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The current dropout rate in physics studies in Germany is about 60%, with the majority of dropouts occurring in the first year. Consequently, the physics study entry phase poses a significant challenge for many students. Students' stress perceptions can provide more profound insights into the processes and challenges during that period. In a panel study featuring 67 measuring points involving up to 128 participants at each point, we investigated students' stress perceptions with the perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ), identified underlying sources of stress, and assessed self-estimated workloads across two different cohorts. This examination occurred almost every week during the first semester, and for one cohort also in the second semester, yielding a total of 3241 PSQ data points and 5823 stressors. The PSQ data indicate a consistent stress trajectory across all three groups studied that is characterized by significant dynamics between measuring points, spanning from M=20.1, S?D=15.9 to M=63.6, S?D=13.4 on a scale from 0 to 100. Stress levels rise in the first weeks of the lecture, followed by stable, elevated stress levels until the exams and a relaxation phase afterward during the lecture-free time and Christmas vacation. In the first half of the lecture period, students primarily indicated the weekly exercise sheets, the physics lab course, and math courses as stressors; later on, preparation for exams and the exams themselves emerged as the most important stressors. Together with the students' self-estimated workloads that correlate with the PSQ scores, we can create a coherent picture of stress perceptions among first-year physics students, which builds the basis for supportive measures and interventions.

Through civic education and social interactions at school, students are able to develop more or less political knowledge and trust in political institutions. Both precede intended electoral participation. However, it is disputed whether the relationship between political knowledge, trust, and intended participation is consistent across countries. We analyze data from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2016 that consist of representative subsamples for 14-year-old students (N = 14,567) in Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, and Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). A structural equation model approach reveals that both political knowledge and trust in political institutions contribute to explaining variation in adolescents' intended electoral participation. The effect of political knowledge is partly mediated by trust, which in turn is negatively associated with political knowledge in Bulgaria and Croatia and positively in Denmark and Germany (NRW). These results are discussed in the light of country-specific differences in the political context of civic education.

Purpose: This paper aims to analyse the data regarding the national identification and sense of belonging of secondary school students with and without immigration backgrounds collected through the International Civic and Citizenship Study 2016. It also assesses whether the research instruments used are suitable for the German context. Method: Likert scale items measured national identification. Acculturation theory based categories were employed to measure the sense of belonging. Differences between students across and within countries were assessed using t tests. Findings: Students with immigration backgrounds tend to present statistically lower scores for the scale 'attitudes toward country of residence' in 20 of 24 participating countries. In international comparison, German students with and without immigration backgrounds score relatively low on all five items of the scale. Despite achieving significantly lower scores for national identification, 90% of students in Germany with immigration backgrounds feel a sense of belonging to Germany.

The working environment of future university graduates is characterized by highly dynamic and complex product development processes. In addition to disciplinary competence, it is essential to build up methodical and social competence as well as to foster the elaboration and creativity potential of students. In order to meet industrial requirements the Karlsruhe Education Model for Product Development (KaLeP) was implemented. One element of this holistic education model is a design methods internship called ProVIL - Product Development in a Virtual Idea Laboratory. The above mentioned integrated understanding of product development and the competences derived from it are successfully taught in the case-based action learning environment ProVIL. Additionally, the very important aspect of multidisciplinary product development in site-distributed teams is taken into account and generates an added value to the progression of the KaLeP. In this work the authors present the dimensions of competence which should be aimed for a holistic teaching approach for the interdisciplinary student courses in ProVIL. An example illustrates how a continuous alignment and the necessary adaption of competences of student project teams can be achieved within ProVIL.

This study compares the financial knowledge of Korean (N = 1006) and German (N = 1346) university students. The country-specific adaptations of the US-American Test of Financial Literacy was used to assess financial knowledge. Financial knowledge can be divided into three areas (everyday money management; banking; insurance). German students show a slightly higher knowledge of everyday money management and insurance. Korean students tend to be stronger in the area banking. The paper examines the impact of gender on financial knowledge and the role of financial information gathering. A gender difference is determined in Germany, but not in Korea. Male students in Germany score higher than female students. An analysis of variance shows that Korean as well as German students who inform themselves more frequently about financial topics achieve a higher financial knowledge score. The article shows that it is possible to validly measure financial knowledge in Germany and Korea, which have different economic systems.

This article describes a new competence-oriented teaching rationale for a science course, developed in Germany through close cooperation between teachers and researchers, that seeks to improve scientific literacy at upper-level secondary school (ages 15-17). Its aim is to help students become independent and competent experimenters by combining scientific inquiry and the principles of self-determination theory to create a learning environment that can promote students' interest, motivation and learning. Consequently, the course concept includes a gradual increase in the degree of experimental self-regulation (stairway to competence). First findings on the effectiveness of the course are presented.

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This article examines how some schools with ethnically diverse student populations are teaching "about," "for," and "through" human rights. The author conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a multi-site study, which included secondary schools serving students from immigrant backgrounds in four countries: Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (England and Scotland). The author found that schools taught "about" the history of human rights, rights in terms of national constitutions, and violations of human rights in the Global South; she observed fewer examples of human rights discourse addressing national and local issues. Across schools, students experienced respect of their human rights, "through" voicing their opinions and contributing to school-level decisions primarily on school councils. Some students developed knowledge, skills, and dispositions "for" exercising their rights and respecting others' rights as they deliberated issues and took civic action locally and globally.

This study explores how globalization, migration, and citizenship education intersect in four northwest European democracies. In this study of secondary schools serving students from immigrant backgrounds in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom (England and Scotland), I interviewed teachers and students and observed civic-related lessons. Using a socio-cultural, ecological theory of civic education in an era of transnationalism and attending to the historical and socio-cultural contexts in the four countries, I focused on transnational students and the content and teaching methods prevalent in their social studies classes, as well as whole school civic practices. I found transnational student identities were complex, fluid, and situational, and the students frequently communicated across national borders with relatives in their heritage countries and worldwide diasporic communities. Teachers and schools approached civic education in ways that reflected national pedagogical cultures; yet, across countries, teachers identified similar opportunities and challenges in preparing transnational youth for participatory democratic citizenship.

