Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences

Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, wie Führungskräfte der Sozialen Arbeit die Veränderungen in der Arbeitswelt und im Führungsverständnis durch Digitalisierung in ihrer Berufspraxis erleben. Dazu werden Ergebnisse einer Befragung von 182 Führungskräften der Sozialen Arbeit präsentiert, die zwischen August und Oktober 2021 erhoben wurden. Zunächst wird ein Überblick über den aktuellen Forschungsstand zu Digital Leadership im Kontext sozialer Einrichtungen gegeben. Damit gemeint sind spezifische Formen, Praktiken und Instrumente der Führung in digitalen Arbeitskontexten. Untersucht wurde 1) das Nutzungsverhalten, die Erfahrungen und Selbsteinschätzung digitaler Kompetenzen, 2) die Akzeptanz von Digitalisierung, 3) die Wahrnehmung der eigenen Führungsrolle sowie 4) die Einstellung zur Förderung von Eigeninitiative und Lernprozessen der Mitarbeiter:innen. Im Ergebnis wird festgestellt: Führungskräfte erleben Digitalisierung überwiegend als Gewinn und schätzen ihre digitalen Kompetenzen mehrheitlich als gut oder befriedigend ein. Sie betonen jedoch auch die höhere Arbeitsbelastung und mangelnde Kontrolle, die sich durch Führung auf Distanz ergeben. Immerhin ein Drittel der befragten Führungskräfte verfügt über ein ausgeprägtes Digital Mindset und die Bereitschaft, sich mit der neuen Rolle als Digital Leader auseinanderzusetzen. Im Umkehrschluss wird aber auch deutlich, dass zwei Drittel tendenziell an einem eher traditionellen Führungsverständnis festhalten. Nahezu alle Befragten zeigen sich aufgeschlossen gegenüber Lernprozessen und fördern die Eigenverantwortlichkeit ihrer Mitarbeitenden. Der Beitrag endet mit Handlungsempfehlungen, wie Digital Leadership auf individueller und organisationaler Ebene gelingen kann und benennt wichtige Voraussetzungen dafür.

Understanding the cognitive and social foundations of healthcare behaviors in humans requires examining their evolutionary precursors in our closest living relatives. Investigating self-directed and other-directed healthcare in chimpanzees provides crucial insights into the origins of medicinal knowledge, identification of specific medicinal resources used for health maintenance, and the emergence of prosocial healthcare capacities. Here we document and analyze both previously reported and newly observed instances of self-directed and other-directed wound care, snare removal, and putatively medicinal hygiene behaviors in the Sonso and Waibira chimpanzee communities of the Budongo Forest in Uganda. Reports of these behaviors come from archival records collected from over thirty years of observation at the Budongo Conservation Field Station (BCFS), videos recorded by researchers at the site, and all-occurrence behavioral data collected over two 4-month periods of direct observation. We describe self-directed wound care behaviors such as wound licking, leaf-dabbing, pressing fingers to wounds, and the application of chewed plant material to wounds, as well as a successful self-directed snare removal. We also document self-directed hygiene behaviors including postcoital genital leaf wiping and post-defecation leaf wiping. For the first time in Budongo, we report the presence of prosocial wound care, adding to similar observations documented at other chimpanzee field sites. We present cases of individuals licking, finger pressing, and applying chewed plant material to the wounds of others. We also establish the presence of prosocial postcoital hygiene behaviors, specifically postcoital leaf wiping. Lastly, we report an additional unpublished case of prosocial snare removal. The presence of prosocial-care behaviors between both kin and non-kin individuals at Budongo adds another site to the growing list of locations where such behaviors have been documented, suggesting prosocial healthcare is more widespread across chimpanzee populations than previously recognized.

The aim of this study was to determine claw health and lameness prevalence in cows housed in CBPs in southern Germany. Eight farms that housed their dairy cows in CBPs were visited for data collection once in the warm season and once in the cold season between January and December 2023. The first visit was during hoof trimming of the herd to identify claw disorders, score lameness, and assess the bedded pack resting area. Lameness was scored again and the bedded pack resting area assessed at the second visit. To compare claw health at cow and farm levels, a cow claw score (CCS) and a farm claw score (FCS) were calculated using geometric severity scores. The prevalence of lameness at cow level was 9.4% in the cold season and 11.1% in the warm season, which were lower than values reported in studies that investigated cubicle free-stall barns. The low prevalences of lameness and claw disorders were reflected in a CCS of 8 and FCS of 9, which are defined as excellent. Based on our results, CBPs are associated with low lameness prevalence and favourable claw health.

