Search

Purpose: Higher education institutions, as influential social institutions, play an important role in promoting social responsibility and sustainable practices. However, approaches to implementing sustainable development (SD) in higher education institutions (HEIs) themselves remain fuzzy. One way to achieve holistic embedding can lie in organizational culture. This study aims to examine ways by which internal sustainability governance can promote sustainability culture by using empirical data from German HEIs. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses factor analysis to identify relevant governance indicators. With a regression analysis, this study assesses the indicators' effects on organizational sustainability culture in HEIs. A moderator analysis tests potential determinants derived from literature and their influence on sustainability governance and sustainability culture. Findings: Operationalizing formalized sustainability governance for holistic implementation reveals a gap in sustainability management at HEIs. This study proposes a model for operationalizing sustainability governance and shows an effect on sustainability culture at the formal organizational level. Originality/value: Based on the operationalization of sustainability governance, this empirical study provides evidence for the development of a holistic approach along a sustainability culture in organizations. This paper proposes a model for operationalization, analyzes multiorganizational data and shows the effects of sustainability governance on formalized organizational sustainability culture. This paper provides a transorganizational perspective for implementing SD following a top-down approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the idea of autonomous vehicles has been enthusiastically embraced by scientists and commercial markets alike, ranging from solving the last mile problem across shared economy models in various segments to human transportation logistics, more than just a few aspects require further development before driverless urban logistics can be organized more thoroughly and meaningfully for our practical purposes. Before fully autonomous vehicles become standard, many of these shortcomings can be addressed (in part) by the remote operation of vehicles. Besides the various technological challenges, remote operation of vehicles also has many important legal and economic implications, impacting a wide area, including data protection, liability for torts performed, and mundane fields such as road traffic law. Based on a case study of a start-up developing remote operation solutions in Germany (Vay), this paper analyses and further develops the regulatory framework of remote operation solutions by highlighting their legal and economic implications. Since remote operation solutions are comprised of cyber-physical systems, this research is located in the context of Smart Cities and Industry 5.0, i.e., our research contributes to the related regulatory framework of the Smart City concept as well as to Industry 5.0 in international terms. Finally, the paper discusses future perspectives and proposes specific modes of compliance. [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]

This paper investigates the racial discourse in the Afro-diaspora group in Germany. It uses the 'discourse-historical approach' – a strand of Critical Discourse Analysis – for the three-dimensional analysis of language biographical data of 67 African migrants in Germany. The study provides African migrants' accounts of racism, identifies four discursive strategies, and then examines the semantics of a counter-racialisation term developed to cope with racism. The study finds Afro-diaspora racial discourse as a site for confronting the racism problem, legitimising the race idea, and contingent on migrants' access to material resources in Germany. Furthermore, the term 'fake-oyinbo' indicates an ability to use simple linguistic terms in an intended way of racial categorisation within race relations thinking. The paper concludes that Afro-diasporans' racial discourse is a 'grassroots' minority discourse revealing a counter-racialisation linguistic action while explaining and justifying the condition of the ordinary black minority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores a major conflict area, namely, national and the EU's immigration policy and investigates how the influx of migrants (mostly from the Middle East and North Africa - MENA region) into the EU has been used as a policy conflict ground. The article assesses the policy responses to (im)migration in Germany and Italy between 2015- 2019 as the changes made redirected the policy for future migration crisis. The aim of the article is to underline that the migration crisis of the EU spiraled into Members States' migration and populism crisis and into the challenges of the implementation of common EU migration policies and national policies. This is achieved by the analyses of administrative measures adopted in the most argued areas like asylum procedure, return policy and integration The paper argues that these crisis management measures were mostly restrictive, and not only aimed to handle the crisis but exposed a phenomenon: they not only intended to thwart the continuous growth of migration and populism but were in parts even favored by populists in the sense that they had the intention to curb immigration, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kwartalnik Historii Nauki i Techniki is the property of Polska Akademia Nauk, Instytut Historii Nauki and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to compare the sustainability assessment methods of DGNB and G-SEED, the two domestic green building rating systems, focusing on indoor environmental evaluation and reviewing recent laws, certifications systems, and guidelines from Germany and South Korea. According to existing studies, Korea's green building certification has similar evaluation items, environmental (62.6%), social aspects (25.4%), and economic aspects (3.0%) compared with DGNB. Continuing research comparing DGNB and G-SEED, this paper will present an insight into the DGNB and G-SEED green building rating systems' aspects and motives; furthermore, we intend to equate the sustainability assessment methods of the DGNB and G-SEED certification systems, in order to improve certification systems by comparing and finding solutions to differences, thereby making international systems more adaptable to each country. This analysis will unify property categorization systems and will promote green building and sustainable development globally. Findings: Regarding similarities and differences, the certification criteria for air, thermal, visual/light, and acoustic quality are based on domestic laws in both countries. DGNB and G-SEED are similar in terms of the requirements but differ in methods and domestic laws. Some findings regarding differences are that DGNB requires low VOC-emitting products, while G-SEED focuses on natural ventilation. Thermal comfort is measured through design-phase simulation in DGNB, while G-SEED lighting is evaluated on the basis of saving light energy. Finally, in G-SEED, acoustic quality is measured via indoor