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Chitin is an abundant waste product from shrimp and mushroom industries and as such, an appropriate secondary feedstock for biotechnological processes. However, chitin is a crystalline substrate embedded in complex biological matrices, and, therefore, difficult to utilize, requiring an equally complex chitinolytic machinery. Following a bottom-up approach, we here describe the step-wise development of a mutualistic, non-competitive consortium in which a lysine-auxotrophic Escherichia coli substrate converter cleaves the chitin monomer N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) into glucosamine (GlcN) and acetate, but uses only acetate while leaving GlcN for growth of the lysine-secreting Corynebacterium glutamicum producer strain. We first engineered the substrate converter strain for growth on acetate but not GlcN, and the producer strain for growth on GlcN but not acetate. Growth of the two strains in co-culture in the presence of a mixture of GlcN and acetate was stabilized through lysine cross-feeding. Addition of recombinant chitinase to cleave chitin into GlcNAc2, chitin deacetylase to convert GlcNAc2 into GlcN2 and acetate, and glucosaminidase to cleave GlcN2 into GlcN supported growth of the two strains in co-culture in the presence of colloidal chitin as sole carbon source. Substrate converter strains secreting a chitinase or a β-1,4-glucosaminidase degraded chitin to GlcNAc2 or GlcN2 to GlcN, respectively, but required glucose for growth. In contrast, by cleaving GlcNAc into GlcN and acetate, a chitin deacetylase-expressing substrate converter enabled growth of the producer strain in co-culture with GlcNAc as sole carbon source, providing proof-of-principle for a fully integrated co-culture for the biotechnological utilization of chitin.
A comparison study on modeling of clustered and overdispersed count data for multiple comparisons
(2021)
Data collected in various scientific fields are count data. One way to analyze such data is to compare the individual levels of the factor treatment using multiple comparisons. However, the measured individuals are often clustered – e.g. according to litter or rearing. This must be considered when estimating the parameters by a repeated measurement model. In addition, ignoring the overdispersion to which count data is prone leads to an increase of the type one error rate. We carry out simulation studies using several different data settings and compare different multiple contrast tests with parameter estimates from generalized estimation equations and generalized linear mixed models in order to observe coverage and rejection probabilities. We generate overdispersed, clustered count data in small samples as can be observed in many biological settings. We have found that the generalized estimation equations outperform generalized linear mixed models if the variance-sandwich estimator is correctly specified. Furthermore, generalized linear mixed models show problems with the convergence rate under certain data settings, but there are model implementations with lower implications exists. Finally, we use an example of genetic data to demonstrate the application of the multiple contrast test and the problems of ignoring strong overdispersion.
Currently, the treatment of musicians is an interprofessional approach. Playing-related health complaints may impact the performance of a musician. In Germany, a medical consulting hour for musicians exists, but those for athletes in sports medicine are not so common. The diagnosing and treatment procedure within the physiotherapy consultation for musicians follows a specific concept-b and requires knowledge of instruments and musician-specific complaints. Based on the consulting hour in a clinic in Osnabrueck, 614 case reports were part of this sample, of which 558 data sets were complete. The focus of the analysis is the instrument and the primary complaint. Also, the type of therapy is characterized, and the amount is calculated. Primary complaints of musicians, in general, are found most frequently in the spine and upper extremity. Musician complaints are different between instruments. Instrumentalists have a significantly higher chance to suffer from a primary complaint in the area of the upper extremity. Furthermore, the groups without an instrument (e.g., singing or dancing) are developing complaints in the anatomical area which they primarily use. Therefore, these types of therapy were used: physiotherapy, manual therapy, and osteopathy with an average of 5.9 treatment units. This study underpinned the importance of musician-specific physiotherapy as a profession to treat musicians. Also, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary to treat all aspects of complaints.
The increased consumption of reduced-fat or non-fat products leads to a reduced intake of fat-soluble bioactive substances, such as fat-soluble vitamins. Due to their natural role as transport systems for hydrophobic substances, casein micelles (CM) might depict a viable system. The structure of CM is characterized by a lipophilic core stabilized by an electric double layer-like structure. Modification allows accessibility of the core and, therefore, the inclusion of fat-soluble bioactive substances. Well-known modifications are pH reduction and use of rennet enzyme. A completely new procedure to modify CM structure is offered by pulsed electrical fields (PEF). The principle behind PEF is called electroporation and affects the electric double layer of CM so that it is interrupted. In this way, lipophilic substances can be incorporated into CM. In this work, we evaluated integration of β-carotene into native CM by an industry-compatible process to overcome disadvantages associated with the use of Na-caseinate and avoid great technical effort, e.g., due to treatment with high hydrostatic pressure. Our research has shown that PEF can be used for disintegration of CM and that significant amounts of β-carotene can be incorporated in CM. Furthermore, after disintegration using PEF, a combination of another PEF and thermal treatment was applied to restructure CM and trap significant amounts of β-carotene, permanently, ending up with an encapsulation efficiency of 78%.
Background:
Contact tracing apps are potentially useful tools for supporting national COVID-19 containment strategies. Various national apps with different technical design features have been commissioned and issued by governments worldwide.
Objective:
Our goal was to develop and propose an item set that was suitable for describing and monitoring nationally issued COVID-19 contact tracing apps. This item set could provide a framework for describing the key technical features of such apps and monitoring their use based on widely available information.
Methods:
We used an open-source intelligence approach (OSINT) to access a multitude of publicly available sources and collect data and information regarding the development and use of contact tracing apps in different countries over several months (from June 2020 to January 2021). The collected documents were then iteratively analyzed via content analysis methods. During this process, an initial set of subject areas were refined into categories for evaluation (ie, coherent topics), which were then examined for individual features. These features were paraphrased as items in the form of questions and applied to information materials from a sample of countries (ie, Brazil, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom [England and Wales]). This sample was purposefully selected; our intention was to include the apps of different countries from around the world and to propose a valid item set that can be relatively easily applied by using an OSINT approach.
Results:
Our OSINT approach and subsequent analysis of the collected documents resulted in the definition of the following five main categories and associated subcategories: (1) background information (open-source code, public information, and collaborators); (2) purpose and workflow (secondary data use and warning process design); (3) technical information (protocol, tracing technology, exposure notification system, and interoperability); (4) privacy protection (the entity of trust and anonymity); and (5) availability and use (release date and the number of downloads). Based on this structure, a set of items that constituted the evaluation framework were specified. The application of these items to the 10 selected countries revealed differences, especially with regard to the centralization of the entity of trust and the overall transparency of the apps’ technical makeup.
Conclusions:
We provide a set of criteria for monitoring and evaluating COVID-19 tracing apps that can be easily applied to publicly issued information. The application of these criteria might help governments to identify design features that promote the successful, widespread adoption of COVID-19 tracing apps among target populations and across national boundaries.
Die Landwirtschaft ist ein Wirtschaftszweig mit massiven Auswirkungen auf die biologische und agrobiodiverse Vielfalt. Nachhaltige Ernährung ist ein entscheidender politischer Hebel und eine realistische Chance, die Umweltauswirkungen des Agrar- und Ernährungssektors zu verringern und gleichzeitig die menschliche Gesundheit zu verbessern. Auswärts essen ist für viele Verbraucher eine immer häufiger anzutreffende Gewohnheit, und indem sie nachhaltige Gerichte anbieten, können Catering-Unternehmen eine zentrale Rolle spielen. Dazu müssen sie die Nachhaltigkeit ihres Lebensmittelangebots verstehen und richtig einschätzen können, aber es gibt noch keine gut etablierten Bewertungsinstrumente. Im Rahmen des NAHGAST-Projekts, zu dem diese Studie gehörte, wurde ein Instrument zur Bewertung der Nachhaltigkeit für Catering-Unternehmen entwickelt und getestet, das auf konkreten, pro Mahlzeit definierten Zielen basiert. Diese Studie befasst sich mit dem Mangel an Methoden zur Bewertung der Auswirkungen von Lebensmitteln auf die biologische Vielfalt, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf der Agrobiodiversität liegt. Die Arbeit veranschaulicht eine kontextspezifische Anwendung eines erweiterten DPSIR-Modells zur Strukturierung von Informationen und Auswahl von Indikatoren und schlägt eine transdisziplinäre Nutzung bestehender Messgrößen vor. Weitere Forschungsarbeiten sind erforderlich, um wissenschaftlich fundierte Zielwerte oder Nachhaltigkeitsspannen für jeden Indikator pro Mahlzeit zu definieren, damit diese berechnet werden können.
Die Stärken und Grenzen der Studie werden diskutiert.
The management of patients experiencing chronic orofacial pain is a great challenge, due to the complexity of chronic pain itself, combined with an increased peripheral sensitization in the craniofacial itself. Therefore, patients with orofacial pain may present a clear distortion of the somatorepresentation after some time. In this review, the authors develop a neurophysiological explanation of orofacial distortion, as well as propose assessment and treatment options, based on scarcely available scientific evidence and their own clinical experience. The assessments of facial somatosensory, cognitive-affective and motor dysfunctions are crucial to establish the most accurate treatment; the assessment tools are described in the article. Two-point discrimination, laterality recognition and emotion recognition are altered in patients with orofacial pain. Other sensorimotor assessment tools, such as motor acuity and auditory acuity, are also explained. Finally, the authors review their treatment proposals, based on the integration of brain training techniques and biobehavioral interventions. Somatosensory reintegration (tactile acuity training), facial emotion recognition, movement representation techniques, orofacial motor training and therapeutic patient education are explained in detail, and this may challenge new directions in rehabilitation and research.
Background
Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are frequent and serious complications after surgery. We aim to investigate the association between genetic variants in cholinergic candidate genes according to the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes - pathway: cholinergic neurotransmission with the development of POD or POCD in elderly patients.
Methods
This analysis is part of the European BioCog project (www.biocog.eu), a prospective multicenter observational study with elderly surgical patients. Patients with a Mini-Mental-State-Examination score ≤ 23 points were excluded. POD was assessed up to seven days after surgery using the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale, Confusion Assessment Method and a patient chart review. POCD was assessed three months after surgery with a neuropsychological test battery. Genotyping was performed on the Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array. Associations with POD and POCD were analyzed using logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, comorbidities and duration of anesthesia (for POCD analysis additionally for education). Odds ratios (OR) refer to minor allele counts (0, 1, 2).
Results
745 patients could be included in the POD analysis, and 452 in the POCD analysis. The rate of POD within this group was 20.8% (155 patients), and the rate of POCD was 10.2% (46 patients). In a candidate gene approach three genetic variants of the cholinergic genes CHRM2 and CHRM4 were associated with POD (OR [95% confidence interval], rs8191992: 0.61[0.46; 0.80]; rs8191992: 1.60[1.22; 2.09]; rs2067482: 1.64[1.10; 2.44]). No associations were found for POCD.
Conclusions
We found an association between genetic variants of CHRM2 and CHRM4 and POD. Further studies are needed to investigate whether disturbances in acetylcholine release and synaptic plasticity are involved in the development of POD.
