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A global challenge for developmental psychology is to better understand how young people around the world make sense of their identities growing up in pluralistic societies. The study of ethnic-racial identity provides an important lens for this process. This paper describes how five European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, and Sweden) adapted the Identity Project, an 8-week school-based intervention originally developed in the United States to promote adolescents' ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution. Across the five countries, deep structure adaptations included revised or added content regarding key terminology used, a focus on migration and foreignness rather than "race," and discussions regarding national and regional identities, in addition to ethnic-racial identities, and how they may relate to one another. The process and content of adaptation we describe addresses two fundamental issues relevant to a globalized developmental psychology: (1) contributing to theoretical advances on key aspects of development by taking sociohistorical context seriously, and (2) moving between etic and emic perspectives to arrive at psychological constructs that can be appropriately studied across diverse cultural contexts.

Using the dual process theoretical framework (Brandtstädter & Rothermund, 2002), we examined whether the tendency to pursue goals tenaciously (TEN), in conjunction with the tendency to flexibly adjust one's preferences (FLEX), would be beneficial or detrimental for high school students' self-reported life satisfaction and achievement on tests of academic competencies. We used data from a sample of German high school students (N = 10,957) from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), and a combination of machine-learning-based psychometrics and latent structural equation modeling. The results showed that the interaction of TEN and FLEX was negatively associated with both outcomes of life satisfaction and test performance. Having high levels of both TEN and FLEX appear to have no benefit for students' life satisfaction and seem to be counterproductive for their achievement on competencies tests. The findings are consistent with the theory that having high levels of both TEN and FLEX would represent a regulatory dilemma in which the two tendencies work against each other. The results suggest the need for targeted interventions that build on students' personal strengths in tenacity or flexibility to minimize their regulatory dilemma of tenaciously pursuing goals while flexibly adapting them at the same time.

Objective: Academic examinations are a frequent and significant source of student stress, but multimodal, psychophysiological studies are still missing. Participants & methods: Psychological and physiological variables were assessed on 154 undergraduate students in daily life using e-diaries resp. blood pressure devices at the beginning of the semester, and again before an examination. Results: Multilevel analysis revealed lower calmness, more negative valence, higher task-related stress, higher demands, lower perceived control, lower frequency of social contact, and a higher desire to be alone during the examination period (all p values < 0.0001), as well as lower ambulatory systolic blood pressure (p = 0.004), heightened cortisol at awakening (p = 0.021), and a smaller increase in cortisol (p = 0.012). Conclusions: Our study revealed empirical evidence that examination periods are not only associated with indicators of dysphoria, stress, and social withdrawal but also by altered physiological processes, which might reflect anticipatory stress and withdrawal effects.

Objective: The authors assessed whether an intervention using motivational signs designed in a participatory manner to promote stair use resulted in changes to the proportion of stair to elevator use. Participants: Students of a German university were observed in three different academic buildings. Methods: The study design consisted of direct observations during a pre-intervention period, an intervention phase introducing motivational signs promoting stair use at points of decision and a post-intervention period. Results: The proportion of students who took the stairs on average differed significantly between baseline and intervention phase I (X[superscript 2](1) = 12.2; p = 0.001; Phi = 0.078), baseline and intervention phase II (X[superscript 2](1) = 17.3; p = 0.001; Phi = 0.093), and baseline and post-intervention (X[superscript 2](1) = 9.9; p = 0.002; Phi = 0.074). Conclusions: Simple and cost-effective interventions can increase stair use of university students.

