movements have gained momentum in recent years, aiming to create public awareness of the consequences of climate change through salient climate protests. This paper investigates whether concerns about climate change increase following demonstrative protests and confrontational acts of civil disobedience. Leveraging individual-level survey panel data from Germany, we exploit exogenous variations in the timing of climate protests relative to survey interview dates to compare climate change concerns in the days before and after a protest (N = 24,535). Following climate protests, we find increases in concerns about climate change by, on average, 1.2 percentage points. Further, we find no statistically significant evidence that concerns of any subpopulation decreased after climate protests. Lastly, the increase in concerns following protests is highest when concern levels before the protests are low. Climate movements aim to raise public awareness of climate change through protests, but their efficacy is debated. Here, the authors show that concerns about climate change increased in Germany after climate strikes and non-violent acts of civil disobedience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The standard treatment of patients with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) currently consists of medical or surgical castration. The addition of a cytotoxic chemotherapy was unable to provide a survival benefit over castration alone in several clinical trials using different chemotherapy regimens.Results: Even a preliminary clinical trial using a docetaxel-based chemohormonal combination did not show a survival benefit. In contrast, two more recently published clinical trials (CHAARTED and STAMPEDE) using docetaxel in combination with castration provided evidence for a substantial improvement in overall survival. The survival benefit was 14 and 22 months in the two trials. In addition, the CHAARTED trial showed that patients with high volume disease may benefit most from chemohormonal treatment.Conclusion: According to the current available evidence, the new standard of treatment for patients therefore consists of castration in combination with docetaxel-based chemotherapy and should be offered to all patients who are fit to receive chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background, aim and scope The applicability of the Whole Effluent Assessment concept for the proof of compliance with the "best available techniques" has been analysed with paper mill wastewater from Germany by considering its persistency (P), potentially bio-accumulative substances (B) and toxicity (T). Materials and methods Twenty wastewater samples from 13 paper mills using different types of cellulose fibres as raw materials have been tested in DIN or ISO standardised bioassays: the algae, daphnia, luminescent bacteria, duckweed (Lemna), fish-egg and umu tests with lowest ineffective dilution (LID) as test result. The potentially bio-accumulative substances (PBS) were determined by solid-phase microextraction and referred to the reference compound 2,3- dimethylnaphthalene. Usually, a primary chemical-physical treatment of the wastewater was followed by a single or multi-stage biological treatment. One indirectly discharged wastewater sample was pre-treated biologically in the Zahn- Wellens test before determining its ecotoxicity. Results No toxicity or genotoxicity at all was detected in the acute daphnia and fish egg as well as the umu assay. In the luminescent bacteria test, moderate toxicity (up to LIDlb=6) was observed. Wastewater of four paper mills demonstrated elevated or high algae toxicity (up to LIDA=128), which was in line with the results of the Lemna test, which mostly was less sensitive than the algae test (up to LIDDW=8). One indirectly discharged wastewater sample was biodegraded in the Zahn-Wellens test by 96% and was not toxic after this treatment. Low levels of PBS have been detected (median 3.27 mmol L-1). The colouration of the wastewater samples in the visible band did not correlate with algae toxicity and thus is not considered as its primary origin. Further analysis with a partial wastewater stream from thermomechanically produced groundwood pulp (TMP) revealed no algae or luminescent bacteria toxicity after pre-treatment of the sample in the Zahn-Wellens test (chemical oxygen demand elimination 85% in 7 days). Thus, the algae toxicity of the respective paper mill cannot be explained with the TMP partial stream; presumably other raw materials such as biocides might be the source of algae toxicity. Discussion Comparative data from wastewater surveillance of authorities confirmed the range of ecotoxicity observed in the study. Wastewater from paper mills generally has no or a moderate ecotoxicity (median LID 1 and 2) while the maximum LID values, especially for the algae and daphnia tests, are considerably elevated (LIDA up to 128, LIDD up to 48). Conclusions Wastewater from paper mills generally is low to moderately ecotoxic to aquatic organisms in acute toxicity tests. Some samples show effects in the chronic algae growth inhibition test which cannot be explained exclusively with colouration of the samples. The origin of elevated algae ecotoxicity could not be determined. In the algae test, often flat dose-response relationships and growth promotion at higher dilution factors have been observed, indicating that several effects are overlapping. Recommendations and perspectives At least one bioassay should be included in routine wastewater control of paper mills because the paper manufacturing industry is among the most