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In Nazi Germany (1933–45), reclaiming waste became an intrinsic component of the regime's economy as well as its ideological, racial, and expansionist ambitions. National Socialist interventions into waste streams began in 1934 with salvage campaigns. The state then brought urban waste policies and municipal waste services under its control, restructuring and 'Aryanising' the waste salvage trade. Moreover, both consumers and producers were prompted to collect and reprocess waste. Over time, the gradual expansion of the Nazi waste recovery policies and campaigns – here referred to as the 'Nazi waste exploitation regime' – brought forth a determined vision of a circular economy in which no waste whatsoever should escape its reclamation for the national community or Volksgemeinschaft. This article sketches the actors, structures, and objectives of this waste exploitation regime for the case of rags and paper and uncovers its entanglement with Nazi racist and genocidal ideology and expansionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have investigated the relationship between the energy performance of buildings and housing prices. First, this paper identifies a price premium for energy efficiency within the German rental market. Then, the indexed price differences and associated marginal benefits are compared with the marginal costs of energy retrofits. An extensive database of Germany's largest online platform for housing over a time span from 2016 to 2020 is used in a hedonic regression approach. In addition, to extract the marginal costs of energy consumption abatement, a dataset of 1048 rental units regarding green-retrofit measures is utilized. Although a significant green premium is identified in the rental market, the findings suggest that it is not high enough to compensate landlords for the money they have to spend to retrofit. The marginal costs exceed the marginal benefits by far. Furthermore, it is found that the German government's recent plans to split the carbon tax between landlords and tenants do not change this because the price per metric ton of carbon is insufficiently high. Limitations with respect to the data basis and consequently to the interpretation of the results exist. Nevertheless, the findings can help both tenants and landlords in their decision-making, as well as policy makers in the implementation of decarbonization efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 1% of the population. The patient journey through the German health care system leads to high disease burden and substantial treatment costs. The EsmAiL study showed that an innovative, interprofessional, multimodal care-concept reduces disease activity and burden of HS compared to standard care. This paper examines the costs of treating HS in Germany and compares them with those of the innovative care concept implemented in EsmAiL. EsmAiL was a two-arm, multicenter, prospective randomized controlled trial including 553 adults with HS. The study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (DRKS00022135). The control group (CG) remained in standard care, whereas the intervention group (IG) was referred to specialized so-called 'acne-inversa-centres (AiZ)' where patients were treated with a structured, interdisciplinary approach. The present paper analyses the treatment costs for a subpopulation based on health insurance cost data from the two largest German health insurers. Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALY) was assessed based on Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Total annual treatment costs per patient were €3,966.07 in standard care (n = 89) and €3,974.37 in the innovative care (n = 93). The costs per additional QALY amounted to €12,698.72 in the IG. Given the conventional and established threshold of €22,600 to €33,900 per QALY, the innovative treatment in AiZ proved to be cost-effective. Treatment costs of HS are substantial and increase with disease severity. The new form of care is cost-effective and is expected to decrease costs in the long run. A structured, multimodal form of care reduces costs in the treatment of Hidradenitis suppurativa compared to standard care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article explores the structure of and recent developments in research activities in the polar regions. Based on a bibliographic study of published papers indexed in the ISI Web of Science during the period 1981-2007, we have analyzed trends in publication, scientific disciplines and subdisciplines, coauthorship, and international collaboration within the field of polar research. We have uncovered several rather striking trends. Scientific output in terms of refereed publications has increased far more rapidly in polar research compared to science in general, quadrupling rather than doubling over the surveyed period. There is a nearly 1:1 ratio between papers covering the Arctic relative to the Antarctic, with the vast majority within either the geosciences (40%) or biology (33%). There has been particularly a steep rise in the number of climate-related papers. The U.S.A. is by far the largest contributor to polar research on both the Arctic and the Antarctic, followed by Canada, the U.K., Germany, Norway, and Russia. The number of coauthored papers has grown markedly, reflecting geopolitical shifts and changing national and international funding priorities during the period. We believe our publication-based survey reveals interesting developments in scientific activities and international cooperation in general, and in polar science strategies and priorities in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smaller towns in rural regions are important anchors for regional development, but they are not usually considered particularly innovative and open to new ideas. This paper asks how the network of small and medium-sized towns, Cittaslow, could establish slowing down as something new in local development. Against the theoretical background of sociological innovation research, an analytical framework of social innovation is elaborated to analyse Cittaslow using four case studies: two German and two Italian towns. Based on fieldwork in the four towns, this paper shows that discourse and communication on slowing down, local projects labelled as slow and new cooperation structures go hand in hand. This leads to the conclusion that new ways of local development need a communicative umbrella under which projects and stakeholders come together. The paper furthermore demonstrates that the analytical framework, with its triad of semantics, pragmatics and grammar, is extremely helpful for analysing spatial development and has the potential to be adapted as a tool for policy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how people go about their daily lives, often in various and substantial ways. This study aims to prospectively evaluate the changes in social participation during the COVID-19 pandemic in persons with a high risk for a severe COVID-19 course in Germany. A paper-pencil-based survey was conducted starting at March 2021. Participants filled out questionnaires at four time points based on their COVID-19 vaccination status: before COVID-19 vaccination, one month, six months and twelve months after COVID-19 vaccination. Social participation measures included the Pandemic Social Participation Questionnaire (PSP-Q) and the Index for measuring participation restrictions (IMET). Repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-test were used to test for changes between time-points. Repeated measures correlation was used to assess the relationship between social participation and local COVID-19 incidences. Data from 245 participants was analyzed before and one month after COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, data from 156 participants was analyzed at time points one, six and twelve months after COVID-19. PSP-Q and IMET scores changed significantly after participants received a COVID-19 vaccination. Between one month and twelve months after vaccination, social participation improved significantly measured by PSP-Q. Social participation was negatively correlated with regional COVID-19 incidences before and after COVID-19 vaccination. Social