Loneliness describes a perceived deficiency in quantitative or qualitative aspects of individuals' social relationships. Whereas the health-related consequences of loneliness are well-documented, surprisingly little is known about its interpersonal features and its consequences for relationship outcomes. In the present study, we investigated the association between loneliness and relationship experiences in partner relationships with a sample of 937 individuals from 480 mixed-sex couples. By employing actor-partner interdependence models and dyadic cross-lagged moderated multilevel models, we found higher loneliness to be robustly related to (a) lower relationship satisfaction for both oneself and the partner, (b) more self-reported, but not partner-reported conflicts, (c) lower average levels of one's own, but not the partner's closeness, and (d) less own self-disclosure. In contrast, loneliness was not associated with (a) sexual contact frequency, (b) average levels of physical affection, or (c) the daily dynamics between closeness and self-disclosure/physical affection. Thus, the results of the present study indicated that loneliness is primarily associated with the perception of the partner relationship but not its rather objective features or daily dynamics.

This article investigates the role of 'voice', technology, innovation (of products, services, or processes) and labor shortages in the training participation of low skilled workers in German companies. By building on the key findings of previous research, hypotheses on drivers of training participation are derived from filter theory and the concept of social embeddedness. Regression and cluster analysis based on the German IAB Establishment Panel (wave 2011) show evidence that training participation is shaped by 'voice'-related institutional company characteristics such as employee representation or formalized HR practices. Both characteristics often cluster together. Regression analyses confirm that companies in this cluster train a higher share of their low-skilled workforce. The share is particularly high when companies in this cluster face labor shortages. Apart from that, advanced technology and recent innovations at the company level are not related to higher rates of training participation among low skilled workers.

Helping students adjust to university life is a critical developmental issue. Using longitudinal data from 1652 German late adolescents, this research tested the effect of initial high-school parent, same-sex, and opposite sex self-concept and its change on university dropout intentions, study stress, and study satisfaction. High-school self-concept predicted all outcomes. Change across the postschool transition in parent and same self-concept also predicted most outcomes. Change in opposite sex self-concept predicted no outcome. We argue young people's relationship self-beliefs are critical for successful developmental transitions. Consistent with previous research, we argue that parents remain a vital relationship for late adolescents.

We investigated knowledge and attitudes before and after reading refutation texts augmented by different kinds of persuasive information and how emotions mediated the process of knowledge and attitude change. Undergraduates (N = 424) enrolled in 4 universities from 3 countries read a refutation text on genetically modified foods (GMFs) and were then randomly assigned to receive additional information about advantages of GMFs, disadvantages of GMFs, or both. After studying, students reading about advantages of GMFs had significantly more positive attitudes than students who read about disadvantages. There was also a significant reduction in misconceptions; participants in the positive-oriented text condition showed the largest learning gains, particularly those who held more positive initial attitudes. Epistemic emotions of curiosity, frustration, hope, and enjoyment mediated attitude change while confusion mediated relations between prereading attitudes and postreading knowledge. In addition, the direct relationship between prior attitudes and surprise was moderated by type of text. When reading about both advantages and disadvantages of GMFs, participants reported significantly less surprise when compared with those who read about either advantages or disadvantages of GMFs. To foster conceptual change when learning about complex topics, refutation texts may be paired with persuasive information that is aligned with accurate conceptions.

Chemical processing industry is progressively focusing their research activities and product placements in the areas of Grand Challenges (or Global Megatrends) such as mobility, energy, communication, or health care and food. Innovation in all these fields requires solving high complex problems, rapid product development as well as dealing with international competition. These factors should also be reflected in modern chemical and biochemical engineering curricula. At TU Dortmund University, chemical and biochemical engineering education has a long tradition in combining fundamental knowledge in natural science with engineering skills. Hence, the introductory course on chemical engineering already presents the subject in view of the aforementioned global challenges. Fundamentals in chemical engineering incorporating and related subjects, problem-based learning as well as design skills and problem-solving techniques are trained throughout later courses. Lectures, tutorials, and practical work are accompanied by a plant design project, placed at the end of the Bachelor curriculum. Here a group of 8 to 10 students develop a complete production plant. Students are often directly involved with research projects during the last phase of their education, i.e. Bachelor or Master thesis. With the final presentation and "defence" of their work, the students are well prepared for their industrial experience.