In times of climate change, worldwide diseases, and the question of sustainable energy, scientific literacy has never been more important. The acquisition of scientific literacy starts in early childhood and depends on children's experiences in learning environments such as the parental home and kindergarten. The Starting Cohort 2 of the German National Educational Panel Study offers longitudinal data on the scientific literacy of 2,937 children from kindergarten to the third grade of primary school. We used linear latent growth curve models to analyse the data. The results show that the scientific literacy of kindergarten children grew over time and that kindergarten children already differed in their scientific literacy. Especially children from non-German-speaking homes or whose parents had lower levels of education or who came from homes with low cultural capital had a significantly lower level of scientific literacy in kindergarten. A scientific focus in kindergarten, on the other hand, had a positive effect on the scientific literacy of kindergarten children. Moreover, our study did not reveal any interindividual differences in the growth of scientific literacy over time. Thus, our study did not find any evidence to indicate that school had closed the initial gap in children's scientific literacy.

Background/Objectives: Long hospitalisation has been recognized as an independent risk factor for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants. Systematic training and early inclusion of parents in their preterm infant's care is a strategy to shorten the length of hospital stay. We implemented an enhanced stepwise family-centred care program and assessed its effects on postmenstrual age (PMA) at discharge and parental satisfaction. Methods: This prospective single-centre longitudinal cohort study was carried out in a German level III neonatal unit from October 2020 to May 2023. Five consecutive 6-month cohorts (1 baseline and 4 intervention cohorts, 169 infants and their caregivers) were analysed. Results: Mean PMA at discharge did not change in the total cohort but declined significantly in patients without neonatal morbidities from baseline to cohort 4 (37.2 ± 1.4 to 36.1 ± 1.6 weeks; p = 0.036). Concomitantly, discharge with tube feeding raised from 2.4% to 74.1% (p < 0.001) and discharge with home monitoring raised from 9.8% to 74.1% (p < 0.001), while unplanned readmissions remained unchanged (p = 0.44). Parental satisfaction with time point of discharge increased non-significantly from baseline to cohort 4 (75.8% vs. 95.7%; Chi2 0.22). Conclusions: Discharge of preterm infants at a significantly lower PMA is feasible through enhancement of family-centred care and is very well accepted by parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malnutrition and poor weight gain has been reported in infants with congenital heart defects (CHDs); however data in older children with CHDs are limited. In order to obtain representative data on the nutritional status, dietary behavior, and potential influencing factors in school-aged children with CHDs, we performed a nationwide online survey. Methods: Patients aged 6 to 17 years registered in the German National Register for CHDs were asked to participate in this study by completing the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) eating study questionnaire in order to assess their self-reported dietary habits. The use of the same questionnaire enabled a comparison with a representative subset of 4569 participants of the KiGGS study. Results: A total of 894 patients (mean age 12.5 ± 3.0 years; 47.2% female) were enrolled. Patients were allocated according to anatomic complexity into simple (23.8%), moderate (37.8%), and complex CHDs (38.4%). The consumption of sugar-containing food (p < 0.001) and fast food (p < 0.05) was significantly lower among the CHD patients than in the healthy children. Children with CHDs showed significantly lower body mass index (BMI) percentiles (p < 0.001) compared with their healthy peers, while children with complex and moderate CHDs had the lowest BMI. While in CHD patients, the BMI percentiles were not related to unhealthy food, there was a strong correlation with the CHD severity and number of previous interventions (p < 0.01). Conclusions: According to this nationwide survey, school-aged children with complex CHD are at risk of undernutrition, which is not due to dietary habits but to CHD severity and repeated surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This research analyzed complications during the first pregnancy after breast cancer based on health data in Germany between 2010 and 2020. This study compared pregnancies of 74 women with breast cancer and 222 healthy controls and found no increased risks of preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and cesarean section to women after breast cancer. But the analyses revealed worse outcomes with a higher risk for small babies, if delivery was in less than 2 years after breast cancer diagnosis. Background/Objectives: Breast cancer may negatively affect later pregnancy and childbirth. We aimed to analyze the impact of previous breast cancer on obstetric outcomes in postdiagnosis pregnancies. Methods: Insurance claims data in Southern Germany were used to identify breast cancer (BC) survivors with at least one subsequent delivery after cancer diagnosis between 2010 and 2020. In total, 74 BC survivors were compared to 222 age-matched controls with frequency matching on their age at their postdiagnosis delivery. Results: Endocrine therapy was associated with a significantly lower probability of birth compared to BC survivors without endocrine therapy (HR 0.36; 95% CI 0.18–0.53; p < 0.0001). The risks of preterm birth, low birth weight (LBW), gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and cesarean section were not significantly increased among BC survivors compared to healthy controls. BC survivors were at an increased risk for a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetus (OR 3.24; 95% CI 1.17–8.97, p = 0.03). Delivery in less than 2 years after diagnosis increased the risk for SGA (OR 5.73; 95% CI 1.37–24.02, p = 0.03) and LBW (OR 4.57; 95% CI 1.32–15.87, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Our findings are encouraging regarding the risks of preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and cesarean section to women who consider pregnancy after BC. Delivery in less than 2 years after diagnosis was associated with an increased risk for SGA and LBW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of cancer survivors has increased in recent decades, and the majority of them suffer from sequelae of their disease and treatment. This study, which is part of the larger research project OPTILATER, aims to explore different aspects of care services for long-term survivors (≥ 5 years after initial cancer diagnosis) in Germany. The study places an emphasis on the situation of people from different age groups, with different socio-demographic and cultural backgrounds, and sexually and gender diverse individuals. Methods: To investigate experiences related to follow-up care, focus groups (n = 2) will be conducted with members of patient advisory councils and advocacy groups, representatives of communities, healthcare workers and networks, as