participation was positively correlated with COVID-19 incidences between one month and twelve months after COVID-19 vaccination. Social participation improved in persons with a high risk for a severe COVID-19 course during the pandemic. The local COVID-19 incidence showed a negative association with social participation only until the fall of 2021 when it was used as the sole metric to regulate COVID-19 protective measures. Although our data describes the trends in social participation, further studies are needed to identify the influencing factors for the observed increase in social participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to discuss the influence of migration policy risk on market segmentation of housing and rental markets in the Euro Area. Policy risk is represented by the Migration Policy Uncertainty Index (MPUI) and Migration Fear Index (MFI) of Germany and the United Kingdom; in this study, whether these indexes influence the interaction between the housing and rental markets of the two countries and euro-area countries was examined. The empirical results showed that the influence of the United Kingdom's migration policy risk on the euro-area countries is higher than that of Germany. The United Kingdom's MPUI and MFI significantly contribute to the influence of the United Kingdom's housing market on other markets except for Belgium and Spain. Compared with housing market connectedness, the rental market connectedness is less influenced by migration policy risk and migration fear. This may be because variables related to short-term residence policies influence the rental market. The high policy risk is more likely to influence decisions related to long-term house purchase, but not those related to short-term residence. Finally, this study found that the higher the uncertainty of the migration policies of the United Kingdom and Germany is, the higher the house market segmentation is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since its academic inception in the 1960s, Germany's general practice has seen numerous dissertations, many of which are housed in the 'Archive of German language General Practice' (ADAM). Aim: This study aims to provide the first comprehensive overview of dissertation topics from the discipline of general- and family medicine in Germany, establishing a foundation for advancing research. Method: We employed a systematic review approach, examining 801 dissertations from both ADAM and online sources. Each topic was identified, categorized, and finalized through consensus by two independent reviewers. Results: Our analysis encompassed 486 dissertations from ADAM, 176 from the German national library, and 139 from university libraries. A total of 167 unique research topics were identified. The predominant themes included medical education (n = 49), medication orders (n = 39), frequent consultation issues (n = 33), complementary medicine (n = 32), and screening measures (n = 29). The use of qualitative methods was constantly rising, from no qualitative methods used from 1965–1974, up to 22% of dissertations in recent years. Conclusion: The diversity of 167 research topics underscores the vastness and complexity of general practice in Germany. This structured overview is pivotal for facilitating focused and interconnected research endeavors in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) introduced multiple changes in its study design, the most extensive being the transition from paper- to computer-based assessment. We investigated the differences between German students' text responses to eight reading items from the paper-based study in 2012 to text responses to the same items from the computer-based study in 2015. Two response features - information quantity and relevance proportion - were extracted by natural language processing techniques because they are crucial indicators for the response process. Showcasing potential differential relationships, we additionally examined gender differences. Modelling effects of the round of assessment, gender, and response correctness on the response features, we analysed responses from 15-year-olds and ninth-graders in Germany. Results revealed differences in the text responses between the rounds of assessment in that students included more information overall in 2015, and the proportions of relevance varied substantially across items. As the study investigated the mode change in PISA's natural (not experimental) setting, the differences could mirror cohort trends or design changes. However, with the evidence reported, we conclude that the differences could indicate mode effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classroom management is an emotionally demanding task for mathematics teachers, especially if students exhibit frequent discipline problems. Intense classroom conflicts can result in persistent latent emotional dispositions, such as fear or anger, that teachers are not directly aware of but that have a strong influence on their classroom management. However, little is known about the relationship between mathematics teachers' latent emotions and their classroom management strategies. This paper reports on findings from an exploratory, video-based single case study in an urban secondary school in Germany. One mathematics double lesson (95 minutes in total) was videotaped to conduct a depth-hermeneutical analysis of identified classroom management strategies and the corresponding latent teacher emotions. The results suggest that mathematics teachers use classroom management strategies not only to establish orderly lessons but also to regulate intense latent emotions that arise during classroom teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the conditions under which quality conventions in coffee can be revised. It shows how value is captured by a collective composed by Colombian producers overseeing coffee quality attributes, engaging in relational approaches and building knowledge with international buyers. Interviews were conducted with selected organic producers in Santa Marta, Colombia and buyers (e.g. in Germany, the Netherlands). Due to the sound relations between the staff of the producer organization and a German buyer, the manager of the collective proposed to also export roasted coffee in addition to green coffee. Although roasting at origin is not common in coffee exports, in the case analyzed existing hesitations were abandoned. Eye-level relationships, trust based on a relational approach and knowledge were key to achieving a collective quality construction and subsequent value capture by producers. Over time, these producers have improved their material quality techniques and become more familiar with the places where their coffee circulates and is valued, allowing them to influence the commercial spheres of the coffee business. The discussion is not about changing quality conventions, but on how quality conventions are institutionalized and the narratives behind them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disruptions associated with health and energy crisis have emphasized the need for hyperlocal cities. However, in Europe, a tool to measure the efficiency of land use and accessibility planning for localizing urban mobility is missing. In this paper, we construct a comparable 15-Minute-Walking City (15-MWC) index that assesses the walking performance of 121 European metropolitan areas and seven amenity types. The data are combined equally following the PROMETHEE II multicriteria approach to assign a final score and to present a ranking of 15-Minutes cities. The main visualization demonstrates European-level disparities and indicates that most of leading cities are in Germany, while most of the worst performers are in the UK. We also reveal a statistically significant difference in 15-MWC performance due to their GDP per capita disparities. The empirical results may serve as a referencing tool for cross-city comparisons and may support policymakers when designing transport and city-planning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-locality - a lifestyle involving living in several places - is very diverse. Involving temporary presences and absences, it can impact local communities and the environment. This paper