Consumer Acceptance and Market Potential of Iodine-Biofortified Fruit and Vegetables in Germany
(2021)
Biofortification of food crops with iodine is a novel approach to preventing iodine deficiency in humans. The present study analyses the consumer target groups and the market potential of iodine-biofortified fruit and vegetables in Germany. For this purpose, an online survey of 1016 German fruit and vegetable consumers was conducted to investigate the acceptance of different product categories as well as relevant criteria for the market launch. The results show that io-dine-biofortified fruit and vegetables are particularly attractive to consumers who purchase at farmers’ markets, organic food shops, and farm stores. Out of this group, 39% of consumers rate such iodine-rich foods as very appealing. They attach importance to food that naturally contains iodine and prefer produce from integrated domestic cultivation. With their focus on sustainability and naturalness, this group of consumers clearly differs from typical users of dietary supplements, who are primarily concerned with health benefits. However, overall about 85% of respondents would prefer biofortified fruits and vegetables to supplements to improve their iodine supply. The greatest market potential for iodine-biofortified fruit and vegetables is to be expected in super-markets, as this is the preferred food shopping location for most consumers. A total of 28% of those who buy here rate the biofortified foods presented as very appealing. Nevertheless, a successful market launch requires that the benefits of the new products are communicated according to the potential consumer group needs.
Abstract: Thermal response curves that depict the probability of occurrence along a thermal gradient are used to derive various species’ thermal properties and abilities to cope with warming. However, different thermal responses can be expected for different portions of a species range. We focus on differences in thermal response curves (TRCs) and thermal niche requirements for four freshwater fishes (Coregonus sardinella, Pungitius pungitius, Rutilus rutilus, Salvelinus alpinus) native to Europe at (1) the global and (2) European continental scale. European ranges captured only a portion of the global thermal range with major differences in the minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and average temperature (Tav) of the respective distributions. Further investigations of the model-derived preferred temperature (Tpref), warming tolerance (WT = Tmax − Tpref), safety margin (SM = Tpref − Tav) and the future climatic impact showed substantially differing results. All considered thermal properties either were under- or overestimated at the European level. Our results highlight that, although continental analyses have an impressive spatial extent, they might deliver misleading estimates of species thermal niches and future climate change impacts, if they do not cover the full species ranges. Studies and management actions should therefore favor whole global range distribution data for analyzing species responses to environmental gradients.
Thermal response curves that depict the probability of occurrence along a thermal gradient are used to derive various species’ thermal properties and abilities to cope with warming. However, different thermal responses can be expected for different portions of a species range. We focus on differences in thermal response curves (TRCs) and thermal niche requirements for four freshwater fishes (Coregonus sardinella, Pungitius pungitius, Rutilus rutilus, Salvelinus alpinus) native to Europe at (1) the global and (2) European continental scale. European ranges captured only a portion of the global thermal range with major differences in the minimum (Tmin), maximum (Tmax) and average temperature (Tav) of the respective distributions. Further investigations of the model-derived preferred temperature (Tpref), warming tolerance (WT = Tmax − Tpref), safety margin (SM = Tpref − Tav) and the future climatic impact showed substantially differing results. All considered thermal properties either were under- or overestimated at the European level. Our results highlight that, although continental analyses have an impressive spatial extent, they might deliver misleading estimates of species thermal niches and future climate change impacts, if they do not cover the full species ranges. Studies and management actions should therefore favor whole global range distribution data for analyzing species responses to environmental gradients.
BACKGROUND: The Craniofacial Pain and Disability Inventory (CF-PDI) is a cross-culturally adapted instrument designed from a biopsychosocial perspective to measure pain, disability, and function in orofacial head and neck pain with shown psychometric properties; however, the German cross-cultural adaption is lacking.
OBJECTIVES: To carry out a transcultural translation of CF-PDI into German and assess its psychometric properties in patients with painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD) with respect to construct and clinical validity, internal consistency and reproducibility.
STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional design.
SETTING: Patients (n = 398) were recruited from dental and physical therapy clinics in middle and south Germany.
METHODS: Structural validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). We investigated know-group validity by means of the scale’s potential to discriminate between affected and unaffected subjects. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate convergent validity. We tested test-retest reliability by the intraclass correlation coefficient and the Internal consistency by Cronbach’s alpha, or each dimension separately, and the total score. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate convergent validity.
RESULTS: Two hundred forty-six heterogeneous chronic craniofacial pain patients and 152 patients without complaints were recruited from the middle and south of Germany. The German version CF-PDI-G presents 21 items, 4 factors, and adequate psychometric properties. The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the CF-PDI-G were both excellent for the entire instrument and also for all sub-scales (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] > 0.90) except for the comorbidities and interference with work which was acceptable (ICC = 0.69). Standard error of the measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change values are sufficiently low. Assessment of clinical validity shows good potential of discrimination and classification into categories “no,” “mild,” “moderate,” and “severe.” The multiple linear regression model showed a strong association between neck disability index, Visual Analog Scale, and anamnestic questionnaire (supporting the scale’s convergent validity).
LIMITATIONS: Our sample has a higher prevalence of women and the sample was not recruited consecutively, which may lead to a biased estimation of psychometric properties.
CONCLUSIONS: The CF-PDI-G represents valid and reliable instrument to assess pain and disability in patients with orofacial pain and headache suitable for research and clinical practice.
Der folgende Beitrag setzt sich mit dem Konzept parasozialer Meinungsführerschaft auseinander und nimmt die Corona-Pandemie als Anlass, sich dem Konzept sowie den Auswirkungen parasozialer Meinungsführerschaft auf Einstellungen und Handeln anzunähern. Im Jahr 2020 waren unterschiedliche Personen in den Medien
präsent, die sich zu der Situation der Corona-Pandemie in Deutschland geäußert haben. Aufgrund der theoretischen Grundlagen nach Leißner et al. (2014) werden die Vermutungen aufgestellt, dass einige dieser Medienpersonen als parasoziale Meinungsführer bezüglich der Pandemie fungierten und in unterschiedlicher Stärke Einstellungen und Handeln beeinflussen konnten. Der Grad der Einflussnahme hängt vermutlich sowohl mit den Eigenschaften der Meinungsführer selbst als auch mit den Merkmalen ihrer Rezipienten zusammen. Im Rahmen der Bachelorarbeit wurde eine quantitative, vollstandardisierte Befragung durchgeführt und parasoziale Meinungsführer zum Thema ‚Corona-Pandemie´ konnten identifiziert werden. Diese stammen aus unterschiedlichen gesellschaftlichen Bereichen. Die parasozialen Meinungsführer können bezüglich des thematischen Schwerpunkts der Pandemie unterschiedlich intensiven Einfluss auf die Probanden dieser Untersuchung nehmen. Außerdem gibt es einen Zusammenhang zwischen der Stärke der Einflussnahme durch die Meinungsführer und dem Alter ihrer Rezipienten.
Die Direktvermarktung von landwirtschaftlichen Erzeugnissen spielt in Niedersachsen eine bedeutende Rolle zur Einkommensaufwertung der landwirtschaftlichen Betriebe. Das Internet ist dabei mittlerweile ein entscheidendes Medium zur Kundenansprache. Diese Studie hat daher die Zielstellung, die Bildkommunikation der landwirtschaftlichen Direktvermarkter in Niedersachsen im Rahmen der klassischen Homepage zu untersuchen. Entsprechendes Bildmaterial der Erstansicht der Homepages von Direktvermarktungsbetrieben wurde dafür einer qualitativen und quantitativen Analyse unterzogen. 258 Homepages von niedersächsischen Direktvermarktern wurden in die Auswertung einbezogen. Die Auswertung zeigt: Mehr als jeder zweite niedersächsische Direktvermarkter stellt Gebäude auf der Erstansicht seiner Webseite dar. Es handelt sich hierbei überwiegend um historisch aussehende Gebäude. Weiterhin konnte ermittelt werden, dass neben Gebäuden auch Personen, Tiere, Obst, Gemüse, Pflanzen, Produkte sowie Landschaften auf den Erstansichten der Webseiten dargestellt werden.
Extending assessments of climate change-induced range shifts via correlative species distribution models by including species traits is crucial for conservation planning. However, comprehensive assessments of future distribution scenarios incorporating responses of biotic factors are poorly investigated. Therefore, the aim of our study was to extend the understanding about the combined usage of species traits data and species distribution models for different life stages and distribution scenarios. We combine global model predictions for the 2050s and thermal performances of Salmo trutta and Salmo salar under consideration of different life stages (adults, juveniles, eggs), timeframes (monthly, seasonally, yearly), and dispersal scenarios (no dispersal, free dispersal, restricted dispersal). We demonstrate that thermal performances of different life stages will either increase or decrease for certain time periods. Model predictions and thermal performances imply range declines and poleward shifts. Dispersal to suitable habitats will be an important factor mitigating warming effects; however, dams may block paths to areas linked to high performances. Our results emphasize enhanced inclusion of critical periods for species and proper dispersal solutions in conservation planning.
Objectives: This study aimed at the construction of what the core of eHealth policy making is, offering new perspectives about high priority procedures along the policy making process
Methods: Following Grounded Theory methodology, 59 qualitative telephone interviews with a broad variety of stakeholders from Austria, Switzerland and Germany were conducted
Results: The findings hinted at five priorities of eHealth policy making: strategy, consensus-building, decision-making, implementation and evaluation that emerged from the stakeholders’ perception of the eHealth policy. Hereby strategy, consensus-building and implementation gained the highest attention
Conclusions: These findings suggest three high priorities in eHealth policy: 1) developing and pursuing a consistent eHealth strategy, 2) investing time and resources into consensus-building to clear up difficulties early on in the process, 3) governing implementation towards serving patient care through systems fit for practice.
Public Interest Summary: Digitalisation is playing an increasingly crucial role in providing high quality health care. However, different countries have pursued different political paths. In this study, we wanted to know how the stakeholders perceived the political process in their country to identify strengths and weaknesses. We, therefore, conducted interviews about digital health policy with experts from Austria, Switzerland and Germany covering the full spectrum of stakeholders. The findings suggest three political musts: 1) a convincing and coherent strategy followed throughout the entire process, 2) consensus- building among the stakeholders, 3) using “fit for practice” as the yardstick to measure political success.
PR- und Kommunikationsagenturen gelten als Frauendomäne, mit einer Ausnahme. In den obersten Führungsebenen sind immer noch wenige weibliche Führungskräfte vertreten. Der vorliegende Beitrag nimmt Frauen in Führungspositionen in deutschen Agenturen in den Blick. Die Forschungsfragen beziehen sich auf Faktoren, die Frauen auf einem vertikalen Karriereweg unterstützen, die Bedeutung des Faktors Geschlecht und die Führungsstile von Frauen in PR- und Kommunikationsagenturen.