well as members of Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. Guided interviews will be carried out with patients and relatives (n = 40) to investigate needs, barriers and obstacles in terms of follow-up care. On this basis, additional focus groups (n = 2) will be carried out to derive possible scenarios for improving the consideration of needs. Focus groups and interviews will follow a semi-structured format and will be analysed content-analytically. Focus groups and interviews will be conducted online, recorded, transcribed, and analysed independently by two persons. Discussion: The qualitative approach is considered suitable because of the exploratory research aims. The identification of experiences and barriers can reveal disparities and optimization potential in the care of long-term cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: After living with the COVID-19 pandemic for more than 2 years, the impact of lockdown measures on preterm birth rates is inconsistent according to data from different countries. In this study, rates of preterm-born infants during the time of COVID-19-related lockdowns were analyzed in a tertiary perinatal center at Munich University, Germany. Methods: We analyzed the number of preterm births, infants, and stillbirths before 37 weeks of gestation during the German COVID-19 lockdown period compared to the same time periods in the years 2018 and 2019 combined. Additionally, we expanded the analysis to Pre- and Post-Lockdown Periods in 2020 compared to the respective control periods in the years 2018 and 2019. Results: Our database shows a reduction in the rate of preterm infants during the COVID-19 lockdown period (18.6%) compared to the combined control periods in 2018 and 2019 (23.2%, p = 0.027). This was mainly based on a reduced rate of preterm multiples during the lockdown period (12.8% vs. 28.9%, p = 0.003) followed by a reversed effect showing a threefold rise in multiple births after the lockdown. In singletons, the rate of preterm births was not reduced during the lockdown. The rate of stillbirths was not affected by the lockdown measures as compared to the control period (0.9% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.750). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period, we found a reduced rate of preterm-born infants compared to a combined control period in the years 2018 and 2019 in our large tertiary University Center in Germany. Due to the predominant reduction in preterm multiples, we postulate that less physical activity might have led to the protective effect by lockdown measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This research analyzed health data from 27,869 female breast cancer patients and 55,738 controls in Germany to develop a breast cancer disease model, focusing on stages and tumor subtypes from 2010 to 2020. It found that the majority of patients had HR+ tumors, with HR+/HER2− being the most common subtype. The study revealed significant survival differences across stages and subtypes, with stages B and C showing much lower survival rates than early-stage or control groups. It also noted worse outcomes for the HR−/HER2− subtype. This is the first study of its kind to utilize German claims data to model breast cancer, offering crucial insights into the disease's real-world epidemiology and treatment outcomes. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in Germany and worldwide. This retrospective claims data analysis utilizing data from AOK Baden-Wuerttemberg, a major statutory German health insurance provider, aimed to construct and assess a real-world data breast cancer disease model. The study included 27,869 female breast cancer patients and 55,738 age-matched controls, analyzing data from 2010 to 2020. Three distinct breast cancer stages were analyzed: Stage A (early breast cancer without lymph node involvement), Stage B (early breast cancer with lymph node involvement), and Stage C (primary distant metastatic breast cancer). Tumor subtypes were estimated based on the prescription of antihormonal or HER2-targeted therapy. The study established that 77.9% of patients had HR+ breast cancer and 9.8% HER2+; HR+/HER2− was the most common subtype (70.9%). Overall survival (OS) analysis demonstrated significantly lower survival rates for stages B and C than for controls, with 5-year OS rates ranging from 79.3% for stage B to 35.4% for stage C. OS rates were further stratified by tumor subtype and stage, revealing varying prognoses. Distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) analysis showed higher recurrence rates in stage B than in stage A, with HR−/HER2− displaying the worst DRFS. This study, the first to model breast cancer subtypes, stages, and outcomes using German claims data, provides valuable insights into real-world breast cancer epidemiology and demonstrates that this breast cancer disease model has the potential to be representative of treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Epidemiologic data on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are mainly based on cohort studies, including both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases. Using health claims data allows estimating epidemiological data of diagnosed subjects with AMD within the health care system using diagnosis codes from a regional claims database (AOK PLUS) to estimate the prevalence and incidence of non-exudative and exudative AMD in Germany. Methods: Patients with AMD were identified among AOK PLUS insured patients based on at least two outpatient, ophthalmologic or one inpatient H35.3 diagnoses for the years 2012 to 2021. Patients without continuous observation in a calendar year were excluded. Prevalence was assessed, and 1-year cumulative incidence was determined by the number of newly diagnosed patients divided by the number of individuals at risk. For 2020 and 2021, the AMD stage was assessed by diagnostic subcodes for non-exudative and exudative AMD, respectively. For 2012 to 2019, patient numbers were estimated based on the average proportions of non-exudative AMD and exudative AMD, respectively, in 2020 and 2021. Incidence and prevalence numbers were then extrapolated to Germany. Results: Between 2012 to 2021, the prevalence of diagnosed AMD cases remained relatively stable among approximately 3.27 million AOK PLUS insured persons, ranging from 0.96% (minimum in 2021) to 1.31% (maximum in 2014) for non-exudative AMD, about twice as high as for exudative AMD (min–max: 0.53–0.72%). The age- and sex-adjusted projections amounted to 644,153 diagnosed non-exudative and 367,086 diagnosed German patients with exudative AMDs in 2021. The 1-year cumulative incidence for non-exudative and exudative AMD, respectively, ranged from 122,427–142,932 to 46,092–86,785 newly diagnosed cases. Conclusion: The number of diagnosed cases with AMD in Germany has increased slightly over the past decade. For the first time, patient counts with non-exudative and exudative AMD were approximated for Germany based on a representative, large-scale database study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Face masks were undoubtedly one of the most visible and (at least in some countries of the Global North) most controversial markers of the Covid-19 pandemic. Contrary to the white-German majority society in