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Purpose: The transition to school and the first years of elementary school education are very sensitive phases for reading development. Reading researchers have established key precursors and developmental steps in these phases. However, how these components interact and affect growth is not well understood yet. The current study from Germany replicates established findings and explores how curvilinear effects can add information to our understanding of reading development. Method: 525 German-speaking children were followed during a 5-year period from kindergarten to fourth Grade. Phonological awareness (PA), letter knowledge (LK), rapid naming (RAN) and language skills (LS) were assessed in kindergarten, decoding and reading comprehension in elementary school. Analysis was based on latent growth models with curvilinear (quadratic) effects. Results: The results indicate that PA and LK are of importance for early reading, RAN was additionally revealed to be of importance for further growth in decoding. Language skills and decoding, together with their interaction, explain variation in reading comprehension skills. A curvilinear effect was found for decoding on reading comprehension growth only. Conclusion: Our study shows which precursors predict growth in reading development in a transparent orthography and expands our understanding of how language and decoding affect the development of reading comprehension.

We examined the contribution of rapid automatized naming (RAN) components (articulation time, pause time, and pause time consistency) to reading fluency, reading comprehension, and spelling in a sample of 257 German children (139 boys, 118 girls; M[subscript age] = 5.60 years, SD = 0.31) followed from kindergarten to Grade 1. In kindergarten, children were assessed on measures of RAN (colors and objects), phonological awareness, letter-sound knowledge, phonological short-term memory, and paired-associate learning. Reading fluency, reading comprehension, and spelling were assessed at the end of Grade 1. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that pause time and pause time consistency continued to predict reading fluency, but not reading comprehension or spelling, after controlling for the effects of the other cognitive skills assessed in kindergarten. Articulation time did not add to the prediction of any literacy skills. These findings support previous research suggesting that, during the early phases of learning to read, pause time holds the key in the relation between RAN and reading fluency.

The quality of instructional supportive interactions between preschool teachers and children positively relates to learning and developmental outcomes of children in institutions of early childhood education and care. The main focus of preschool teacher research, therefore, is on the impact of preschool teacher competencies in interaction quality. Previous research has shown that self-efficacy beliefs influence interaction quality. The present study examined this relation in a structural equation model that evaluated whether professional vision (conceptualized as "noticing" and "reasoning") of relevant interactional situations moderates the effect of self-efficacy beliefs on interaction quality in the domain of Instructional Support and whether preschool teachers' professional knowledge exerts influence on the model. Drawing on a sample of 120 German preschool teachers, analyses showed a moderating effect in the reasoning component of professional vision. Results offer new possibilities for the promotion of high-quality instructional interactions in German preschools.

The association between academic self-concept and achievement is assumed to be reciprocal. Typically, the association is analyzed by variants of the classical cross-lagged panel model. Results with more recently developed methodological approaches, for example, the random intercept cross-lagged panel model, its continuous-time implementation, and the latent change score model, are not available so far. The present study aimed to test the association between reading self-concept and reading achievement with different models to evaluate whether positive cross-lagged effects can be demonstrated with the alternative models. Drawing on a sample of 2,014 elementary students from Grade 1 to Grade 4, results of alternative models yielded noticeable differences. Support for reciprocal effects between reading self-concept and reading achievement was found using the classical and the full-forward cross-lagged panel models. No such effects were found in the other models. Thus, the reciprocal effect model can be called into question for elementary schoolchildren. The results are discussed with regard to the theoretical assumptions and appropriate methodological approaches.

In the course of elementary school, children start to develop an academic self-concept reflecting their motivation, thoughts, and feelings about a specific domain. For the domain of mathematics, gender differences can emerge which are characterized by a less pronounced math self-concept for girls. However, studies are rather sparse regarding the early years of elementary school education, hence, the point in time when such gender differences emerge yet remains a matter of debate. In our study, we found that the math self-concept of elementary school children (n = 81) declined from first to second grade. While no differences in math achievement were observed between girls and boys, it became apparent that girls' math self-concept was already less pronounced than the math self-concept of boys in the first years of elementary school. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering such gender differences even at the beginning of school education.

This study addresses preschool teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in assessment and promotion of children's early language, social-emotional, and mathematical skills. The aim of the study was to find out to what extent preschool teachers believe to be able to assess and promote those skills, respectively. In a sample of 368 German preschool teachers, average scores in all scales were quite homogenously high. However, average scores of self-efficacy beliefs between the domains differed, with self-efficacy beliefs regarding language skills being the strongest. Self-efficacy beliefs regarding assessment were stronger than in promotion in the social-emotional and the mathematical domain, but not in language. Yet, confirmatory factor analyses indicate that self-efficacy beliefs regarding assessment were highly correlated with self-efficacy beliefs regarding promotion of skills in all three domains. Possible explanations for these results and ideas for further research are discussed.

