Search results

Refugees’ access to psychotherapeutic care is insufficient in Germany. One factor particularly contributing to hindering their access to adequate therapeutic care is a lack of provision of language mediation. This paper aims to explore the institutional system in which the financing of language mediation in the context of the medical treatment of asylum seekers in Germany is located. It examines why the language barrier problem resulting from a lack of financing is not being solved, even though it has been well known for years as a structural problem of day-patient health care to refugees and migrants in Germany.

The financing of language mediation is analysed against the background of theories of the so-called “shunting yard”, in which public responsibilities for the assumption of costs are shifted from one level and actor to the other, thus preventing sustainable solutions being achieved. A mix of qualitative methods including the evaluation of official documents, reports and secondary literature, and of 23 expert interviews was used.

The financing of language mediation is a perfect example of the “shunting yard” phenomenon, with responsibilities being shifted between federal government, health insurance bodies and the municipalities in Germany. This paper argues that the specific financing structure in the German federal system can be viewed as a reason for the non-solution of the language barrier that hinders refugees’ access to health care.

The problem of the financing of language mediation in the context of health care has been rarely treated from a social sciences perspective. This paper contributes to addressing this gap.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a group of developmental disabilities related to prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is a life-long lasting condition with various neurocognitive impairments and deficits in daily-life functioning. Research also indicates that FASD patients have an increased prevalence for substance use, substance related disorders and other psychiatric disorders. In Germany, data on adult FASD patients and their mental health are rare. The purpose of this paper is to describe substance use and comorbid psychiatric disorders (in addition to FASD) and suicide attempts in adult FASD patients.

The German version of the structured “Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)” was administered to a convenience sample of patients attending a specialized FASD diagnostic service at a German university hospital to assess psychiatric disorders. Current and lifetime substance use were examined using sections from the German version of the “European Addiction Severity Index (EUROP-ASI-R)” interview.

In total, 31 adults with FASD were included. Two patients were diagnosed with a substance related disorder, one for alcohol and one for cannabis. Nearly half of all patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for mild mental retardation, a further 16 per cent fulfilled the criteria for another current comorbid psychiatric disorder. In total, 26 per cent reported at least one suicide attempt.

Given that the body of research literature on FASD in adulthood is sparse, even a clinical sample of thirty individuals expands knowledge on mental health and substance use in the adult FASD population. The sample was comprehensively assessed using validated structured interviews on mental health, substance use and FASD.

Due to consumer concerns about food-related diseases and an increase in the use of genetically modified food, more and more “green consumers” integrate environmental considerations into daily purchases, asking for healthier, safer and higher quality food. Marketing managers still face the challenge of broadening the understanding of how and why consumers purchase organic food. Specifically, a deeper understanding of the value dimensions consumers perceive in the context of organic food products is required to develop and implement successful management strategies which might transfer positive consumer perceptions to actual buying behavior and satisfaction. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Drawing on theoretical and empirical insights on organic food consumption in different markets, this research investigates antecedents of organic food products and differences regarding the relative importance of the value-based drivers across two Western nations.

The results from survey data indicate significant differences in the value perceptions, especially the functional and individual value perceptions, and recommendation behavior related to organic food for consumers from the USA and Germany. In addition, the segmentation approach provides evidence for consumer segments that cross-national borders: the “convinced opponents,” the “silent/private consumers,” the “prestige-seekers” and the “passionate evangelists.”

Consequently, instead of a country-based segmentation approach, marketers should emphasize the different types of consumers across national borders in order to address the differences in customer value perception in the organic food market.

Due to the continued high failure rate of logistics alliances, the purpose of this paper is to propose incorporating the widely neglected dynamic capabilities approach into the explanation of logistics alliance performance.

The authors identify specific characteristics of logistics alliances that are used to argumentatively develop a framework of logistics alliance management capabilities.

We propose an initial framework of logistics alliance management capabilities, based on the dynamic capabilities approach of strategic management, with the aim of improving logistics alliance success.

The presented framework offers a basis for a wider range of empirical studies. Qualitative researchers are encouraged to further specify and better understand the sub-processes that underlie logistics alliance management capabilities in different alliance settings. Quantitative studies could help to reliably assess the differences and performance implications of these capabilities.

The authors ' conceptualization supports managers in their relevant strategic and organizational attempts to enhance logistics alliance success.

This paper contributes to the logistics literature by making a more general yet established construct accessible to logistics scholars and practitioners. The roots of the authors ' logistics alliance management capabilities construct in dynamic capabilities provide a framework that is new and potentially more comprehensive than the collection of somewhat isolated alliance success factors that have hitherto been proposed in the logistics literature.

The purpose of this work is to present a prototype of the system and the results from a technical evaluation and a study on possible effects of recordings with active camera control on the learner. An increasing number of higher education institutions have adopted the lecture recording technology in the past decade. Even though some solutions already show a very high degree of automation, active camera control can still only be realized with the use of human labor. Aiming to fill this gap, the LectureSight project is developing a free solution for active autonomous camera control for presentation recordings. The system uses a monocular overview camera to analyze the scene. Adopters can formulate camera control strategies in a simple scripting language to adjust the system’s behavior to the specific characteristics of a presentation site.