Berlin, Vietnamese migrants in the city were aware of the essential role of wearing masks in public right from the beginning of this health crisis. In March 2020, when the German government agency for disease control was still advising the general public against donning masks, former Vietnamese contract workers were already producing thousands of fabric masks for donation to ill-prepared hospitals and care facilities. Vietnamese students in Berlin, as well as children of Vietnamese migrants born and/or raised in Germany, also initiated various mask-related campaigns to tackle the health crisis and support local Vietnamese communities. Based on digital ethnography in the spring of 2020, as well as later offline ethnographic exploration, we tracked the emergence of Vietnamese care networks trying to cope with the then-evolving pandemic. Looking through the analytical lens of face masks, we aim to highlight people's emic understandings of care as materialized in self-sewn masks. Besides showing the processual character of those care responses, we also aim to work out distinct differences between the migrant generation and post-migration actors regarding their motivations for organizing their respective campaigns. While our interlocutors from the latter group were much more vocal about anti-Asian racism and thus focused on community care projects, the Vietnamese migrants we talked to framed their care response in terms of a narrative of giving back to their second home country at a time of need. In addition, we will show how these care responses were differently shaped by media discourses from Vietnam and/or the global Vietnamese diaspora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bündnis Junger Ärztinnen und Ärzte (BJÄ, Alliance of Young Physicians in Germany) has presented a position paper (PP) on Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) against the background of an unfolding hospital reform in Germany, and they describe existing deficits of PGME in Germany. Based on this, demands were made of legislators, employers and medical associations which could result in a sweeping reformation of PGME. Hospital reforms can only be accomplished with well trained and motivated physicians. In this respect the BJÄ regards the reform of hospitals and the health-care system as a chance for a reform of PGME, which is long overdue. Legislative competence for PGME lies with the States of the Federal Republic of Germany and this warrants an adjustment of state medical association laws to accommodate the demands of the BJÄ. Generally PGME must be taken into consideration in all health-care legislation, in analogy to the meanwhile globally adopted principle of "Health in all Politics (HiAP)". The BJÄ has made every endeavour to produce this PP. The responsible stakeholders and actors in the health-care system would be well-advised to take the position paper seriously with a dwindling physician work force in hospitals and serious quality deficits in PGME. Hence, the BJÄ must be comprehensively supported. They need congenial partners to define the scientific foundation of all their demands, to test their application under real life conditions in hospital and outpatient care, to pursue research on the impact on patient care and on the intended transformation of the health-care system. This might best be accomplished by partnering with a scientific Association for Postgraduate Medical Education as has been the case in many countries for decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the nationwide introduction of wastewater treatment the overall water quality improved significantly, but challenges remain, including diffuse pollution, historical sediment contamination and the presence of a multitude of anthropogenic chemical species. The implementation of several EU directives in the twenty-first century led to a stronger focus on improving water and sediment quality and the sustainable management of sediments at river basin scale. Hence, in the last 25 years, not only have the regulatory frameworks significantly changed, but also the scientific backbone of our products, delivered to Germany's federal ministries, practitioners from the German Waterways and Shipping Administration, German federal states and the public. In this respect, approaches such as non-target screening, multi-element analysis, effect-based methods, novel approaches in microplastic and nanoparticle analysis and the benefits from the increase in digitalization and automation are key methods and processes to face future challenges, especially those connected to the global climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pre-therapeutic histologic diagnosis through image-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) or vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) for suspicious breast findings is a standard procedure. Despite the moderate risk of bleeding, a significant proportion of patients are on temporary or permanent anti-coagulation therapy (ACT) or anti-platelet therapy (APT). Currently, there are no established guidelines for managing biopsies in such patients, leading to varying approaches in clinical practice. Methods: An online survey was conducted among all members of the breast ultrasound working group at the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM) and the working group for breast diagnostics at the German Radiology Society (DRG). It included n = 51 questions about individual risk perception of biopsy-related bleeding complications and the specific management of biopsies on ACT/APT. Results: A total of 332 experts participated, with 51.8% reporting the absence of a standardized management plan for breast biopsies on ACT/APT. Concerning specific ACT/APT medications, the survey revealed discrepancies in risk perception and management: The majority preferred discontinuing medication with directly acting oral anti-coagulants (DOACs; CNB: 66.9%; VAB: 91.1%), phenprocoumon (CNB: 74.9%; VAB: 96.7%), or therapeutic heparin (CNB: 46.1%; VAB: 72.7%). However, there was a lower inclination to discontinue acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; CNB: 15.2%; VAB: 50.3%) or prophylactic heparin (CNB: 11.9%, VAB: 36.3%). Conclusion: Breast biopsies for patients on ASA or prophylactic heparin are deemed safe and part of standard clinical practice. However, despite available feasibility studies, conducting breast biopsies on ACT medications such as DOACs or phenprocoumon appears feasible only for a minority of experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enquiry learning and teaching about the nature of science (NoS) is a key element of science education. We have designed an experimental setting for students aged 12-14 years to exercise enquiry-learning skills and to introduce students to the NoS aspects of creativity and imagination. It also illustrates the impact of carbon dioxide on the growth of algae. Students stated hypotheses, planned experiments and analysed the data, becoming familiar with the NoS aspects mentioned above. The sessions consisted of: an initial 2 hour session to propose hypotheses and predictions and to design the experiment; a 3 hour session to establish the experimental set-up; and a 2 hour session for analysis and interpretation. A well-planned and disciplined class timetable is essential.