soundproofing performance, while DGNB takes room size into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric stimulation via a cochlear implant (CI) enables people with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss to regain speech understanding and music appreciation and, thus, allow them to actively engage in social life. Three main manufacturers (CochlearTM, MED-ELTM, and Advanced BionicsTM "AB") have been offering CI systems, thus challenging CI recipients and otolaryngologists with a difficult decision as currently no comprehensive overview or meta-analysis on performance outcomes following CI implantation is available. The main goals of this scoping review were to (1) map the literature on speech and music performance outcomes and to (2) find whether studies have performed outcome comparisons between devices of different manufacturers. To this end, a literature search was conducted to find studies that address speech and music outcomes in CI recipients. From a total of 1592 papers, 188 paper abstracts were analyzed and 147 articles were found suitable for an examination of full text. From these, 42 studies were included for synthesis. A total of 16 studies used the consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) word recognition test in quiet at 60 db SPL. We found that aside from technical comparisons, very few publications compared speech outcomes across manufacturers of CI systems. However, evidence suggests that these data are available in large CI centers in Germany and the US. Future studies should therefore leverage large data cohorts to perform such comparisons, which could provide critical evaluation criteria and assist both CI recipients and otolaryngologists to make informed performance-based decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors discuss their experiences with ungrading at a small public university in the U.S. and a large public university in Germany. The courses described are Calculus 1 and a content course for pre-service secondary teachers of mathematics. The professors teach differently: one with lecture, the other with inquiry-based learning, and choose to use elements of ungrading in different ways. In one case, the professor lets students self-evaluate their homework, while in the other the professor uses a mix of specifications grading and ungrading for the final grade. We outline and compare our assessment approaches and discuss student performance and feedback. We also present some patterns relating to gender: in both cases, we observed that women students chose lower self-evaluations than men students. We end this paper with a general reflection on our teaching experience and our plans to use ungrading in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to study the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on corporate cost of debt and the moderating role of information asymmetry between creditors and borrowing firms. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses 5,223 firm-quarter observations on German-listed firms spanning 2010:Q1–2021:Q4. This study regresses the cost of debt financing on the geopolitical risk, accounting quality and other control variables. Information asymmetry is measured using the performance-matched Jones-model discretionary accrual and the stock bid-ask spread. It uses interaction terms to check if information asymmetry moderates the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on the cost of debts and control for the moderating role of business risk. For the sake of robustness check, it uses long-term cost of debt and bond spread as alternative dependent variables. In addition, this study executes instrumental variables regression and propension score matching to control for potential endogeneity problems. Findings: Estimation results show that geopolitical uncertainty exerts a positive impact on the cost of debt. This impact is found to be more important on the cost of long-term debts. Information asymmetry is found to exacerbate the positive impact of geopolitical risk on the cost of debt. These results are robust to the change of the dependent variable and to the mitigation of potential endogeneity. At high levels of information asymmetry, this impact is more important for firms belonging to "Transportation", "Automobiles and auto parts", "Chemicals", "Industrial and commercial services", "Software and IT services" and "Industrial goods" business sectors. Research limitations/implications: Geopolitical uncertainty should be seriously considered when setting strategies for corporate financial management in Germany and similar economies that are directly exposed to geopolitical risks. Corporate managers should design a comprehensive set of corporate policies to improve their transparency and accountability during increasing uncertainty. Policymakers are required to implement innovative monetary and fiscal policies that take into consideration the heterogeneous impact of geopolitical uncertainty and information transparency in order to contain their incidence on German business sectors. Originality/value: Despite its relevance to corporate financing conditions, little is known about the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on the cost of debt financing. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there is still no empirical evidence on how information asymmetry between creditors and borrowing firms shapes the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on the cost of debt. This paper tries to fill this gap by interacting two measures of information asymmetry with geopolitical uncertainty. In contrast with previous studies, this study shows that the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on the cost of debt is non-linear and heterogeneous. The results show that the impact of geopolitical uncertainty does not exert the same impact on the cost of debt instruments with different maturities. This impact is found to be heterogeneous across business sectors and to depend on the level of information asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses how Cyprus' economy coped with the Covid-19 pandemic by generating two series of forecasts with wavelet analysis: forecasts using data including the pandemic (from Q4 1997 to Q2 2022) and not including the pandemic (from Q4 1997 to Q3 2019). The difference of their averages is an indicator of the resilience of the economy during the pandemic, the greater the difference, the more resilient the economy. Eurozone and Germany are used as benchmarks: subtracting the Q3 2022 to Q4 2050 GDP growth rate (quarterly and annualized) average forecast of Cyprus obtained with the Q4 1997-Q2 2022 data, +1.62%, by the one obtained with the Q4 1997-Q3 2019 data, +1.47%, the difference is +0.15% whereas with Eurozone the difference is +0.11%, [+0.68% - (+0.57%)] and with Germany the difference is -0.12% [+0.89% - (+1.01%)]. Thus, Cyprus' economy shows a slightly higher resilience (+0.15%) than the Eurozone's (+0.11%) based on Q3 2022-Q4 2050 forecasts and a stronger resilience than Germany's (-0.12%). Moreover, the average of the Q3 2022-Q4 2050 quarterly (annualized) growth rate forecasts of Cyprus is expected to be +1.62% with the Q4 1997-Q2 2022 data whereas it is expected