Diese Thematiken finden derzeit im Forschungsbereich PR wenig Beachtung – anders als in anderen Bereichen. Um die Fragen zu beantworten, wurden im Rahmen einer Masterarbeit sieben leitfadengestützte Interviews mit Frauen im Management von großen PR- und Kommunikationsagenturen in Deutschland geführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass flexible, offene Organisationskulturen und unterstützende Mentor*innen insbesondere für Frauen mit Kindern für eine vertikale Karriere förderlich sind. Ein Herausstellen der wenigen Führungsfrauen in der Branche wird als nicht zielführend bewertet, um mehr Frauen für das Topmanagement zu gewinnen. Bezüglich des Führungsstils präferieren die Befragten einen Stil mit kooperativen und kollaborativen Elementen.
Background
In mucosal barrier interfaces, flexible responses of gene expression to long-term environmental changes allow adaptation and fine-tuning for the balance of host defense and uncontrolled not-resolving inflammation. Epigenetic modifications of the chromatin confer plasticity to the genetic information and give insight into how tissues use the genetic information to adapt to environmental factors. The oral mucosa is particularly exposed to environmental stressors such as a variable microbiota. Likewise, persistent oral inflammation is the most important intrinsic risk factor for the oral inflammatory disease periodontitis and has strong potential to alter DNA-methylation patterns. The aim of the current study was to identify epigenetic changes of the oral masticatory mucosa in response to long-term inflammation that resulted in periodontitis.
Methods and results
Genome-wide CpG methylation of both inflamed and clinically uninflamed solid gingival tissue biopsies of 60 periodontitis cases was analyzed using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. We validated and performed cell-type deconvolution for infiltrated immune cells using the EpiDish algorithm. Effect sizes of DMPs in gingival epithelial and fibroblast cells were estimated and adjusted for confounding factors using our recently developed “intercept-method”. In the current EWAS, we identified various genes that showed significantly different methylation between periodontitis-inflamed and uninflamed oral mucosa in periodontitis patients. The strongest differences were observed for genes with roles in wound healing (ROBO2, PTP4A3), cell adhesion (LPXN) and innate immune response (CCL26, DNAJC1, BPI). Enrichment analyses implied a role of epigenetic changes for vesicle trafficking gene sets.
Conclusions
Our results imply specific adaptations of the oral mucosa to a persistent inflammatory environment that involve wound repair, barrier integrity, and innate immune defense.
Background
In DNA methylation analyses like epigenome-wide association studies, effects in differentially methylated CpG sites are assessed. Two kinds of outcomes can be used for statistical analysis: Beta-values and M-values. M-values follow a normal distribution and help to detect differentially methylated CpG sites. As biological effect measures, differences of M-values are more or less meaningless. Beta-values are of more interest since they can be interpreted directly as differences in percentage of DNA methylation at a given CpG site, but they have poor statistical properties. Different frameworks are proposed for reporting estimands in DNA methylation analysis, relying on Beta-values, M-values, or both.
Results
We present and discuss four possible approaches of achieving estimands in DNA methylation analysis. In addition, we present the usage of M-values or Beta-values in the context of bioinformatical pipelines, which often demand a predefined outcome. We show the dependencies between the differences in M-values to differences in Beta-values in two data simulations: a analysis with and without confounder effect. Without present confounder effects, M-values can be used for the statistical analysis and Beta-values statistics for the reporting. If confounder effects exist, we demonstrate the deviations and correct the effects by the intercept method. Finally, we demonstrate the theoretical problem on two large human genome-wide DNA methylation datasets to verify the results.
Conclusions
The usage of M-values in the analysis of DNA methylation data will produce effect estimates, which cannot be biologically interpreted. The parallel usage of Beta-value statistics ignores possible confounder effects and can therefore not be recommended. Hence, if the differences in Beta-values are the focus of the study, the intercept method is recommendable. Hyper- or hypomethylated CpG sites must then be carefully evaluated. If an exploratory analysis of possible CpG sites is the aim of the study, M-values can be used for inference.
1. Flower strips are a fundamental part of agri-environment schemes (AESs) introduced by the European Union to counteract the loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. Although vegetation composition of the strips is essential for most fauna groups, comprehensive studies analysing vegetation development and influencing factors are rare.
2. From 2017 to 2019, we investigated the vegetation composition of 40 perennial wildflower strips (WFSs) implemented in 2015 or 2016, and 20 cereal fields without WFS across Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. We analysed environmental factors on plot (cover of grasses, shading, soil fertility) and four landscape-scale levels (habitat diversity, proportion of WFS and open habitats). The provision of nectar and pollen resources was estimated by the newly developed Pollinator Feeding Index (PFI). All strips had been implemented by farmers as AES with species- rich seed mixtures comprising 30 native forbs.
3. In all study years, forb species richness, cover and related nectar and pollen supply were much higher on WFSs than on controls, confirming the effectiveness of this AES. Although sown native forbs contributed the most to the high PFI values, spontaneously established forbs expanded the total range of species considerably, especially in winter and spring. While sown forb communities remained similar over time, spontaneous forbs showed a higher species turnover. Altogether, shading and grass cover had the greatest negative effect on the performance of the sown forbs. Landscape variables had only minor effects and were inconsistent in their importance across scale levels and years.
4. Synthesis and applications. Successfully established perennial wildflower strips (WFSs) sown with species-rich native seed mixtures provided a forb-rich and diverse vegetation throughout the AES funding period of 5 years. By supplying feeding resources for pollinators under various landscape situations, WFSs have significant potential to promote farmland biodiversity and related ecosyste services. We recommend the mandatory use of species-rich wildflower mixtures for perennial flower strips and to avoid their creation in heavily shaded field edges. Advisory services for farmers are necessary to prevent failures in WFS implementation and management and to improve their ecological effectiveness.
Hintergrund
Präventive Maßnahmen werden im Rahmen der Gesundheitsförderung immer bedeutsamer. Die regelmäßige Bewegung führt u. a. zu einer Stärkung des Herz-Kreislauf-Systems sowie zur Reduktion von muskuloskelettalen Beschwerden. Angestellte von Hochschulen sowie Studierende leiden häufig unter muskuloskelettalen Beschwerden.
Ziel
Ziel der Kundenbefragung ist es, die Zufriedenheit mit dem hochschulinternen Fitnessstudio INMOVE abzufragen, das rein physiotherapeutisch konzipiert ist. Mithilfe des Fragebogens sollen v. a. die Bereiche der Zufriedenheit, der physiotherapeutischen Betreuung sowie die subjektive Lebensqualität beurteilt werden.
Methode
Es wurde eine Kundenbefragung mit 26 Fragen, welche in vier Abschnitte eingeteilt sind, durchgeführt. Die geschlossenen Fragen wurden deskriptiv ausgewertet und die acht offenen Fragen wurden mit der Kernsatzmethode nach Leithäuser und Volmerg (1988) ausgewertet.
Ergebnisse
An der Befragung nahmen insgesamt 70 Trainierende (weiblich: 22/31,2 %, männlich: 48/68,8 %) teil. Anhand der Ergebnisse zeigt sich, dass die Teilnehmenden die Frage „Inwieweit sind die Kunden des hier genannten INMOVE mit dem Fitnessstudio zufrieden?“ mit „ziemlich zutreffend“ und „zutreffend“ beantworteten. Die zweite Forschungsfrage „Ist die physiotherapeutische Betreuung adäquat für das Fitnessstudio?“ kann mit „ziemlich zutreffend“ beantwortet werden. Die dritte Forschungsfrage bezog sich auf die Verbesserung der subjektiven Lebensqualität. Die Antwortenverteilung spiegelt, dass die Teilnehmenden diesen Themenbereich mit überwiegend „trifft genau zu“ oder „trifft ziemlich zu“ beantworteten.
Schlussfolgerung
Anhand der Kundenbefragung konnte die Zufriedenheit sowie die Auswirkungen auf die subjektive Lebensqualität beurteilt werden. Es lässt sich aus den Ergebnissen ableiten, dass ein hochschulinternes Fitnessstudio dabei helfen kann, Alltagsstress abzubauen und somit präventiv bei muskuloskelettalen Beschwerden nützlich ist.
Background:
Chronic health conditions are on the rise and are putting high economic pressure on health systems, as they require well-coordinated prevention and treatment. Among chronic conditions, chronic wounds such as cardiovascular leg ulcers have a high prevalence. Their treatment is highly interdisciplinary and regularly spans multiple care settings and organizations; this places particularly high demands on interoperable information exchange that can be achieved using international semantic standards, such as Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT).
Objective:
This study aims to investigate the expressiveness of SNOMED CT in the domain of wound care, and thereby its clinical usefulness and the potential need for extensions.
Methods:
A clinically consented and profession-independent wound care item set, the German National Consensus for the Documentation of Leg Wounds (NKDUC), was mapped onto the precoordinated concepts of the international reference terminology SNOMED CT. Before the mapping took place, the NKDUC was transformed into an information model that served to systematically identify relevant items. The mapping process was carried out in accordance with the ISO/TR 12300 formalism. As a result, the reliability, equivalence, and coverage rate were determined for all NKDUC items and sections.
Results:
The developed information model revealed 268 items to be mapped. Conducted by 3 health care professionals, the mapping resulted in moderate reliability (κ=0.512). Regarding the two best equivalence categories (symmetrical equivalence of meaning), the coverage rate of SNOMED CT was 67.2% (180/268) overall and 64.3% (108/168) specifically for wounds. The sections general medical condition (55/66, 83%), wound assessment (18/24, 75%), and wound status (37/57, 65%), showed higher coverage rates compared with the sections therapy (45/73, 62%), wound diagnostics (8/14, 57%), and patient demographics (17/34, 50%).
Conclusions:
The results yielded acceptable reliability values for the mapping procedure. The overall coverage rate shows that two-thirds of the items could be mapped symmetrically, which is a substantial portion of the source item set. Some wound care sections, such as general medical conditions and wound assessment, were covered better than other sections (wound status, diagnostics, and therapy). These deficiencies can be mitigated either by postcoordination or by the inclusion of new concepts in SNOMED CT. This study contributes to pushing interoperability in the domain of wound care, thereby responding to the high demand for information exchange in this field. Overall, this study adds another puzzle piece to the general knowledge about SNOMED CT in terms of its clinical usefulness and its need for further extensions.
Duckweed is a promising resource for future feed and food production as well as wastewater treatment. However, diseases and pests can critically limit the performance of the production systems. Patches of discolored and bleached duckweed (Lemna minor L.) appeared in hydroponic systems and spread rapidly through the crop. Pythium myriotylum was confirmed as the causing pathogen by microbiological and molecular biological analysis. This is the first report of P. myriotylum on duckweed in Germany. The result and possible countermeasures are discussed.