This article discusses the assessment of nutritional status in children and adolescents with congenital heart defects (CHD) in Germany. The study conducted a nationwide online survey using the KiGGS self-administered Food Frequency Questionnaire to compare the nutritional status of CHD patients with a representative age-matched subset from the KiGGS study. The results showed that CHD patients had lower consumption of sugar-containing food and fast food compared to healthy children, resulting in lower rates of overweight and obesity. The study also found that underweight was frequently detected in school-aged children and adolescents with complex CHD. The authors recommend that nutritional counseling be considered, especially for children with complex CHD. [Extracted from the article]

Context Impairments in musculoskeletal and mental health are common in adults with Hypophosphatasia (HPP). Restricted phosphorus intake has been suggested to positively affect symptoms in HPP, but there is a lack of interventional evidence. Objective This work aimed to evaluate the effect of a phosphorus-restricted, calcium-adjusted diet on musculoskeletal and mental health in HPP. Methods A prospective, noncontrolled, single-center interventional study (NuSTEPS II) was conducted among outpatients at the Osteology Department, University of Wuerzburg, Germany. A total of 26 adults with an established HPP diagnosis received a standardized diet with a defined daily intake of phosphorus (1160-1240 mg/d) and calcium (870-930 mg/d) over 8 weeks. Main outcome measures were functional testing and patient-reported outcome measures. Results At 8 weeks, significant improvements were observed in usual gait speed (P =.028) and the chair-rise test (P =.019), while no significant changes were seen in the 6-minute walk test (P =.468) and the timed up-and-go test (P =.230). Pain was not significantly reduced according to the visual analog scale (VAS) (P =.061), pain subscale of the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) (P =.346), and Pain Disability Index (P =.686). Further, there was a significant improvement in the SF-36 vitality subscale (P =.022) while all other subscales as well as the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (P =.670) and the Fatigue Assessment Scale (P =.392) did not change significantly. Adjustments of mineral intake were not associated with relevant alterations regarding the intake of energy and energy-supplying nutrients or body composition. Conclusion Adjusting phosphorus and calcium intake may positively affect individual symptoms in adults with HPP, but overall clinical effectiveness regarding major issues like pain and endurance appears limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2003, the number of facilities reporting abortions to the Federal Statistical Office has decreased by 46% from 2050 to 1092 in 2021. In the last 5 years, the decrease slowed down. The media report that there is a shortage of physicians willing to perform abortions in some regions of Germany. Reduced availability and accessibility of providers are barriers to access that can negatively impact the health and well-being of abortion seekers. To date, there is no scientific evidence on regional differences in access to abortion in Germany. The article answers the following questions: What data are available in Germany regarding the availability and accessibility of abortion providers? How informative is this data? To what extent do the data show regional differences in availability and accessibility? We conclude that the available data are not sufficient to adequately describe regional variations in the provision of abortion care services. Nevertheless, they give clear indications of differences regarding provider density, provider workload and spatial accessibility, especially between the northern and eastern states on the one hand and the southern and western states on the other. We describe needs and policy recommendations for adequate data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Covid-19 outbreak in spring of 2020 posed an array of challenges for nursing homes, including promoting resident physical activity (PA). Given the diversity of factors affecting resident PA, we explored how activity patterns outside weekly-scheduled structured activities changed during the pandemic and what factors promoted or inhibited PA during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted systematic direct observations over 823.5 h in eight nursing homes in Southern Germany in 2020 and 2021. Results: In 2020, 84.7% of person observation units were classified as sedentary (average activity level: 1.14 MET). In 2021, the percentage increased to 91.6% of observed person units (average activity level: 1.08 MET) (t = 6.947; p =.000). According to tree classification, influencing factors of PA included mealtime and daytime in 2020 and 2021, as well as presence of men residents only in 2020 and guided low threshold activities in 2021. Conclusions: Nursing homes constitute highly sedentary places—an issue exacerbated by access restrictions for external activity experts and significant others as well as behavioural restrictions for residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Staff could not compensate due to existing time restraints and lack of training in PA promotion. Based on our findings, we recommend future studies to develop feasible and resource-low activities to be integrated into the daily routines of nursing homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide migration represents a major challenge of the 21st century. Despite the strong association between acculturation and mental health, research findings on underlining mechanisms remain inconsistent. Prior research urges to investigate sample characteristics in a more structured manner. Aims: The purpose of this study was to systematically investigate factors impacting acculturation and depressive symptoms in a large, not exclusively clinical, sample of Vietnamese migrants in Germany. Method: This study investigated, with multiple regressions, factors (age at arrival, gender, education, religiousness, language skills, residence status, economic status, occupational status, migration motivation, duration of stay, and depressive symptoms) impacting the two dimensions of acculturation, dominant society immersion (DSI) and ethnic society immersion (ESI), in a not exclusively clinical sample (n = 582) of first-generation Vietnamese migrants in Germany. Further, this study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms, DSI and ESI with correlations and acculturation strategies with an ANOVA. Results: Integration (72.5%) was the most common acculturation strategy, followed by separation (26.8%). In contrast, assimilation (0.5%) and marginalization (0.2%) were very rare acculturation strategies. As predictive factors for DSI lower depressive symptoms scores, male gender, higher education, and better German language skills were found significant. For ESI, less German language skills and older age at arrival were found to be significant. Higher ESI and DSI were correlated to lower depressive symptom scores. Compared to the three other acculturation strategies, integration was linked to the lowest depressive symptoms scores. Conclusions: The current study identified crucial factors in the acculturation process, such as depressive symptoms, language skills, education, gender, and age at arrival. Our findings emphasize that immersion into both the dominant and the ethnic culture plays an essential supportive role in the mental health of migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic regimens and outcome of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients substantially improved over the past decades. However, AML in older patients is still widely understudied and therapeutic standards are far less well defined. This study provides a retrospective analysis of a cohort of AML patients above 65 years of age treated at a single university centre in Germany. Treatment regimens including intensive chemotherapy with or without subsequent allogenic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT), hypomethylating agent (HMA) or low-dose cytarabine (LD-AraC) based therapy or best supportive care (BSC) were evaluated and compared to patient-specific variables, comorbidities indices such as Haematopoietic Cell Transplantation-specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) or Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), or Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status to assess their potential impact on outcome. 229 patients ≥ 65 years with newly diagnosed AML were included in this study. Patients received either intensive chemotherapy (IT) without (n = 101, 44%), or followed by allo-SCT (n = 27, 12%), HMA (n = 29, 13%), LD-Ara-C (n = 16, 7%) or best supportive care (BSC) only (n = 56, 24%). Of interest, ECOG performance status predicted overall survival in patients treated with IT, and combinatorial assessment of ECOG and HCT-CI was particularly useful to predict outcome in this subgroup of patients. Subsets of AML patients above 65 years of age benefit from intensive chemotherapy and allogenic stem cell transplantation. Combined assessment of ECOG scores and HCT-CI might help to objectively identify suitable patients, and this concept should be further investigated in a prospective manner in future studies. Selected subsets of AML patients may profit from intensive chemotherapy and allogenic stem cell transplantation. Combined analysis of ECOG performance status and HCT-CI might help to predict outcome in elderly AML patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this multicenter study was to evaluate the survival and quality outcome of direct composite buildups in the anterior dentition based on representative sample sizes. Materials and Methods: At three university clinics in Germany, the survival and quality outcome of n = 667 direct composite buildups performed between 2001 and 2012 was evaluated in n = 198 participants. Survival outcomes were categorized as failure (F), survival (SR), or successful (S). Restorations still in place and without failure prior to follow-up (n = 567) were rated using modified USPHS/FDI criteria to obtain the quality outcome. Detailed failure analysis was done by means of Cox regression models. Results: The restricted mean for overall survival was 15.5 years. N = 576 restorations were classified as successful (S), n = 81 survived with repair (SR) and n = 8 failed (F). Two restorations were removed due to iatrogenic interventions. Overall survival rates after 2, 10, and 15 years were 98.8% (CI: 97.6 and 99.4), 91.7% (CI: 89.0 and 93.8), and 77.6% (CI: 72.2 and 82.2), respectively. Functional survival rates were 100.0%, 98.9% (CI: 97.5 and 99.5), and 98.5% (CI: 96.7 and 99.3), respectively. Clinical quality was