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This article presents an analysis of seven articles published within the International Perspectives and Initiatives regular feature series on the impact of technology on the provision of health information. The articles provide a road map of how technology is facilitating new and enhanced services for library users in seven countries: Australia, Bangladesh, China, England, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Although there are differences in how countries are implementing technological solutions, only one describes problems in leveraging technology to improve library services. Authors from the remaining six countries describe how they ensure that the 21st century library consults with its user groups and find way of using the latest applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study on the long-term care sectors for the elderly in Germany and Israel shows that in both countries, street-level workers mostly use their discretionary space to move towards clients. Based on 52 semi-structured interviews, we found that this tendency is to a considerable extent a product of organizational influences and orientations. These are, in turn, shaped by different institutional settings, especially market characteristics. Street-level workers operating in social entrepreneurship contexts – predominantly found in Germany – move towards clients for different reasons than those working for organizations that function according to entrepreneurial logics – mainly identified in Israel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern cities are focused on the implementation of the assumptions of sustainable transport development. They invest in modern solutions and intelligent technologies that improve the mobility of residents and reduce energy consumption and pollution emitted by means of transport. This article deals with issues of smart urban mobility and carsharing, in particular, as one of the examples of the implementation of sustainable transport policy. The objective of this article is a comparative analysis of the pace of development of the carsharing markets in Poland and Germany. The analysis is carried out using statistical and comparative analysis methods. In addition, for a complete presentation of the problem raised, a literature analysis is performed. The research area covers two countries, Poland and Germany, from which ten cities for each are selected for analysis. In addition, to achieve the assumed objective, we also present the basic assumptions of smart mobility and solutions used in cities, and then determine the increase in the number of cars driving in the carsharing system. In addition, the factors influencing the change in transport patterns of urban residents are analyzed, and the importance of modern communication technologies in the development of carsharing systems is emphasized. The results of the analysis can be used as a tool to support the decisions of city authorities in the field of transportation management and, in particular, the implementation of carsharing systems. They also present the dependencies of the spread of this solution in a given urban space. They indicate the largest problems that may affect the introduction of this solution as an element of the city’s transportation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Because of the increasing number of people with disabilities and the lack of awareness of disability prevention methods in developing countries, creating a proper rehabilitation structure and providing appropriate services are among the important goals of every health system. Conducting comparative studies is one of the research methods for reviewing the structure of the rehabilitation system in the country's health system. This study aimed to compare the rehabilitation structure in Iran with 5 other countries. Materials & Methods This research is a comparative study conducted in 2022. In this study, sampling was purposeful. Five countries of Germany, Japan, Canada, Turkey, and South Africa were compared in terms of organizational and health management, financial and legal components, and social policy components with Iran. Reliable databases and related resources in the rehabilitation structure were used to collect data. In this study, the obtained data were analyzed using the Bereday model containing four stages: Description, interpretation, proximity, and comparison. The findings were evaluated in a comparative table. Results The findings indicated that in terms of organization and health management, the Ministry of Health should be responsible for health management and rehabilitation, but in Iran, in addition to the Ministry of Health, the Red Crescent, the Martyr Foundation, and Exceptional Education Organization are also involved in the management of rehabilitation. Financial issues and problems are significant barriers for people with disabilities to access rehabilitation services in these countries. In Iran, a large part of these costs is paid from the pockets of families. Regarding legal components in Iran, as in other countries, specific rules exist to provide services to people with disabilities. But sometimes, these rules are not properly implemented. From the sociodemographic perspective, Iran has an aging population, welcomes immigrants, and holds diverse cultures. The access of all people in need of rehabilitation in this diverse population to the services needed is limited. In terms of policy components, regulating national health policy requires review and, if necessary, changes in existing health system policies. Conclusion The existence of a specific position for rehabilitation in the Iranian health system, provision of services, and management of rehabilitation affairs by a single organization such as the Ministry of Health, as well as proper implementation of laws and policies, can lead to structural improvement and management of the health system and rehabilitation. Financial obstacles and problems to rehabilitation services should be reduced, and government and insurance must cover most of the costs of rehabilitation services. Also, a review of national health policies and legislation in the country should be done to improve the access of all people with disabilities to health and rehabilitation services. Therefore, it is necessary to fundamentally review and reform the structure, value, and process of providing rehabilitation services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Railway Standard Design is the property of Railway Standard Design Editorial Office 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.)