Logistikunternehmen haben es bei der Suche nach neuen Standorten zunehmend schwerer, da geeignete Standorte immer knapper werden und ihnen wachsende Widerstände entgegenstehen: Umweltverbände und Anwohner*innen kritisieren Luftverschmutzung, Flächenverbrauch, Beeinträchtigungen des Landschaftsbilds und Zunahme des Verkehrslärms; die Lokalpolitik bevorzugt häufig Unternehmen mit höheren Gewerbesteueraufkommen und mehr (hochqualifizierten) Arbeitsplätzen. Der Druck auf die Logistikbranche, nachhaltigere Konzepte der Flächennutzung zu entwickeln und umzusetzen steigt. Zielsetzung des Artikels ist es, Ansätze aufzuzeigen, wie die Flächennutzung in der Logistik optimiert werden kann. Ein wichtiges Lösungsfeld ist auf Basis des Logistikmodells von Pfohl (2010) vor allem in den Bereichen der Flächenplanung zu verorten. Als Grundlage des Artikels wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen Möglichkeiten auf, wie Unternehmen und Kommunen durch eine frühzeitige Planung zur Optimierung von Flächennutzung für logistische Prozesse beitragen können. Die sorgfältige Planung eines Lagers und die damit einhergehende Nutzung von effizienten Lagersystemen, verringern die benötigte Fläche und sorgen für verbesserte Prozesse im Bereich der Lager- und Umschlagslogistik. Auch lassen sich ggf. neue Lagerflächen vermeiden, wenn die bereits genutzten Flächen optimiert werden.
Die zunehmende Komplexität der Welt erhöht den Bedarf an qualifizierten Fachkräften und der demographische Wandel lässt den Wettbewerb um diese stetig anwachsen. Arbeitgeber müssen wissen, wie zukünftige Mitarbeiter ihr Unternehmen auswählen, um eine entsprechende Attraktivität aufzubauen und stetig weiterzuentwickeln. Doch wer sind die neuen Fachkräfte? Im Generationenmanagement spricht man mittlerweile von der Generation Z, welche immer stärker im Arbeitsmarkt Fuß fasst. Geboren zwischen 1995 und 2009 sind die ersten bereits im Unternehmen angekommen und weitere Vertreter werden ihnen folgen. Die Ansprache muss sehr viel intensiver und individueller erfolgen. Immer häufiger sind es mittlerweile die Unternehmen, die sich bei potenziellen Kandidaten bewerben müssen, um ihren Fachkräftebedarf zu decken. Wie aber sind die Unternehmen im Emsland auf die neue Generation vorbereitet und wissen sie um die Relevanz eines funktionierenden Generationenmanagements?
Zur Annäherung an diese Forschungsfrage wurden im Rahmen einer Masterarbeit insgesamt 87 Unternehmen mit Sitz im Emsland quantitativ befragt, um so einen Theorie-Praxis- Abgleich zu ermöglichen. Durch diese Auswertung konnte geprüft werden, ob sich die Unternehmen der Thematik des Generationenwandels bewusst sind und wissen, wie sie ihm auf kommunikativer Ebene begegnen müssen.
After hesitating until the mid-2010s, German industry has now embraced the energy transition and moved to a driver. The pioneers of change are the major energy companies, followed large parts of industry which have initiated radical changes. Even the energy-intensive industries steel and chemistry are phasing out fossil fuels.
Background:
Cardiac surgery patients represent a high-risk cohort in intensive care units (ICUs). Central venous pressure (CVP) measurement seems to remain an integral part in hemodynamic monitoring, especially in cardio-surgical ICUs. However, its value as a prognostic marker for organ failure is still unclear. Therefore, we analyzed postoperative CVP values after adult cardiac surgery in a large cohort with regard to its prognostic value for morbidity and mortality.
Methods:
All adult patients admitted to our ICUs between 2006 and 2019 after cardiac surgery were eligible for inclusion in the study (n = 11,198). We calculated the median initial CVP (miCVP) after admission to the ICU, which returned valid values for 9802 patients. An ROC curve analysis for optimal cut-off miCVP to predict ICU mortality was conducted with consecutive patient allocation into a (a) low miCVP (LCVP) group (≤11 mmHg) and (b) high miCVP (HCVP) group (>11 mmHg). We analyzed the impact of high miCVP on morbidity and mortality by propensity score matching (PSM) and logistic regression.
Results:
ICU mortality was increased in HCVP patients. In addition, patients in the HCVP group required longer mechanical ventilation, had a higher incidence of acute kidney injury, were more frequently treated with renal replacement therapy, and showed a higher risk for postoperative liver dysfunction, parametrized by a postoperative rise of ≥ 10 in MELD Score. Multiple regression analysis confirmed HCVP has an effect on postoperative ICU-mortality and intrahospital mortality, which seems to be independent.
Conclusions:
A high initial CVP in the early postoperative ICU course after cardiac surgery is associated with worse patient outcome. Whether or not CVP, as a readily and constantly available hemodynamic parameter, should promote clinical efforts regarding diagnostics and/or treatment, warrants further investigations.
Dieser Beitrag liefert erste Erkenntnisse für die bisher unerforschte Beziehung zwischen Mediendependenzen und dem Vertrauen in die gesellschaftliche Krisenbewältigung.
Die Corona-Pandemie hat eine Erkenntnis gestärkt: Wir als Gesellschaft sind im Guten wie im Schlechten aufeinander angewiesen. Schon früh in der Pandemie war klar, dass der Weg der Virus-Bekämpfung vor allem über solidarische Rücksichtnahme führt. Doch sind wir wirklich davon überzeugt, dass das gelingt? Dieser Artikel zeigt anhand einer Kognitions- und einer Medientheorie sowie empirischer Daten, ob Medien einen Einfuss darauf haben, wie
groß unser Vertrauen ineinander ist.
Die ethischen Fragen und Spannungsfelder individueller Förderung in inklusiven Schulen werden in der Ausbildung von Lehrkräften bisher nicht ausreichend behandelt. Gleichwohl wird erwartet, dass Lehrkräfte neben fachlichen und methodischen Kompetenzen auch ethische Kompetenzen in die Förderdiagnostik und das anschließende Fördervorgehen einbringen: Sie sollen ethische Implikationen ihrer Entscheidungen reflektieren, über eine wertebasierte Urteilsfähigkeit verfügen sowie Verantwortung für ihr pädagogisches Handeln übernehmen. Um diesen Anforderungen gerecht werden zu können, wird in diesem Beitrag für die Einführung einer ethischen Ausbildung angehender Lehrkräfte plädiert. Vorgestellt wird eine Modellkonzeption für zwei konsekutive Module im bildungswissenschaftlichen Anteil von Lehramtsstudiengängen, in denen Studierende eine Ethical Literacy in Bezug auf ihr förderpädagogisches Handeln in inklusiven Schulen erwerben.
Background:
Etomidate is typically used as an induction agent in cardiac surgery because it has little impact on hemodynamics. It is a known suppressor of adrenocortical function and may increase the risk for post-operative infections, sepsis, and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether etomidate increases the risk of postoperative sepsis (primary outcome) and infections (secondary outcome) compared to propofol.
Methods:
This was a retrospective before–after trial (IRB EA1/143/20) performed at a tertiary medical center in Berlin, Germany, between 10/2012 and 01/2015. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery were investigated within two observation intervals, during which etomidate and propofol were the sole induction agents.
Results:
One-thousand, four-hundred, and sixty-two patients, and 622 matched pairs, after caliper propensity-score matching, were included in the final analysis. Sepsis rates did not differ in the matched cohort (etomidate: 11.5% vs. propofol: 8.2%, p = 0.052). Patients in the etomidate interval were more likely to develop hospital-acquired pneumonia (etomidate: 18.6% vs. propofol: 14.0%, p = 0.031).
Conclusion:
Our study showed that a single-dose of etomidate is not statistically associated with higher postoperative sepsis rates after cardiac surgery, but is associated with a higher incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia. However, there is a notable trend towards a higher sepsis rate.
In order to produce protein-rich duckweed for human and animal consumption, a stable cultivation process, including an optimal nutrient supply for each species, must be implemented. Modified nutrient media, based on the N-medium for duckweed cultivation, were tested on the relative growth rate (RGR) and crude protein content (CPC) of Lemna minor and Wolffiella hyalina, as well as the decrease of nitrate-N and ammonium-N in the media. Five different nitrate-N to ammonium-N molar ratios were diluted to 10% and 50% of the original N-medium concentration. The media mainly consisted of agricultural fertilizers. A ratio of 75% nitrate-N and 25% ammonium-N, with a dilution of 50%, yielded the best results for both species. Based on the dry weight (DW), L. minor achieved a RGR of 0.23 ± 0.009 d−1 and a CPC of 37.8 ± 0.42%, while W. hyalina’s maximum RGR was 0.22 ± 0.017 d−1, with a CPC of 43.9 ± 0.34%. The relative protein yield per week and m2 was highest at this ratio and dilution, as well as the ammonium-N decrease in the corresponding medium. These results could be implemented in duckweed research and applications if a high protein content or protein yield is the aim.
Possessing skills in social and intercultural interaction is vitally important for employees who work in globalized environments, especially as people's working lives tend to involve an increasingly large amount of service-related activities. As a consequence, universities offer cultural studies courses and strive to enable their students to study abroad for a period of time. However, there is still no widely shared agreement on how intercultural experiences and cultural preparation courses predict the perception, thinking and acting of individuals. Therefore, the study at hand uses a cross-sectional design with N = 430 participants in order to investigate whether students of cultural studies gain more intercultural competencies during the time spent studying abroad, compared to studies of other subjects. The results reveal that students of cultural subjects show significantly higher levels of cultural empathy and openness in the post hoc measurement, even though there was no interaction effect with the amount of time spent studying abroad. Length of stay abroad had a significant indirect effect on social competence via all the dimensions of the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire. Moreover, results indicate that flexibility to adapt one's behaviour to cultural norms may predict problems when returning to one's home country.
The political geography of central government debt has hardly been investigated. We propose a method for calculating implicit interregional transfers stemming from central government debt.
We apply this method to Belgium over the 1970-2016 period. The share of poorer Francophone Belgium in debt-financed central government spending was persistently larger than its share in central government revenue used to pay the resulting interest bills. The opposite holds for richer Flanders. Also, a primary deficit in one particular year leads to an interest bill in each of the following years as long as debt caused by that primary deficit is not repaid. All the above caused debt-related transfers from Flanders to Francophone Belgium of over 7% of Flemish GDP during many years.
Interregional interest transfers may also be large in the many other democracies suffering from both high central government debt and considerable geographic income disparities.
The size of these transfers may in turn explain the size and persistence of central government deficits. This is also because poorer, less densely populated regions such as Francophone Belgium tend to be overrepresented within central governments. This strengthens their ability to cause deficits.
We recommend more fiscal decentralisation or at least smaller central government deficits.
Damit Unternehmen in der VUCA-Welt bestehen können, müssen sie resilient, adaptionsfähig und agil sein – dies wird u.a. durch eine funktionierende, interne Kommunikation erreicht. Das Kommunikationsmanagement strebt daher nach kommunikativer Reifung des Unternehmens.