to be only +0.68% for the Eurozone and +0.89% for Germany. Cyprus' economy shows better prospects than the Eurozone's and Germany's economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyse and discuss how learning is experienced by young, newly arrived immigrants in Germany. In particular, it addresses the connection between their experiences and the expectations of the German education system, as well as the connection between different kinds of learning experiences (formal and informal) in the context of adolescence. Adolescence is understood as an intergenerationally shaped psycho-social space of developmental opportunities. It is always affected and formed by aspects of social inequality such as milieu, gender, and race. Research shows that when migration takes place during adolescence, young people must cope with a "doubled transformation requirement" (King and Schwab). This paper discusses whether adolescent immigrants face even more transformation requirements—again, interwoven with learning—than two. Based on cases taken from two qualitative-interview-study samples, I reconstruct how coping strategies in terms of psycho-social development can be associated with different kinds of learning. Finally, I emphasise the responsibility of formal education as a supportive framework and stabilising factor for child and adolescent immigrants after they reach Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Artikel untersucht die Bedeutung der sogenannten Legal Technologies für die Sozialpolitik und das Sozialrecht in Deutschland. Auf der Basis einer empirischen Untersuchung entwickelt er eine Typologie von Anbietern digitaler Rechtsdienstleistungen und diskutiert ihre Bedeutung sowie die Implikationen für das Politikfeld. Die Hauptthese des Textes lautet, dass neue Geschäftsmodelle für digitale Rechtsdienstleistungen Konzentrationsprozesse befördern, die auch auf anderen Online-Märkten zu beobachten sind. Sie fordern die bisherigen anwaltlichen Strategien der Positionierung und Kooperation heraus und können Zugänge zum Recht so verändern, dass Rückwirkungen auf das Feld der Sozialpolitik zu erwarten sind. This paper deals with the transformation of the market for legal services in Germany which has been fostered by digitalization. Legal technology has opened up a new market for digital legal services which also affects social policy and social law. Based on empirical research, the paper presents a typology of digital legal service providers who challenge established market positions of lawyers in social law. It discusses to what extent the transformation of this market is similar to other internet markets and what might be the implications of this development for social policy and social law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German payments market is sizeable, handling almost one-quarter of the non-cash transactions conducted in the euro area, and benefiting from structurally lower cost levels. At the same time, it is characterised by a highly complex and intense competitive set. These two factors seem to result in low fee levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated structural change (and digital payments adoption) in a market with distinctive institutions and consumer preferences. This paper reviews both the key players shaping the overall payments market, as well as the characteristics of key payment solutions and situations. In doing so, the paper identifies and explains the idiosyncrasies of the German market, linking back to the aforementioned factors shaping the German payments market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accelerate deep decarbonisation in the energy sector, the discipline of economics should focus on identifying feasible instead of optimal policies. To do so, economic analysis should include four features: complexity (a), non-economic aspects (b), uncertainty (c) and stakeholders (d). The aim of this paper is to show that qualitative scenario analysis represents a promising alternative to conventional optimisation approaches and meets these requirements. This paper develops qualitative scenarios for the case study of gas infrastructure modifications with hydrogen and carbon capture and storage technologies in Germany. In the results, the six socio-economic qualitative scenarios are described in more detail. A comparison between the case study and a conventional approach reveals three limitations of the latter and highlights the value of qualitative scenario development. The authors distil the advantages of qualitative scenario analysis and discuss challenges and chances, that go beyond the case study. In conclusion, developing socio-economic scenarios has a large potential to improve economic policy assessment. It also allows to catch up with the rethinking of energy research taking place in other disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sozialer Fortschritt is the property of Duncker & Humblot GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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]

How do far-right actors and issues structure public debates and become mainstream over time? Previous research has shown that far-right actors are central actors in political conflicts in Western Europe, partly due to their dominance in struggles on cultural issues. The entrenchment of the far right substantially depends on their networks and public visibility. However, we still lack a long-term understanding of public debates about far-right actors and their discursive interconnections across issues. In this paper, we deliver the first longitudinal analysis of the evolution and structure of far-right discourse networks and the diffusion of far-right ideas in public debates since the 1990s. Methodologically, this paper innovates by combining discourse network analysis with automated text analysis to investigate how the relations between far-right actors and issues are represented in mass media. We analyze more than 500,000 newspaper articles in six different mass media outlets in Germany. The results show that far-right actors have gained more public visibility since the 1990s. The study demonstrates that the mass media debates have introduced and amplified cultural issues "owned" by the far right. Far-right discourse networks in mass media have grown, discursive interactions have intensified and discourse networks have become more centralized. Our results indicate that the discursive mainstreaming of the far right evolved in the context of the "refugee crisis" in 2015, and was linked to the AfD's institutional access. Overall, the study aids in developing a better understanding of the success of the far right and the crucial role of public debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Establishing successful lactation in mothers of very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500g) infants requires structured lactation support. Little is known about mothers' perspectives on lactation support in German neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Methods: This paper features a convergent mixed-method approach that includes a retrospective, cross-sectional questionnaire and interview data to showcase mothers' perceptions of lactation support in NICUs. Content analysis of the interviews (n = 12) and a descriptive analysis of quantitative data (n = 533) were performed to illustrate the current status and need for lactation support in German NICUs. Results: The results show that lactation support in German NICUs is often inadequate and does not comply with recommendations based on the existing literature to encourage pumping and breastfeeding in mothers. The data imply that even if lactation is successfully initiated in most cases, it is often not maintained over time, which may be due to a lack of personal support and consistent information. Conclusion: The overall structures and institutional guidelines for lactation support should be encouraged to promote nutrition with mother´s own milk in German NICUs. [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]