looks at the effects of multi-local lifestyles in three rural districts in Lower Saxony, Germany, evaluating quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with multi-local residents, company representatives and officials. The methods are supplemented by visualizations and reflexive photography. Multi-locals can be seen as both an opportunity and a risk for civic involvement: multi-locality makes it possible to avoid relocation, but the limited periods of presence make it unlikely for multi-locals to become involved locally. Likewise, multi-locality impacts the environment, leading to an increasing volume of traffic and higher land consumption, even if it less significant than the impact of daily commuting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies across the globe have intensified the digital interconnectedness of their manufacturing processes. Much attention was devoted to how industrial employment will be affected in this new production paradigm. In this paper, we use survey data collected from German industrial workers in 2014 and 2020 to contribute to the literature on digitalisation and industrial employment. This is the first scientific study on Industry 4.0 that empirically deals with the development of key parameters of industrial employment over time. Our findings support the argument that whilst increased digital interconnectedness creates more opportunities for highly skilled workers, the extent to which manual workers will be substituted is often overestimated. Second, our data suggests that the operations of larger companies tend to be more highly digitally interconnected than those of smaller firms. We also provide evidence that German industrial workers are less likely to expect substantial job losses through digitalisation than in 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In striving to achieve the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, governments have the opportunity to implement their climate and sustainability goals more coherently. Such coherence requires the coordination of interdependent policies across different policy fields, sectors and actors. This paper explores how governments design and implement synergic solutions to concomitantly achieve both international agendas. With the empirical cases of Germany and South Africa, we investigate two independent approaches to the synergic solution of a just energy transition, whereby countries aim to phase out coal as a means to tackle climate change while also ensuring that the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not hindered. Methodologically, we apply a deductive qualitative approach consisting of literature review, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis. To that end, we examine relevant policies and institutional arrangements by applying a combined conceptual framework of energy justice and just transition in both countries. We find major challenges in overcoming environmental, economic and social burdens of the coal phase-out, especially related to jobs and inequality (SDGs 8, 10) and the Water-Energy-Food-Land nexus (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 15). Through the selection of Germany and South Africa, we illustrate how countries with different political, social and economic backgrounds strive to manage such a transition. Our developed framework and case-studies' findings point towards important considerations when designing just energy transition pathways, such as ensuring inclusiveness in decision-making, thoroughly assessing social, economic and environmental impacts, and adequately coordinating across different actors and the local, provincial and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in Japan, the UK and Germany and speculates on the implications for policy and practice. Three on-line surveys of 3,000 members of the public in total, which were conducted in January 2017 (Japan), March 2018 (UK) and November/December 2018 (Germany) were analysed using Principal Component Analysis and then with an Ordered Logit Model. It finds that acceptance of AVs was higher amongst people with higher expectations of the benefits of AVs, those with less knowledge of AVs, and those with lower perceptions of risk. It also finds frequent drivers and car passengers to be more accepting, but that socio-economic factors were mostly insignificant. Finally, there were significant cultural differences between the levels of acceptance between Japan (broadly positive), the UK (broadly neutral) and Germany (broadly negative). These findings suggest that AV promoters should raise (or at least maintain) expectations of AVs among the public; engage with the public to reverse the negative perception of AVs; address AV-generated fears; not bother targeting people by socio-economic group; target frequent car drivers and passengers with information about what AVs could do for them; and target countries where AVs already enjoy a positive image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the application of stochastic optimization principles for investment decision making. The authors present the investment management system based on an adequate portfolio model. For optimal portfolio construction and stock selection, the method of stochastically informative expertise and ranging is used. Investment portfolios in equity and currency markets are formed considering investor risk tolerance and risk preference level, as well as an individual utility function. Investment portfolios are constructed according to three criteria: return, risk, and reliability. The markets of Germany, the USA, and China, as well as foreign exchange markets, are analysed. The results reveal the efficient investment possibilities in the mentioned markets, allowing to reach investment return substantially exceeding market index return. Along with that, an innovative stochastic clustering methodology for investment assets is proposed. The obtained results are of great value for individual as well as institutional investors and are a suitable means to form efficient investment strategies in financial markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing inequality of private income and wealth requires the redistribution of financial resources. Thus, several financial support schemes allocate budget across countries or regions. This work shows how to estimate private wealth at low regional levels by means of a modified Fay–Herriot approach that deals with (a) unit and item non-response, especially with used multiple imputation, (b) the skewness of the wealth distribution, and (c) inconsistencies of the regional estimates with the national direct estimate. One compelling example for financial redistribution is the promoted catching-up process of East Germany after the German reunification. This work shows that 25 years after the reunification differences are more diverse than just between the East and the West by estimating private wealth at two regional levels in Germany. The analysis is based on the Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) that the European Central Bank launched for all euro area countries in 2010. Although the application in this paper focuses particularly on Germany, the approach proposed is applicable to the other countries participating in the HFCS as well as to other surveys that make use of multiple imputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle-class parents' strategies of reproduction and social closure and their role as a driver of school segregation are already well-reported. Our two independent research projects in Finland and Germany have additionally revealed a somewhat surprising and not yet fully understood tendency of certain middle-class parents to actively avoid the most reputable schools. Using these findings as a starting point, the paper investigates the motives and reasoning behind middle-class parents' avoidance strategies in the cities of Espoo (Finland) and Mülheim an der Ruhr (Germany). The analysis shows that in educational transitions where choice is not constrained by a risk of children being left behind, some families with high educational resources and imbued with a certain ethos give precedence to 'ordinary' schools over highly selective elite schools. If this ethos can be skilfully integrated into urban educational policies, it may help develop effective equality strategies supported by parents and seen as justified by them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its growing economic power, creative industries have climbed scholars' and policy-makers' agendas in recent years. However, in comparison with a high number of cluster studies on rather traditional industries, systematic research on knowledge production, innovation processes and competitiveness in creative industry clusters is still underrepresented. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the video game development industry in Hamburg, Germany, from a knowledge base perspective. The paper concludes that both the symbolic and the synthetic knowledge are the dominant elements that contribute to video game development in Hamburg. On a more critical note, it doubts whether the currently discussed knowledge base perspective is sufficient to explain the competitiveness of creative industries and proposes to analyse procedural knowledge in future research in order to be able to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marburger Bund is the largest doctors' union in Europe representing about 125,000 salaried doctors in Germany and fights for fair working conditions, appropriate salaries, quality in training, and improvements in the work-life balance. Following a decision of 127th Marburger Bund General Assembly 2015, criteria should be developed to be applied by participants to assess independence in planning and delivery of individual CME activities. This position paper describes the role of methodological and medical competence generation and use of data (evidence) independent sources of information independence of faculty in CME language in medical education conduct of independent CME, and independence of (passive) physician participants in CME Measures are defined by which independence in CME may be achieved and how this may change the process of CME delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing refugee and migration crisis has imploded on European shores, immobilizing E.U. countries and fuelling a rise in far-right parties. Against this backdrop, this paper investigates the question of how to foster pluralism and a cosmopolitan desire for living with others who are newcomers. It does so by investigating community-based, citizen-led initiatives that open communities to newcomers, such as refugees and migrants, and foster cultural pluralism in ways that transform understandings of who is a citizen and belongs to the community. This study focuses on initiatives which seek to build solidarity and social relations with newcomers, but in ways that challenge citizen/non-citizen binaries based on one of our field research sites: Berlin, Germany. The paper brings insights from critical citizenship studies, exploring how citizenship is constituted through everyday practices, into dialogue with radical cosmopolitanism, particularly through Derrida’s works on ‘unconditional hospitality’. This radical cosmopolitan literature theorizes possibilities for building relational ontologies between guest and host, citizen and newcomer, in ways that are not based on exclusion, but engagement with difference and which challenge antagonistic forms of self-other and citizen-non-citizen dichotomies. Illustrative examples based on community-led initiatives in Berlin demonstrate how this spirit of radical communitarianism is put into practice through everyday lived experience and demonstrate that it is possible to develop a cosmopolitan spirit through exchange and transformation of both the self and other by engaging with rather than seeking to eliminate difference in the aims of constituting a universal around which cosmopolitanism can be built. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although the concept of ecosystem services has drawn a prolific amount of recent research, little work has been done on the links between marine ecosystem services and coastal human well-being at a regional scale. Key questions in this context are that of appropriate categories for assessing human well-being and how to link different determinants of human well-being to specific ecosystem services supplied in adjacent marine areas. This paper presents the results of a case study that links tangible and intangible ecosystem benefits to a range of material and immaterial factors constituting human well-being. Determinants of human well-being were defined and indicators selected to make these linkages traceable. Ecosystem services were assessed for the offshore environment along the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, based on the assumption of strong future development of offshore wind farming and considering the environmental and socio-economic impacts of such developments on the coastal region. This paper illustrates some conceptual problems in linking ecosystem benefits to human well-being. Based on an economic analysis and a questionnaire survey, two examples are presented where an evidence-based link could be demonstrated between an ecosystem service impacted by offshore wind farming and change in human well-being. The results presented should be understood as an analytic framework and precondition for gathering empirical data. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes the characterization of a new infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) strain D181, that rapidly evolved from a low-level incidental finding in 2017 to become the second most isolated IBV strain in Dutch layers and breeders in 2018, as well as being found in samples from Germany and Belgium. Based on the sequence of the S gene and the results of cross-neutralization tests, D181 can be considered as a new serotype and the second lineage within genotype II (GII-2). The experimental infection of SPF hens confirmed the ability of D181 to cause a drop in egg production, and immunohistochemistry showed presence of the virus in the trachea, lung and conjunctiva at 5 days post inoculation and in the caecal tonsils at 5 and 8 days post inoculation. In silico analysis of several widely used PCR primers indicated that primer sets adapted for GII might be needed to detect D181, as many general S1 primers might miss it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition for special education needs (SEN) and the policies for its assessment varies widely between countries. This paper aims to investigate similarities and differences through a Swedish-German comparative approach. Based on the distinction between categorical and relational perspectives as expressions of specific thought styles, 58 SEN assessment reports from both countries were qualitatively analysed. The results demonstrate the maintenance of the categorical perspective in terms of focusing on the pupil's 'failure'. This result is even more notable in the German examples than the Swedish cases. Exceptionally and in both countries, a relational perspective emerges, taking teaching and the social environment into account. In conclusion, we suggest a flexible SEN approach with a stronger emphasis on the relation between the individual and the learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the career-related motivations and experiences of a sample of 20 expatriates living and working on a permanent basis in the south of France (Sophia Antipolis) and in Germany (Munich). By virtue of their having established local links in the host country, either in having local working contracts or being installed in the area on a permanent basis (home owners; children born/being schooled in the host country), these expatriates could also be termed foreign residents in the host country. The study's sample of highly educated workers originating from the United States or Western Europe (First World or "high income economies" as they are called by Wikipedia contributors, 2006) who have chosen to remain in the host country on an indefinite basis differs from contemporary research samples in international careers. Argued in this paper is that this particular sample of the locally hired expatriates also warrants attention in the literature and in career research. The findings highlight the relevance of the subjective career and the