What a 'successful career' means to teachers is little understood, although this would allow schools and educational governance alike to support teachers' development, and to reduce their attrition. This study examines how 240 school teachers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland conceptualize career success, as compared to 185 health-care/social workers and 125 information technology professionals. Using a cross-culturally validated, multidimensional scale, the authors find that teachers differ from other occupations in some, but not all, career success dimensions. Their findings underline the relevance of cross-occupational studies in research related to teachers' career development, and they suggest new levers for increasing teachers' motivation, creating more effective developmental opportunities for them, and -- ultimately -- reducing teacher attrition.

This study extends the classic constructive dialogue/debate between self-concept and self-efficacy researchers (Marsh, Roche, Pajares, & Miller, 1997) regarding the distinctions between these 2 constructs. The study is a substantive-methodological synergy, bringing together new substantive, theoretical, and statistical models and developing new tests of the classic jingle-jangle fallacy. We demonstrate that in a representative sample of 3,350 students from math classes in 43 German schools, generalized math self-efficacy and math outcome expectancies were indistinguishable from math self-concept, but were distinct from test-related and functional measures of self-efficacy. This is consistent with the jingle-jangle fallacies that are proposed. On the basis of pretest variables, we demonstrate negative frame-of-reference effects in social (big-fish-little-pond effect) and dimensional (internal/external frame-of-reference effect) comparisons for three self-concept-like constructs in each of the first 4 years of secondary school. In contrast, none of the frame-of-reference effects were significantly negative for either of the two self-efficacy-like constructs in any of the 4 years of testing. After controlling for pretest variables, each of the 3 self-concept-like constructs (math self-concept, outcome expectancy, and generalized math self-efficacy) in each of the 4 years of secondary school was more strongly related to posttest outcomes (school grades, test scores, future aspirations) than were the corresponding 2 self-efficacy-like factors. Extending discussion by Marsh et al. (1997), we clarify distinctions between self-efficacy and self-concept; the role of evaluation, worthiness, and outcome expectancy in self-efficacy measures; and complications in generalized and global measures of self-efficacy.

Research suggests that a country does not need inequity to have high performance. However, such research has potentially suffered from confounders present in between-country comparative research (e.g., latent cultural differences). Likewise, relatively little consideration has been given to whether the situation may be different for high- or low-performing students. Using five cycles of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) database, the current research explores within-country trajectories in achievement and inequality measures to test the hypothesis of an excellence/equity tradeoff in academic performance. We found negative relations between performance and inequality that are robust and of statistical and practical significance. Follow-up analysis suggests a focus on low and average performers may be critical to successful policy interventions.

In this paper, we develop an information distortion model (IDM) of social class differences in self-beliefs and values. The IDM combines psychological biases on frame-of-reference effects with sociological foci on ability stratification. This combination is hypothesized to lead to working-class children having more positive math self-beliefs and values than equally able salariat children. We further suggest that the same conditions that give rise to the working-class benefit in self-beliefs and values are associated with signaling effects that suppress educational aspirations and attainment. These hypotheses are tested in 1 cross-sectional multinational and 1 longitudinal study. The results in favor of the IDM challenge cultural models of social class differences and have implications for rational action theory.

Our newly proposed integrated academic self-concept model integrates 3 major theories of academic self-concept formation and developmental perspectives into a unified conceptual and methodological framework. Relations among math self-concept (MSC), school grades, test scores, and school-level contextual effects over 6 years, from the end of primary school through the first 5 years of secondary school (a representative sample of 3,370 German students, 42 secondary schools, 50% male, M age at grade 5 = 11.75) support the (1) internal/external frame of reference model: Math school grades had positive effects on MSC, but the effects of German grades were negative; (2) reciprocal effects (longitudinal panel) model: MSC was predictive of and predicted by math test scores and school grades; (3) big-fish-little-pond effect: The effects on MSC were negative for school-average achievement based on 4 indicators (primary school grades in math and German, school-track prior to the start of secondary school, math test scores in the first year of secondary school). Results for all 3 theoretical models were consistent across the 5 secondary school years: This supports the prediction of developmental equilibrium. This integration highlights the robustness of support over the potentially volatile early to middle adolescent period; the interconnectedness and complementarity of 3 ASC models; their counterbalancing strengths and weaknesses; and new theoretical, developmental, and substantive implications at their intersections.