water consuming. Although the algae test was the most sensitive test, it might not be the most appropriate test because of the complex relationship of colouration and inhibition and the smooth dose-effect relationship or even promotion of algae growth often observed. The Lemna test would be a suitable method which also detects inhibitors of photosynthesis and is not disturbed by wastewater colouration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human–animal relations in post-industrial societies are characterized by a system of cultural categories that distinguishes between different types of animals based on their function in human society, such as "farm animals" or "pets." The system of cultural categories, and the allocation of animal species within this cultural classification system can change. Options for change include re-categorizing a specific animal species within the categorical system. The paper argues that attempts by political actors to adapt the institutional system to cultural change that calls for re-categorization of certain animal species can start a contradictory process that may lead to long-term survival of the respective institution despite the cultural change. It is common to explain the persistence of political institutions with institutional path dependency or policy preferences of the governing parties. This paper introduces a new institutional theoretical approach to the explanation, the approach of "rejecting changing a part for fear of undermining the whole." This paper uses a case study of a series of failed political efforts to change the treatment of dogs in the framework of the agricultural human–animal policy in the Federal Republic of Germany in the second half of the twentieth century, to evaluate its theoretical argument, using analyses of historical political documents, mass media, and communication documents between civil society actors and policymakers. This paper makes an innovative contribution to the theory and research on institutional change, the sociology of agriculture and food, and the sociology of human–animal relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite Germany's world leadership of Energiewende, there have been mounting challenges, such as the slowdown of German renewable energy growth since 2017, when the Merkel administration dramatically changed the German renewable energy promotion policy from feed-in tariffs to competitive auctions. These challenges pose important research questions about whether and how an emerging urban expansion of Energiewende can serve as a vital solution to counteract the challenges to the energy transition. Answering these research questions provides a unique opportunity to explore the academic and historic foundations of the energy transition and its urban expansion, the emerging events that exemplify urban expansion, and the viable solutions this growing trend of urban expansion might be able to provide to the challenges to the German energy transition. Methods: This paper conducted visual and manual bibliometric analyses, examined the results of case studies, and reviewed secondary literature and data on urban expansion of German Energiewende. Results: By analyzing the bibliometric and investigative results, this paper identified political, socioeconomic, and technological challenges to Energiewende and a new trend of solar energy expansion in German cities aimed at meeting Germany's carbon neutrality targets by 2045. The new trend of the urban expansion of the German energy transition manifests itself in the focused research efforts on identifying the vast untapped potential on new building rooftop areas in most populous German cities and/or detached and two-family houses in Germany and the recent booming of building-related solar PV and heating mandates in German cities and states, the expanding solar heating and cooling systems, and the government policy support at various levels in this urban expansion through aggressively strengthening climate and renewable energy targets. Conclusions: In search for answers to the recent challenges of Energiewende in Germany, this paper conducted both visual and manual bibliometric analyses and applied desk research and reviews of secondary literature and data. This paper found an emerging trend of the urban expansion of Energiewende, including the awareness of the vast potential and gap of urban solarization and the enhanced urban municipal policies, actors, actions, and accomplishments of exploiting this potential. These findings were based on academic knowledge on the German energy transition and contribute to expanding this academic knowledge. To help more effectively exploit the vast potential in solarizing all German cities, especially the largest ones, this study recommends that further research more closely track the progress of this trend and apply more quantitative tools and approaches in future tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on the 3rd European Meeting on Applied Evolutionary Economics to be held at the University of Augsburg, Germany from April 09-12, 2003. Themes of the conference; Information regarding submission of abstracts and papers to be presented in the meeting; Details of the prize awarded to deserving economists during the conference.