For ecological reasons, effective alternatives should be found to control plant diseases on crops. UV-C is a highly energetic radiation with a disinfecting effect on different microorganisms. This study investigated the effect of UV-C treatment on the vegetative and reproductive growth of Fusarium culmorum , Alternaria spp., Botrytis cinerea , Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and the biocontrol agent Trichoderma asperellum . All fungal species were grown on agar plates and treated with different UV-C doses (0.015–1.57 kJ/m ² ). Mycelium diameter, spore production, and germination of these spores were analyzed. In a second experiment, a spore suspension was treated with different UV-C doses (0.015–1.57 kJ/m ² ), and germinated spores were counted 1, 2, and 3 days after UV-C treatment. The results indicate that mycelium growth was slightly reduced. However, the mycelium began to recover after the first day. Furthermore, no complete cessation of mycelium growth could be detected. Increasing UV-C doses resulted in reduced spore germination. On the first day after UV-C treatment, spores treated with the highest dose of 1.57 kJ/m ² did not germinate. However, germination increased as the time between treatment and measurement increased. The treated fungal species reacted differently to UV-C treatment. F. culmorum reacted most sensitively to mycelium treatment. T. asperellum had the highest level of sensitivity to the spore treatment, followed by F. culmorum , Alternaria spp., and B. cinerea . The developmental stage of the fungus is crucial for the success of the UV-C treatment and should be taken into account when using this plant protection technology.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a novel and versatile technology, which is not yet used in the food and agricultural sector for barley processing. In lab-scale applications, the technology shows potential in extending shelf life and ensuring food safety and quality, e.g., during storage. CAP reactive nature counteracts insect pests, fungi, and bacteria, but also improves seed germination and facilitates plant growth not only under stress conditions. Its generation does not require water, chemicals, or solvents and consumes little energy due to low operating temperatures (<60 °C) with a short time span that makes additional production steps (e.g., cooling) obsolete. Therefore, CAP is a sustainable technology capable of further optimising the use of limited resources with the potential of offering solutions for upcoming environmental challenges and political requirements for replacing existing practices and technologies due to the growing impact of climate change. This review summarises recent developments and findings concerning CAP application in barley production and processing with air as the process gas. Furthermore, this comprehensive overview could help identify further research needs to overcome its current technical limitations, e.g., efficiency, capacity, etc., that hamper the upscale and market introduction of this environmentally friendly technology.

Background The present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the German Hogg Eco-Anxiety Scale (HEAS) as a reliable and valid instrument to measure eco-anxiety, and to explore its associations with sociodemographic and psychological variables. Methods 322 German speaking participants (67.4% female; M = 36.64 [SD = 14.77] years old) were recruited via the internet and social media. Confirmatory factor analyses, reliability and correlational analyses, independent sample t-tests, and a multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results Both in confirmatory factor analyses tested models were acceptable with an even better model fit of the four-factorial structure (CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.04) than of the second-order model (CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.06). The HEAS total scale (α = 0.91, ω = 0.91) and the HEAS subscales Affective Symptoms (α = 0.87, ω = 0.86), Rumination (α = 0.84, ω = 0.84), Behavioral Symptoms (α = 0.79, ω = 0.79) and Personal Impact Anxiety (α = 0.90, ω = 0.90) had good to excellent internal consistency coefficients. Correlational analyses showed significant associations between the HEAS total scale and subscales and measures of climate anxiety, psychological distress, partially self-efficacy and social support as well as some sociodemographic variables. Some significant sociodemographic differences were found for the HEAS total scale and subscales regarding gender and parental status but not age groups. Our multiple regression analysis resulted in psychological distress as the only significant predictor of eco-anxiety. Conclusion The German HEAS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess anxiety about ecological problems.

The effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment strongly depends on specific product properties, e.g. the phenotype of the processed plant species. However, for food products it is crucial that quality parameters are maintained and that processing is reproducible. In the present study, PEF treatment was used for improving the extraction of hop compounds for beer production. Considering the fact that the flavor and aroma of a beer develops during the boiling process and is highly dependent on the hops used, PEF was applied as a pre-extraction procedure treating concentrated hop suspensions to improve the extractability of aroma compounds. A total of eight aroma and bitter hops were studied to consider putative variety-specific effects of PEF. Investigations of the bitterness and flavor (sensorial/instrumental) also showed putative and hop-dependent influences of the PEF treatment: Significant increases in the bittering units of between 48% (cv. ‘Polaris’) and 285% (cv. ‘Huell Melon’) were observed in three concentrated and PEF-treated hop extracts. A change of olfactory attributes was not perceived. Similarly, SPME-GC-MS was only able to determine negligible changes in 21 volatile aroma compounds, including four off-flavors. However, some larger increases in heptanoic and octanoic acid were observed in the PEF-treated cultivar ‘Huell Melon.’ The findings of the present study indicate that PEF can be successfully applied as a pre-extraction technique for treating hop components, suggesting its potential use in breweries for increasing the bittering units without negatively influencing the overall flavor, or for lowering costs by reducing the required quantities of expensive hops.