lifestyle anchor to the career direction chosen by this sample within the context of both the traditional and boundaryless career. A marked inclination toward the protean career concept is underlined in the empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an EU-funded project under the Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) Programme, with a particular emphasis on the Oxford-based part. Involving six European universities, the overarching investigation was concerned with the tensions between standardization and tradition in education. In Oxford the focus was on aspects of EU education and training policy in four Member States: the United Kingdom, German, Sweden, and France. The paper describes the research undertaken and its outcomes, using the project as an example of EU funding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarises the debate on modularisation in initial vocational training provisions in Germany in the context of the German 'dual system'. This system has been increasingly criticised in recent years and the paper describes the on-going discussion regarding potential strategies for the modernisation of this system. The paper then introduces three different concepts of modularisation in training provisions that have emerged from the recent debate in Germany. They are each evaluated in terms of their potential application to the German training framework. Finally, a potential strategy for the modularisation of initial training in Germany is proposed. It draws on research regarding modules and units in training in other European countries and shows how it might be possible to embed the concept of modularisation within the pre-existing training frameworks in the German context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germany strives to transition its energy supply system toward a high share of renewables, a development accompanied by an increasingly decentralized supply structure. The country’s energy strategy represents an influential top-down mechanism, but the process is also driven from the bottom up. The German federal states (Laender) experiment and innovate, and some explicitly strive to be forerunners in renewable energy policy. Due to different geographic, economic and demographic structures, however, they set different priorities and their strategies are not always aligned with the national strategy. In addressing these issues, this paper explores the advantages and constraints which multi-level governance poses to Germany’s transition towards a renewable energy system. It refers to the academic debate on German federalism and reinforced diffusion of renewable electricity production by horizontal and vertical dynamics in multi-level systems. In focusing on renewable energy policy at the national and subnational level, as well as their interplay, this paper asks whether national and subnational renewable energy policies are aligned hence providing for a multi-level reinforcement of the ongoing energy transition process. It shows that the Energy transition is on the one hand advanced through experimentation at the subnational level of the Laender. It claims that on the other hand the Laender risk increased inefficiencies and macroeconomic cost if they focus on an inwardly directed policy and argues for enhanced coordination efforts. It argues that the mechanisms of cooperative federalism in Germany’s renewable energy policy are inadequate with regard to the implementation of the “German Energiewende”. The present multi-level governance structure does not provide for the necessary integration of national and subnational energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

American business practices and views on Japanese management tend to dominate the management literature worldwide. This domination is at odds with the relatively meager attention given to the management practices of other successful countries in the world. This paper focuses on Germany, Europe's "economic giant." In 1990, West Germany produced 40 percent of the European Community's manufactured output (Warner and Campbell, 1993). Its export power is unparalleled; Germany's volume of world trade nearly equals that of the much larger United States. Its exports are, and have been since the 1960s, twice as high, per capita, as Japan's (e.g., Heiduk and Yamamura, 1990; The Economist, 1993). This paper aims to identify the key to German-style management, by which we mean the unique, culturally embedded management practices within Germany. In order to provide a realistic picture of a national management style, one has to consider behavioral as well as institutional aspects of the business system (see Whitley, 1992, 1994). In this paper, both types of aspects are combined in an integrative fashion. Compared with management in other European countries, German-style management has received a lot of academic attention. Surprisingly, however, the number of empirical studies on this topic is rather limited. In order to identify the key to German-style management, we analyzed a representative set of empirical research studies that focused on management styles and systems in different countries, including Germany. To enrich our analysis, we also considered essays and noncomparative literature on German management. These essays provide information on the background conditions of the German business system which cannot be neglected in order to achieve an understanding of German-style management. After characterizing the empirical literature, this paper offers an overview of the unique features of German-style management. Attention is then focused on the current economic situation in Germany and the future potential of German-style management. The epilogue points out knowledge gaps and formulates needs for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principles of sustainable development are becoming extremely relevant for organisations. In the case of universities, these institutions can act as agents in promoting these principles within society. The literature contains a wide range of studies which show how universities may play a critical role in disseminating sustainability principles on the one hand, and their translation into practice, on the other. At present, many higher education institutions are becoming more aware of their impact on the environment, and trying to understand the environmental needs and implications of their operations. Going further, some universities are incorporating sustainability principles into their activities. One of the questions that universities are now facing is how education for sustainable development can be translated into practice so that it can be effective in transforming society. This paper will discuss the need for and the usefulness of integrative approaches to implement sustainable development in higher education. In addition to a theoretical review of the state of the art, the paper will use case studies from the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and Bournemouth University (UK) to illustrate the effectiveness of integration of sustainable development principles in university research and teaching activities, and the many benefits integrative approaches may bring about. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs socioeconomic and remote sensing data to develop a novel approach to analysing the morphological urban spatial structure in select German city-regions. Furthermore, the suggested multidimensional procedure facilitates the analysis of the implications of different urban spatial structures in terms of physical urban form. All analyses are conducted on the spatial scale of 1 km? grid cells to allow for spatially detailed results and to account for intra-municipality differences in the urban spatial structures in the study regions. The results indicate fundamental differences among the study regions' distribution of employees and built-up volumes and, as a result, among their urban spatial structures. Both employees and built-up volumes are found to be highly spatially clustered primarily within the core cities but with notable exceptions, which thus qualifies the regions as polycentric. This finding is consistent with prior research but also reveals that built-up volumes can be understood as physical manifestations of proximity advantages to which firms and employees are subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a case study in which land use strategies to mitigate Climate Change effects are developed for a model in Saxony, Germany. In this region, the degree of freedom to respond to Climate Change with land-cover changes is very small. Based on a participatory process, an approach was developed to extend land-cover classes (e.g. forest, agriculture) by land management classes. In this paper, the focus is on the forest management classification. In the discussion with regional actors, four recommendations were identified that must be fulfilled to make land management classes regionally applicable and relevant. They should (1) reflect the effectiveness of management practices to mitigate Climate Change impacts, (2) express different management objectives, (3) show the compatibility with future trends (new crops, new public demands) and (4) provide a link to land-cover data. Finally, 22 mixed land-cover and management classes in forestry and around 30 classes in agriculture could be derived. For a test case on afforestation of agricultural sites the paper demonstrates that a more differentiated look at land management practices instead of land-cover classes helps to improve the understanding of (a) regional potentials to adapt to Climate Change and to mitigate its effects and (b) the impact of sectoral management strategies at landscape level on the provision of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper seeks to establish that contributions to regional theory advanced by Gunnar Myrdal exhibit high levels of explanatory power when clarifying challenges facing Germany's eastern region since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Myrdal's evolutionary institutionalist contribution is contrasted with the "convergence hypothesis" advanced by R. Barro and X. Sala.i-Martin. Challenged is their prediction that Germany's eastern region would experience relatively higher annual rates of per capita output growth, and that levels of per capita output would converge between the eastern and western regions over time. Myrdal's approach is argued superior as it allows for considering backwash and spread effects within a framework of circular and cumulative causation, emerging between Germany's western and eastern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, a remarkable number of young people leave school with the qualification required for entrance to higher education (Abitur) but do not actually go on to university. Instead, these young people—known in German as Abiturienten—start an apprenticeship within what is known in Germany as the Dual-System. Indeed, the numbers of Abiturienten with both an apprenticeship qualification and a university degree have grown considerably and now make up a significant minority of school-leavers. From an international perspective in particular, this pathway through the education system is puzzling: why would someone with the qualifications to go on to higher education decide to acquire what the Germans call a Doppel-Qualifikation, or 'double qualification'? This paper explains the transition process from secondary education to the apprenticeship system and higher education. It also tentatively identifies factors that may account for the motives of these particular school-leavers: for instance, Abiturienten undertaking an apprenticeship may rather be more risk-averse than other, less academically able, students. In such cases, an apprenticeship provides practical experience and allows students to keep their options open. Moreover, by comparison with a number of other countries, the apprenticeship system in Germany is held in high esteem. Finally, the paper discusses some of the weaknesses of the Dual-System and their implications for trainees with the Abitur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the cyclical interactions between the remittances of Turkish workers in Germany and output in both Turkey and Germany. Our analysis introduces a new data set covering 1962 to 2004, never used before in the research literature and considered to be a more reliable source than the data sets used in other studies. By dividing the original sample into recruitment, family reunification, and naturalization periods, we show that the duration of migrants' stay in the host country affects the direction and strength of the relation between remittances and the host and home countries' business cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the ways in which the results of the OECD Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) have influenced educational discourse in Germany. It argues that the results caused shockwaves in the educational landscape and led to a re‐evaluation of other international comparisons which had presented an unfavourable picture of education in Germany. The paper outlines three main areas affected by the reception of the PISA study in Germany: political discourse, curriculum development processes and academic discourse on education. Changes in the political discourse resulted in a wide‐ranging reform agenda, with the introduction of national educational standards being the most significant of a number of initiatives and programmes. In terms of curriculum development processes, the paper argues that PISA has led to the growing importance of principles such as outcome control, competence orientation and external assessment. The post‐PISA academic discourse in Germany can be characterised by the re‐orientation of educational studies towards a greater emphasis on the empirical research of pedagogic practice (empirische Unterrichtsforschung). All three areas of change are informed by more or less systematic comparisons with educational structures in other countries and, therefore, it is argued that PISA has contributed to a rediscovery of comparative education in the German discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes Nazi crimes against the mentally ill during World War II. The main focus is the T4 action, the first extermination campaign in national socialist Germany, which is widely considered a precursor to the Holocaust. The first part of the paper presents historical facts regarding the T4 Action: its ideological background, its characteristic organization, and secret structures; the parallels between this inner war and the war that was being waged against other nations; the rigorous methodology—from the filling out of ‘special forms‘ (meldebogen) to death in the gas chamber at one of six extermination centers. The second part of the paper is based on our own research on the victims' medical files, now available in the Federal Archives of Germany. The history of how the current archival material was discovered is touched on briefly. The T4 selection criteria are analyzed. As an example, events at the Uchtspringe asylum are described in detail. We attempt to distinguish among potential motives for the killings—those inspired by concepts of racial hygiene and those with a more pragmatic or utilitarian purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the arguments in a previous paper on periodisation in comparative historical contexts by the same author in BJES (vol.42, no.3, September 1994, pp. 261–272). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the papers presented in conferences in East and West Germany in commemoration of the 450th anniversary of the German Peasants' War of 1524-1526. The anniversary commemoration opened with two diverging interpretations of the Peasants' War. In West Germany the prevailing interpretation defines the Peasants' War as a political revolution of the German peasant estate. In East Germany, following Marxist-Leninist historiography, the Peasants' War is viewed as part and climax of an attempted revolutionary transformation of social and political relations. It is Germany's early bourgeois revolution.