Background: As lignite mining protests and #FridaysForFuture demonstrations gained momentum in Germany and further protests have been developing over time, this paper investigates the various causes and effects of the country's energy transition. Society and politics alongside economic, environmental, and technological developments have led to a profound and continuous transformation of the energy system, a transformation which is remarkable in terms of reach and speed for an economy of the size of Germany's. Pressure to transform the country's entire energy system even faster has recently been levelled due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Results: From the perspective of the different pillars of sustainability and various stakeholder groups, this paper discusses the influences and their interdependencies towards the status quo of the German energy sector. We have used the cause-and-effect analysis method to answer the question of why major energy generators in Germany are still struggling with the energy transition, as well as the question of why a strategy towards more sustainability is needed to maintain Germany's industrial strength in the long run. We found that energy transition in Germany is substantially driven by society, which pushes political decisions that lead to an economic transition, while environmental incidents are only triggers for further societal and political doings. Furthermore, technological developments fulfil only needs and do not necessarily hurry ahead of time. Conclusions: Overall, the article creates a profound understanding of the factors influencing the German energy transition which is deeply embedded in the European energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates firms' responses to threshold-dependent intensity of tax enforcement. We use administrative tax return data over the entire population of German firms and exploit industry variation in firm size thresholds applied by the tax administration. In our setting, each threshold marks a considerable spike in audit intensity and hence should create strong incentives to bunch below the threshold. However, we find no such effect in our large sample analysis. We attribute this empirical observation to optimization costs, particularly to the costs associated with the operational implementation of size management and to information costs. Our paper adds to the emerging field of studies on potential distortions created by threshold-dependent firm regulation. The findings are also relevant for policymakers, as they suggest that the specific design of threshold-dependent policies might allow governments to increase the efficiency of tax audits without distorting the firm size distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a digital training for social and emotional competences for prospective medical assistants (MAs) in Germany. Social and emotional competences (SEC) are necessary for the collaboration with colleagues as well as for the contact with clients, patients or customers. The German dual system of vocational education and training (VET) therefore considers them as essential parts of the profile of most training occupations. Nevertheless, few materials exist so far for the systematic training of these competences. In former studies three social and emotional competences have been identified as essential for MAs: emotion regulation, perspective coordination and communication strategies. At the same time development needs have been identified for all of them. To address these needs the three hours online training programme SECOTrain (Social and Emotional Competence Training) has been developed, which offers separate training sessions for all three competences. The aim of the paper is to depict how the fostering of social and emotional competences can be approached via a digital training, report our experiences with this endeavour and to discuss associated advantages as well as challenges and ways to deal with them. Digital formats offer new possibilities and chances for education and training, as they facilitate access to the content in a standardized and efficient way. An independent processing of trainings is made possible, regardless of time and teacher. At the same time, this comes along with a risk of overstraining some learners, as problems of understanding or motivation may occur. SECOTrain transfers pedagogical ideas into the context of digital learning to reduce these risks as much as possible. Each of the three training sessions follows the principles of the Cognitive Apprenticeship approach and is inspired by existing theories and trainings. Video sequences of typical critical interaction situations serve as material for explanation, application and reflection to support a strong practical orientation. Effects of the training will be evaluated in a pretest–posttest-follow-up experimental design. The paper presents goals and content as well as methods, pedagogical principles and theoretical foundation of SECOTrain. Furthermore, results of a small pilot study are presented and discussed with regard to further adjusting the training to the needs of the target group. At the end, an outline of the planned evaluation is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within state-owned enterprises (SOEs), supervisory board mandates are often given to politicians, many of whom are selected through political processes in which competence is not necessarily the decisive factor. This paper analyzes the impact of this form of governance, examining the business competence level of supervisory board members and their influence on the financial performance of 58 state-owned utility companies in Germany from 2011 to 2016 by applying OLS regression. For this purpose, the biographical backgrounds of 3350 supervisory board members were compiled to discern their education, management, and industry experience. Contrary to our hypotheses, the