Background Educational institutions in Germany are facing the challenge of providing healthcare professionals with the skills they need to collaborate interprofessionally. Appropriate skills can be acquired through suitable teaching/learning formats and cross-cutting topics. However, there is a lack of empirical results on the design of appropriate teaching/learning formats in order to apply the cross-cutting topics effectively in as many healthcare professions as possible. Methodology An integrative literature review on suitable teaching/learning formats was carried out in which 21 titles were analysed and presented in a table. The typology according to Sottas et al. was used as a deductive evaluation framework. In order to identify cross-cutting issues, an analysis of the training and examination regulations for healthcare professions in Germany was carried out, with an evaluation using frequency counts. Results The three most common cross-cutting topics are counselling, quality assurance and the structured care process. The topics are to be taught using methods such as case-based and problem-oriented learning, interprofessional group work or simulation. The debriefing of interprofessional teaching/learning formats is highly relevant. Discussion & conclusion Interprofessional teaching for healthcare professions rarely takes place in the form of observation-based and hands-on learning in Germany. In addition, only a few healthcare professions are usually involved in interprofessional teaching and learning formats. Both of these factors impede the teaching of complex interprofessional skills.

Based on a workshop held at the German Weed Science Conference in February 2024, this paper explores strategies for reducing herbicide use in arable cropping systems to enhance weed diversity. Although potentially detrimental to crop yields, weeds play a vital role in supporting ecosystem functions such as pollination, nutrient cycling, and microbial diversity. The reduction of herbicide use is regarded as an important management strategy for preserving weed biodiversity, which has been declining in Europe. Three strategies for reducing herbicide use are discussed: site-specific herbicide application, species-specific herbicide dose rates, and the use of selective herbicides with narrow target spectra. Each strategy is evaluated for its technical feasibility, agronomic risks, and potential benefits for weed diversity. While challenges such as high investment costs, technical limitations, and the need for precise weed distribution data remain, emerging technologies like AI-driven weed detection and autonomous robots offer promising solutions. The paper emphasizes the importance of combining reduced herbicide use with other management practices, such as crop rotation and mechanical weeding, to achieve sustainable and ecologically beneficial weed control. A shift in farmers’ perspectives on “clean fields” and more comprehensive guidance on the ecological value of weeds is essential for the widespread adoption of these strategies.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Beteiligung und Partizipation von Bürger:innen sind anerkannte Anforderungen in verschiedenen Handlungsfeldern von Public Health. Mittels eines Scoping-Reviews sollen die Wirkungen von Beteiligung und Partizipation von Bürger:innen in Erkenntnisprozessen der integrierten kommunalen Gesundheitsförderung systematisch untersucht und aufbereitet werden. Methoden Der anhand des PRISMA-Frameworks durchgeführte Scoping-Review wurde durch eine systematische Handrecherche ergänzt. Basierend auf dem Modell der Partizipativen Gesundheitsforschung und dem PHINEO-Wirkungsmodell wurde für die Aufbereitung der Ergebnisse ein Analyseraster entwickelt. Ergebnisse Insgesamt wurden 30 Publikationen aus 6 Teilprojekten von Forschungsverbünden (darunter auch forschungsverbundübergreifende Publikationen) sowie aus 6 eigenständigen Projekten in die Auswertung eingeschlossen. Wirkungen wurden hauptsächlich für positive Veränderungen hinsichtlich des Bewusstseins und der Fähigkeiten der direkt beteiligten und partizipierenden Bürger:innen und Projektpartner:innen berichtet sowie darüber hinaus in geringerem Umfang für nicht direkt beteiligte Bürger:innen und Stakeholder. Verhältnisänderungen leiteten sich aus den Veränderungen im Bewusstsein und Handeln der Stakeholder ab, die in den Projekten beteiligt waren. Diskussion Die Wirkungen von Beteiligung und Partizipation von Bürger:innen in Erkenntnisprozessen der kommunalen Gesundheitsförderung sind vielfältig und betreffen nicht nur die Zielgruppe des jeweiligen (Teil‑)Projektes. Zugleich gibt es nur wenige Wirkungsbeschreibungen, die über die Ebene der direkt Beteiligten hinausreichen. Für die systematische Implementierung, Evaluation und Veröffentlichung partizipativer Erkenntnisprozesse sind adäquate Förderung und Strukturen nötig.