In 2015, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) announced that the Science Year 2015 would focus on the "City of the Future". It called for innovative projects from cities and communities in Germany dedicated to exploring future options and scenarios for sustainable development. Among the successful respondents was the city of Lüneburg, located in the north of Germany, which was awarded funding to establish a community learning project to envision a sustainable future ("City of the Future Lüneburg 2030+"). What made Lüneburg's approach unique was that the city itself initiated the project and invited a broad range of stakeholders to participate in a community learning process for sustainable development. The authors of this article use the project as a blueprint for sustainable city development. Presenting a reflexive case study, they report on the process and outcomes of the project and investigate community learning processes amongst different stakeholders as an opportunity for transformative social learning. They discuss outputs and outcomes (intended as well as unintended) in relation to the specific starting points of the project to provide a context-sensitive yet rich narrative of the case and to overcome typical criticisms of case studies in the field.

Consistently with a priori predictions, school retention (repeating a year in school) had largely positive effects for a diverse range of 10 outcomes (e.g., math self-concept, self-efficacy, anxiety, relations with teachers, parents and peers, school grades, and standardized achievement test scores). The design, based on a large, representative sample of German students (N = 1,325, M age = 11.75 years at Year 5) measured each year during the first 5 years of secondary school, was particularly strong. It featured 4 independent retention groups (different groups of students, each repeating 1 of the 4 first years of secondary school; total N = 103), with multiple posttest waves to evaluate short- and long-term effects, controlling for covariates (gender, age, socioeconomic status, primary school grades, IQ) and 1 or more sets of 10 outcomes collected prior to retention. Tests of developmental invariance demonstrated that the effects of retention (controlling for covariates and preretention outcomes) were highly consistent across this potentially volatile early to middle adolescent period; largely positive effects in the first year following retention were maintained in subsequent school years following retention. Particularly considering that these results are contrary to at least some of the accepted wisdom about school retention, the findings have important implications for educational researchers, policymakers, and parents.

Differential test functioning, or DTF, occurs when one or more items in a test demonstrate differential item functioning (DIF) and the aggregate of these effects are witnessed at the test level. In many applications, DTF can be more important than DIF when the overall effects of DIF at the test level can be quantified. However, optimal statistical methodology for detecting and understanding DTF has not been developed. This article proposes improved DTF statistics that properly account for sampling variability in item parameter estimates while avoiding the necessity of predicting provisional latent trait estimates to create two-step approximations. The properties of the DTF statistics were examined with two Monte Carlo simulation studies using dichotomous and polytomous IRT models. The simulation results revealed that the improved DTF statistics obtained optimal and consistent statistical properties, such as obtaining consistent Type I error rates. Next, an empirical analysis demonstrated the application of the proposed methodology. Applied settings where the DTF statistics can be beneficial are suggested and future DTF research areas are proposed.

Purpose: This paper aims to focus on contextualized features for mobile language learning apps. The scope of this paper is to explore students' perceptions of contextualized mobile language learning. Design/Methodology/Approach: An extended Technology Acceptance Model was developed to analyze the effect of contextual app features on students' usage intention. The suggested app concept applies context-triggered push notifications to initiate learning sessions based on a location-aware vocabulary. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for an empirical validation of the proposed research model. Findings: The results of the analysis revealed, that students perceived the proposed app as beneficial for their learning endeavors. The location-aware feature is essentially relevant to improve the perceived usefulness of the system, as it may increase the learning effectiveness of the app in their everyday life. Research Limitations/Implications: The study was conducted in quite a homogenous population. The sample size of the survey was rather small (n = 45). Further research is necessary to confirm the promising results of the research. Originality/Value: The results give some first evidence that the integration of innovative contextual features in mobile language learning apps may increase the usage intention and motivation to engage in a learning activity. [This research paper is an extended version of a conference paper presented at the International Association for Development of the Information Society (IADIS) International Conference on Mobile Learning (11th, Madeira, Portugal, Mar 14-16, 2015) (see, ED562427).]