empirical analyses show no effects for any of the competence dimensions on companies' profitability. In a more detailed analysis, we find that board members with management experience from outside the energy sector seem detrimental to the company, which may indicate self-overestimation bias. This result is robust across different specifications and opens up an interesting new approach to analyzing the impact of board member competence on firm performance. The insignificance of the other competence areas indicates a rather low impact of supervisory boards on SOEs based on their unique institutional setting and in comparison to private sector corporate governance. Overall, this study contributes to both scholars and practitioners by providing new insights in the field of public corporate governance, focusing on the unique situation of the competence of politically connected boards and their influence on SOEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is the second of a series of publications that aim at investigating relevant directions to turn the nuclear energy density functional (EDF) method as an effective field theory (EFT). The EDF approach has known numerous successes in nuclear theory over the past decades [1] and is currently the only microscopic technique that can be applied to all atomic nuclei. However, the phenomenological character of the EDF method also comes with important limitations, such as the lack of an explicit connection with quantum chromodynamics (QCD). As was argued in the first paper of this series [2], reformulating the EDF framework as an EFT would enable us to overcome these limitations. In particular, path-integral (PI) techniques are suited to achieve such a purpose as they allow us to design numerous non-perturbative approximations and can take Lagrangians possibly derived from EFTs of QCD as inputs. In our previous paper [2], we have illustrated such technical features for diagrammatic PI techniques in a study of the (0+0)-D O(N)-symmetric φ 4 -theory. In the present work, we consider another class of PI techniques, i.e. functional renormalization group (FRG) approaches, that we apply to the same toy model. Despite our explicit interest for the nuclear many-body problem, the presented study is also directed towards FRG practitioners from various fields: technical details are provided for FRG techniques based on 1-particle-irreducible (1PI), 2-particle-irreducible (2PI) and 2-particle-point-irreducible (2PPI) effective actions, coined respectively as 1PI-, 2PI- and 2PPI-FRGs, and the treatment of the O(N) symmetry is also addressed thoroughly. Connections between these various FRG methods are identified as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to the legal definition healthcare systems and their components (e.g., hospitals) are part of the critical infrastructure of modern industrial nations. During the last few years hospitals increasingly became targets of cyber attacks causing severe impairment of their operability for weeks or even months. According to the German federal strategy for protection of critical infrastructures (KRITIS strategy), hospitals are obligated to take precautions against potential cyber attacks or other IT incidents. Objective: This article describes the process of planning, execution and results of an advanced table-top exercise which took place in a university hospital in Germany and simulated the first 3 days after a cyber attack causing a total failure of highly critical IT systems. Material and methods: During a first stage lasting about 8 months IT-dependent processes within the clinical routine were identified and analyzed. Then paper-based and off-line back-up processes and workarounds were developed and department-specific emergency plans were defined. Finally, selected central facilities such as pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, IT and the hospitals crisis management team took part in the actual disaster exercise. Afterwards the participants were asked to evaluate the exercise and the hospitals cyber security using a questionnaire. On this basis the authors visualized the hospitalʼs resilience against cyber incidents and defined short-term, medium-term and long-term needs for action. Results: Of the participants 85% assessed the exercise as beneficial, 97% indicated that they received adequate support during the preparations and 75% had received sufficient information; however, only 34% had the opinion that the hospitalʼs and their own preparedness against critical IT failures were sufficient. Before the exercise took place, IT-specific emergency plans were present only in 1.7% of the hospital facilities but after the exercise in 86.7% of the clinical and technical departments. The highest resilience against cyber attacks was not surprisingly reported by facilities that still work routinely with paper-based or off-line processes, the IT department showed the lowest resilience as it would come to a complete shutdown in cases of a total IT failure. Conclusion: The authors concluded that the planning phase is the most important stage of developing the whole exercise, giving the best opportunity for working out fallback levels and workarounds and through this strengthen the hospitals resilience against cyber attacks and comparable incidents. A meticulous preparedness can minimize the severe effects a total IT failure can cause on patient care, staff and the hospital as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hospital information systems (HIS) play a critical role in modern healthcare by facilitating the management and delivery of patient care services. We aimed to evaluate the current landscape of HIS in the specialty of gynecology and obstetrics in Germany. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed via the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics newsletter in December 2022. The questionnaire covered the domains baseline demographic information, satisfaction with daily use, satisfaction with implementation, and degree of digitization. Results: Ninety-one participants completed the survey. Median age was 34 years; 67.4% (60 of 89) were female, and 32.6% (29 of 89) were male. Of the survey participants, 47.7% (42 of 88) were residents, 26.1% (23 of 91) senior physicians, and 9.1% (8 of 88) medical directors. The degree of digitization of clinical documentation is mainly mixed digital and paper-based (64.0%, 57 of 89) while 16.9% (15 of 89) operate mainly paper-based. The current HIS has been in use on average for 9 years. The median number of different software systems used in daily routine is 4. About 33.7% (30 of 89) would likely or very likely recommend their current HIS to a colleague. Conclusions: The current landscape of HIS in gynecology and obstetrics in Germany is characterized by a high heterogeneity of systems with low interoperability and long service life; thus, many healthcare professionals are not satisfied. There is both a need to enhance and an interest in modernizing the technological infrastructure to meet today's requirements for patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The accumulation of trace elements in mosses is used as an indirect measure of atmospheric deposition and an important complement to the techniques used to monitor the Geneva Air Pollution Convention. The aim of this paper is to quantify and map temporal and spatial trends of metal enrichment in mosses collected in Germany in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2015 and 2020. Collection and chemical analysis of the moss samples were carried out according to international guidelines. Results: The analysis shows that since 1990, the median concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Sb in the mosses have been decreasing significantly, with the with the highest decline of Pb (− 86%). This trend reversed in 2000 and 2005 and between 2015 and 2020 by increases in the concentrations of some trace elements. In the 2000 Moss Survey, higher concentrations were measured for Cd, Cu, Ni and Sb than in 2015, ranging from + 26% (Cu) to + 165% (Ni). For As and Pb, no significant changes can be observed in 2020 compared to 2015. The increase in metal concentrations in the mosses over the last five years does not correspond to the corresponding trends in reported metal emissions in Germany (2015–2020). In contrast, the long-term trends of the As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations measured in the mosses showed good overall correspondence with the emission trends in Germany (1990–2020). The long-term trends of the moss data are mostly weaker than those of the emission data. The spatial patterns of the temporal trends were mapped and discussed for As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Sb. Conclusions: The study shows that for valid monitoring of atmospheric deposition, it is not enough to consider only emission data or the modelled deposition derived from these data. In this respect, the study provides one of many necessary contributions to the discussion on the extent to which analytes of current monitoring programmes are still relevant and up-to-date and whether there are new substances that are also relevant or even more relevant than existing analytes and to what extent this should be taken into account in designing future environmental monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question whether and to what extent the experience of online hate speech affects victims' sense of security. Studies on hate crime in general show that such crimes are associated with a significantly higher feeling of insecurity, but there is little evidence concerning feeling of insecurity due to online hate speech. Based on a secondary data analysis of a representative population survey in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the topic of cybercrime in 2020 (N = 4,102), we tested three hypotheses regarding the effect of offline and online hate speech on feelings of insecurity. As a result, compared to non-victims, victims of online hate speech exhibit a more pronounced feeling of insecurity outside the Internet, while victims of other forms of cybercrime do not differ in this regard from non-victims. We found no effect for offline hate speech when relevant control variables were included in the statistical model. Possible reasons for this finding are assumed to lie in the characteristics of the phenomenon of online hate speech, for example, because the hateful content spreads uncontrollably on the Internet and reaches its victims even in protected private spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries used short-time work schemes, i.e., subsidies for temporary working hours reductions due to production drops. In Germany, regulations on entitlements and benefits have been much more generous during the pandemic than they were in noncrisis times. This paper conducts a factorial survey experiment among the workforce to investigate which amounts of short-time benefits and which associated replacement rates were perceived as appropriate during the pandemic. We interpret our findings in the context of the deservingness theory. Our results show that the assessments are