The present longitudinal study aimed to investigate the influence of ADHD symptoms on reading development in elementary schoolchildren. To this end, repeated assessments of ADHD symptoms (teacher ratings of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity) and reading achievement (standardized tests of decoding speed and text comprehension) were examined in a sample comprising 2,014 elementary schoolchildren at the end of Grades 1, 2, 3, respectively, and in the middle of Grade 4. Latent change score models revealed that the level of ADHD symptoms was associated with lower levels and less growth in decoding speed and text comprehension. Furthermore, individual differences in changes in ADHD symptoms and reading performance were negatively associated. Together, these results indicate commonalities in the development of ADHD symptomatology and reading achievement throughout elementary school.

Purpose. Germans spend most of their short trips in Germany and enjoy time in nature, but also typical food and drinks of the regions they visit. This study aims at showing how German wineries can seize this trend through a collaborative approach and by creating memorable wine tourism experiences – such as wine tastings, vineyard or cellar tours – in a customer-oriented manner with the aim of attracting more of these tourists for a vacation in the wine regions. Methodology. A case-study approach was applied using the wine region Palatinate and the organization #OpenDoorWein as an example. In-depth interviews and stakeholder workshops were conducted with wineries, tour guides, destination management organizations, and wine tourism experts. Results were validated through an online survey with wineries (n = 108) and expert interviews. Findings. Results show that success factors are online availability of information and online booking options. Wineries should offer wine tourism experiences on a regular basis to overcome existing barriers of tourists to visit wineries. Cooperation among wineries and other tourism providers is important to promote a region's wine tourism offerings. Practical implications. Wineries can use the recommendations to professionalize existing wine tourism offerings. Tourism providers and destinations can learn how wine tourism networks can be used to strengthen wine tourism within a distinct wine region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large cohort study conducted in Germany found that individuals who had previously been infected with COVID-19 had a 33% increased risk of developing atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disease. The study analyzed routine healthcare data and matched 641,704 COVID-19 patients with 1,907,992 control cases. The risk of new-onset AD was significantly increased in all age groups, both sexes, and medication groups. However, the study's observational nature means that causal conclusions should be drawn with caution. Further research is needed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global burden of AD. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Long-term health sequelae of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are a major public health concern. However, evidence on post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (post-COVID-19) is still limited, particularly for children and adolescents. Utilizing comprehensive healthcare data on approximately 46% of the German population, we investigated post-COVID-19-associated morbidity in children/adolescents and adults.Methods and Findings: We used routine data from German statutory health insurance organizations covering the period between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020. The base population included all individuals insured for at least 1 day in 2020. Based on documented diagnoses, we identified individuals with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 through June 30, 2020. A control cohort was assigned using 1:5 exact matching on age and sex, and propensity score matching on preexisting medical conditions. The date of COVID-19 diagnosis was used as index date for both cohorts, which were followed for incident morbidity outcomes documented in the second quarter after index date or later.Overall, 96 prespecified outcomes were aggregated into 13 diagnosis/symptom complexes and 3 domains (physical health, mental health, and physical/mental overlap domain). We used Poisson regression to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The study population included 11,950 children/adolescents (48.1% female, 67.2% aged between 0 and 11 years) and 145,184 adults (60.2% female, 51.1% aged between 18 and 49 years). The mean follow-up time was 236 days (standard deviation (SD) = 44 days, range = 121 to 339 days) in children/adolescents and 254 days (SD = 36 days, range = 93 to 340 days) in adults. COVID-19 and control cohort were well balanced regarding covariates. The specific outcomes with the highest IRR and an incidence rate (IR) of at least 1/100 person-years in the COVID-19 cohort in children and adolescents were malaise/fatigue/exhaustion (IRR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.06, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 12.58, IR Control: 5.51), cough (IRR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.48 to 2.04, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 36.56, IR Control: 21.06), and throat/chest pain (IRR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.39 to 2.12, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 20.01, IR Control: 11.66). In adults, these included disturbances of smell and taste (IRR: 6.69, 95% CI: 5.88 to 7.60, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 12.42, IR Control: 1.86), fever (IRR: 3.33, 95% CI: 3.01 to 3.68, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 11.53, IR Control: 3.46), and dyspnea (IRR: 2.88, 95% CI: 2.74 to 3.02, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 43.91, IR Control: 15.27). For all health outcomes combined, IRs per 1,000 person-years in the COVID-19 cohort were significantly higher than those in the control cohort in both children/adolescents (IRR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.35, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 436.91, IR Control: 335.98) and adults (IRR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.31 to 1.34, p < 0.01, IR COVID-19: 615.82, IR Control: 464.15). The relative magnitude of increased documented morbidity was similar for the physical, mental, and physical/mental overlap domain. In the COVID-19 cohort, IRs were significantly higher in all 13 diagnosis/symptom complexes in adults and in 10 diagnosis/symptom complexes in children/adolescents. IRR estimates were similar for age groups 0 to 11 and 12 to 17. IRs in children/adolescents were consistently lower than those in adults. Limitations of our study include potentially unmeasured confounding and detection bias.Conclusions: In this retrospective matched cohort study, we observed significant new onset morbidity in children, adolescents, and adults across 13 prespecified diagnosis/symptom complexes, following COVID-19 infection. These findings expand the existing available evidence on post-COVID-19 conditions in younger age groups and confirm previous findings in adults.