Im Rahmen von Organisations- und Personalentwicklungsprozessen hat in den letzten fünf Jahren die Methode Working Out Loud (WOL) an Popularität gewonnen, da sie u.a. in traditionellen und stark hierarchischen Unternehmen zur Förderung der Wissensteilung und Vernetzung erfolgreich eingesetzt wird. Deshalb wurde folgender Forschungsfrage nachgegangen: Kann Working Out Loud zur kommunikativen Reifung eines Unternehmens beitragen? Zur Beantwortung wurde im Rahmen einer Masterarbeit eine qualitative Studie durchgeführt. Die Veränderungswirkung von WOL auf die Kommunikation wurde in acht Dimensionen kommunikativer Reifung, die durch eine vorangegangene Literaturrecherche erarbeitet worden sind, ausgewertet. Es konnte festgestellt werden, dass WOL nur in bestimmten Dimensionen kommunikativer Reifung eine direkte Auswirkung hat. Eine Breitenwirksamkeit von WOL auf die gesamtheitliche kommunikative Reifung eines Unternehmens konnte nicht festgestellt werden. Abgeleitet werden konnte, dass WOL ein vielversprechender Ansatz ist, der Unternehmensmitglieder für die Notwendigkeit der kommunikativen Reifung eines Unternehmens sensibilisiert und Handlungsfelder des Kommunikationsmanagement aufzeigt.
Einleitung: Whiteboards können als ein Instrument des Lean Managements zur Steuerung der Verweildauer auf Stationen eingesetzt werden, um aktuelle Patienteninformationen zu bündeln und in regelmäßigen strukturierten sowie interdisziplinären Besprechungen die Patientenversorgung zu steuern, die interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit zu optimieren und das Entlassungsmanagement zu verbessern. Das Ziel dieser Studie bestand darin, zu untersuchen, inwiefern die Einführung von Whiteboards in zwei Kliniken mit einer Veränderung der Verweildauer einherging.
Methode: Um die Forschungsfrage zu beantworten, wurden retrospektive Zeitreihen aus den DRG-Routinedaten vor und nach Installation der Whiteboards aus den beiden Kliniken in einem Interrupted Time Series Design genutzt. In der einen Klinik (Chirurgie) lagen 3.734 Fälle für den Zeitraum von Januar 2018 bis Dezember 2019 und in der anderen Klinik (Innere Medizin) 54.049 Fälle für den Zeitraum Juli 2013 bis Dezember 2019 vor.
Ergebnisse: In dem gemittelten Vergleich der Verweildauer (relative Verweildauerabweichung pro DRG von dem jeweiligen Verweildauermittel) konnte in der ersten Klinik kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den Werten vor und nach Einführung des Boards festgestellt werden. Am zweiten Klinikum zeigte sich sogar im Vorher-Nachher-Vergleich eine signifikante Verschlechterung der Verweildauer. Eine deskriptive Zeitreihenanalyse vor und nach Einführung zeigte in beiden Kliniken, dass kurz nach der Einführung der Boards sich die Verweildauer verschlechterte, anschließend jedoch verbesserte, d.h. dass die Patienten durchschnittlich früher entlassen wurden. Dieser Unterschied ging jedoch im Zeitverlauf wieder zurück.
Diskussion: Zusammenfassend lässt sich festhalten, dass keine Verbesserung in der Verweildauer im Zuge der Nutzung der Whiteboards durch einen reinen Vorher-Nachher-Vergleich nachweisbar war. In der anschließenden Zeitreihenbetrachtung zeigten sich starke Schwankungen, die zunächst mit einer kurzzeitigen Verschlechterung der Verweildauer nach der Implementierung einhergingen und dann zu einer Verbesserung führten. Im Zeitverlauf verblasste der Unterschied jedoch, sodass die Patienten wieder später entlassen wurden. Methodisch zeigt sich, dass im Gegensatz zu der reinen Vorher-Nachher-Analyse erst eine Zeitreihenbetrachtung einen Einblick in das Geschehen und seine Variabilität lieferte. Für die Praxis ergeben sich folgende Implikationen: Whiteboards können als ein hilfreiches Instrument von Lean Management zur Verweildauersteuerung angesehen werden, wie die zwischenzeitlichen Verbesserungen nahelegen. Dies erfordert jedoch eine kontinuierliche, unter Einbezug der Mitarbeiter durchgeführte Pflege der Informationen und einen erkennbaren Mehrwert. Perspektivisch empfiehlt sich zudem eine Digitalisierung der Boards, um den Nachteilen wie der manuellen Pflege entgegenzuwirken.
Objective:
to carry out a theoretical reflection on the Nursing Now Campaign and the experience of the unexpected irruptions facing the pandemic period.
Method:
a theoretical-reflective study, supported by the theoretical framework of complexity thinking. It aims at understanding the dialogic between the notions of order, disorder and organization, which translate the transition from simplification to complexity of the pandemic phenomenon and its relation to the theme of Nursing Now and Nursing in the future.
Results:
the universe of phenomena is simultaneously composed of order, disorder and organization. Reasserting the central role of Nursing in the health team, facing the irruptions and uncertainties caused by the current pandemic, implies the ability to dialog with disorder and raise a new and more complex global (re)organization of the being and doing Nursing.
Conclusion:
in addition to answers, theoretical reflection raises new questions and irruptions. The inseparability between the notions of order and disorder in the evolutionary dynamics of the Nursing system is conceived and the promotion of even more complex levels of organization, management and Nursing assistance to achieve universal access to health is advocated.
Ab und zu wirft das CCJ einen Blick auf das aktuelle Geschehen in der Lehre am Institut für Kommunikationsmanagement. So
auch in dieser Ausgabe.
Die Studierenden im zweiten Semester des Masterstudiengangs Management und Kommunikation hatten im Sommersemester 2021 die Aufgabe, eine prägnante These zum Change Management vor dem Hintergrund zunehmender digitaler Kollaboration in Organisationen zu entwickeln und im Plenum zu verteidigen. Heraus kamen
Thesen wie:
In der Praxis lässt sich digitale Kollaboration am ehesten über Interventionen der Unternehmenskultur herbeiführen!
Virtual Reality erhöht die Qualität von virtuellen Meetings!
Remote Work ist das Arbeitsmodell der Zukunft, braucht aber neue Führungsmodelle!
The benzodiazepine, midazolam, is one of the most frequently used sedatives in intensive care medicine, but it has an unfavorable pharmacokinetic profile when continuously applied. As a consequence, patients are frequently prolonged and more deeply sedated than intended. Due to its distinct pharmacological features, including a cytochrome P450-independent metabolization, intravenous lormetazepam might be clinically advantageous compared to midazolam. In this retrospective cohort study, we compared patients who received either intravenous lormetazepam or midazolam with respect to their survival and sedation characteristics. The cohort included 3314 mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients that received one of the two drugs in a tertiary medical center in Germany between 2006 and 2018. A Cox proportional hazards model with mortality as outcome and APACHE II, age, gender, and admission mode as covariates revealed a hazard ratio of 1.75 [95% CI 1.46–2.09; p < 0.001] for in-hospital mortality associated with the use of midazolam. After additionally adjusting for sedation intensity, the HR became 1.04 [95% CI 0.83–1.31; p = 0.97]. Thus, we concluded that excessive sedation occurs more frequently in critically ill patients treated with midazolam than in patients treated with lormetazepam. These findings require further investigation in prospective trials to assess if lormetazepam, due to its ability to maintain light sedation, might be favorable over other benzodiazepines for sedation in the ICU.
Background
Digital health technologies enable patients to make a personal contribution to the improvement of their health by enabling them to manage their health. In order to exploit the potential of digital health technologies, Internet-based networking between patients and health care providers is required. However, this networking and access to digital health technologies are less prevalent in sociodemographically deprived cohorts. The paper explores how the use of digital health technologies, which connect patients with health care providers and health insurers has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
The data from a German-based cross-sectional online study conducted between April 29 and May 8, 2020, were used for this purpose. A total of 1.570 participants were included in the study. Accordingly, the influence of sociodemographic determinants, subjective perceptions, and personal competencies will affect the use of online booking of medical appointments and medications, video consultations with providers, and the data transmission to health insurers via an app.
Results
The highest level of education (OR 1.806) and the presence of a chronic illness (OR 1.706) particularly increased the likelihood of using online booking. With regard to data transmission via an app to a health insurance company, the strongest increase in the probability of use was shown by belonging to the highest subjective social status (OR 1.757) and generation Y (OR 2.303). Furthermore, the results show that the higher the subjectively perceived restriction of the subjects' life situation was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher the relative probability of using online booking (OR 1.103) as well as data transmission via an app to a health insurance company (OR 1.113). In addition, higher digital literacy contributes to the use of online booking (OR 1.033) and data transmission via an app to the health insurer (OR 1.034).
Conclusions
Socially determined differences can be identified for the likelihood of using digital technologies in health care, which persist even under restrictive conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the results indicate a digital divide with regard to the technologies investigated in this study.
Red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the major spices consumed globally, recognized for its aroma and nutrient properties, and it has a major economic value for high producing countries. However, characterization of its techno-functional properties and in-depth understanding of oxidative stability is needed to produce food of high quality and stability. Thus, this work focused on the chemical, functional, thermal, oxidative stability and rheological properties of red pepper powder and paste. Experiment was designed in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) fashion. The red pepper powder contained 14.50 g/100 g, 44.00 g/100 g and 7.57 g/100 g of crude fat, crude fiber and ash, respectively. The concentration of total phenols, carotenoids and antioxidants activity of the powder were 1.04 g GAE/100 g, 374 mg βc/100 g and 38.61 μmol TE/g, respectively. Functional properties showed lower bulk density (395.1 kg/m3) and higher tapped density (583.4 kg/m3) indicating the higher compressibility of the powder. In contrast, Hausner ratio (1.48), Carr’s index (32%) and angle of repose (45°) indicated poor flowability of the powder. Particle size distribution also indicated that the volume weighted mean values D[4,3] of the powder and paste were 262.20 and 201.46, respectively. Emulsifying capacity of the powder was 47.5%. Oil and water absorption capacities varied from 1.41 to 1.73 and 0.86 to 2.29 g/g of initial weight, respectively. Higher glass transition temperature was observed for the powder (62.54°C) than the paste (45.64°C). The induction period indicated that red pepper was more stable against oxidation in powder (5.2 h) than in the paste form (3.2 h). Rheological analysis revealed that the paste exhibited shear-thinning behavior. Overall, understanding of the properties of red pepper could contribute to enhance quality.
Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for humans. They are often deficient in food supply due to low phytoavailable concentrations in soil. Agronomic biofortification of food
crops is one approach to overcome micronutrient malnutrition. This study focused on a pre-launch exploration of German consumers’ willingness to purchase selenium- and/or iodine-biofortified apples. For this purpose, an online survey was carried out. In this context, consumers were asked to choose their most preferred apple product from a set card of product alternatives in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The multinomial logit model results demonstrated that German consumers’ have a particular preference for iodine-biofortified apples. Furthermore, apple choice was mainly influenced by price, health claims, and plastic-free packaging material. Viewed individually, selenium did not exert an effect on product choice whereas positive interactions between both micronutrients exist.