In 2020, anti-Asian racism re-emerged during the coronavirus pandemic in Germany and elsewhere, manifesting in media narratives, and evoking different forms of violence and exclusion, especially in public space. Racialisation as an everyday process creates "counter-frames" by racialised groups. They are constructed in relation to institutionalised interpellation as "the other." Building on Feagin's concept of "white framing" and "counter-framing" and Löw's concept of space, this paper discusses the effects of racialisation, coping and anti-racist resistance strategies as developed by the Asian diaspora. Social change regarding racism will be analysed through Foroutan's concept of "postmigrant society." We based this study on a convenience sample of people with Asian heritage which we conducted in 2020 in Germany. In addition, we included a diary study for which a subset has been sampled. We argue that the pandemic influenced the formation of counter-frames against anti-Asian racism in the specific context of Berlin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan and Germany are both facing a rapidly aging population and have similar social insurance-based long-term care systems. However, there are significant differences in utilization and costs. This paper presents a microeconomic decision model validated by regression analysis, Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, and Data Envelopment Analysis to contrast the utilization patterns in the Japanese and German long-term care sectors. The design of the welfare programs for low-income families has been identified as one of the main reasons. In Germany, the welfare system leads to a demand curve for nursing home care that is comparable to that of an inferior good which makes external long-term care in nursing homes the more attractive, the poorer the respective households are. In addition, the resulting inelastic demand of the population groups in need of social benefits seem to reduces competition among Germany's long-term care providers, which is associated with a loss of efficiency in how they use production factors. In Japan, this negative outcome is avoided by a comfort segmentation in the nursing home market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of economic crisis, academics, policy-makers, and pundits often debate the correct level and best use of government debt. This paper argues structural political and economic factors grant core economies more fiscal space than peripheral economies. While the federal governments of the US, Germany, and other core economies may easily issue and sell debt in private markets, smaller economies, both municipalities within countries, and countries in the global periphery, are more vulnerable to demand fluctuations. All economies may benefit from explicit commitments by monetary authorities to resume their historic roles as governments' banks, especially during crises. By highlighting present political constraints, monetary structures, and market factors that may inhibit governments' successful placement of bonds, this paper deepens present debate about the potential feasibility of functional finance to facilitate fiscal activity, even in unprecedented times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The context for this paper is a shift in the way citizens engage in democratic processes which has received increasing attention in the literature. Building on previously conducted research, this paper contributes to the conceptualisation of citizenship activities in terms of young people below the voting age from rural communities. Based on reviewing current research, seven emerging contexts that can assist with exploring young people's citizenship activities are proposed, namely unofficial, individual, glocal, sporadic, online, issues-based, and justice-oriented. These contexts were translated into a framework which is introduced and explored in this paper. To explore this framework, focus groups (n = 26) and a qualitative questionnaire (n = 106) were conducted with young people aged 13–16 from a secondary school in Germany. The proposed framework extends previous conceptualisations of emerging citizenship contexts by looking beyond citizen types and taxonomies to explore the spaces, modes, goals, and the frequency of participants' citizenship activities. Results indicate that the proposed framework was useful in exploring multiple emerging citizenship contexts. Focus group and questionnaire participants were particularly engaged in glocal, unofficial, sporadic, and issues-based contexts and to a lower degree in individual, online, and justice-oriented contexts. A key challenge is achieving conceptual clarity around the seven contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper shows that visions of the future can be used as a predictor of cooperation and division between actors in their efforts to shape the institutional environment, specifically policy in socio‐technical systems. Accordingly, the paper suggests a new method to analyze visions: a virtual solution space in which visions can be grouped according to their similarity. The similarity of visions is calculated based on cluster analysis. Empirically, the paper focuses on the networks between industry associations in the heating transition in the German building sector. It shows that actors whose visions of future socio‐technical system developments overlap are more likely to cooperate with each other. It also suggests that the fragmentation of the residential heating system in Germany is reflected in a fragmented actor network. Furthermore, the authors show that shared technological interests can outweigh similar visions. These fragmented technological interests hinder meaningful cooperation. This is potentially one reason why a powerful low‐carbon heating coalition in Germany that could facilitate an accelerated deployment of low‐carbon heat systems by driving policy change has not emerged to date. The paper contributes to a better understanding of how niche actors in sustainability transitions use their agency and specifically strategize to bring about institutional change. In this respect, the authors discuss how differing levels of system‐fragmentation influence transition dynamics in general and institutional change dynamics in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Germany's medical specialist shortage is an acute challenge, especially in the