rated as excellent or good for most restorations. The dominant failure mode was chipping; however, regression analysis did not detect any influence of the evaluated parameters "enlargement range," "position in the jaw," or "tooth type" on failure. Conclusion: This multicenter study represents the first of its type including clinical survival and quality data on 576 direct anterior composite buildups over a restricted mean follow-up of 15.5 years in a relatively large group of participants. In particular, functional survival was outstanding due to the clinical reliability of this treatment option, while simultaneously providing flexibility, reparability, and minimal invasiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores data journalism within local and regional news organisations in Germany. Findings were drawn from nine semi-structured in-depth interviews with journalists working with local and regional dailies. Weischenberg's model of contextual layers of journalism provides theoretical underpinnings to capture normative, structural, and functional insights as well as data journalists' role conceptions. Results show that viable data is scarce at a local level and data journalists actively seek to maintain good relationships with local authorities to be granted access to data. The practice of data journalism at the local level depends on a few data journalism advocates who institutionalise the practice in their local newsrooms and take training on their own initiative. Local data journalists face similar constraints to their colleagues working for national organisations. Data-driven newswork is carried out in addition to regular duties, and collaboration with specialist correspondents who work on-site is widely reported. We find that the combination of traditional shoe-leather epistemologies of on-site reporting with data-driven practices can add to the independence and neutrality of local journalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Controllability is a measure of the brain's ability to orchestrate neural activity which can be quantified in terms of properties of the brain's network connectivity. Evidence from the literature suggests that aging can exert a general effect on whole-brain controllability. Mounting evidence, on the other hand, suggests that parenthood and motherhood in particular lead to longlasting changes in brain architecture that effectively slow down brain aging. We hypothesize that parenthood might preserve brain controllability properties from aging. Methods: In a sample of 814 healthy individuals (aged 33.9 ± 12.7 years, 522 females), we estimate whole-brain controllability and compare the aging effects in subjects with vs. those without children. We use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to estimate the brain structural connectome. The level of brain control is then calculated from the connectomic properties of the brain structure. Specifically, we measure the network control over many low-energy state transitions (average controllability) and the network control over difficult-to-reach states (modal controllability). Results and conclusion: In nulliparous females, whole-brain average controllability increases, and modal controllability decreases with age, a trend that we do not observe in parous females. Statistical comparison of the controllability metrics shows that modal controllability is higher and average controllability is lower in parous females compared to nulliparous females. In men, we observed the same trend, but the difference between nulliparous and parous males do not reach statistical significance. Our results provide strong evidence that parenthood contradicts aging effects on brain controllability and the effect is stronger in mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Resuscitative thoracotomies (RT) are the last resort to reduce mortality in patients suffering severe trauma. In recent years, indications for RT have been extended from penetrating to blunt trauma. However, discussions on efficacy are still ongoing, as data on this rarely performed procedure are often scarce. Therefore, this study analyzed RT approaches, intraoperative findings, and clinical outcome measures following RT in patients with cardiac arrest following blunt trauma. Methods: All patients admitted to our level I trauma center's emergency room (ER) who underwent RT between 2010 and 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Retrospective chart reviews were performed for clinical data, laboratory values, injuries observed during RT, and surgical procedures. Additionally, autopsy protocols were assessed to describe injury patterns accurately. Results: Fifteen patients were included in this study with a median ISS of 57 (IQR 41–75). The 24-h survival rate was 20%, and the total survival rate was 7%. Three approaches were used to expose the thorax: Anterolateral thoracotomy, clamshell thoracotomy, and sternotomy. A wide variety of injuries were detected, which required complex surgical interventions. These included aortic cross-clamping, myocardial suture repairs, and pulmonary lobe resections. Conclusion: Blunt trauma often results in severe injuries in various body regions. Therefore, potential injuries and corresponding surgical interventions must be known when performing RT. However, the chances of survival following RT in traumatic cardiac arrest cases following blunt trauma are small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anaesthesiologie & Intensivmedizin is the property of DGAI e.V. - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Anasthesiologie und Intensivmedizin e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Outbreaks of the spongy moth Lymantria dispar can have devastating impacts on forest resources and ecosystems. Lepidoptera‐specific insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (BTK) and tebufenozide, are often deployed to prevent heavy defoliation of the forest canopy. While it has been suggested that using BTK poses less risk to non‐target Lepidoptera than leaving an outbreak untreated, in situ testing of this assumption has been impeded by methodological challenges. The trade‐offs between insecticide use and outbreaks have yet to be addressed for tebufenozide, which is believed to have stronger side effects than BTK. We investigated the short‐term trade‐offs between tebufenozide treatments and no‐action strategies for the non‐target herbivore community in forest canopies. Over 3 years, Lepidoptera and Symphyta larvae were sampled by canopy fogging in 48 oak stands in southeast Germany during and after a spongy moth outbreak. Half of the sites were treated with tebufenozide and changes in canopy cover were monitored. We contrasted the impacts of tebufenozide and defoliator outbreaks on the abundance, diversity, and functional structure of chewing herbivore communities. Tebufenozide treatments strongly reduced Lepidoptera up to 6 weeks after spraying. Populations gradually converged back to control levels after 2 years. Shelter‐building species dominated caterpillar assemblages in treated plots in the post‐spray weeks, while flight‐dimorphic species were slow to recover and remained underrepresented in treated stands 2 years post‐treatment. Spongy moth outbreaks had minor effects on leaf chewer communities. Summer Lepidoptera decreased only when severe defoliation occurred, whereas Symphyta declined 1 year after defoliation. Polyphagous species with only partial host plant overlap with the spongy moth were absent from heavily defoliated sites, suggesting greater sensitivity of generalists to defoliation‐induced plant responses. These results demonstrate that both tebufenozide treatments and spongy moth outbreaks alter canopy herbivore communities. Tebufenozide had a stronger and longer lasting impact, but it was restricted to Lepidoptera, whereas the outbreak affected both Lepidoptera and Symphyta. These results are tied to the fact that only half of the outbreak sites experienced severe defoliation. This highlights the limited accuracy of current defoliation forecast methods, which are used as the basis for the decision to spray insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated reporting has widely been promoted as the next evolutionary step in corporate disclosure, which would soon replace traditional reporting practices. Embedded in a zeitgeist that favors sustainability, this outlook would suggest high integrated reporting adoption rates among reporting organizations. Our analysis of integrated reporting in Germany from 2008 to 2019 shows, however, that organizations approached integrated reporting with a wait-and-see mentality. This approach cannot be described adequately by the existing conceptualizations of (partial) practice adoption. We therefore develop the notion of wait-and-see-ism, defined as the deliberate and potentially long-lasting postponement of a decision to adopt a practice while its further development is monitored silently. We see limited, though continuous, efforts to prepare for the prospect of adopting the practice of integrated reporting quickly at a later stage. Wait-and-see-ism expands on prior work on partial adoption by emphasizing its temporal dimension. This adds an important yet undertheorized option that organizations can employ to respond to ambiguous institutional demands, thus explaining the stalling of promising management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of church and state is -- in different shades - a central theme of the free church tradition. The essay first examines its roots in the history of the Reformation and its development in the Anglo-Saxon world. There, an approach to a productive separation of church and state with an affinity for politics and the shaping of society is revealed. The main part of the essay is dedicated to the so called classic free churches in Germany. Three situations of political upheaval (1848, 1918/19, Weimar Republic/"Third Reich") show how, in the face of experiences of repression, questions of legal and social recognition were in the foreground. There was a lot of effort to maintain a supposedly apolitical attitude that did not advance the potential of democratization and a productive separation of church and state. By looking at the basic developments of the early post-war period, the focus is finally directed to present-day perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the contradictory nature of two aspects of German higher education and research policy in relation to internationalization: the more traditional Europeanization policy, and a parallel policy in response to globalism that is stimulating a highly competition-oriented role for German higher education and research along the lines of the GATS paradigm and calls for world-scale competition rather than cooperation, implying a renationalization of higher education and research. (SM)