High levels of meat consumption are increasingly being criticised for ethical, environmental, and social reasons. Plant-based meat substitutes have been with reservations identified as healthy sources of protein in comparison to meat. This alternative offers several social, environmental, and probably health benefits, and it may play a role in reducing meat consumption. However, there has been a lack of research on how specific meat substitute attributes can influence consumers to replace or partially replace meat in their diets. Research has demonstrated that, in many countries, consumers are highly attached to meat. They consider it to be an essential and integral element of their daily diet. For the consumers that are not interested in vegan or vegetarian alternatives to meat, so-called meathybrids could be a low-threshold option for a more sustainable food consumption behaviour. In meathybrids, only a fraction of the meat product (e.g., 20% to 50%) is replaced with plant-based proteins. In this paper, the results of an online survey with 500 German consumers are presented with a focus on preferences and attitudes relating to meathyrids. The results show that more than fifty percent of consumers substitute meat at least occasionally. Thus, approximately half of the respondents reveal an eligible consumption behaviour with respect to sustainability and healthiness to a certain degree. Regarding the determinants of choosing either meathybrid or meat, it becomes evident that the highest effect is exerted by the health perception. The healthier meathybrids are perceived, the higher is the choice probability. Thus, this egoistic motive seems to outperform altruistic motives, like animal welfare or environmental concerns, when it comes to choice for this new product category.
Preoperative medication use and development of postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction
(2021)
Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative (neuro-)cognitive disorder (POCD) are frequent and serious complications after operations. We aim to investigate the association between pre-operative polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications and the development of POD/POCD in elderly patients. This investigation is part of the European BioCog project (www.biocog.eu), a prospective multicenter observational study with elderly surgical patients. Patients with a Mini-Mental State Examination score less than or equal to 23 points were excluded. POD was assessed up to 7 days after surgery using the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale, Confusion Assessment Method (for the intensive care unit [ICU]), and a patient chart review. POCD was assessed 3 months after surgery with a neuropsychological test battery. Pre-operative long-term medication was evaluated in terms of polypharmacy (≥5 agents) and potentially inappropriate medication (defined by the PRISCUS and European list of potentially inappropriate medications [EU(7)-PIM] lists), and associations with POD and POCD were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Eight hundred thirty-seven participants were included for analysis of POD and 562 participants for POCD. Of these, 165 patients (19.7%) fulfilled the criteria of POD and 60 (10.7%) for POCD. After adjusting for confounders, pre-operative polypharmacy and intake of potentially inappropriate medications could not be shown to be associated with the development of POD nor POCD. We found no associations between pre-operative polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications and development of POD and POCD. Future studies should focus on the evaluation of drug interactions to determine whether patients benefit from a pre-operative adjustment.
Quantitative Umweltbewertungen sind von entscheidender Bedeutung, wenn es darum geht, effektiv auf nachhaltige Produktions- und Verbrauchsmuster hinzuarbeiten. In den letzten Jahrzehnten haben sich Lebenszyklusanalysen (LCA) als praktikables Mittel zur Messung der Umweltauswirkungen von Produkten entlang der Lieferkette etabliert. In Bezug auf Nutzer- und Konsummuster wurden jedoch methodische Schwächen festgestellt, und es wurden mehrere Versuche unternommen, Ökobilanzen entsprechend zu verbessern, beispielsweise durch Einbeziehung von Effekten höherer Ordnung und verhaltenswissenschaftlicher Unterstützung. In einer Diskussion solcher Ansätze zeigen wir, dass den Konzepten des Verbrauchs keine explizite Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt wurde, was häufig zu produktzentrierten Bewertungen führt. Wir führen Theorien sozialer Praktiken ein, um Konsummuster für LCA zugänglich zu machen. Soziale Praktiken sind routinierte Handlungen, die aus miteinander verbundenen Elementen (Materialien, Kompetenzen und Bedeutungen) bestehen, die sie als eine Einheit denkbar machen (z. B. Kochen). Da die meisten sozialen Praktiken eine Art von Verbrauch (Material, Energie, Luft) beinhalten, konnten wir einen Rahmen entwickeln, der soziale Praktiken mit der Ökobilanz verbindet. Der vorgeschlagene Rahmen bietet eine neue Perspektive für quantitative Umweltbewertungen, indem er den Schwerpunkt von Produkten oder Nutzern auf soziale Praktiken verlagert. Dementsprechend sehen wir die Chance darin, die reduktionistische Sichtweise zu überwinden, dass Menschen nur Nutzer von Produkten sind, und sie stattdessen als Praktiker in sozialen Praktiken zu sehen. Dieser Wandel könnte neue Methoden der interdisziplinären Konsumforschung ermöglichen, die beabsichtigte Sozialwissenschaften und wirkungsorientierte Bewertungen einbeziehen. Allerdings bedarf der Rahmen einer weiteren Überarbeitung und vor allem einer empirischen Validierung.
In this experimental work, the quasi static and fatigue properties of a 40 wt.% long carbon fiber reinforced partially aromatic polyamide (Grivory GCL-4H) were investigated. For this purpose, microstructural parameter variations in the form of different thicknesses and different removal directions from injectionmolded plates were evaluated. Mechanical properties decreased by increasing misalignment away from the melt flow direction. By changing the specimen thickness, no change in the general fiber distribution pattern transversal and normal to the axis of melt flow was observed. It has shown that with increasing specimen thickness the quasi static properties along the melt flow direction decreased and vice versa resulting in superior properties normal to the melt flow axis. At around 5 mm, an intersection suggests quasi-isotropic behavior. In addition, the fatigue strength of the material was significantly higher in the flow direction than normal to the flow direction. No change in fatigue life was observed while changing specimen thickness. The Basquin equation seems to describe the effect of stress amplitude on the fatigue strength of this composite. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate fracture surfaces of tested specimens. Results show that mechanical properties and morphological structures depend highly on fiber orientation.
Notable parts of the population in Europe suffer from allergies towards apples. To address this health problem, the analysis of the interactions of relevant allergens with other substances such as phenolic compounds is of particular importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between the total phenolic content (TPC), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, antioxidant activity (AOA), and the phenolic compound profile and the content of the allergenic protein Mal d 1 in six apple cultivars. It was found that the PPO activity and the content of individual phenolic compounds had an influence on the Mal d 1 content. With regard to the important constituents, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids, it was found that apples with a higher content of chlorogenic acid and a low content of procyanidin trimers and/or epicatechin had a lower allergenic potential. This is probably based on the reaction of phenolic compounds (when oxidized by the endogenous PPO) with proteins, thus being able to change the conformation of the (allergenic) proteins, which further corresponds to a loss of antibody recognition. When apples were additionally biofortified with selenium, the composition of the apples, with regard to TPC, phenolic profile, AOA, and PPO, was significantly affected. Consequently, this innovative agronomic practice seems to be promising for reducing the allergenic potential of apples.
Container-based lightweight buildings offer a high ecologic and economic potential when they are designed as nearly zero-energy container buildings (NZECBs). Thus, they are relevant to energy transition in achieving an almost climate-neutral building stock. This paper describes and applies design strategies for suitable building concepts and energy systems to be used in NZECBs for different climates. Therefore, different applications in representative climatic zones were selected. Initially, the global climate zones were characterized and analyzed with regard to their potential for self-sufficiency and renewable energies in buildings. The design strategies were further developed and demonstrated for three cases: a single-family house in Sweden, a multi-family house in Germany, and a small school building in rural Ethiopia. For each case, design guidelines were derived and building concepts were developed. On the basis of these input data, various energy concepts were developed in which solar and wind energy, as well as biomass, were integrated as renewable energy sources. All the concepts were simulated and analyzed with the Polysun® software. The various approaches were compared and evaluated, particularly with regard to energy self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency rates up to 80% were achieved. Finally, the influence of different climate zones on the energy efficiency of the single-family house was studied as well as the influence of the size of battery storage and insulation.
In recent years, various studies have highlighted the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) for our society. For example, AI solutions can help reduce pollution, waste, or carbon footprints. On the other hand, there are also risks associated with the use of AI, such as increasing inequality in society or high resource consumption for computing power. This paper explores the question how corporate culture influences the use of artificial intelligence in terms of sustainable development. This type of use includes a normative element and is referred to in the paper as sustainable artificial intelligence (SAI). Based on a bibliometric literature analysis, we identify features of a sustainability-oriented corporate culture. We offer six propositions examining the influence of specific manifestations on the handling of AI in the sense of SAI. Thus, if companies want to ensure that SAI is realized, corporate culture appears as an important indicator and influencing factor at the same time.
Ziel des Beitrags ist die Identifikation von Problemen, Meta-Anforderungen und Designprinzipien für den Einsatz von Mixed und Virtual Reality Brillen zur Unterstützung nicht-ärztlichen Fachpersonals bei zahnmedizinischen Hausbesuchen. Im Rahmen von zwei Gruppendiskussionen und einem Experteninterview wurden zunächst mögliche Einsatzszenarien identifiziert. Anschließend wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche in den Datenbanken CINAHL, Business Source Premier und MEDLINE durchgeführt. In der gefundenen Literatur konnten 14 Probleme bei der Anwendung von Mixed und Virtual Reality Brillen identifiziert werden. Darauf basierend wurden 14 Meta-Anforderungen abgeleitet und in fünf Designprinzipien zusammengefasst. Abschließend wurden die Ergebnisse mit den Spezifikationen der Microsoft HoloLens 2 abgeglichen, um eine Eignung für die Unterstützung der geplanten Hausbesuche festzustellen. Zudem wurde ein Umsetzungskonzept skizziert. Die Ergebnisse dienen als wichtige Empfehlungen für die praxisnahe Umsetzung zukünftiger Konzepte bezüglich der Anwendung von Mixed und Virtual Reality Brillen im (zahn-)medizinischen Kontext. Die Literaturrecherche zeigt eine Forschungslücke im Bereich zahnmedizinischer Hausbesuche auf. Die Ergebnisse dieses Beitrags schaffen daher eine solide Basis für die zukünftige Forschung.
Guided by cultural labor economics, the paper analyzes the career paths of former actors from popular television soap operas, and addresses in particular, if and under which conditions such serial engagements may function as a stepping stone for a subsequent professional acting career. A novel database of 396 German artists with detailed and long-term biographical information is used for the quantitative empirical analyses. The results indicate that soaps, contrary to popular opinion, function as a stepping stone, especially for younger actors. However, soap engagements should be rather short but long enough to allow artists to play multiple roles in other shows or films besides being in the cast of a soap. While formal acting education does not influence soap actors’ future filmographies, there is evidence that it helps artists to find jobs in arts-related occupations such as voice acting. Finally, publicity and media presence foster a later acting career. Practical implications for artists and their managers are outlined, along with a discussion on the meaning of serials for the creation and commercialization of stars.