While the roles of student misbehavior and teacher self-efficacy in teacher burnout have been investigated, there is still a pressing need to determine the processes involved and the degree to which these generalize across early career teachers. The present research integrates findings on teacher self-efficacy, occupational stressors, and emotional exhaustion. A moderated mediation model is hypothesized where self-efficacy in classroom management predicts emotional exhaustion via classroom disturbances, but the strength of this whole mediation process is moderated by teachers' level of self-efficacy in classroom management. A sample of 1,227 German teacher candidates was used to test this hypothesis in 2 complementary studies. Study 1, based on the whole sample, utilized latent modeling and latent interactions, while Study 2 was based on a random longitudinal subsample of Study 1. The results generally supported our assumptions; the proposed moderated mediation model proved to be statistically significant, even when introducing background covariates into the model to control for pre-existing differences. Thus, self-efficacy in classroom management predicted emotional exhaustion via classroom disturbances only when self-efficacy in classroom management was low. Implications for teacher preservice training, based on the results, are discussed.

Peer review is a significant component in scientific research. Introducing peer review into inquiry processes may be regarded as an aim to develop student understanding regarding quality in inquiries. This study examines student understanding in inquiry peer reviews among pre-university chemistry students, aged 16-17, when they enact a design of a mimicked scholarly peer review. This design is based on a model of a human activity system. Twenty-five different schools in Brazil, Germany, Poland and The Netherlands participated. The students (n?=?880) conducted in small groups (n?=?428) open inquiries on fermentation. All groups prepared an inquiry report for peer review. These reports were published on a website. Groups were randomly paired in an internet symposium, where they posted review comments to their peers. These responses were qualitatively analyzed on small groups' level of understanding regarding seven categories: inquiry question, hypothesis, management of control variables, accurate measurement, presenting results, reliability of results, discussion and conclusion. The mimicked scholarly review prompted a collective practice. Student understanding was significantly well on presenting results, discussion and conclusion, and significantly less on inquiry question and reliability of results. An enacted design, based on a model of a human activity system, created student understanding of quality in inquiries as well as an insight in a peer-reviewing practice. To what extent this model can be applied in a broader context of design research in science education needs further study.

The internal/external frame of reference and the big-fish-little-pond effect are two major models of academic self-concept formation which have considerable theoretical and empirical support. Integrating the domain specific and compensatory processes of the internal/external frame of reference model with the big-fish-little-pond effect suggests a potential unified model and the presence of a positive compensatory school context effect. This effect, in contrast to the big-fish-little-pond effect, indicates that school-average ability in one academic domain has a positive effect on self-concept in another domain. To date, little empirical support has been observed for this underlying theoretical assumption. The unified model and implied positive compensatory school context effect were tested in both traditional and themed (magnet) university track schools in Germany. In a large multilevel study (5016 students from 157 schools), we found support for the unified model in both school types but for the positive compensatory effect in themed schools only. The substantive and applied implications of these findings are discussed, as well as their theoretical importance for self-concept research. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)

In this article, the authors develop and test a differential effects model of university entry versus major selection using a set of common predictors, including background factors (gender and socioeconomic status), academic achievement, and academic self-concept. The research used data from 2 large longitudinal databases from Germany (N = 5,048) and England (N = 15,995) to explore the generalizability of the hypothesized model in 2 cultural contexts. For both countries, the results suggested that (a) socioeconomic status was a key predictor of university entry, whereas gender was a key predictor of major selection; (b) achievement and self-concept in both math and English were positive predictors of university entry; and (c) math achievement and self-concept predicted math-intensive major choice and lower likelihood of entering verbal-intensive majors (and vice versa). Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (Contains 7 tables and 2 footnotes.)