Inclusion of children with disabilities takes on various degrees in different countries, for example, the concept of inclusion in Germany is in its infant stage. A majority of students are still in segregated special schools (European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, 2012); whereas, the United States mandates free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. One way to level the playing field is through mobile technology. In 2009, 6.1 trillion Short Message Service (SMS) messages were sent. Research shows there are 4.6 billion mobile phone subscribers across the globe (International Telecommunications Union, 2009). Moreover, mobile technology is portable, readily available, and user friendly. This serves as a catalyst to use mobile devices to include children with disabilities. Text tutoring can be implemented in any part of the world that has mobile devices with a Wi-Fi capability SMS device. The authors of this paper conducted a pilot study of text tutoring with teacher candidates in the United States and students in Germany and Ghana. While data were not extensive enough to warrant a report, they do support further research with the process described here. Installing and using Viber is recommended since it is free, available across platforms, that is, iOS and android device friendly and user-friendly with a low learning curve. For this praxis paper, educators are provided instruction on how to set up text tutoring for students with disabilities.

Reports on a comparative study of civic education in Great Britain, the United States, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Australia, discussing educational policies, practices, and classroom climate. Explores adolescents' political attitudes and behaviors cross-nationally, specifically focusing on political interest, political efficacy, and trust. (CMK)