Objective:
The cervical mucus plugs are enriched with proteins of known immunological functions. We aimed to characterize the anti-HIV-1 activity of the cervical mucus plugs against a panel of different HIV-1 strains in the contexts of cell-free and cell-associated virus.
Design:
A cohort of consenting HIV-1-negative and HIV-1-positive pregnant women in labour was recruited from Mthatha General Hospital in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, from whom the cervical mucus plugs were collected in 6 M guanidinium chloride with protease inhibitors and transported to our laboratories at −80 °C.
Methods:
Samples were centrifuged to remove insoluble material and dialysed before freeze--drying and subjecting them to the cell viability assays. The antiviral activities of the samples were studied using luminometric reporter assays and flow cytometry. Time-of-addition and BlaM-Vpr virus-cell fusion assays were used to pin-point the antiviral mechanisms of the cervical mucus plugs, before proteomic profiling using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
Results:
The proteinaceous fraction of the cervical mucus plugs exhibited anti-HIV-1 activity with inter-individual variations and some degree of specificity among different HIV-1 strains. Cell-associated HIV-1 was less susceptible to inhibition by the potent samples whenever compared with the cell-free HIV-1. The samples with high antiviral potency exhibited a distinct proteomic profile when compared with the less potent samples.
Conclusion:
The crude cervical mucus plugs exhibit anti-HIV-1 activity, which is defined by a specific proteomic profile.
Der Konsumbereich „Ernährung“ verantwortet in Deutschland rund 15 % der Treibhausgasemissionen (THG). Aufgrund der hohen Nachfrage hat die Außer-Haus-Verpflegung eine starke Hebelwirkung, um eine klimaeffiziente Ernährung voranzutreiben – so auch Schulküchen. Aktuell sind der Verpflegung jedes Schulkindes, welches ganzjährig an der Mittagsverpflegung teilnimmt, pro Jahr etwa 264 kg THG-Emissionen zuzuschreiben.
Im Projekt KEEKS „Klima- und energieeffiziente Küche in Schulen” wurden deshalb in 22 Schulküchen von Ganztagsschulen mit täglich insgesamt 5 000 Mittagessen der Status Quo ermittelt. Dies geschah mittels Energiemessungen, Analyse von Ausstattung, Technik und Prozessen der Küchen sowie leitfadengestützten Interviews mit den Küchenleitungen. Treibhausgasemissionen von Menüs und Küchenprozessen wurden bilanziert, Einsparpotenziale identifiziert sowie Handlungsempfehlungen entwickelt und erprobt. Die effektivsten Maßnahmen – die Reduktion und Substitution von Fleisch und Fleischprodukten sowie der Aufbau eines effizienten Abfallmanagements – sparen rund 10 % des Treibhausgasausstoßes einer Schulküche ein. Die erarbeiteten Handlungsempfehlungen können Küchenpersonal dabei unterstützen, eine klimafreundliche, kindgerechte, gesunde und bezahlbare Schulküche zu gestalten.
Background:
Large health organizations often struggle to build complex health information technology (HIT) solutions and are faced with ever-growing pressure to continuously innovate their information systems. Limited research has been conducted that explores the relationship between organizations’ innovative capabilities and HIT quality in the sense of achieving high-quality support for patient care processes.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to explain how core constructs of organizational innovation capabilities are linked to HIT quality based on a conceptual sociotechnical model on innovation and quality of HIT, called the IQHIT model, to help determine how better information provision in health organizations can be achieved.
Methods:
We designed a survey to assess various domains of HIT quality, innovation capabilities of health organizations, and context variables and administered it to hospital chief information officers across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Data from 232 hospitals were used to empirically fit the model using partial least squares structural equation modeling to reveal associations and mediating and moderating effects.
Results:
The resulting empirical IQHIT model reveals several associations between the analyzed constructs, which can be summarized in 2 main insights. First, it illustrates the linkage between the constructs measuring HIT quality by showing that the professionalism of information management explains the degree of HIT workflow support (R²=0.56), which in turn explains the perceived HIT quality (R²=0.53). Second, the model shows that HIT quality was positively influenced by innovation capabilities related to the top management team, the information technology department, and the organization at large. The assessment of the model’s statistical quality criteria indicated valid model specifications, including sufficient convergent and discriminant validity for measuring the latent constructs that underlie the measures of HIT quality and innovation capabilities.
Conclusions:
The proposed sociotechnical IQHIT model points to the key role of professional information management for HIT workflow support in patient care and perceived HIT quality from the viewpoint of hospital chief information officers. Furthermore, it highlights that organizational innovation capabilities, particularly with respect to the top management team, facilitate HIT quality and suggests that health organizations establish this link by applying professional information management practices. The model may serve to stimulate further scientific work in the field of HIT adoption and diffusion and to provide practical guidance to managers, policy makers, and educators on how to achieve better patient care using HIT.
Objective:
To understand the meaning of entrepreneurial nursing care as inducer of healthy practices in vulnerable communities.
Method:
Grounded theory, whose data collection took place between March and December 2019, from interviews with 19 participants from the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and comparative data analysis.
Results:
The phenomenon was delimited: Experiencing small/big transformations in the invisibility of everyday life in promoting healthy practices in vulnerable communities. Conducted by the paradigmatic model, the categories were named based on the components: Condition: Making choices and negotiating non-negotiable exchanges; Action/interaction: Motivating oneself to maintain basic human needs; Consequence: Broadening perspectives and transcending personal and collective boundaries.
Conclusion:
Entrepreneurial nursing care as inducer of healthy practices in vulnerable communities is not reduced to a scientific theory or to the linear and decontextualized apprehension of healthy living, but extends to reach small/big transformations that occur in the invisibility of everyday life.
Objective: To understand the meaning of the Learning Incubator as a teaching and learning technology in the nursing area.
Method: Qualitative research, supported by grounded theory. Data was collected from March to November 2019, through interviews with guiding questions and hypotheses directed at two different groups. The analysis was done by comparative data analysis and included open, axial and integrated coding, as proposed by the method. The theoretical sample included 23 participants, which were nurses, technicians, and nursing students.
Results: The delimitation of the categories converged in the phenomenon (Re)signifying knowledge and practices in the Learning Incubator. Guided by the paradigmatic model, the categories were named according to the three following components: Condition: Recognizing that the being and the professional practice are inextricable; Action/interaction: Revisiting professional practices that are repetitive and mechanic; Consequence: Referring to the reflections and knowledge constructed in the Learning Incubator.
Conclusion: The Learning Incubator, as seen by the study participants, is not limited to the Incubator meetings or the themes addressed in it. Beyond a welcoming physical space, the Incubator expands itself and becomes a tool that promotes self-reflection and self-assessment of professional behaviors and attitudes.
Die steigenden Anforderungen im Wettbewerb, die Zahl der Innovationen und die digitale Transformation haben in den letzten Jahren zu einem komplexeren, dynamischeren und unsichereren Unternehmensumfeld - Stichwort VUKA-Welt (Steinberg & Pfarr, 2019) - geführt, welches die zunehmende Herausforderung von ständigen Veränderungsprozessen in Unternehmen mit sich gebracht hat (Steinberg & Pfarr, 2019; Buchholz & Knorre, 2019; Güttel & Link, 2014). Durch diesen Zusammenhang wurde auch eine steigende Anzahl an virtuellen Teams bedingt (Ozga & Stelmaszvzyk, 2016; de Pillis & Furumo, 2007). Diverse Gründe wie z.B. der Fachkräftemangel oder eine mögliche Kostenreduktion durch weniger Reisen (Levasseur, 2012) führen dazu, dass virtuelle Teams für Unternehmen auch in Zukunft immer attraktiver werden (Nydegger & Nydegger, 2010; Levasseur, 2012). Auch wenn die Forschungsbeiträge von Lewin schon älter sind, sind sie immer noch von wesentlicher Bedeutung in der Organisationsentwicklung und verfolgen einen langfristigen ganzheitlichen Ansatz der Veränderung (Bergmann & Garrecht, 2016). In der Praxis wird daher oftmals noch von geplantem Wandel ausgegangen (Opoku, 2016) und viele neuere Ansätze beruhen auf seinen Überlegungen (Burnes, 2017). So stellen modernere Phasenmodelle des Change Managements nicht selten eine differenziertere Weiterentwicklung des 3-Phasen-Modells nach Lewin dar, wie beispielsweise das 8-Phasen-Modell nach John P. Kotter oder Thomas Lauers Modell der „Erfolgsfaktoren im Change Management" (Burnes, 2017; Mast, 2020; Lauer, 2019).
Mensch-Maschine-Kollaborationen bieten für Unternehmen und ihre Beschäftigten große Potentiale – ob durch verbesserte Arbeitsabläufe und Entlastungen oder digitale Geschäftsmodellinnovationen. Gleichzeitig müssen der Wandel in den Unternehmen gemeinsam gestaltet und die Herausforderungen beim Einsatz von Maschinen und Menschen gelöst werden. Nur so lassen sich Herausforderungen und negative Begleiterscheinungen beim Einsatz von Mensch-Maschine-Kollaborationen bewältigen. Insgesamt geht es dabei um die Gestaltung eines neuen Verhältnisses zwischen Mensch und Maschine, in dem Mensch und KI-System produktiv zusammenwirken und die jeweiligen Stärken betont werden. Das Change Management ist ein entscheidender Faktor für die erfolgreiche Einführung sowie für die menschengerechte Gestaltung des Einsatzes von Mensch-Maschine-Kollaborationen in den Unternehmen. Ein gutes Change Management fördert zudem die Akzeptanz für KI-Systeme bei den Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern, sodass die Potentiale der neuen Technologien für alle Beteiligten gemeinsam genutzt, weitere Innovationsschritte erleichtert und sowohl die Beschäftigten als auch ihre Interessenvertretungen zu Gestaltern des technologischen Wandels gemacht werden können (Stowasser & Suchy, 2020). Die schnell voranschreitende und sich stetig weiterentwickelnde digitale Transformation verändert Märkte und Wertschöpfungsketten, in denen kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen agieren. Digitale Technologien sind Treiber innovativer Geschäftsmodelle, die neue marktfähige Produkte und Dienstleistungen ermöglichen und Unternehmen so zu mehr nationaler und internationaler Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, nachhaltigem Wachstum und wirtschaftlichem Erfolg verhelfen können. Auf dieser Grundlage wird ein Umsatz von 554,3 Milliarden US-Dollar weltweit im Jahr 2024 für den Bereich Künstliche Intelligenz prognostiziert.– (IDC, 2021; Mittelstand 4.0, 2021).