Children are more impaired than adults by unfavorable listening conditions such as reverberation and noise. Nevertheless, the acoustical conditions in classrooms often do not fit the specific needs of young listeners. This field study aimed to analyze the effects of classroom reverberation on children's performance and well-being at school. Performance and questionnaire data were collected from 487 children from 21 classrooms which differed in mean reverberation time from 0.49 to 1.1 seconds. Significant effects of reverberation on speech perception and short-term memory of spoken items were found. Furthermore, the children from reverberating classrooms performed lower in a phonological processing task, reported a higher burden of indoor noise in the classrooms, and judged the relationships to their peers and teachers less positively than children from classrooms with good acoustics. The results demonstrate the importance of good acoustical conditions in classrooms. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)

In a bilingual context, the mother tongue plays a key role in a child's social and personal development, in education and in second-language learning. There is a complex relationship between these three areas. Support for children receiving education through a second language is often in the form of additional learning opportunities in the second language. However, first-language competence has been shown to affect learning in the second language. This paper looks at pre-school migrant children in a bilingual context and investigates the nature of the children's bilingualism. Findings show that they do not have the same level of mother-tongue competence as children brought up in their country of origin. The paper goes on to consider the reasons for these differences in mother-tongue competence and possible responses. The paper concludes that for these children, nursery education in the mother tongue could raise levels of competence in the second language and increase wider educational opportunities, as well as contributing to mutual respect, social cohesion and harmony. There is a complex relationship between mother-tongue development, children's self-esteem, educational opportunities and second-language learning. This paper considers how this complex relationship affects groups of children in four European contexts: Turkey, Norway, Germany and Austria. (Contains 2 tables.)

This phenomenographic study opens the classroom door to investigate teachers' experiences of students learning difficult computing topics. Three distinct themes are identified and analysed. "Why" do students succeed or fail to learn these concepts? "What" actions do teachers perceive will ameliorate the difficulties facing students? "Who" is responsible, and for what, in the learning situation? Theoretical work on threshold concepts and conceptual change deals with mechanisms and processes associated with learning difficult material [Meyer, J. and Land, R., 2005. Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (2): epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning. "Higher Education", 49 (3), 373-388; Entwistle, N., 2007. Conceptions of learning and the experience of understanding: thresholds, contextual influences, and knowledge objects. "In:" S. Vosniadou, A. Baltas and X. Vamvakoussi, eds. "Re-framing the conceptual change approach in learning and instruction". Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier, chap. 11]. With this work as a background, we concentrate on the perceptions of teachers. Where do teachers feel that the difficulties lie when studying the troublesome knowledge in computing? Student and teacher-centric views of teaching reported in other literature are also to be seen in our results. The first two categories in the "what" and "who" themes are teacher-centric. Higher level categories in all themes show increasingly learner centred conceptions of the instructional role. However, the nature of the categories in the "why" theme reveals a new dimension dealing with teacher beliefs specific to the nature of troublesome knowledge in computing. A number of prior studies in tertiary teaching concentrate on approaches to teaching [Trigwell, K. and Prosser, M., 2004. Development and use of the approaches to teaching inventory. "Educational Psychology Review", 16 (4), 409-424], and attitudes to scholarship of teaching and learning [Ashwin, P. and Trigwell, K., 2004. Investigating educational development. "In: Making sense of staff and educational development", 117-131]. Our focus on learning difficult topics extends this work, investigating teacher conceptions of causality in relation to learning difficulties. We argue that teacher conceptions of enabling factors, for learning difficult computing topics, can act to limit the nature and scope of academics' pedagogical responses. Improved awareness of teacher's beliefs regarding student learning difficulties both extends and complements existing efforts to develop a more student-centred computing pedagogy. (Contains 2 notes, 1 table and 3 figures.)