Background: Providing adequate living conditions for forcibly displaced people represents a significant challenge for host countries such as Germany. This study explores refugee mental health's reciprocal, dynamic relationship with post-migration living conditions and social support. Methods: The study sample included 325 Arabic- or Farsi-speaking asylum seekers and refugees residing in Germany since 2014 and seeking mental health treatment. Associations between reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression and the subjective quality of living conditions and perceived social support were analyzed using a two-level approach including multiple linear regression and network analyses. Results: Post-migration quality of living conditions and perceived social support were significantly associated with negative mental health outcomes on both levels. In the network, both post-migration factors were negatively connected with overlapping symptoms of psychiatric disorders, representing potential target symptoms for psychological treatment. Conclusion: Post-migration quality of living conditions and social support are important factors for refugee mental health and should be targeted by various actors fostering mental well-being and integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Soybean is a crop in high demand, in particular as a crucial source of plant protein. As a short-day plant, soybean is sensitive to the latitude of the growing site. Consequently, varieties that are well adapted to higher latitudes are required to expand the cultivation. In this study, we employed 50 soybean genotypes to perform a multi-location trial at seven locations across Germany in 2021. Two environmental target regions were determined following the latitude of the locations. Adaptation and trait stability of seed yield and protein content across all locations were evaluated using Genotype plus Genotype-by-Environment (GGE) biplots and Shukla's stability variance. We found a moderate level of crossing-over type genotype-by-location interaction across all locations. Within the environmental target regions, the genotype-by-location interaction could be minimised. Despite the positive correlation (R = 0.59) of seed yield between the environmental target regions and the same best-performing genotype, the genotype rankings differed in part substantially. In conclusion, we found that soybean can be grown at a wide range of latitudes across Germany. However, the performance of genotypes differed between the northern and southern locations, with an 18.8% higher mean yield in the south. This in combination with the observed rank changes of high-performing genotypes between both environmental target regions suggests that selection targeted towards environments in northern Germany could improve soybean breeding for those higher latitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and mortality. The objective of the study was to test the effect of a healthy lifestyle intervention on biomarkers of inflammation (among other risk markers). Methods: We conducted a non-randomized controlled trial with mostly middle-aged and elderly participants from the general population in rural northwest Germany (intervention: n = 114; control: n = 87). The intervention consisted of a 1-year lifestyle programme focusing on diet (largely plant-based; strongest emphasis), physical activity, stress management, and social support. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. Homocysteine (Hcy) was assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, and 1 year. Adiponectin (Apn) was assessed at baseline and 10 weeks. An exploratory analysis of these inflammatory markers assessing the between-group differences with ANCOVA was conducted. Results: The 1-year trajectory of hs-CRP was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to control (between-group difference: -0.8 (95% CI -1.2, -0.3) mg/l; p = 0.001; adjusted for baseline). The 1-year trajectory of Hcy was non-significantly higher in the intervention compared to control (between-group difference: 0.2 (95% CI -0.3, 0.7) µmol/l; p = 0.439; adjusted for baseline). From baseline to 10 weeks, Apn decreased significantly more in the intervention group compared to control (between-group difference: -1.6 (95% CI -2.7, -0.5) µg/ml; p = 0.004; adjusted for baseline). Conclusions: Our study shows that healthy lifestyle changes can lower hs-CRP and Apn levels and are unlikely to significantly affect Hcy levels within 1 year. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS; reference: DRKS00018775, registered 12 Sept 2019; retrospectively registered; www.drks.de). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate longitudinal changes in mental well-being as well as the role of individual differences in personality traits (Big Five) and the level of Personality Organisation during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Overall, 272 adults (Mage= 36.94, SDage= 16.46; 68.62% female, 23.45% male, 0.69% non-binary) took part in our study with four weekly surveys during the lockdown as well as a follow-up one month after restrictions were lifted. To analyse the development of mental well-being during and shortly after the first lockdown in Germany latent growth curve models (LGCM) were calculated. The considered facets of well-being differ by their trajectory. Additionally, results suggest that the lockdown did not affect all facets to the same extent. While Life Satisfaction decreases in the short term as a reaction to the lockdown, Stress and Psychological Strain were reduced after the second week of contact restrictions. When adding personality characteristics, our results showed that Neuroticism and Conscientiousness were the two dimensions associated most strongly with SWB during the first month of the pandemic. Thus, our research suggests that personality traits should be considered when analysing mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anaesthesiologie & Intensivmedizin is the property of DGAI e.V. - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Anasthesiologie und Intensivmedizin e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Investigates citizenship education in five different countries over ten years: (1) Denmark; (2) Germany; (3) the United States; (4) the Netherlands; and (5) England. Focuses on adolescents, ages 14 to 19, within secondary schools using questionnaires and interviews with students and teachers. (CMK)

Supercooled large droplet (SLD) icing can occur behind the protected surfaces of an aircraft and create severe aerodynamic disturbances, which represent a safety hazard for aviation. Liquid water content (LWC) measurements in icing conditions that contain SLD require instruments that are able to sample unimodal and bimodal droplet size distributions with droplet diameters from 2 to 2000 µm. No standardized detection method exists for this task. A candidate instrument, that is currently used in icing wind tunnel (IWT) research, is the Nevzorov probe. In addition to the standard 8 mm total water content (TWC) collector cone, a novel instrument version also features a 12 mm diameter cone, which might be advantageous for collecting the large droplets characteristic of SLD conditions. In the scope of the two EU projects SENS4ICE and ICE GENESIS we performed measurement campaigns in SLD icing conditions in IWTs in Germany, Austria and the USA. We obtained a comprehensive data set of measurements from the Hotwire, the 8 mm and 12 mm cone sensors of the Nevzorov probe and the tunnel reference instrumentation. In combination with measurements of the particle size distribution we experimentally derive the collision efficiency curve of the new 12 mm cone for median volume diameters (MVDs) between 12 and 58 µm and wind tunnel speeds from 40 to 85 µm. Knowledge of this curve allows us to correct the LWC measurements of the 12 mm cone (LWC12) in particular for the inevitably high decrease in collision efficiency for small droplet diameters. In unimodal SLD conditions, with MVDs between 128 and 720 µm, LWC12 generally agrees within 20 % with the tunnel LWC reference values from a WCM-2000 and an Isokinetic Probe. An increase in the difference between LWC12 and the WCM-2000 measurements at larger MVDs indicates better droplet collision properties of the 12 mm cone. Similarly, the favorable detector dimensions of the 12 mm cone explain a 7 % enhanced detection efficiency compared to the 8 mm cone, however this difference falls within the instrumental uncertainties. Data collected in various bimodal SLD conditions with MVDs between 16 and 534 µm and LWCs between 0.22 and 0.72 g m-3 also show an agreement within 20 % between LWC12 and the tunnel LWC, which makes the Nevzorov sensor head with the 12 mm cone the preferred instrumentation for measurements of LWC in Appendix O icing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]