The net reproduction ratio (NRR) is a useful measure of the growth of a population from one generation to the next. Like the expectation of life, it is based on a stable or Malthusian population and is not influenced by the actual population structure. Its use in this country was first advocated by Robert Kuczynski in the 1930s and, despite some reservations, it is still published for this and many other countries, particularly in the United Nations Demographic Yearbook. Kuczynski attributed its origin to Richard Boeckh, who, at the relevant time, around 1890, was Director of the Statistical Office of the City of Berlin. Boeckh discusses his data and the problems met. He estimates, for example, that two-ninths of all illegitimate children are subsequently legitimized by the marriage of their parents. In a census they are reported as legitimate, producing an inconsistency between census and registration data. He checks reliability, for example by showing that the decrease in the number of marriages with successive numbers of children is regular. At that time, no details of mother's age at birth were collected at registration in England. For this reason, Farr starts with Norwegian data as preferable to those from Scotland, Sweden or Denmark where this information was also available.

This paper discusses spatial analysis at site level. It is suggested that spatial analysis has to proceed in several levels, from global to more detailed questions, and that optimum resolution should be established when applying any quantitative methods in this field. As an example, the ring and sector method is applied to two hearths excavated at the Federmesser site of Andernach in Germany. One hearth can be shown to have been present inside a dwelling, while the second one was out in the open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study targets hitherto largely understudied empirical processes and activities through which certain ideas and imaginaries are being commercialised and used by corporate actors in the global Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) industry. The aim is to analyse and critically discuss representations of the Scandinavian ECEC regime in the context of ECEC export. This is achieved empirically through a case study of a Swedish education company and its expansion in Germany, as well as by devoting analytical attention to the social, political and fantasmatic logics in the processes that constitute and characterise the "Scandinavian ECEC offer" as it is being exported. The analysis draws on corporate documents, websites and interviews with top-level company representatives. The analysis highlights how the Scandinavian ECEC regime is made up of four interlinked elements; equality, the autonomous child, integration of care and learning and outdoor pedagogy, aligned and sustained by "gripping" and "sticking" forces in fantasmatic logics that hide contingencies. In summary, the powerful imaginary of the Scandinavian ECEC regime, bringing accessibility, social justice, gender equality, nature, democracy, children's rights and autonomy, serves to conceal the political and ideological dimension of the economic logic of capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the power relations in the field of German economics. By incorporating the capital and field theory of Pierre Bourdieu, the study investigates the distribution of economic, social, and symbolic capital on economists in Germany. In a first step, the three forms of capital have been defined and operationalized on publicly available information. This leads to eight main samples of economists. In a second step, information on these economists have been collected to derive indicators regarding their paradigmatic stance and institutional background. The findings indicate a monopolization of mainstream economics and concentration of resources on the large economic departments. Furthermore, these characteristics relate to an increased importance of Colander's Edge, an almost complete marginalization of heterodox economics and a significant center-periphery disparity. Thus, in the field of economics in Germany, a social structural verticalization and elitism of universities as well as a paradigm monism can be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-based diets reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease but also increase the risk of certain micronutrient deficiencies, particularly, of vitamin B12 (B12). The extent to which the unsupervised use of oral nutrient supplements is sufficient to prevent these deficiencies is not well established. We analyzed nutrient intake, laboratory biomarkers, supplementation behavior, and B12 status adequacy amongst young, healthy, physically active omnivores, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans from Germany. We recruited 115 participants (n = 40 omnivores; n = 37 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and n = 38 vegans) with comparable age, sex, marital status, physical activity and educational levels through online advertisements and local newspapers in Freiburg, Germany. Energy intake and macronutrient distribution were comparable across diets. Major differences included intake of fiber, cholesterol, and several vitamins. Vegans had the lowest intake of B12 from foods (0.43 (0.58) µg/d), compared to omnivores (2.14 (2.29) µg/d) and lacto-ovo-vegetarians (0.98 (1.34) µg/day). Multivariate analysis of 36 blood biomarkers revealed that three major classes of biomarkers contributed the most to the clustering of individuals by dietary group, namely, biomarkers of B12 status (B12, holoTC, Hcy), iron (iron, ferritin, transferrin) and lipid metabolism (vitamin A, HDL, LDL, total cholesterol, TAG). This suggests that nutrients that modify the metabolic pathways represented by these biomarkers have the most penetrating effect on health status across diets. Analysis of B12 status (including 4cB12) revealed adequacy in omnivores and vegans, and a poorer B12 status amongst lacto-ovo-vegetarians. Fewer lacto-ovo-vegetarians used B12 supplements compared to vegans (51% versus 90%). Even amongst homogeneously healthy Germans, each diet manifested with measurable differences in dietary intakes and biomarkers of health. Plant-based diets, in particular the vegan diet, exhibited the most favorable patterns of lipid metabolism and glycemic control, but the lowest food intake of B12. Supplementation of healthy vegans with B12 (median 250 µg B12/day, over 1 year) secured an adequate B12 status that was comparable to that of healthy omnivores. Clinical Trial Registry: German Clinical Trial register number: DRKS00027425 Plant-based diets, in particular the vegan diet, exhibited the most favorable patterns of lipid metabolism and glycemic control, but the lowest food intake of B12. Analysis of B12 status (including 4cB12) revealed adequacy in omnivores and vegans, and a poorer B12 status amongst lacto-ovo-vegetarians. Supplementation with B12 (median 250 µg B12/day, over 1 year) in healthy physically-active vegans secured an adequate B12 status that was comparable to that of healthy omnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Potential risk contacts for HIV transmission may lead to presentations to the emergency department (ED) for counseling and initiation of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Objective: To examine the impact of German health insurance covering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) following Sept 1st 2019 for certain risk groups on the frequency and reasons for PEP counseling in a university-based ED in Germany. Methods: In a before-after study design, all persons aged ≥18 years who presented for PEP counseling were analyzed retrospectively. We compared characteristics of presentations in the 18 months prior to PrEP coverage on Sept 1st, 2019, with those in the following 18 months. Results: 154 ED presentations occurred in the first study period, and 155 ED presentations in the second period. Regarding the reasons for ED visits, no statistically significant difference was found [occupational risk contact (18.2 vs. 26.5%, p = 0.081), sexual risk contact (74.7 vs. 69.0%, p = 0.266), other non-occupational risk contact (7.1 vs. 4.5%, p = 0.329)]. For men who have sex with men (MSM), no statistically significant differences were found [38.9 (n = 60) vs. 35.5% (n = 55), p = 0.537]. All persons presenting to the HIV outpatient clinic after ED PEP initiation (n = 60 vs. n = 52) tested negative for HIV 3 months later. Conclusion: In this study, reasons to present for PEP counseling to