It is well-accepted that the jaw plays an active role in influencing vowel height. The general aim of the current study is to further investigate the extent to which the jaw is active in producing consonantal distinctions, with specific focus on coronal consonants. Therefore, tongue tip and jaw positions are compared for the German coronal consonants /s, [esh], t, d, n, l/, that is, consonants having the same active articulators (apical/laminal) but differing in manner of articulation. In order to test the stability of articulatory positions for each of these coronal consonants, a natural perturbation paradigm was introduced by recording two levels of vocal effort: comfortable, and loud without shouting. Tongue and jaw movements of five speakers of German were recorded by means of EMMA during /aCa/ sequences. By analyzing the tongue tip and jaw positions and their spatial variability we found that (1) the jaw's contribution to these consonants varies with manner of articulation, and (2) for all coronal consonants the positions are stable across loudness conditions except for those of the nasal. Results are discussed with respect to the tasks of the jaw, and the possible articulatory adjustments that may accompany louder speech. (Contains 6 figures, 4 tables, and 6 footnotes.)

Focuses on the quantum atomic model Electronium. Outlines the Bremen teaching approach in which this model is used, and analyzes the learning of two students as they progress through the teaching unit. (Author/MM)

Noting the emerging global policyscape toward creating global information networks, this article analyzes policymaking across Europe, the United States, and East Asia. Employing a political-economy perspective, it compares seven countries' networks, highlighting the state's role and varying relationships among education, economy, and society, and outlines a research agenda. (Contains 68 references.) (MLH)

Introduction: Cartilage defects in the knee can be caused by injury, various types of arthritis, or degeneration. As a long-term consequence of cartilage defects, osteoarthritis can develop over time, often leading to the need for a total knee replacement (TKR). The treatment alternatives of chondral defects include, among others, microfracture, and matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (M-ACI). The purpose of this study was to determine cost-effectiveness of M-ACI in Germany with available mid- and long-term outcome data, with special focus on the avoidance of TKR. Materials and methods: We developed a discrete-event simulation (DES) that follows up individuals with cartilage defects of the knee over their lifetimes. The DES was conducted with a status-quo scenario in which M-ACI is available and a comparison scenario with no M-ACI available. The model included 10,000 patients with articular cartilage defects. We assumed Weibull distributions for short- and long-term effects for implant failures. Model outcomes were costs, number of TKRs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). All analyses were performed from the perspective of the German statutory health insurance. Results: The majority of patients was under 45 years old, with defect sizes between 2 and 7 cm2 (mean: 4.5 cm2); average modeled lifetime was 48 years. In the scenario without M-ACI, 26.4% of patients required a TKR over their lifetime. In the M-ACI scenario, this was the case in only 5.5% of cases. Thus, in the modeled cohort of 10,000 patients, 2700 TKRs, including revisions, could be avoided. Patients treated with M-ACI experienced improved quality of life (22.53 vs. 21.21 QALYs) at higher treatment-related costs (18,589 vs. 14,134 € /patient) compared to those treated without M-ACI, yielding an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 3376 € /QALY. Conclusion: M-ACI is projected to be a highly cost‐effective treatment for chondral defects of the knee in the German healthcare setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interest questionnaire with 72 university course descriptions based on a facet design was used to determine whether computer anxiety or computer disinterest was related to interest in or willingness to take selected courses of 200 Belgian and German students. Analysis of variance supports conclusions from the multidimensional scalings. (SLD)