Background & Aims: Creating suitable conditions for more mobility (recreational sports and leisure) which on the one hand entertains and fills the leisure time of the elderly and on the other hand eliminates their urgent need for mobility, is one of the most essential these are just some of the goal setting shareware that you can use. Therefore, due to the importance of this issue, the purpose of this study was a comparative study of recreational sports activities for the elderly in Germany and Iran based on the Brady model.There is virtually no planned evaluation of sports offers. Suggestions and criticisms are discussed irregularly in conversations between coaches and adult athletes. The results of the discussion are rarely recorded and are primarily related only to the quality of the coach. Theoretically, some possibilities have been shown for how service quality can be evaluated and improved. Unfortunately, these methods are not fully applicable in the elderly. On the one hand, this is because older people only want to give verbal feedback and sports providers do not have the resources to install a quality management system. However, there are ways to do the evaluation with relatively little effort. So the question is, how should sports and recreational activities be planned to attract older people? The necessity of conducting this study is determined by the demographic transition and the unpreparedness of the society to face the sudden increase of the elderly population, which is related to the specific characteristics of population transfer. Along with all the issues, it seems that the changes caused by the population transition in Iran have caused the new social structures to be unable to meet the needs and requirements of the elderly. The aging of the Iranian population and addressing the issue of the elderly, including sports and physical activity in their spare time, is an inevitable necessity. Therefore, it is hoped that the possible results of the research can help planners and policy makers to encourage participation in sports and physical activity of the elderly. Managers and policy makers can increase the level of participation in sports activities in the elderly community by considering the factors raised in the research and providing conditions for the implementation of programs according to the factors raised and removing barriers to participation in sports activities. Methods: This was a qualitative-applied research with Brady four stages of a comparative approach. The statistical population of the research consists of existing domestic and foreign documents, sources and reference books in the field of Iranian and German elderly. Checklist related to the comparative comparison of sports and recreational activities of the elderly in Iran and Germany, which was in all five dimensions of planning, facilities, manpower, structure and demographic characteristics. The studied variables in each dimension were selected by a survey of supervisors and consultants as well as a study of the present theoretical foundations on the research topic. Results: Based on the results of research on comparing all five dimensions of planning, manpower, facilities, structure and medical characteristics of Iran and Germany, it was found that there are many differences between Iran and Germany. The structure of the Iranian model was based more on the prominent role of planning and financial issues, and the main concern of the Iranian elderly was livelihood, while in the German model, more emphasis was on manpower. Planning in sports and recreational activities in Iran and Germany was reviewed and compared: Comparison of planning approaches in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany in 12 Variables Was categorized: Poverty of the elderly, Elderly care volunteers, Daily schedule of life in a nursing home, Planning, Guardian of Aging Sports, Type of sports activity, Type of recreational activity, life style, Alone in old age, Type of activities, Media, Hiring the elderly. Comparison of facilities in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany in 6 Variables Was categorized: Elderly recreational sports centers, Access to sports venues, Existence of sports facilities for the elderly, standard facilities, urban environment, Sports services for the elderly. Comparison of manpower in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany in 4 Variables Was categorized: Manpower training, Characteristics of manpower, Manpower services, Duties of manpower. Comparison of structure in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany in 4 Variables Was categorized: Pension system, pension fund, German sports structure, Family structure. Comparison of demographic characteristics in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany in 4 Variables Was categorized: Life expectancy, marital status, Job, Income, Insurance status. Conclusion: The structure of sports and recreational activities in Iran and Germany was examined and compared, the results of which showed that there are differences between Iran and Germany in the dimensions of the pension system, pension fund, German sports structure and family structure. The structure of German sports is very similar to the federal structure that characterizes the Federal Republic of Germany. This feature makes German sports have an independent structure. Since the merger of the German National Olympic Committee Duster Sport Bando in May 2006 and the establishment of the German Olympic Confederation, it has become the only German umbrella organization. At the German macro level, both the federal government (through the Ministry of the Interior) and the 16 state governments (for example, through the Ministry of the Interior or the Ministry of Culture of the state government) are responsible for policy-making in the sport of the region under their control. As a result, there is no independent ministry called the Ministry of Sports in Germany. But in the Iranian state system, there is the Ministry of Sports and Youth. The industrial, economic and political structures of society in today's world are interrelated with sport; On the other hand, the industrial and economic development of Germany has affected the promotion of sports quality in society as a whole and even sports for the elderly, and in return, attention to sports at the educational, public, championship and professional levels Industrial, economic and social prosperity. At the same time, when young people and adults join sports and participate in sports programs, this participation can continue into old age and help the development of old sports. According to the results suggested that in the future planning of public sports in the country, special attention should be paid to sports for the elderly and rules and regulations should be developed to support sports for the elderly, as well as training specialized and trained sports coaches for public sports programs. According to the results of the research on the difference between planning approaches in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany, it is suggested to reduce sports costs by paying subsidies to institutions that deal with sports and community health. Since most seniors do not include any monthly expenses for exercise in the household budget, it is necessary to plan for short-term and long-term education of seniors and their families about the positive benefits of exercise for the elderly and the need to do it under any circumstances. The results also showed that the facilities of recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany are different, so that sports managers and officials have made special planning and investment on this factor and by providing sports programs and facilities to the elderly, the level of motivation Increase them to participate in physical activity. Also, considering that most sports services are provided by private sports clubs, strengthening these clubs in various ways, as well as supporting them, can play an important role in the success of public sports programs. The results of the present study showed that the dimensions of manpower in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany are different. Also, by creating and developing volunteer centers and training them, provide the ground for the development of efficient human resources in this field, and at the end of the present study showed that the structure is different in recreational sports activities for the elderly in Iran and Germany, accordingly. It is suggested that in the future planning of public sports in the country, special attention be paid to sports for the elderly and rules and regulations be developed to support sports for the elderly, as well as the training of specialized and trained sports coaches for public sports programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Background: The demographic changes affecting Switzerland and other European countries, including population ageing, will continue to challenge policymakers in building accessible, affordable, comprehensive and high-quality long-term care (LTC) systems. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Switzerland's LTC system compares to other European countries, in order to inform how to respond to the increasing need for LTC. We carried out a descriptive study using secondary data from key national and international organizations., Methods: By comparing the financing, workforce, service delivery and need for LTC in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, we described similarities and differences in these five European countries between 2005-2019. Thirty-three indicators within five domains were analysed: (1) Population statistics and health expenditure, (2) Need for LTC, (3) LTC financing, (4) LTC service delivery, and (5) LTC workforce., Results: Switzerland has the highest life expectancy in comparison to the other four high-income countries. However, similarly to other countries, the years lived with disability are increasing in Switzerland. Switzerland's public expenditure on LTC as a share of GDP is lower than that of Norway and Germany, yet out-of-pocket expenditure on LTC is highest in Switzerland. Switzerland has the highest proportion of persons receiving formal LTC both in institutions and at home. Switzerland has had the most pronounced increase in the proportion of over 65-year-olds receiving LTC at home. Even though more than fourfold more persons receive care at home, Switzerland still has more workforce in LTC institutions than in home-care. In comparison to Germany and the UK, Switzerland has a lower number of informal carers as a proportion of 50-year-olds and over, as well as fewer nationally available services for informal carers compared to Germany, Italy, Norway and the UK., Conclusions: Our comparative study corroborates the importance of improving the affordability of LTC, continuing to support the movement towards home care services, improving the support given to both the professional workforce and informal carers, and improving the amount and quality of LTC data. It also provides a valuable contrast to other European countries to support evidence-informed policymaking., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Diabetes is one of the most common and expensive endocrine diseases in the world. The age of onset in Iran is 10-15 years younger than the average age of onset in developed countries. Some measures have been adopted to identify the main risk factors and the national response to diabetes in numerous countries to prevent and control this disease. This study aimed to compare the main risk factors and national response to diabetes in selected countries. Materials and Methods: This comparative review study evaluated six countries, including Iran, India, China, Germany, Canada, and Somalia. Required information (i.e., demographic information, statistical information, main risk factors, and dimensions of the national response to diabetes) was obtained from official and credible databases and sites. Results: Based on the find, three factors, including obesity, overweight, and physical inactivity were identified as the main risk factors for diabetes in the selected countries. It was revealed that these countries have partially or fully implemented the national response to diabetes. Conclusion: The multifaceted nature of diabetes requires the provision of multi-dimensional solutions to reduce the burden of the disease via controlling the main risk factors. Lifestyle modification should not only be limited to education and promotion of nutrition and physical activity but also include modifications in methods, attitudes, and cultural, social, and economic values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main focus of this article is on comparing the centralisation and decentralisation in higher education in Hungary and Germany. This study explores trends in implementing quality assurance measures in higher education. It employs the methodology of document analysis to identify differences between the two nations in the level of autonomy they accord to higher education institutions in regulating quality assurance standards. Data collected from these documents demonstrate that the two countries have divergent approaches to higher education governance. In the Hungarian higher education system, management is centralised and monitored by the national government. This state control indicates limited autonomy amongst higher education institutions to organise academic programs. In contrast, the German legal documents examined in this study indicate a belief in the need to guarantee the quality of learning, teaching, research, academic freedom, gender equality, and institutional autonomy. The data collected reveal the close relationship between governance and quality assurance in discourses regarding the accountability, transparency, and freedom of stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated impressive performances in various medical domains, prompting an exploration of their potential utility within the high-demand setting of emergency department (ED) triage. This study evaluated the triage proficiency of different LLMs and ChatGPT, an LLM-based chatbot, compared to professionally trained ED staff and untrained personnel. We further explored whether LLM responses could guide untrained staff in effective triage., Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of LLMs and the associated product ChatGPT in ED triage compared to personnel of varying training status and to investigate if the models' responses can enhance the triage proficiency of untrained personnel., Methods: A total of 124 anonymized case vignettes were triaged by untrained doctors; different versions of currently available LLMs; ChatGPT; and professionally trained raters, who subsequently agreed on a consensus set according to the Manchester Triage System (MTS). The prototypical vignettes were adapted from cases at a tertiary ED in Germany. The main outcome was the level of agreement between raters' MTS level assignments, measured via quadratic-weighted Cohen κ. The extent of over- and undertriage was also determined. Notably, instances of ChatGPT were prompted using zero-shot approaches without extensive background information on the MTS. The tested LLMs included raw GPT-4, Llama 3 70B, Gemini 1.5, and Mixtral 8x7b., Results: GPT-4-based ChatGPT and untrained doctors showed substantial agreement with the consensus triage of professional raters (κ=mean 0.67, SD 0.037 and κ=mean 0.68, SD 0.056, respectively), significantly exceeding the performance of GPT-3.5-based ChatGPT (κ=mean 0.54, SD 0.024; P<.001). When untrained doctors used this LLM for second-opinion triage, there was a slight but statistically insignificant performance increase (κ=mean 0.70, SD 0.047; P=.97). Other tested LLMs performed similar to or worse than GPT-4-based ChatGPT or showed odd triaging behavior with the used parameters. LLMs and ChatGPT models tended toward overtriage, whereas untrained doctors undertriaged., Conclusions: While LLMs and the LLM-based product ChatGPT do not yet match professionally trained raters, their best models' triage proficiency equals that of untrained ED doctors. In its current form, LLMs or ChatGPT thus did not demonstrate gold-standard performance in ED triage and, in the setting of this study, failed to significantly improve untrained doctors' triage when used as decision support. Notable performance enhancements in newer LLM versions over older ones hint at future improvements with further technological development and specific training., (©Lars Masanneck, Linea Schmidt, Antonia Seifert, Tristan Kölsche, Niklas Huntemann, Robin Jansen, Mohammed Mehsin, Michael Bernhard, Sven G Meuth, Lennert Böhm, Marc Pawlitzki. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 14.06.2024.)