Nurses are the largest occupational group in the healthcare sector in Germany and are exposed to a high level of physical and mental stress in their daily work. Workplace health promotion (WHP), preferably as part of a workplace health management system, can help to reduce stress. This article outlines the main challenges for the implementation of health promotion in hospitals. Between February and October 2022, 39 guideline-based expert interviews were conducted as part of the „Gute gesunde Arbeit in der Pflege“ projects. The interviews were analysed according to Mayring’s content-structuring qualitative content analysis. The challenges can be grouped into three areas: lack of prioritisation, lack of structures and resources, and additional effort in designing and organising WHP. Lack of prioritisation (e.g. due to cost pressure, limited concept of WHP) has a major influence on the structures and resources used to design and organise WHP. In general, unclear decision-making and responsibility structures (e.g. due to multiple staff responsibilities) complicate the implementation of WHP and cooperation with external stakeholders such as social insurance institutions. Due to the special conditions in hospitals (e.g. shift work, heterogeneity of the target groups, increased effort to activate the target group), the design and organisation require additional effort. The interaction of the different aspects is illustrated in a model. Nurses’ health needs to be given a higher priority at different levels. Sustainable management structures to reduce stress and promote health should be created by improving the provision of financial, human and time resources within the company and with support from external stakeholders.

Purpose Understanding factors influencing clinical biomarkers is important for the prevention of chronic disease. This study aimed to estimate transitions of biomarker status from childhood to adolescence and to identify determinants of biomarker status in early life in a prospective children cohort. Subjects and methods Our sample comprised 1295 children participating in the baseline (2007/08) and second follow-up examination (2013/14) of the multi-center IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS)/I.Family study. Clinical blood biomarkers including glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol), triglycerides, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6, ferritin, leptin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were repeatedly measured in 2007/2008 (age range: 3.0 to <10.0 years) and in 2013/2014. Latent transition analysis was used to estimate biomarker statuses and transition probabilities; determinants of biomarker status were estimated using mixed-effects models. Results Four distinct biomarker statuses were identified: (1) “normal” (all biomarkers low/medium; except HDL-cholesterol; reference), (2) “low leptin/IGF-1/HbA1c”, (3) “dyslipidemia/high leptin” and (4) “inflammation”. Children classified as “low leptin/IGF-1/HbA1c” at baseline were most likely to stay in this status (89.8%) or to change to the “normal” status (10%) during follow-up. Compared to “normal” children, children classified as “low leptin/IGF-1/HbA1c” were less likely to have a family history of diabetes (0.26 [0.08;0.86]; odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval) or hypertension (0.53 [0.29;0.99]) and the children (0.32 [0.27;0.38]) as well as their mothers (0.93 [0.88;0.98]) had a lower BMI. Children from families with low/medium education had a 55% [9%-119%] higher risk of being in the “dyslipidemia/high leptin” and 49% [1%-121%] higher risk of being in the “inflammation” status as compared to children in the “normal” status. Membership in a sports club reduced the latter risks by 28% [2%-47%] and 40% [17%-56%], respectively. Conclusions European children showed distinct phenotypes for the investigated biomarkers. Especially parental characteristics like a family history of diabetes or hypertension, a high maternal BMI, or low/medium education were associated with unfavorable biomarker status in children.

An increasing number of automation technologies for dairy cattle farming, including automatic milking, feeding, manure removal and bedding, are now commercially available. The effects of these technologies on individual aspects of animal welfare have already been explored to some extent. However, as of now, there are no studies that analyze the impact of increasing farm automation through various combinations of these technologies. The objective of this study was to examine potential correlations between welfare indicators from the Welfare Quality® Assessment protocol and dairy farms with varying degrees of automation. To achieve this, 32 trial farms in Northern and Central Germany were categorized into varying automation levels using a newly developed classification system. The Welfare Quality® Assessment protocol was used to conduct welfare assessments on all participating farms. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA), overall welfare scores and individual measures from the protocol were compared across farms with differing automation levels. No significant differences were observed in overall welfare scores, suggesting that the impact of automation does not exceed other farm-related factors influencing animal wellbeing, such as housing environment or management methods. However, significant effects of milking, feeding, and bedding systems on the appropriate behavior of cattle were observed. Higher levels of automation had a positive impact on the human–animal relationship and led to positive emotional states. Moreover, farms with higher automation levels had significantly lower scores for the prevalence of severe lameness and dirtiness of lower legs. It could be concluded that a higher degree of automation could help to improve animal welfare on dairy farms.