Sprache und organisationaler Wandel sind untrennbar miteinander verbunden. Dieser Beitrag folgt dem Ziel, sich dieser Annahme aus verschiedenen Perspektiven zu nähern und die entsprechenden Forschungsfelder zu skizzieren. Eine Grundlage für die folgenden Erkenntnisse stellt der Beitrag “Speaking of change: three communication approaches in studies of organizational change” von Johansson und Heide (2008), erschienen in “Corporate Communications: An International Journal”, dar. Die Forschung von Johansson und Heide stützt sich auf eine qualitative Literaturrecherche, um bestehende Werke in einen übergeordneten Kontext einzuordnen. In der Studie klassifizieren die Autoren verschiedene Herangehensweisen, die Sprache und organisationale Veränderungen behandeln.
Social networking technologies such as social media, crowd concepts, or gamification represent key resources for the integration of customers, value network partners, and the community into sustainable business models. However, there is a lack of understanding of how sustainable enterprises apply such technologies. To close this gap, we propose a taxonomy of design options for social networking technologies in sustainable business models. Our taxonomy comprises eight dimensions that deal with relevant questions of the design of social networking technologies. When creating our taxonomy, we built on existing literature and use cases and involved experienced practitioners in the field of sustainable business models for the validation of our taxonomy. In this way, our study contributes to knowledge on the use of social networking technologies in sustainable business models and how such technologies influence the boundaries of sustainable business models. Likewise, we provide practical insights into the use of social networking technologies in sustainable business models.
Der vorliegende Beitrag thematisiert die Bedeutung von Veränderungskommunikation bei der Implementierung eines digitalen Tools zur Kollaboration im Bereich des Customer Relationship Managements. Aus der Unternehmensperspektive eines Digitaldienstleisters wurde betrachtet, welche Rolle das Change Management in Kundenprojekten einnimmt und auf welche Aspekte hinsichtlich Emotionen, Widerständen und Lernverhalten beim Einsatz der Veränderungskommunikation geachtet werden sollte. Dazu sind im Rahmen einer qualitativen Erhebung elf problemzentrierte Experteninterviews mit Mitarbeitenden des Unternehmens und externen Sachkundigen durchgeführt worden. Im Fokus der halbstandardisierten Leitfadeninterviews standen die persönlichen Erfahrungen der Befragten mit der durch ein Digitalprojekt erzeugten Veränderungssituation. Als Ergebnis entstanden, aus der Kombination von theoretischen Grundlagen und Erkenntnissen aus der empirischen Untersuchung, Implikationen für die Praxis. Der Ausblick zeigt weiterführenden Forschungsbedarf im Bereich der Veränderungskommunikation beim Einsatz von Digitalisierungsprojekten auf.
The current study presents a new class of functional derivatives (1–3) consisting of a dicationic viologen (4,4’-bipyridinium unit) (V21) capped by nucleobases thymine (NB1), adenine (NB2), thymine/adenine (NB1, NB2), and ion-paired with amphiphilic anion 3,4,5-tris(dodecyloxy)benzene sulfonate (DOBS-). The target of our work focuses on the design and synthesis of molecular building blocks in which three different functionalities are combined: chromophore (V21 unit), molecular recognition (NB unit), and thermotropic liquid crystal (DOBS unit). The resulted materials exhibit liquid crystalline properties at ambient temperature with significant particularities-induced by nucleobases in the mesogen structure. Structure–properties relationship study focuses on providing knowledge about (1) how the thermotropic, redox properties, thermochromism, or ionic conductive properties are influenced by the presence of purinic or pyrimidinic nucleobases, and (2) how effective is their ability to selfassembly by hydrogen bonding in nonpolar solvents. The presence of nucleobases has been proved to have a substantial impact on electron transfer rate during the reduction of viologen moieties by intermolecular aggregation. Ionic conductivity and thermochromic properties of derivatives 1–3 were investigated and compared to a non-containing nucleobase analog methyl viologen with 3,4,5 tris(dodecyloxy)benzene sulfonate anion (MV) as reference.
Gedruckte Mitarbeiterzeitungen und Mitarbeitermagazine tauchen heutzutage immer weniger im Medien-Mix der internen Kommunikation auf. Die digitale Transformation hat Einzug in die Unternehmenskommunikation gehalten und löst einen Wandel der Funktionen von Printmedien in der internen Kommunikation aus. Das Ziel der dieses Aufsatzes zugrunde liegende Masterarbeit war es herauszufinden, inwieweit sich die Anforderungen an das Printmedium Mitarbeiterzeitung im Kontext der digitalen Transformation verändert haben. Dazu wird folgende Forschungsfrage gestellt: Wie haben sich Anforderungen an das Printmedium Mitarbeiterzeitung in der internen Kommunikation im Kontext der digitalen Transformation verändert? Diese wird anhand einer Analyse theoretischer Texte und quantitativer Studien sowie mit Hilfe von qualitativen Experteninterviews untersucht. Die qualitativen Interviews werden anhand eines Leitfadens durchgeführt und anschließend mit den Erkenntnissen aus Theorie und Praxis verglichen.
So werden insgesamt zahlreiche Publikationen, zehn quantitative Studien und elf Experteninterviews herangezogen, um die Forschungsfrage zu beantworten. Der Vergleich aller Daten hat ergeben, dass sich die Anforderungen an die gedruckte Mitarbeiterzeitung insofern verändert haben, als dass die Redaktion sich verstärkt auf das Kontextualisieren von bereits kommunizierten Nachrichten konzentrieren muss, um der Belegschaft somit eine holistische Kommunikationserfahrung zu ermöglichen. Weiterführende Forschung könnte sich mit noch nicht entdeckten Weiterentwicklungsmöglichkeiten explizit gedruckter Kommunikation beschäftigten.
Der vorliegende Beitrag kombiniert die Frame-Semantik mit der identitätsbasierten Markenführung, welcher in der Markenführung als populärer Ansatz gilt und eine widerspruchsfreie und konsistente Markenidentität anstrebt. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt, welche Rolle die Frame-Semantik für die Kommunikation einer widerspruchsfreien Markenidentität spielt.
Zur Untersuchung der Fragestellung wurden die Markenclaims und Unternehmenswebseiten dreier Telekommunikationsanbieter herangezogen. Im Rahmen einer Bachelorarbeit wurden die Markenclaims mittels einer framesemantischen Analyse nach Ziem (2008) analysiert, während die Unternehmenswebseiten aus forschungspragmatischen Gründen inhaltlich untersucht wurden. Aus dem Vergleich dieser konnten bei zwei der drei Unternehmen Abweichungen zwischen den Merkmalen der Markenidentität identifiziert werden, welche als Anzeichen auf strategische Fehlkonzeptionen gedeutet werden können. Folglich lässt sich für die Praxis ableiten, dass die Frame-Semantik von hoher Relevanz für die konsistente Kommunikation einer Markenidentität ist. Kognitive Frames, die angesichts sprachlicher Bedeutungen beim Rezipienten Welt- und Hintergrundwissen hervorrufen, sollten somit Berücksichtigung finden.
The study addresses staffing and workforce issues for home‐ and community‐based long‐term care in Germany. It is based on a study aimed at developing staffing recommendations for home‐care provider organisations. The study was commissioned within the regulation of the German long‐term care act. Following an exploratory literature search on staffing issues in home‐ and community‐based care qualitative interviews with 30 experts in home care were conducted. In addition, time needed for different interventions in homes of people in need of care (n = 129) was measured. Ethical approval for the study was obtained. The literature on the topic is limited. In Germany, no fixed staff‐to‐client ratio exists, but staffing is determined primarily by reimbursement policies, not by care recipients’ needs. The results of the interviews indicated that staffing ratios are not the main concern of home‐care providers. Experts stressed that general availability of staff with different qualification levels and the problems of existing regulation on services and their reimbursement are of higher concern. The measurement of time needed for selected interventions reveals the huge heterogeneity of home‐care service delivery and the difficulty of using a task‐based approach to determine staffing levels. Overall, the study shows that currently demand for home‐care exceeds supply. Staff shortage puts a risk to home care in Germany. Existing approaches of reimbursement‐driven determination of staffing levels have not been sufficient. A new balance between staffing, needs and reimbursement policies needs to be developed.
Die Analyse der kommunalen Planungspraxis zur Auswahl und Bewertung von Siedlungsflächen in der Flächennutzungsplanung zeigt auf, welchen Einfluss Forschungsergebnisse auf die aktuelle Planungspraxis haben. Aufbauend auf einer Analyse des Forschungsstandes und der rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen wird die Bewertung von Siedlungsflächen in 29 verschiedenen Flächennutzungsplänen untersucht. Als Ergebnis wurde ermittelt, dass in der Planungspraxis die Anzahl der Bewertungskriterien und die Komplexität der Bewertung in den letzten Jahren stark zugenommen hat. Außerdem kann gezeigt werden, dass und wie stark sich die Planungsmethodik und die verwendeten Kriterien zur Auswahl und Bewertung von Siedlungsflächen zwischen den einzelnen Gemeinden unterscheiden. Trotz umfangreicher anwendungsorientierter Forschung seit den 1990er Jahren zur Bewertung und Auswahl von Siedlungsflächen lassen sich jedoch nur indirekte Einflüsse der Forschungsergebnisse auf die Planungspraxis identifizieren. Teilweise wurde allerdings festgestellt, dass auch von den Gemeinden selbst neue Kriterien und Vorgehensweisen entwickelt werden.
Der vorliegende Aufsatz beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, inwiefern die Corona-Pandemie die interne Kommunikation in Unternehmen verändert. Hierfür wurden im Rahmen einer Masterarbeit zehn Leitfadeninterviews mit ExpertInnen der internen Kommunikation geführt und diese anhand einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Darauf aufbauend wurden theoretisch wie empirisch fundierte Handlungsempfehlungen entwickelt. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung zeigen, dass es im Verlauf der Pandemie zu Veränderungen der internen Kommunikation gekommen ist. Besonders auffallend waren der empfundene Bedeutungsgewinn der internen Kommunikation. Im „New Normal“ hat die Führungskommunikation an Relevanz gewonnen, während eine Kommunikation von internen BotschafterInnen kaum mehr stattfand. Des Weiteren war das „New Normal“ geprägt von Corona bezogenen Themen und – in den meisten Fällen – einer Abwechslung aus einer ernsten Tonalität und einer persönlicheren Ansprache. Digitale Kommunikationskanäle haben zudem nochmals Aufwind erhalten. Hinsichtlich der Bezugsgruppen der internen Kommunikation ließen sich weniger deutliche Veränderungen im „New Normal“ wahrnehmen. Es wurden bei der Mehrzahl der Unternehmen weder spezifische Segmentierungskriterien angewendet noch war ein eindeutiger Professionalisierungsschub für die Führungskräftekommunikation auszumachen. Auch die Erreichbarkeit der Mitarbeitenden war nach wie vor herausfordernd. Auf Basis der Forschungserkenntnisse lässt sich somit festhalten, dass die Corona-Pandemie zu einem „New Normal" der internen Kommunikation geführt hat. Die daraus resultierenden Potenziale, wie beispielsweise Möglichkeiten zur Kanalweiterentwicklung und zur Rollen- und Aufgabenausgestaltung der internen Kommunikation, sollten auf dem Weg „Back to Business“ gezielt gehoben werden.