Introduction: Lean, especially Value Stream Mapping is increasingly used in hospitals to optimize processes. This method, which originated in the automotive industry, enables all staff involved in the process to make it more customer-friendly. Despite the widely reported success of Lean projects, they have failed in some cases. This study investigated the contextual factors and mechanisms that contribute to a successful implementation of Value Stream Mapping., Methods: Value Stream Mapping was applied to the discharge process in four breast cancer centers. A mixed-method approach was used in two steps. First, to verify the successful implementation, defined as time optimization, time measurement was conducted at three points in time and analyzed using an ANOVA. Second, an analysis of contextual factors was combined with a qualitative content analysis of mechanisms based on normalization process theory, using routine data, meeting protocols, field notes, and interview transcripts as data source., Results: At one of the four breast cancer centers, lead- and waiting time were significantly reduced; at the others, these reductions did not occur. Failure/success cannot be explained by the size of the hospital, the number of cases or staffing levels. The variable project team composition is evident, especially leadership involvement., Discussion: A comparative analysis was conducted to identify the factors that led to success. These factors were: participation of all leaders relevant to the process, in the case of the discharge process including medical and nursing leaders; dissemination of the changes from the project team to colleagues including its sense and possibility to discuss it; joint reflection of the implementation process in regular work team meetings., Conclusions: These results confirm the important role of leadership in implementation projects. Leadership support enabled the mechanisms found. The used combination of theoretical approaches from management research and implementation science determined the interpretation and should be applied more often in implementation science., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Copyright of Journal of International Entrepreneurship is the property of Springer Nature 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 paper proposes to study side effects of accountability in education within the theoretical framework of enactment research. The potential value of this approach for the study of side effects is shown by using the example of the side effect "Dependency on Expert Judgements." Therefore, findings from the research project "Unintended Effects of Accountability in the School System" (acronym "Nefo") are presented. The project entailed an analysis of policy documents to describe the accountability contexts under study, as well as a survey study with 2637 participating teachers and principals to examine the distribution of side effects in the no- and low-stakes contexts of the four German federal states of Berlin, Brandenburg, Thuringia, and Rhineland-Palatinate. The findings for Berlin and Thuringia are triangulated with the results from a qualitative in-depth group-discussion substudy of the Nefo project on how teachers in Berlin and Thuringia deal with accountability measures. The analysis of policy documents reveals that in Berlin, performance results gain the status of objective data that teachers need to improve their work, while teachers in Thuringia are prompted to judge by themselves the meaning of performance results for their teaching. This suggests that "Dependency on Expert Judgements" is a larger issue in Berlin than in Thuringia. However, contrary to what would be expected, the findings of the survey study indicate that the side effect plays a greater role in Thuringia than in Berlin. To explain this counterintuitive finding, teachers' responses to standards-based accountability in Berlin and Thuringia are delineated. The paper shows that the study of meaning-making processes, which is central to the enactment framework, must not only be ignored if one tries to understand the processes that lead to the occurrence or absence of side effects. It is also important to prevent fallacies in the interpretation of survey data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For-profit hospitals' market share has increased in many nations over recent decades. Previous studies suggest that their growth is not attributable to superior performance on access, quality of care, or efficiency. We analyzed other factors that we hypothesized may contribute to the increasing role of for-profit hospitals. We studied the historical development of the for-profit hospital sector across 4 nations with contrasting trends in for-profit hospital market share: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. We focused on 3 factors that we believed might help explain why the role of for-profits grew in some nations but not in others: (1) the treatment of for-profits by public reimbursement plans, (2) physicians' financial interests, and (3) the effect of the political environment. We conclude that access to subsidies and reimbursement under favorable terms from public health care payors is an important factor in the rise of for-profit hospitals. Arrangements that aligned financial incentives of physicians with the interests of for-profit hospitals were important in stimulating for-profit growth in an earlier era, but they play little role at present. Remarkably, the environment for for-profit ownership seems to have been largely immune to political shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pedagogía Social is the property of Pedagogia Social 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.)

Background: Bicycles have been a popular means of transport for many years. Especially in times of increased climate discussion, the bicycle has moved further into focus as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective means of transport. Bike lanes and roads are becoming more crowded and new means of transport such as pedelecs or e‑scooters are emerging., Methods: A total of four studies by Münster University Hospital on bicycle accidents and the official accident statistics of the Münster police were compared. In the period from 2009 to 2019, three studies were conducted that considered all bicycle accidents and one study that only considered pedelec riders separately., Results: The age distribution as well as main causes of accidents remained almost the same over the years. The number of pedelec accidents has increased. Pedelec riders have a higher average age and a higher proportion of intensive care stays; however, this cohort also has a high rate of helmet wearers. Overall, the willingness to wear a helmet seems to have increased., Conclusion: It should be considered that with increasing bicycle traffic, safety measures must be increased accordingly. In this respect, accident prevention should focus on three major areas, engineering, education and enforcement., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Good physician-patient communication is an important aspect of patient-centered care and contributes to positive health outcomes, however, there is a lack of standard European Union (EU) communication training policies for physicians. This study explores the barriers to good communication for both physicians and patients across four EU countries as part of the EU-funded project, Health Communication Training for Health Professionals – H-COM. Method: Focus groups were conducted with 31 patients and 38 physicians from Germany, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus. Two separate discussion guides were constructed for each target group around three themes: perceptions of, barriers to, and needs for health communication. Thematic analysis was used. Results: Commonalities and differences between countries and target groups were identified, with participants discussing attitudinal, emotional, educational, and systemic barriers to good communication. Participants indicated a significant gap in health communication knowledge, skills, and training for physicians, with regional differences. Conclusion: The results imply that there is a need for EU-wide communication training for physicians that would be best addressed by common themes and tailoring to specific regional differences. The results also imply that effective training should encompass a blend of theory and practical methods, and should be delivered via an e-learning platform for maximum accessibility. Training programs that adhere to these suggestions can begin to address the gaps in patient-centered care in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the effects of a three-day stay on an educational farm in Germany on the emotional constructs joy, interest, frustration, boredom, as well as on knowledge gain and perception of the activitybased methodology applied. A questionnaire was used to compare means scored in each dimension between secondary school rural and urban students (n=15 each). Results showed that while there were no significant results for knowledge gain, perception of the unit, and interest, rural students were significantly more bored and frustrated throughout the unit and less joyful than students belonging to the urban group. Even though the findings were limited, particularly in terms of sample size and reliability, they