rehabilitation segment. One countermeasure is to recruit foreign trained physicians (FTP), but the high turnover of FTP is a burden on the departments that train them and integrate them professionally. Preliminary research showed that currently one in three physician positions in German Pension Insurance (DRV) contract facilities is filled by FTP.This paper examines factors related to turnover intention of FTP in German rehabilitative departments. Methodology: In spring 2022, we surveyed FTP across all inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation departments under the German Pension Insurance, using a two-stage cross-sectional approach. We conducted an online survey of FTP and developed a specialized questionnaire that captured sociodemographic, occupation related and professional biographical data, turnover intention, satisfaction, difficulties with professional integration and departmental structural characteristics. To analyze retention within the rehabilitation field, we used a measure of turnover intention, taking into account the direction of potential turnover, residency requirements and considerations of returning to the rehabilitation field. The data was evaluated in a subgroup analysis comparing FTP with and without turnover intention using Fisher's exact tests. Results: The sample includes n = 145 FTP, 119 stating no turnover intention and 27 with turnover intention. More than half of FTP with turnover intention wished to move to an acute care hospital. FTP with turnover intention are comparatively younger and came to Germany and were employed in the rehabilitation departments more recently, indicating an earlier career stage. Besides, career-related and regional factors show the strongest relation to turnover intention. Discussion and conclusion: The results reveal a group of "established FTP" whose professional integration has been successfully completed. FTP with turnover intention are comparatively younger, career-oriented physicians for whom work in a rehabilitative facility is a career springboard to gain a foothold in acute care clinics. A limitation is that FTP with turnover intention are difficult to reach and may be underrepresented in our sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Status or relative concerns (as in the idiom 'keeping up with the Joneses') can lead to negative feelings such as stress and anxiety. One key question is whether these concerns relate to daily smoking behaviour. The conjecture is that status concerns and the accompanying stress and anxiety might be associated with a higher likelihood of smoking and a higher number of cigarettes smoked, generating a higher instant physical reward and reducing the stress and anxiety. The literature aiming to identify this relationship focuses mostly on a single cross section of individuals, ignoring potential differences in unobserved characteristics of smokers and non-smokers (e.g., genetic factors, personality differences, parental smoking during childhood). This paper investigates the role of unobserved individual characteristics on this relationship, which has not been done in previous studies. Using a long panel data of smoking information in Germany and a variety of panel data model specifications, we show that there is no statistically significant association between relative income concerns and the likelihood of smoking or the number of cigarettes smoked among the overall population. We find a positive and significant relationship only among people who smoked at least one cigarette in the past. A 10% appreciation in the income of comparable other individuals relates to about 3.5 more cigarettes per month among these people. Importantly, failing to allow for the unobserved influences of smoking leads to three times larger estimates than when using models with unobserved factors correlating to the income and smoking behaviour. The results are robust with respect to alternative assumptions and specifications where we use different functional forms of unobserved heterogeneity, definitions of relative concerns, incomes, and reference groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Germany has the highest per capita health care spending among EU member states, but its hospitals face pressure to generate profits independently due to the government's withdrawal of investment cost coverage. The diagnosis related groups (DRG) payment system was implemented to address the cost issue, challenging hospital physicians to provide services within predefined prices and an economic target corridor to reduce costs. This study examines the extent of cost awareness among medical personnel in German hospitals and its influencing factors. Methods: We developed an online survey in which participants across all specialties in hospitals estimated the prices in euros of four common interventions and answered questions about their human capital and perceived stress on the workplace. As a measure of cost awareness, we used the probability of estimating the prices correctly within a reasonable margin. We employed logit logistic regression estimators to identify influencing factors in a sample of 86 participants. Results: The results revealed that most of the respondents were unaware of the costs of common interventions. General human capital, acquired through prior education, and job-specific human capital had no influence on cost awareness, whereas domain-specific human capital, that is, gaining economic knowledge based on self-interest, had a positive nonlinear effect on cost awareness. Furthermore, an increased stress level negatively influenced cost awareness. Conclusions: This paper is the first of its kind for the German health care sector that contributes responses to the question whether health care professionals in German hospitals have cost awareness and if not, what reasons lie behind this lack of knowledge. Our findings show that the cost awareness desired by the introduction of the DRG system has yet to be achieved by medical personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary society, childhood is characterized as mediatized and commercialized. Media consumption worlds (MCWs) are a phenomenon that mirrors both aspects. They are narratives that are presented through various media platforms, games, and merchandising products. In this paper, the concept of children's MCWs is developed theoretically and investigated empirically using the case of primary school children's appropriation of MCWs as well as parental mediation and attitude in Austria and Germany. A mixed-methods design was applied, starting with qualitative interviews with children and their parents and followed by an online survey for parents (N=327). The study revealed that children find individual ways to deal with MCWs, some of which foster creativity and self-expression but also consumerism. The parents' attitude is ambivalent. They view MCWs as beneficial in terms of creativity, positive values, and as peer group experience. However, parents observe critically that MCWs lure children to the media and to consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate factors that influence the willingness of inactive nurses to return to nursing in a crisis situation and to identify aspects that need to be considered with regard to a possible deployment. Design: A deductive and inductive qualitative content analysis of semi-structured focus group interviews. Methods: Semi-structured focus group interviews with inactive or marginally employed nurses, nurses who have been inactive for some time and nursing home managers in October and November 2021. The participating inactive nurses had declared their willingness for a deployment during the COVID-19 pandemic or not. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Communication was seen as essential by the participants for an informed decision for or against a temporary return to nursing and to potential or actual deployments. To make them feel safe, inactive nurses need to know what to expect and what is expected of them, for example, regarding required training and responsibilities. Considering their current employment status, some flexibility in terms of deployment conditions is needed. A remaining attachment to care can trigger a sense of duty. Knowledge of (regular) working conditions in nursing can lead to both a desire to support former colleagues and a refusal to be exposed to these conditions again. Conclusion: Past working experiences and the current employment situation play a major role in the willingness of inactive nurses to return to nursing in a crisis situation. Unbureaucratic arrangements must be provided for those who are willing to return. Summary Statement: • What already is known - In crisis situations, not every inactive nurse is willing or able to return to nursing and therefore, the 'silent reserve' may not be as large as suspected. • What this paper adds - Inactive nurses need to know what to expect and what is expected of them for their decision regarding a return to active patient care during a crisis situation. • Implications for practice/policy -- Inactive nurses need to be informed and should be offered free training and refresher courses to ensure patient safety. Impact: This research shows that the group of inactive nurses are not a silent workforce which can be activated anytime. Those who are able and willing to return to direct patient care in crisis situations need the best possible support -- during and between crises. Reporting Method: This study adhered to COREQ guidelines. No Patient or Public Contribution: The involvement of patients or members of the public did not apply for the study, as the aim was to gain insight into the motivations and attitudes of the group of inactive nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning in the mid-1980s, European governments have increasingly implemented performance-based funding systems for higher education. While a focus on the transnational pressures that contributed to the widespread adoption of performance-based funding in Europe accounts for the impetus for performance-based funding policies, it fails to address how and why the resultant performance-based funding policies are as distinct and different as they are. In this paper, I argue that an institutional logics perspective offers a theoretical account of the performance-based funding policy formation process. I use the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and France as case studies. I contend that in these three cases, different local logics drove the performance-based funding policy formation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pursued by authorities throughout the 1930s, Heinrich Habitz left behind a significant paper trail of official documentation, arrest warrants and imprisonment records. As Germany slipped further under National Socialist oppression, Habitz's status as a homosexual man who sold sex marked him as a target of police repression. Even after the end of the war, the Hamburg Prosecutor's Office attempted to locate and again prosecute him under the infamous §175 'sodomy law'. By rights, the study of Habitz should provide insights into the continuities of anti-queer repression between authoritarianism and democracy, but for one key point: 'Heinrich Habitz' existed only as a paper identity in official bureaucracy, and the 'man' authorities repeatedly persecuted was, in fact, a self-identified woman named 'Liddy Bacroff'. Through a series of semi-autobiographical writings, alongside official paperwork, Liddy Bacroff presents the value of but also the difficulties facing the (re)construction of queer and, in particular, transgender (pre)histories. In this instance, the historian is not just faced with the problem of how this life, and others like it, should be represented in historiographical terms. We are left also with the question of how this victim of National Socialist barbarity should (or rather, can) be remembered: as the paper identity that provided a succession of carceral authorities with the justification to persecute and ultimately murder a cisgender gay man, or as the lived experience of a woman whose unique self-understanding allowed her to carve out her place in a society that otherwise relegated her to its margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are underrepresented in many areas of journalistic newsrooms. In this paper, we examine if this established effect persists in the new forms of journalistic communication, namely social media networks. We use mentions, retweets, and hashtags as measures of journalistic amplification and legitimation. Furthermore, we compare two groups of journalists in different stages of development: political and data journalists in Germany in 2021. Our results show that journalists identified as women tend to favor other women journalists in mentions and retweets on Twitter (now called X), compared to men. While both professions are dominated by men, with a high share of tweets authored by men, women mention and retweet other women more than their male colleagues. Female data journalists also leverage different sources than men. In addition, we found data journalists to be more inclusive of non-member sources in their networks compared to political journalists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy sector faces a pressing need for significant transformation to curb CO2 emissions. For instance, Czechia and Germany have taken steps to phase out fossil thermal power plants by 2038, opting instead for a greater reliance on variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. Nonetheless, thermal power plants will still have roles, too. While the conventional multistage axial turbine design has been predominant in large-scale power plants for the past century, it is unsuitable for small-scale decentralized projects due to complexity and cost. To address this, the study investigates less common turbine types, which were discarded as they demonstrated lower efficiency. One design is the Elektra turbine, characterized by its velocity compounded radial re-entry configuration. The Elektra turbine combines the advantages of volumetric expanders (the low rotational speed requirement) with the advantages of a turbine (no rubbing seals, no lubrication in the working fluid, wear is almost completely avoided). Thus, the research goal of the authors is the implementation of a 10 kW-class ORC turbine driving a cost-effective off-the-shelf 3000 rpm generator. The