partly consistent with the legal design features in Germany. One of our key findings is that, according to respondents, the short-time allowance should decrease slightly with an increasing duration of short-time work. In Germany, however, with the onset of the pandemic, a rule was temporarily implemented that step-wise increased short-time work benefits with the duration of short-time work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns of an increase in heavy rainfall events due to global warming and climate change, which can result in significant economic costs for insurance companies and businesses. To address this challenge, insurance companies are focusing on developing new risk management strategies and offering new products such as flood insurance. However, the article argues that effective and feasible coordination shortens recovery time and can therefore drastically reduce the financial costs of a crisis—that is, the insurance costs. The paper analyses the deficit in crisis management during heavy rain events in Germany, based on the 2021 Ahr valley flood. The analysis is conducted based on document analysis and interviews and focuses on three areas of deficit: coordination between crisis staffs and (1) civil society, (2) emergency responders, and (3) political leaders. The paper highlights the importance of coordination during a crisis, which can help to address the crisis more efficiently and effectively, minimise damage and get communities back on their feet faster. The paper recommends policy changes to improve interface management and disaster management coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper's goal is to discuss implications for the empirical study of low educational status arising from the use of the concept of educational poverty in research. It has two related conceptual foci: (1) the relationship of educational poverty with material poverty and to what extent useful parallels exist, and (2) the distinction of absolute and relative (educational) poverty and whether the notion of absolute (educational) poverty is a sensible one. For the concept of educational poverty to be analytically fruitful, clear conceptualisation and operationalisation of the relevant issues are required. The paper contributes to the aim of providing these by building on existing work on educational poverty and by drawing on relevant work on material poverty as well as discussing some conceptual challenges and some of the challenges arising from the operationalisation of the concepts. Some of these challenges are illustrated using examples based on data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). In a further step, factors which may lead to a greater risk of being in relative educational poverty are analysed, employing the method multi-value Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The empirical findings highlight the relative nature of educational qualifications: the usefulness of a basic school leaving qualification has changed over time, and it has not been the same for different groups. Thus, a conceptualisation of low educational status as educational poverty has been shown to be useful, and it has been demonstrated that the relative nature of educational poverty ought to be taken into account by researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement models for both nationalism and patriotism originally developed by Blank and Schmidt are broadly established. Despite their widespread usage in Germany and beyond, concerns have been voiced about the operationalisation of these nation-related concepts. However, in previous scholarship little attention has been devoted to systematically reviewing the models' validity. This paper's major goal is to contribute substantially to research on operationalising national attitudes by thoroughly examining how both nationalism and patriotism are measured and how valid the predominant measurement models really are. By running a confirmatory factor analysis, three measurement models based on the ISSP data of 2003 are replicated and empirically reviewed. By conducting a single-country analysis, the models are tested for the German case, including the evaluation of measurement invariance for both Eastern and Western Germany. Although the selected measurement models yield satisfying results, the paper identifies considerable shortcomings with regard to the way both nationalism and patriotism are empirically approached. It calls for a reconceptualising of the prevailing concept of pride and thus challenges the predominant operationalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New techniques in genome editing have led to a controversial debate about the opportunities and uncertainties they present for agricultural food production and consumption. In July 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union defined genome editing as a new process of mutagenesis, which implies that the resulting organisms count as genetically modified and are subject, in principle, to the obligations of EU Directive 2001/18/EG. This paper examines how key protagonists from academia, politics, and the economy strategically framed the debate around genome editing in agriculture in Germany prior to its legal classification by the Court of Justice. It is based on an analysis of 96 official statements, including position papers, press releases, and information brochures. Our study reveals eight strategic frames used in the discourse on genome editing and uncovers the strategies used to disconnect from or connect with the previous discourse on green genetic engineering