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Background: In the past, for a number of abdominal surgical interventions a correlation between treatment volume of a hospital and the patient's outcome was shown in national and international studies.Methods: Based on a systematic literature search we analyzed the absolute and risk-adjusted in-house lethality as well as the rate of complications and the failure to rescue after abdominal surgery in Germany. The hospitals were grouped in quintiles according to the volume of treatment.Results: 11 studies including more than 2 million patients were identified and surgeries for the treatment of 9 disease conditions were studied. The meta-analysis shows a significantly lower absolute and risk-adjusted in-house mortality for surgery in hospitals with high treatment volumes compared to low volume hospitals. In the context of subgroup analysis, this effect is demonstrated especially for complex surgical procedures. The failure to rescue in patients suffering from sepsis is significantly lower in high volume centers compared to low volume centers.Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis shows on more than 2 million patients that there is a volume-outcome relationship for the surgical treatment of abdominal diseases in Germany across various organ systems, which is particularly true for complex interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many established corporations are currently seeking to adapt their business models and innovation frameworks in order to compete with disruptive businesses. In this context, semi-structured qualitative expert interviews (n=J9) have been conducted in Germany and the USA, which examine advanced approaches of innovation management. Results include the need to build up technology driven competencies within the corporation, as well as advanced incentive schemes. Further detected findings refer to the funding of innovation projects, cooperation with external partners, and internal structures. Presented recommendations will help corporations to fine tune their innovation activities by learning from insights into various multinational firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the background of the huge rise in the number of asylum seekers and refugees absorbed into German society over the last couple of years this article examines the innovative Bavarian programme of preparatory classes for asylum seekers between 16 and 21 years of age. The challenges faced by educational and social work professionals working with this target group are documented alongside the particular resources which these highlymotivated young people as a rule bring with them. Specific requirements for psychotherapy professionals are addressed as well as a range of recommendations formulated by the author to enable the longer-term success of this vocational training programme in integrating these young people into the German educational and employment system. It has become apparent that a holistic approach to the lives of the target group by professionals in education, social work and therapy is necessary to enable young asylums seekers to complete vocational training successfully. Transitional management is a key part of the process of setting asylum seekers on the path to an apprenticeship. Coordination with the Labour Office, local authority administration and local decision-makers are further parts of the equation. This must intermesh with civil society engagement to provide the maximum use of resources giving young refugees access to training, the labour market and long term integration into German life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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How effective are elections in selecting and de-selecting MPs? How do electoral rules affect descriptive representation? To answer such fundamental questions, information is not only needed on those elected to parliament but also data on all those who stood for election. In this article fundamental questions of democratic selection and representation are addressed on the basis of a new data set containing information on each person who ever ran for a seat in the German Bundestag. This new dataset provides us with a complete picture of the personal side of political representation in Germany for the last 60 years -- from 1949 to 2009. We look at the different career sequences that typically lead to a seat in parliament, and we investigate the determinants of women's representation, both over time and with an inter-party comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of migration-related attitudes of native Germans on Muslim migrants integrating into the German society. It reveals a significant increase in skepticism from negative respondents with low levels of education amid the debate cited in the book "Transatlantic Trends: Immigration," by Thilo Sarrazin. It attributes the lack of substantial attitudinal change to the highly polarized debate and low levels of immigration that did not warrant public criticism.

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The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Tritrichomonas foetus infection and associated clinical signs in purebred cats in Germany, to investigate the role of co-infection, and identify determinants of infection. Faecal specimens accompanied by epidemiological questionnaires were scored and collected from 230 purebred cats. Faeces were examined for trichomonads and other enteroparasites. The prevalence of T foetus was 15.7% among cats and 18.5% among catteries. An abnormal faecal score and history of diarrhoea were observed in 64% and 61% of T foetus-positive cats, respectively, and correlated significantly with infection. Co-infection, observed in 36% of T foetus-infected cats, was not associated with diarrhoea. Norwegian Forest cats were infected significantly more often than other breeds. No association was found with any environmental factors. This study demonstrated a high prevalence of symptomatic T foetus infections in purebred cats in Germany. Co-infection with other enteroparasites did not worsen clinical signs of trichomonosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]