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05074953. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background First- pass effect (FPE), restoring complete or near complete reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) 2c- 3) in a single pass, is an independent predictor for good functional outcomes in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The economic implications of achieving FPE have not been assessed. Objective To assess the economic impact of achieving complete or near complete reperfusion after the first pass. Methods Post hoc analyses were conducted using ARISE II study data. The target population consisted of patients in whom mTICI 2c--3 was achieved, stratified into two groups: (1) mTICI 2c--3 achieved after the first pass (FPE group) or (2) after multiple passes (non- FPE group). Baseline characteristics, clinical outcomes, and healthcare resource use were compared between groups. Costs from peer- reviewed literature were applied to assess cost consequences from the perspectives of the United States (USA), France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom (UK). Results Among patients who achieved mTICI 2c--3 (n=172), FPE was achieved in 53% (n=91). A higher proportion of patients in the FPE group reached good functional outcomes (90- day modified Rankin Scale score 0--2 80.46% vs 61.04%, p<0.01). The patients in the FPE group had a shorter mean length of stay (6.10 vs 9.48 days, p<0.01) and required only a single stent retriever, whereas 35% of patients in the non- FPE group required at least one additional device. Driven by improvement in clinical outcomes, the FPE group had lower procedural/hospitalization- related (24-- 33% reduction) and annual care (11--27% reduction) costs across all countries. Conclusions FPE resulted in improved clinical outcomes, translating into lower healthcare resource use and lower estimated costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum computing promises to overcome computational limitations with better and faster solutions for optimization, simulation, and machine learning problems. Europe and Germany are in the process of successfully establishing research and funding programs with the objective to advance the technology's ecosystem and industrialization, thereby ensuring digital sovereignty, security, and competitiveness. Such an ecosystem comprises hardware/software solution providers, system integrators, and users from research institutions, start-ups, and industry. The vision of the Quantum Technology and Application Consortium (QUTAC) is to establish and advance the quantum computing ecosystem, supporting the ambitious goals of the German government and various research programs. QUTAC is comprised of ten members representing different industries, in particular automotive manufacturing, chemical and pharmaceutical production, insurance, and technology. In this paper, we survey the current state of quantum computing in these sectors as well as the aerospace industry and identify the contributions of QUTAC to the ecosystem. We propose an application-centric approach for the industrialization of the technology based on proven business impact. This paper identifies 24 different use cases. By formalizing high-value use cases into well-described reference problems and benchmarks, we will guide technological progress and eventually commercialization. Our results will be beneficial to all ecosystem participants, including suppliers, system integrators, software developers, users, policymakers, funding program managers, and investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductor supply chain uncertainty is increasingly complicated due to shortening product life cycles, demand fluctuation and a series of collaborative decisions, yet little research focuses on risk assessment from operational planning level to supply chain planning level. Limitations of existing approaches can be traced in part to the lack of a framework within which the decisions involved in different levels can be integrated and aligned in light of supply chain dynamics. This study aims to develop a semantic web based risk assessment framework to integrate collaborative planning and enable the interpretability among real world and simulation modelling. This study starts by proposing a performance elevation metric from interpreting planning level for overall supply chain effectiveness. This study further constructs an ontology for planning and control decisions to support building the risk assessment simulation model to ensure information system interoperability and link domain knowledge for semiconductor supply chain network resilience. For validation, a simulation model is constructed for backend production from a leading semiconductor company in Germany. The contribution of the proposed semantic web-based framework provides the interoperability for supporting supply chain management and reduces the gaps between simulation modelling and physical setting to enhance overall supply chain effectiveness. [Display omitted] • Risk assessment metrics from production program to supply chain is proposed. • A semantic web based simulation model is constructed based on real setting. • An ontology is constructed for the proposed metrics and simulation model. • The developed solution has been implemented in a semiconductor company. • The semantic web based framework can empower modelling and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study collected monthly data between September 2020 and August 2021 to document the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for German preschool teachers during different pandemic phases. This longitudinal study investigated how subjective stress experiences and self-efficacy beliefs of preschool teachers (N = 279) change over time and explored associations on the inter- and intraindividual level. We observed phase-specific changes in subjective stress experiences and interindividual differences in change rates, but no systematic increase across the entire study period. Results also highlight self-efficacy beliefs as a resource for preschool teachers, which should be strengthened to better face stress experiences. COVID-19 pandemic led to a unique situation for preschool teachers and brought new challenges for preschool teachers. Longitudinal study with 12 measurement time points from September 2020 to August 2021. Examination of preschool teachers' subjective stress experiences and self-efficacy beliefs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjective stress experiences increased significantly in Phase 3 of the pandemic during the second COVID-19 wave F0B7 Recommendations for further research of self-efficacy beliefs and pandemic-related research in the field of early childhood education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]