still hint at the importance of such programs for improving urban students' interest in agriculture, nature, and sustainable development. Based on these findings, suggestions for further investigations and improvements in farm education programs are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral health has received increased attention in health services research and policy. This study aims to assess oral health outcomes and public coverage of oral health services in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. Various indicators were used to compare oral health outcomes concerning the most common disorders by age group. Coverage of oral health services was analyzed according to the dimensions of the WHO Universal Coverage Cube. The results showed major differences in the coverage of services for the adult population: coverage was most comprehensive in Germany, followed by Belgium and Denmark. In Spain and the Netherlands, public coverage was limited. Except in Spain, coverage of oral health services for children was high, although with some differences between countries. Regarding oral health outcomes measured by the T-Health index, no country showed outstanding results across all age groups. While Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain performed above average among 5- to 7-year-olds, Denmark and Germany performed above average among 12- to 14-year-olds, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium among 35- to 44-year-olds, and Belgium and the Netherlands among 65- to 74-year-olds. The selection of countries of this study was limited due to the availability and quality of oral health data demonstrating the urgent need for the European member states to establish corresponding databases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Cornelia Henschke, Juliane Winkelmann, Astrid Eriksen, Eugenia Orejas Pérez, David Klingenberger declare no conflict of interests. Cornelia Henschke reports a grant from Institut der Deutschen Zahnärzte (IDZ) (see funding). David Klingenberger is employed at the IDZ, Germany. Eugenia Orejas Pérez is employed at the Ministerio de Sanidad, Spain., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Cloud computing is widely advertised as a technology-based service model and an emerging business model which is highly beneficial for the adopting organizations. But, academic landscape lacks sufficient empirical studies of cloud adoption at firm-level, and the existing cloud adoption factors are mostly anecdotal in nature. A multiple case study approach was used to extract and compare adoption characteristics of SMEs and large firms in Germany, based on the Technology-Organization and Environment (TOE) framework. The study shows that there exist important differences between SMEs and large enterprises regarding the cloud adoption factors. The results further show that large firms perceive characteristics of the cloud to be more complicated and not easy to implement compared to SMEs which contradicts the popular belief that large firms are forerunners in adopting innovations and, the widely publicized cost benefits of cloud services are perceived to be in favor of SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) data from 2013 to study (1) the contribution of child maintenance to the income packages of lone mothers, (2) the proportion of lone mothers receiving child maintenance and the level of child maintenance for those receiving it and (3) the extent to which child maintenance is helping families who may need it the most (those at the low end of the income distribution), compared with families with moderate or higher incomes. Our analysis covers data from five countries: Finland, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. Our results show that in all countries except the United Kingdom, labour income is an important source of income for lone mothers and less than 40 percent of income comes from social transfers. Child maintenance contributes significantly to the income of lone mothers, particularly in Spain, followed by the United States and Germany. We find the highest coverage of child maintenance receipt in Finland. In the other countries, only one-third of lone mother households receive child maintenance. The median amounts of maintenance are the lowest in the United Kingdom and Finland, but there is great variation in the level of child maintenance within countries. The comparison of the quintile groups reveals that in the United States, the lone mothers in lowest income quintile do not seem to benefit as much from child maintenance compared with the highest income quintiles, whereas in Finland, Germany and Spain, more lone mothers in the low-income quintiles receive maintenance. However, amounts are quite equal across income quintiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presented in the paper has the following goals. The first is to review and compare teacher competence frameworks developed in Eastern (Chinese) and Western (German) contexts, exemplified for the domain of mathematics. Major similarities of the two contexts could be reconstructed in the conceptualization of teacher competence as a multidimensional construct comprising knowledge, teaching-related skills and beliefs. Distinct differences could be identified as well, with the Chinese frameworks including a wider range of teacher-competence facets and emphasizing more teaching-related competencies than the Western (German) frameworks. The second purpose is to adapt and validate a German framework of the measurement of mathematics teacher competence in a Chinese context. This adaptation and validation uses exemplarily mathematics teacher, in detail follow-up-studies of the international Teacher Education and Development Study: Learning to Teach Mathematics (TEDS-M). With the integration of a qualitative approach (e.g. elemental validity) and a quantitative approach (e.g. construct validity) to validate the framework, the results of both approaches suggest a satisfactory validity for the adaptation. Overall, the results point out that the examined teacher competence framework and its instruments can be used for comparative analyses in Germany and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study compares the motivations of Australian and German book publishers. The results demonstrate remarkable similarities, but also a significant difference regarding the effects of the publishers’ self-concept. In the German case the publishers with a dominant economic orientation are more proactive than the publishers with a dominant cultural orientation. In the Australian case, this correlation does not exist. The same difference holds for the relationship between the economic orientation and extrinsic motivation. We discuss these results and examine empirical evidence and theoretical suggestions to explain the differing findings. The data stem from surveys conducted in the two countries with responses of 196 (Germany) and 54 publishers (Australia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do sociologists know what they know? Although sociology around the world is deeply shaped by processes of internationalization, strong regional, linguistic, and cultural differences persist. This concerns general production of knowledge, applied theories, methods as well as questions posed. In the present contribution, we discuss the development of and differences inherent to epistemic cultures in qualitative and interpretive research in French and German Sociology since the 1960s. In doing so, we refer to a document and interview based research project we directed in 2012-2014. Epistemic cultures are conceived of as the forms, ways, and practices of producing and legitimizing scientific (sociological) "output" involved in sociological knowledge-making. The production of knowledge is the core "action problem" that sociological inquiry is confronted with. This problem is addressed in rather different ways. French qualitative sociology trusts in researchers' skills, competencies, and inspirations in order to establish new knowledge. German qualitative and interpretive sociology prefers establishing "legitimacy through procedure" (procedural legitimation). We illustrate the unfolding of this difference between French and German based qualitative sociology in the early 1960s and discuss how it shapes their further development. In doing so, we intend to contribute to a current reflexive movement in sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Policy Analysis Archives / Archivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas / Arquivos Analíticos de Políticas Educativas is the property of Educational Policy Analysis Archives & Education Review 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.)