in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Building on competitive framing theory, the study provides explanations for the use and emergence of counter-framing strategies and their success or failure in the debate around genome editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the early 1990s until 2005 the unemployment rate rose in Germany from 7.3 to 11.7%. While the unemployment rate reached its peak in 2005, it decreased steadily in the following years. The fourth stage of the German labor market reform (Hartz IV) was implemented in 2005 with the intent to cut the unemployment rate. This paper investigates the employment and welfare effects of the Hartz IV reform. Moreover, I am interested in the employment impact of German labor market reform due the rise of the East, which is the productivity increase in Germany and Eastern Europe that has fostered joint fast-growing trade. The focus lies on the national and county level (including 402 counties). As the effects on regional labor markets differ and take time, the paper builds on the dynamic and spatial trade model of Caliendo et al. (2019). I find that the Hartz IV reform is responsible for a 25% drop in unemployment, with a particular impact on eastern German counties. The rise of the East leads to an additional positive contribution to the labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, Albania has recognized human dignity as one of the main constitutional principles. However, the national medical jurisprudence regarding informed consent has not been developed as in other Western European Countries. Germany is one of the countries that has a long tradition of protecting human dignity in patient-physician relations.This contribution studies the German law on informed consent to medical treatment, Gesetz zur Verbesserung der Rechte von Patientinnen und Patienten of February 2013 through the application of a case-law study. This law, which codifies the national courts' decisions, highlights the ethical principle of autonomy. In other words, in the absence of a solid national medical jurisprudence, this paper investigates the possibility that Albanian judges could apply the legal arguments of their German colleagues since in the case of case-law study there is an absence of political interference, which can better demonstrate the ethical principle of autonomy and the right to self-determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social network theories are used extensively to analyze the international migration of Chinese to overseas regions in the era of Market Economy Reform since 1978. Attention is paid especially on the role of social networks among overseas Chinese on disaster relief in China. Focusing on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this paper investigates how social networks work as a crucial mechanism through which Chinese immigrants in Germany initiated and delivered monetary and material donations to China in early 2020 and then organized self-help in their everyday lives in Germany in late 2020. Different from previous studies, this paper scrutinizes social networks for disaster relief on the macro, meso, and micro levels. Multi-site ethnographic fieldwork in China and Germany combined with online and offline data collected from focus group sessions, interviews with individuals, participant observations, surveys, analysis of news reports on the pandemic, and analysis on relevant policies are utilized comprehensively to collect data on the three levels. This research discovers that internet tools – represented by WeChat – have integrated tightly into the traditional social networks of Chinese immigrants and consolidated the cultural cohesion from overseas Chinese to their connections in China. This paper aims at contributing to present studies on Chinese new immigrants, social network, and disaster management theories with an updated ethnographic case on the COVID-19 pandemic from Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the global research status and future trends of cadastre were evaluated by using bibliometric analysis. This study is based on the analysis of research topics, scientific production, collaboration among countries and authors, and most cited papers on cadastre research which obtained from database of Scopus during the time period from 1958 to 2018. A total of 4220 papers were published in 128 different journals and most of them were original articles (2906, 68.8%) followed by conference paper (966, 22.9%). It found that Germany was the most productive country with 218 papers and 5.2% of total literature followed by United States and Australia. University of Melbourne was found to publish the highest number of documents with 85 papers and to cover 4.2% of the total literature followed by Delft University of Technology. Most used five keywords were "cadastre", "GIS", "surveying", "mapping" and "land use" (n = 945, 791, 300, 296 and 294 times, respectively). The top two authors who contributed most were Williamson, I.P. (69 articles), Van Oosterom P. (40 articles). The top-cited publication was "Analysis of land-cover transitions based on seventeenth and eighteenth century cadastral maps and aerial photographs" written by Cousins, in Landscape Ecology in 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Reports on the controversy created by a stem cell paper by a team of German biologists published in the 2004 issue of "Applied Physics". Public announcement of the research as a breakthrough in adult stem-cell technology; Protests against research using embryonic lines; Criticisms of the research.