paper introduces the concept of the Elektra turbine in comparison to other turbines and proposes this approach for an ORC working fluid. In the second part, the 1D design and 3D–CFD optimization of the 7 kW Elektra turbine working with Hexamethyldisiloxane (MM) is performed. Finally, CFD efficiency characteristics of various versions of the Elektra are presented and critically discussed regarding the originally defined design approach. The unsteady CFD calculation of the final Elektra version showed 46% total-to-static isentropic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the current and prospective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of e-fuels produced via electrolysis and Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) for the years 2021, 2030, and 2050 for use in Germany. The GHG emissions are determined by a scenario approach as a combination of a literature-based top-down and bottom-up approach. Considered process steps are the provision of feedstocks, electrolysis (via solid oxide co-electrolysis; SOEC), synthesis (via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis; FTS), e-crude refining, eventual transport to, and use in Germany. The results indicate that the current GHG emissions for e-fuel production in the exemplary export countries Saudi Arabia and Chile are above those of conventional fuels. Scenarios for the production in Germany lead to current GHG emissions of 2.78–3.47 kgCO2-eq/L e-fuel in 2021 as the reference year and 0.064–0.082 kgCO2-eq/L e-fuel in 2050. With a share of 58–96%, according to the respective scenario, the electrolysis is the main determinant of the GHG emissions in the production process. The use of additional renewable energy during the production process in combination with direct air capture (DAC) are the main leverages to reduce GHG emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, research on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) has significantly increased. Numerous studies have analyzed demonstration projects, outlined scenarios, modeled pathways, or focused on CDR's national or international governance. However, regional case studies investigating the dynamics that may facilitate or impede the broader adoption of CDR methods in spatially explicit settings are critically absent. Understanding implementation contexts on the ground is vital, and comparing them across different removal methods is essential for effectively scaling up CDR. This paper aims to address this research gap by comparatively examining the development of biomass-based CDR in three regions of Germany. Taking an exploratory approach, we conducted surveys in these regions to gain insight into stakeholder perceptions of the following six CDR methods: forest management, agriculture and soil carbon, long-lasting building materials, rewetting of peatlands and paludiculture, biochar, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. In this article, we present the results of the stakeholder survey, which offers multiple perspectives that can shape future studies of regional implementation and yield policy-relevant guidance. Although our research primarily focuses on the regional level in Germany, it sheds light on various conflicts, uncertainties, and potentials that are likely to be relevant for the rollout of CDR in other countries. By examining these aspects, we contribute to the broader discourse on CDR and its potential implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of leading-edge erosion in transonic blades was performed. The measurements were carried out on a linear blade cascade in the Transonic Cascade Wind Tunnel of DLR in Cologne at two operating points with an inflow Mach number of 1.05 and 1.12. The numerical simulations were performed by ANSYS Germany. The type and specifications of the erosion for the study were derived from real engine blades and applied to the leading edges of the experimental cascade blades using a waterjet process, as well as modeled in detail and meshed within the numerical setup. Numerical simulations and extensive wake measurements were carried out on the cascades to evaluate the aerodynamic performance. The increase in losses was quantified to be 4 percent, and a reduction in deflection and a rise in pressure were detected at both operating points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel nothing-on-road (NOR) bridge weigh-in-motion (BWIM) approach with deep learning (DL) and non-invasive ground-based radar (GBR) time-series data. BWIMs allow site-specific structural health monitoring (SHM) but are usually difficult to attach and maintain. GBR measures the bridge deflection contactless. In this study, GBR and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) monitor a two-span bridge in Germany to gather ground-truth data. Based on the UAV data, we determine vehicle type, lane, locus, speed, axle count, and axle spacing for single-presence vehicle crossings. Since displacement is a global response, using peak detection like conventional strain-based BWIMs is challenging. Therefore, we investigate data-driven machine learning approaches to extract the vehicle configurations directly from the displacement data. Despite a small and imbalanced real-world dataset, the proposed approaches classify, e.g., the axle count for trucks with a balanced accuracy of 76.7% satisfyingly. Additionally, we demonstrate that, for the selected bridge, high-frequency vibrations can coincide with axles crossing the junction between the street and the bridge. We evaluate whether filtering approaches via bandpass filtering or wavelet transform can be exploited for axle count and axle spacing identification. Overall, we can show that GBR is a serious contender for BWIM systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Learning arrangements in health care profession education are increasingly taking place in digital environments. Virtual reality (VR) in nursing education, as a digital element, is the subject of controversial debate. On one hand, it supports the authenticity of case studies by adding realistic perspectives and information. On the other hand, the costs of developing and maintaining software and hardware hinder its long-term implementation. Based in the German context, our aim is to promote the adoption of innovative digital methods in nursing education and to offer invaluable experiences from the field. Methods: In this paper, we describe our findings and insights from two different research projects focused on the incorporation of digital tools, particularly VR, into nursing education. Results: Starting with a brief recapitulation of the projects, we elucidate pedagogical strategies for embedding VR-driven scenarios in nursing education. Based on our experiences during the projects, we identify various positive aspects, such as changing perspective and simulating acute situations. Key findings: Although potential drawbacks remain, we advocate the long-term implementation and specific use of VR at the interface between theory and practice. Nevertheless, it is crucial to establish regular evaluation, observing the value of digitalisation, especially VR, for nursing education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantification of emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants through the inversion of plumes in satellite images remains a complex problem that current methods can only assess with significant uncertainties. The anticipated launch of the CO2M (Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring) satellite constellation in 2026 is expected to provide high-resolution images of CO2 (carbon dioxide) column-averaged mole fractions (XCO2), opening up new possibilities. However, the inversion of future CO2 plumes from CO2M will encounter various obstacles. A challenge is the low CO2 plume signal-to-noise ratio due to the variability in the background and instrumental errors in satellite measurements. Moreover, uncertainties in the transport and dispersion processes further complicate the inversion task. To address these challenges, deep learning techniques, such as neural networks, offer promising solutions for retrieving emissions from plumes in XCO2 images. Deep learning models can be trained to identify emissions from plume dynamics simulated using a transport model. It then becomes possible to extract relevant information from new plumes and predict their emissions. In this paper, we develop a strategy employing convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to estimate the emission fluxes from a plume in a pseudo- XCO2 image. Our dataset used to train and test such methods includes pseudo-images based on simulations of hourly XCO2 , NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), and wind fields near various power plants in eastern Germany, tracing plumes from anthropogenic and biogenic sources. CNN models are trained to predict emissions from three power plants that exhibit diverse characteristics. The power plants used to assess the deep learning model's performance are not used to train the model. We find that the CNN model outperforms state-of-the-art plume inversion approaches, achieving highly accurate results with an absolute error about half of that of the cross-sectional flux method and an absolute relative error of ∼ 20 % when only the XCO2 and wind fields are used as inputs. Furthermore, we show that our estimations are only slightly affected by the absence of NO2 fields or a detection mechanism as additional information. Finally, interpretability techniques applied to our models confirm that the CNN automatically learns to identify the XCO2 plume and to assess emissions from the plume concentrations. These promising results suggest a high potential of CNNs in estimating local CO2 emissions from satellite images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in international migration and the global number of students learning mathematics through a language other than their home language makes migrants' educational pathways a particularly urgent issue. The current paper focuses on the German context as Germany is currently one of the major immigration countries in the Western context. Because German is widely perceived as the language of opportunity for migrants in the German school system, it is overwhelmingly the selected language of learning and teaching in the broader school system and within migrant classes. The article is based on qualitative interviews with mathematics teachers teaching migrant classes; and the data analysis followed the Grounded theory tradition. The central phenomenon that seemed to preoccupy all teachers was how to adapt mathematics teaching to the language- and mathematics-related diversity of their students while simultaneously helping them to transfer smoothly to the mainstream classes or pass the final examinations successfully. Due to the lack of institutional support for teaching in migrant classes and problems in dealing with multilingualism and mathematics-related diversity in mathematics lessons, they were generally frustrated with the situation despite being strongly motivated at first. Using three examples from the data, we illustrate teachers' strategies in relation to multilingualism and mathematics-related diversity. Overall, the study points to the necessity of supporting teachers in their mathematical practices in migrant classes to contribute to more inclusive mathematics education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the preliminary results of an investigation on the unexplored topic of polychromy on provincial stone sculptures from the Roman provinces in Germania through the innovative application of heritage materials science techniques. A group of three life-sized statues dating to the 1st Century CE recovered from Ingelheim, near Mainz, retains remarkably well-preserved traces of pigments. These are ripe for emerging non-invasive technologies supplemented by micro-sampling to validate results and provide information relating to mixing and layering not available to the naked eye. The most strikingly visible areas of extant polychromy were retained on the sculpture of a young woman, reported on here as the first phase of this programme of research. The results suggest that the statue was originally covered in a gypsum layer before the application of complex and diverse recipes of pigment applied as mixtures and in layers to create required hues and shadowing on sculpted features. The palette includes ochres and green earth mixed with small amounts of minium (red lead), realgar and lapis lazuli (ultramarine blue) added to create skin tones, and a vibrant blue-green tunic created from Egyptian blue, bone black, ochres, cinnabar and green earth; the palla and peplos contained ochres, bone black, and orpiment, and mixes of these created the detail of coloured jewellery. Of great interest was the detection of bone black on many features, particularly as a shading agent to enhance sculpted features, such as folds in cloth, providing a more realistic and flowing articulation. This is a revolutionary observation that provides previously unexplored insights into artistic polychromic practice in Antiquity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The ecological indicator values are the most common and sufficiently effective method of habitat assessment. The aim of our research review is to analyze current studies from 2020 to 2022 in which researchers have used Ellenberg indicator values to address a variety of problems. We limited the study to papers that are published in journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science. The total number of records examined was 358. The number of records selected was 98. Visualization of the distribution of studies by country is based on the GeoCharts library. The results revealed that about half of the studies were conducted in Germany and Poland, and the most common objects were forests and grasslands. Almost half of the studies were devoted to ecological niches, habitat analysis, assessment of vegetation dynamics, and influence of various factors on plants. The analyzed articles are actively cited. In general, our research analysis revealed the effectiveness of Ellenberg indicator values for solving a wide range of urgent problems for a variety of plant communities, and different climate zones. The results of our research confirmed the advisability of actively using this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]