With the complexity of technology increasing and globalisation becoming more common, the importance of collaboration in innovation implementation has increased in recent years. The literature has investigated collaboration in various ways, but the scope of the research has been fragmented and mainly confined to single- or similar-country contexts. To address this research gap, this paper investigated the different innovation strategy configurations in vertical, horizontal and international collaborations in two innovative countries: Korea and Germany. Empirical analyses using Korean and German Community Innovation Surveys suggest that (1) vertical collaboration is implemented when a firm engages in innovation to optimise existing core competencies; (2) horizontal collaboration with partners outside a value chain can play an important role in identifying new opportunities in a new market; and (3) the fit between innovation strategy and collaboration type can be differently configured across countries. Based on these findings, this paper suggests practical implications for managers in firms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: The European 'Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence' (HELENA) project evaluated two different approaches to harmonize the matching procedures between 24-h recall data and food composition databases. In the first approach, the 24-h recall data were linked to the local/national food composition databases using standardized procedures, while in the second approach, the 24-h recall data were linked to the German BLS database which includes a larger food list. The aim of this paper was to compare the intakes of energy and eight nutrient components calculated via both approaches. Methods: Two non-consecutive 24-h recalls were performed in 1268 adolescents. Energy, carbohydrates, proteins, fat, fiber, water, alcohol, calcium and vitamin C were calculated via the two approaches at individual level. Paired samples t test and Pearson's correlations were used to compare the mean intakes of energy and the eight mentioned nutrients and to investigate the possible associations between the two approaches. Results: Small but significant differences were found between the intakes of energy and the eight food components when comparing both approaches. Very strong and strong correlations (0.70-0.95) were found between both methods for all nutrients. Conclusion: The dietary intakes obtained via the two different linking procedures are highly correlated for energy and the eight nutrients under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable management of phosphorus (P), an essential element for life, is currently discussed intensively in research and policy. In order to provide a data basis for national P strategies, various substance flow analyses (SFA) of P on a national level have been published in recent years. The quantification of flows and stocks helps to identify hot-spots and potentials for sustainable measures within the particular country analysed. However, the national SFAs that have been conducted so far differ with regard to their system definitions, i.e. the processes, flows and stocks identified. This makes comparisons between countries difficult, hinders the transnational transfer of lessons learnt and hampers supranational policy efforts. Therefore, we (i) develop a standardised visualisation format, i.e. a blueprint, which allows for transnational comparability and facilitates future national SFAs of P; (ii) present a systematic comparative analysis of seven European SFAs (Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) using fluxes, indicators and cluster analysis; and (iii) to exemplarily show the added value of a linkage between material flow analysis and social system analysis. Our results show regional disparities with regard to losses and efficiencies of current national P use and to the potential of secondary P to increase national self-sufficiency. The countries analysed can be categorised in three clusters providing a first classification according to selected variables comprising key flows and indicators. By using the current discussion on the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land in Germany as an example, we show the added value of the integration of flow and governance analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of university students’ economic knowledge has become an increasingly important research area within and across countries. Particularly, the different influences of prior education, native language, and gender as some of the main prerequisites on students’ economic knowledge have been highlighted since long. However, the findings are often only available within countries and focus on students who are at different levels of their studies or graduates. To remedy this research deficit, the goal of our article is to analyze the status of economic knowledge of students at the beginning of their course of studies and compare the effects of prior economic education, gender, and native language between the USA and Germany. Therefore, we used a translated and adapted version of the fourth edition of the Council for Economic Education'sTest of Understanding in College Economics(TUCE). The TUCE is an international measuring instrument that has been validated and widely been used in several countries to assess the economic knowledge of students in higher education. Since the curricular structure as well as higher education studies/programs in both countries is quite comparable, no tremendous general between-country effect has been expected. But as our results show, if micro- and macroeconomics are analyzed separately, divergent effects on the students’ economic knowledge were detected showing that prior education has a positive significant effect merely on micro test scores, while gender and native language are purely significant on macro test scores in both countries. In our conclusion, we discuss several reasons that might have caused these different effects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of HeilberufeSCIENCE is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Induction in enterprises is a crucial phase for each employee not only to become able to fulfil all relevant tasks but also to enable professional development as well as social and value-oriented integration into the new organisation. This is even more relevant for young people coming from initial vocational education and training with intermediate-level qualifications (European Qualification Framework 3 and 4). The research question of the presented doctoral thesis is to discover how induction processes are organised for these employees in two selected countries, and to interpret possible differences. Therefore, the author presents a mixed-method approach that focuses on qualitative case studies in selected enterprises in car service in France and Germany. This approach is complemented by an in-depth literature review of pedagogical literature and from other selected disciplines, for example Human Resources Development. This paper presents the conception and first results of the case studies. The focus therefore is on the description of induction processes. The few existing differences are interpreted by two aspects: Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and organisational differences between the cases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Question: The aim of this study was to investigate the technology of automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) devices and to determine correlations with patient compliance. Material and methods: A computer-aided simulation of a human lung based on a mathematical model was used. Obstructive and central events, and changes in respiratory patterns were simulated using the active lung and obstruction simulator (ALOSI) and six commercially available APAP devices were tested. Correlations between technical results and real life compliance with APAP devices were determined using German health insurance data. Results: There was considerable variation in the results between devices and with technical differences between algorithms. Individual results were used to determine technical parameters to define the pressure modification behavior of each APAP device. There was a significant correlation between technical findings and patient compliance data. Conclusion: This is the first study to document a link between the technological performance of APAP devices and compliance with therapy. The testing method used allowed reproducible analysis and comparison of pressure modification algorithms of APAP devices. These methods have potential usefulness for predicting patient compliance to APAP therapy before treatment is started. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates differences in the likelihood of becoming an insider in Germany and the United Kingdom. Consistent with recent literature on dualization it contends that insider protection is more pronounced in the corporatist system and conservative welfare state of Germany. In conjunction with micro-level labour market sociology, the study argues that this affects the job matching process of the labour market. Using individual level panel data in event history models, it contrasts leaving non-employment for an insider position, that is, permanent full-time employment, with staying on the outside of the core labour market, that is, remaining without employment or taking up an atypical job. Results demonstrate that insider positions are harder to attain in the German labour market as a consequence of the institutional context that makes the said posts so appealing in the first place. At the same time, the German labour market regime strengthens the mechanisms of selection in terms of gender, age and education. The insider/outsider divide thus works in two ways. First, it increases inequality between insiders and outsiders in terms of economic and positional stability. Second, a stronger divide interacts with micro-level matching processes on the labour market. By reinforcing social differences in the chance to obtain an insider position, inequality is thus even further pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How individual characteristics affect the acquisition of knowledge in teacher education has been widely unexplored thus far. The 'Teacher Education and Development Study-Learning to Teach Mathematics (TEDS-M)' provides a database for examining this research question across countries. Based on the Taiwanese and German sample of TEDS-M, the relationship between future lower secondary mathematics teachers' knowledge and their affective, cognitive and socio-demographic characteristics was examined using multilevel modelling whilst controlling for the teachers' opportunities to learn. The results reveal that in Germany, teacher knowledge is more strongly affected by future teachers' individual characteristics than teacher knowledge in Taiwan. These results are interpreted against the background of cultural differences between 'the West' and 'the East' or 'individualism' and 'collectivism', respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To analyse effects of patient and physician characteristics on questions and advice about smoking in primary care practice and to examine country differences. Methods: We conducted a factorial experiment, employing filmed scenarios in which actors played the role of patients with symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD) or type 2 diabetes. Versions were filmed with patient–actors of different gender, age, race, and socioeconomic status. The videotapes were presented to primary care physicians in the US, UK and Germany. Physicians were asked whether they would ask questions about smoking or give cessation advice. Results: Female and older CHD patients are less likely to be asked or get advice about smoking in all three countries. Effects of physician attributes are weak and inconsistent. Compared to physicians in the US and the UK, German doctors are least likely to ask questions or give advice. Conclusions: Although all physicians viewed the same cases their questioning and advice giving differed according to patient attributes and country. Due to the experimental design external validity of the study may be limited. Practice implications: Findings have implications for medical education and professional training of physicians as well as for the organization and financing of health care. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background This study investigates social inequalities in self-rated health dynamics for working-aged adults in four nations, representing distinct welfare regime types. The aims are to describe average national trajectories of self-rated health over a 7-year period, identify social determinants of cross-sectional and longitudinal health and compare cross-national patterns. Methods Data are from national household panel surveys in Britain, Germany, Denmark and the USA. The self-rated health of working-age respondents is measured for the years 1995–2001. Social indicators include education, occupational class, employment status, income, age, gender, minority status and marital status. Latent growth curve models are used to estimate both individual change and average national trajectories of self-rated health, conditioned on the social indicators. Results Ageing-vector graphs reveal general declines in health as people age. They also show differential patterns of change for specific national cohorts. Older cohorts in Denmark had poorer health and young cohorts in the USA had better health in 2001 than 1995. Social covariates predicted baseline health in all four countries, in ways that were consistent with welfare regime theories. Once inequalities in baseline health were accounted for, the few determinants of mean health decline occurred mainly in the USA, again in line with theoretical expectations. Finally, trajectories of health for those in average and advantaged social circumstances were similar, but disadvantaged individuals had much poorer health trajectories than ‘average’ individuals. The differences were greatest in the countries with lower levels of public transfers. Conclusion National differences in self-rated health trajectories and their social correlates may be attributed partly to welfare policies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article investigates the effects of temporary employment at labour market entry on subsequent individual careers, drawing on data from the British Household Panel Study (BHPS) and the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) from the period 1991 to 2007. The results show that German temporarily employed entrants suffer from higher initial wage penalties and risks of temporary employment cycles but that all differences compared to entrants with permanent contracts diminish after five years. The integration scenario works more effectively in the UK, where disadvantages are less pronounced and employment losses are primarily related to further education. Moreover, these tendencies vary by education groups and gender. Disadvantages of initial temporary employment are weaker for women in Germany, while gender differences in the UK apparently have less impact. Across borders, temporary contracts are associated with greater initial but vanishing wage penalties and temporary employment cycles for tertiary graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Background: Acceptance by citizens seems to be crucial for the future success of an electronic health record (EHR) in Germany and Austria. We analyzed citizens’ knowledge and expectations about the concept and contents of an EHR. We also addressed possible fears and barriers, and we investigated desired EHR functionalities relevant to citizens in the Austrian and German population. Methods: Standardized interviews of a convenience sample of 203 Austrian and 293 German citizens recruited in two metropolises. Results: Up to three-quarter of the interviewed citizens already collect and store medical documents at home, mostly in paper-based form. No respondents had already used an Internet-based personal health record. Between 80% and 90% of respondents were supportive of the idea of an electronic exchange of health-related data between health care providers as core functionality of an EHR. However, many respondents formulated concerns with regard to data protection and data security within an EHR. The EHR functionalities most supported by respondents included the electronic vaccination record, online information on doctors and hospitals, and the administration of appointments and reminders. Conclusion: The results indicate a generally positive attitude towards the EHR. However, the study shows that data protection is an issue for many citizens, and that despite strong media discussion, there are information deficits with regard to the national EHR initiatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims: To compare German and Norwegian hospital doctors on 10 different aspects of job satisfaction and general life satisfaction. Methods: The study population consisted of a representative sample of 1,448 German and 484 Norwegian hospital doctors aged 33-65 years (n=1,932), selected from nationwide postal surveys in 2006. The questionnaires contained items on subjective life satisfaction and the validated 10-item Job Satisfaction Scale. Each item was scored on a seven-point Likert scale from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 7 (very satisfied). A mean sum score was calculated, ranging from 1 to 7. Regression analyses and generalized-linear-model-estimated means controlled for age and gender with 95% confidence intervals were used for comparison. Results: Norwegian hospital doctors had significantly higher life satisfaction (mean 5.31 vs. 5.15) and job satisfaction (mean 5.09 vs. 4.55) than their German colleagues. Item by item, doctors in Norway were significantly more content with seven aspects of their work: ''Freedom to choose your own methods of working'' (mean 5.00 vs. 4.72), ''opportunities to use your skills'' (mean 5.49 vs. 5.01), ''physical working conditions'' (mean 4.62 vs. 4.08), ''recognition you get for good achievements'' (mean 4.83 vs. 4.26), ''overall job situation'' (mean 5.57 vs. 4.64), ''work hours'' (mean 4.39 vs. 3.39), ''rate of pay'' (mean 4.70 vs. 3.70). General life satisfaction and age, but not gender, were positively associated with job satisfaction in both countries. Conclusions: Norwegian hospital doctors enjoy a higher level of life and job satisfaction than German hospital doctors. The most likely reasons for this are more acceptable work hours, salary and control over clinical work in Norway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges of bio-entrepreneurship are related to the specific characteristics of the biotechnology sector. However, the circumstantial conditions of businesses and the social environment in various countries might also shape the profile of a successful bio-entrepreneur. This paper attempts to identify and compare the main traits of a successful entrepreneur in three different European countries that have a well-developed biotechnology sector: UK, France and Germany. This paper also aims to propose a model of the required competencies for a successful bio-entrepreneur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For nearly all companies, an Internet presence is no longer an issue, but rather a question of how the Web site can be used to add value to the company's business. What applies to one company in a certain sector in one country, however, does not necessarily apply to a comparable company in the same sector in another country. National characteristics play a key role in determining human interaction of all forms—also including electronic communication. This paper takes an exploratory approach and analyzes three matched pairs of U.S. and German Web sites of companies drawn from commercial airlines, traditional mail-order companies, and package delivery services. As a result, national culture, telecommunication infrastructure, and market characteristics are identified as key drivers influencing the structure and functionality of corporate Web sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineers and other technical professionals are increasingly challenged by the impacts of globalization. Further, engineering educators, technical managers, and human resources staff have demonstrated great interest in selecting and training engineers who are capable of working competently, professionally, and ethically in global context. However, working across countries and cultures brings considerable challenges to global engineers, including as related to understanding and navigating local and regional differences in what counts as professional ethics and integrity. In this study, we focus on written responses to 27 assessment scenarios that involve micro- and/or macro-ethical considerations in six national/cultural contexts (China, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Mexico). More specifically, we analyze responses to open-ended versions of the scenarios. Our participants consisted of both experts (e.g., experienced engineers) and novices (e.g., undergraduate students and early career professionals). Comparing and contrasting how experts and novices responded to these ethical problems sheds light on differences in their ethical strategies and approaches. This analysis also allows us to discern what specific cultural knowledge and sensitivity were employed by experts in solving cross-cultural ethical problems, but were largely lacking among novices. Finally, we analyze and discuss challenges faced by experts and novices in responding to cross-cultural ethical situations.