a university ED showed no change following the implementation of PrEP coverage by health insurances. Therefore, PEP remains an important prevention for HIV transmission and presentations to the ED for PEP counseling may provide an opportunity to educate persons at risk of HIV infection about PrEP, thereby helping to prevent new HIV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balancing the demand for ecosystem services (ES) with available supply is one key challenge for decision making in sustainable landscape management. ES demand is context-specific. Therefore, the assessment of perceptions articulated by multiple societal actors in different regions can help to identify differences and commonalities in predominant preferences for landscapes and their ES. The goal of this study was to investigate four societal actor groups (citizens, farmers, foresters, nature managers) in 12 study regions across Bavaria, Germany, with respect to their valuation of landscapes and ES provided by certain landscape elements. The 2,438 participants mapped specific locations and selected landscape elements that they perceived as valuable, and further elaborated on this value in open statements. We applied qualitative content analysis, word frequency analysis, spatial location-density analysis, and statistical testing. The perceived value of landscape elements for ES differed across actor groups and regions. Preference for landscape elements was driven by topography and land use and was significantly associated with actor groups. The most apparent differences occurred between farmers and nature managers. Generally, participants preferred forests, water bodies, natural landscapes, and distinct geographical structures. The landscape was mostly valued for its habitat, diverse wildlife, recreational purposes, climate-regulating functions, and provisioning of water and food. We conclude that, although differences exist among societal actors, the study respondents highly valued the importance of functioning and diverse ecosystems. The high perceived value for many ecosystem services and species protection suggests that ambitious policy measures are supported by different societal actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many employees perform under increasingly digital conditions. Enabling home office environments became mandatory for companies wherever possible in consideration of the ongoing pandemic. Simultaneously, studies reported on digital stress. The current literature lacks rigorous research into digital stress on psychosomatic outcomes, emotions, and disease. Therefore, we endeavor to understand how digital stress developed over the course of the pandemic and if it predicts differences in negative emotions and physical complaints in the home office setting. To answer the research question, we conducted an online survey among 441 employees in 2020 and 398 employees in 2022 from three municipal administrations in Germany, who were working from home at least occasionally. We used a cluster analysis to detect digitally stressed employees. Regression analyses were performed on digital stress, negative emotions, and physical complaints. The analysis revealed an increase from 9 to 20% in digital stress, while negative emotions and physical complaints did not show evident differences. In the multivariate model, we observe a change in the proportion of digitally stressed employees between 4 and 17%, while the control variables explain around 9%. Digital stress did not significantly affect either negative emotions or physical complaints. However, digital stress appeared to exert a more substantial predictive influence on negative emotions. The study emphasizes rising digital stress, which contradicts a positive adaption to the digital working conditions within the observed period. The psychosomatic relations are low or lagged. Further research investigating digital stress and countermeasures, especially to understand how to prevent harmful long-term effects such as distress resulting from working from home conditions, is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrepancies exist between guideline recommendations and real-world practice of blood pressure (BP) measurements. The aim of this study was to assess, with a nationwide, questionnaire-based survey, the current practice of BP measurement and associated BP values in German medical practices. A nationwide survey in German medical practices was performed in the period from 10 May 2021 to 15 August 2021. The questionnaire was divided into five sections. The current office BP (OBP) values as well as the current drug therapy were recorded. In addition, the implementation of office BP (OBP) and home BP monitoring (HBPM) was queried. For analysis, questionnaires were scanned and automatically digitised. A total of 7049 questionnaires were analysed, the majority of which came from general practitioners (66%) and internal medicine practices (34%). The average OBP (SD) was 140.0 (18)/82.7 (11) mmHg. 40.8% of treated patients had OBP in the controlled range, with monotherapy (34.7%) or dual combination therapy (38.2%) prescribed in most cases. OBP was taken from a single measurement in 66.3% of cases, and in 21.8% from 23 measurements. OBP was mostly measured after a rest period (87.1%) and in a separate room (80.4%). HBPM was performed in 62.3% of patients; however, in 24.9% of the participants HBP measurements were recorded once a week or less. In this nationwide survey in German medical practices, BP control remains at below 50%, while monotherapy is prescribed in around one third of patients. Moreover, office measurements and HBPM are often not performed according to current guideline recommendations. What is the context? Elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is an important risk factor for diseases such as stroke or heart attack. However, sufficient drug therapy can significantly reduce the risk of complications such as a stroke. An adequate blood pressure measurement is the basis for diagnostics and successful therapy. In order to measure blood pressure as accurately as possible, recommendations for performing blood pressure measurements (at home as well as in the office) have been published by medical societies. Research suggests that blood pressure is not always measured according to these recommendations. However, there are no current studies for Germany. What is new? In this study, we analysed the results of a survey in which medical practices and pharmacies throughout Germany were asked about blood pressure measurement and blood pressure therapy. The key results of our study suggest that: • The blood pressure of many participants with known hypertension is not within the desired target range. • Office blood pressure measurements are often not performed as suggested by guidelines. This mainly affects time-consuming work steps such as repeating the measurement several times. • Home blood pressure is not recorded in a structured form, as suggested, but rather according to a random pattern by the patient. What is important? This study suggests that blood pressure control is not sufficient in the study participants. Furthermore, blood pressure measurement as an important tool for hypertension management is frequently not performed as proposed by guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses panel data from the UK and Germany to investigate the difference in the learning effect between workers who enter the labour market with a fixed term and a permanent job. Our results verify the existence of a wage penalty for entering the labour market with a fixed-term contract for the British males (7.1%) and especially for the British females (21.2%). British females also have a very strong learning effect that is especially large for temporary starters. In Germany, the initial wage penalty for temporary starters is smaller than in the UK—4.5% for the males and 3% for the females—and is persistent only for the males. Although initial wage differences are mitigated through the accumulation of skills on the job, this process differs between temporary and permanent starters. This suggests that the type of the starting contract may be a feature of labour market segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]