The system is based on a highly modularized architecture to make it easily extendible. The prototype has been tested in a seminar room and a large lecture hall. Furthermore, a study was conducted in which students from two universities prepared for a simulated exam with an ordinary lecture recording and a recording produced with the LectureSight technology.

The technical evaluation showed a good performance of the prototype but also revealed some technical constraints. The results of the psychological study give evidence that the learner might benefit from lecture videos in which the camera follows the presenter so that gestures and facial expression are easily perceptible.

The LectureSight project is the first open-source initiative to care about the topic of camera control for presentation recordings. This opens way for other projects building upon the LectureSight architecture. The simulated exam study gave evidence of a beneficial effect on students learning success and needs to be reproduced. Also, if the effect is proven to be consistent, the mechanism behind it is worth to be investigated further.

To remain competitive, efficient and productive, organisations need to ensure that their employees continuously learn and develop. This is even more challenging and critical in times characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). Hence, several technological applications have been introduced with the promise to make organisational training and development (T&D) more efficient and targeted through digitisation and automation. However, digitising and automating processes in the sensitive field of T&D also poses challenges and perils for employees and organisations as a whole.

Structured by the T&D process of (1) assessment/planning, (2) design/implementation and (3) evaluation, the authors present different digitisation and automation possibilities and discuss the specific opportunities and challenges they pose. Subsequently, the authors identify and discuss overarching themes of opportunities and challenges of technology use in T&D via a meta-review.

This synthesis revealed three central topics that decision-makers in T&D should carefully consider when it comes to the implementation of technological applications: opportunities and challenges of (1) data collection, (2) decision-making and (3) the value of human contact.

This review integrates previously fragmented research on specific technologies applied to specific T&D functions and provides researchers and practitioners with a fuller picture of the opportunities and challenges of technology applied in T&D.

Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is important over the whole life span. Standardized instruments may support the assessment process. The purpose of this paper is to describe English- and German-screening tools for ASD.

PubMed was used to search for published tools and evidence on their diagnostic validity.

Searches identified 46 screening tools for ASD. Most are designed for children, while only few measures are available for adults, especially those with additional intellectual disabilities. Many instruments are under-researched, although a small number such as the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers and the SCQ have been widely examined in a variety of populations.

The study identified and described a number of ASD screeners that can support clinicians or researchers when deciding whether to carry out a more comprehensive ASD assessment.

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that, with a bit of creative thinking, elements of certain university‐wide projects (in this case study, establishing an iTunes U site) can be incorporated into student studies and assessment as real‐world learning opportunities.

Describes three different approaches adopted by Swinburne University of Technology to provide real‐world learning opportunities for its students through its project to establish an iTunes U presence. Highlights the problems encountered with these approaches and what Swinburne would do differently to overcome these issues.

iTunes U provides a real opportunity for showcasing student work and talent beyond the university. The key to success lies in embedding what you want the students to do deeply within assessment processes to ensure the work provides a relevant and valid learning experience. Part of this is establishing a realistic client‐service‐provider relationship with the students.

This paper is based on the observations and anecdotal feedback given to the content coordinator for iTunes U at Swinburne. Future research should seek ethics clearance so that students and staff can be interviewed about their experiences in more depth.

This paper offers advice to other institutions looking to engage students in broader university projects, through integration with coursework.

Hundreds of universities have iTunes U sites, or are exploring the use of iTunes U and/or YouTube. Ideas for how to successfully involve students in these broader university initiatives will be of interest to all these institutes.

The purpose of this paper is to identify strategies that caregivers of people with dementia use for financial and estate planning and what advice they would give to others in their position.

Data were gathered via in-depth in-person interviews with 34 caregivers of individuals with dementia. Participants were asked questions about: how they financed care; the resources and people they used to help manage care and finances; and advice they would give to other caregivers.

Caregivers wished that they had done more in-depth planning regarding dementia care and financial arrangements. Participants also wished they had saved more money for care expenses or a “nest-egg.” Participants had mixed feelings about the usefulness and trustworthiness of financial advisors, but those who had elder care lawyers recommended them highly.

It would be beneficial to reproduce this study with a larger, gender-balanced sample with a wider variety of socio-economic backgrounds.

The advice and insight provided in this paper are useful both to dementia caregivers, who can learn from the experiences of those interviewed, and to industry professionals such as financial advisors and elder care lawyers, who may recognize from these interviews the areas in which caregivers need assistance and the services they can provide to help them navigate this disease.

This paper provides insights from actual caregivers about their experiences dealing with the financial aspect of dementia, an aspect of the disease that is not widely discussed.

Many universities are currently investing significant sums of money into refurbishing existing learning spaces and/or building further infrastructure (including Next Generation Learning Spaces (NGLS)) to support learning and teaching in the face-to-face context. While this is usually welcome by staff and students, there is often a concern that designs are not informed by input from appropriate stakeholders.

This chapter brings together information from a range of sources to provide practical ideas and advice on designing robust, whole-of-lifecycle evaluations for learning space projects. By incorporating pre- and post-occupancy stages, involving a wide array of stakeholders and looking beyond surveys and focus groups as evaluation techniques, universities can ensure that future designs take into consideration the experiences and context of staff and students at the institution as well as lessons learned from previous projects.