Background: There is substantial research about the occupational health of nurses worldwide. However, empirical evidence about the psychosocial health of migrant and minority nurses in outpatient settings in Germany in comparison to that of autochthonous nurses is lacking., Objectives: This study aims to identify work-related stressors, resources and the corresponding coping strategies of migrant and minority nurses in comparison to autochthonous nurses., Design: 24 migrant and 24 autochthonous nurses employed in the German homecare sector were interviewed in qualitative explorative manner while a distinction was made between non-commercial and private-commercial services., Settings: The interviews took place in the nursing services' premises or in the nurses' private homes., Participants: Services were randomly chosen among all homecare providers in the second largest German federal city-state Hamburg. Nurses were invited for an interview, once their management agreed to participate in the study. Registered nurses and nursing assistants as well as those with a foreign certificate but validated or in process were eligible to participate., Methods: Relevant literature findings formed the base for the semi-structured interview guide. Key areas in the interview guide were barriers, resources and coping strategies in the collaboration with colleagues, superiors and clients as well as in the collaboration within a linguistically and culturally diverse team and clients. The conventional approach to qualitative content analysis by Hsieh and Shannon guided the analysis., Results: Regardless of their origin or culture, nurses perceive time pressure, lifting patients, lack of appreciation or the client's personal fate as burdening. In the intercultural context, the divergent understanding of behavioral patterns as well as of nursing care and a non-functioning communication impede the collaboration within a diverse nursing workforce. Migrant and minority nurses suffer prejudices, verbal and sexual harassment proceeding from their clients. However they keep it to themselves and don't broach it to their supervisors or colleagues. The interaction with humans, the verbal exchange with colleagues and supervisors at eye level as well as the sensemaking of being a nurse helps nurses to cope with occupational stressors., Conclusions: Differences in language is a main stressor which impedes a functioning team collaboration as well as a positive nurse-client relationship. Migrant and autochthonous nurses share similar coping strategies to master occupational burdens. A good collaboration within the team and having an appreciative supervisor are resources that support migrant and minority nurses as well as autochthonous nurses to face the stressors and to cope with those. Migrant nurses of different origin perceive their status as migrants as a sense of community by sharing commonalities., Contribution of the Paper: What is already known about the topic?, (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aging of societies will increase the need for healthcare services and lead to a growing number of older employees. These two developments are relevant in the healthcare sector (HCS), which is of rising societal and economic importance and at the same time employs many older people., Objective: This article, which was written within the EXTEND project, investigates the working conditions and the prospective retirement age of older employees in the HCS in comparison to other sectors and explores what companies are doing to address the needs of this group., Material and Methods: The analysis was conducted as a mixed methods approach. The quantitative part was based on data derived from the Transitions and Old Age Potential (TOP) study in which older German employees were asked about their working conditions and retirement transitions. Matching techniques (coarsened exact matching) were used to investigate differences between sectors. The sample consisted of 114 employees aged between 55 and 65 years, working in the HCS and their statistical twins. The qualitative analysis was based on case studies in two inpatient care organizations and two hospitals in Germany. A total of 23 semistructured interviews with staff members and with representatives of the management were carried out and thematically analyzed., Results: The results showed that older employees in the HCS do not expect to retire earlier but preferred to do so significantly more often. Furthermore, HCS employees are more likely to face physically burdensome working conditions than in other sectors of the economy. The case studies indicated that there are very diverse and unsystematic strategies in addressing and supporting older employees., Discussion: Older employees in the HCS sector are employed in much harsher working conditions than their peers in other sectors. This must be kept in mind when trying to extend their working lives.

Background: The Wender-Reimherr adult attention deficit disorder scale (WRAADDS) is an internationally accepted attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) interview with an authorized German translation. The WRAADS not only assesses the symptoms of ADHD but also the severity of the symptoms using the Utah criteria. With the aim of economizing the diagnostic process the original English version of the Wender-Reimherr self-report questionnaire was translated into German (WR-SB) in order to evaluate the test psychometric properties., Objectives: To explore the psychometric properties of the WR-SB within a classical test theory framework., Material and Methods: The psychometric properties of the WR-SB were determined in a population of 122 adult ADHD patients and 79 healthy controls., Results: For the individual WR-SB subscales the results showed an adequate discriminatory power and a high internal consistency. The correlation between the WRAADS and the WR-SB was significant and the retest reliability was high., Conclusion: The WR-SB is a brief, self-report instrument and an economical alternative to assess adult ADHD symptomatology using the Utah criteria. The results of this evaluation study showed the WR-SB to be a valid and reliable measurement for both clinical and research purposes.