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Learning from Japanese Businesses: Ethics in Operational Excellence
No full textHumanistic management in a non-Western context is underexplored, for example, in Japan. Despite numerous publications especially on Japanese management in the 1980s to 1990s the topic of humanistic management in a Japanese context remains largely unexplored. Using Toyota as a case, this article illustrates how a company has systematically implemented Japanese ethical principles based upon Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Shintoism in its corporate ethics and operations. These moral philosophies emphasize self-improvement, social cooperation, and contribution to society as foundations for good behavior regardless of an individual’s social position. We link some of these philosophic elements with humanistic management in an Asian context. In addition, we came to understand that Toyota’s organizational architecture, i.e., production system and product development rely on an integrated ethical system as their fundamental purpose of business activities, including an expectation that all workers collectively contribute to organizational success and harmony. This differs from many Western approaches which see profit as the purpose of the firm and view their ethical responsibilities in an ex-post fashion. These findings are important, as the scope of humanistic management practices globally needs to be expanded
Emergency treatment of symptomatic ureteral calculi: predictors of prolonged hospital stay
No full textPurpose To assess diferences in the length of hospital stay (LOS) in patients who present emergently versus electively for a symptomatic ureteral stone and to explore underlying risk factors.
Methods Billing data were analyzed from patients with symptomatic ureteral calculi at our department from 2010 to 2021. Statistical analysis (U test, logistic regression) was performed.
Results 2274 patients (72% male, 28% female) with ureteral stones were analyzed (mean age of 52.9y). 1578 patients (69.4%) presented in an emergency setting and 696 patients (30.6%) electively. Arterial hypertension was seen in 31%, diabetes mellitus in 11% and hyperuricemia in 5% of the whole cohort. 46.5% of emergency patients were desobstructed (DJ/PCN), 35.4% underwent emergency ureteroscopy (URS), 13.4% had spontaneous passage (SP), and 4.8% underwent emergency shock wave lithotripsy (SWL). Of the electively treated patients, 58.6% underwent URS, 21.3% SWL, 18.5% DJ/PCN, and 1.6% had SP. Emergency stone treatment was associated with a signifcantly longer LOS when compared to primary desobstruction for patients admitted emergently. Also, LOS was signifcantly longer for each intervention of stone treatment in emergency patients vs. electively treated patients. Arterial hypertension was associated with a 1.8-fold increased risk of a hospital stay longer than 3 days, irrespective of hospital admission mode, whereas metabolic disorders did not infuence LOS in this cohort.
Conclusion For emergency patients in contrast to the electively treated patients, the type of procedure had a signifcant impact on the length of hospital stay. Arterial hypertension is an independent signifcant risk factor for prolonged hospital stay
Olfactory brain activations in patients with Major Depressive Disorder
No full textDepression is associated with reduced olfactory function. This relationship is assumed to be based on either a reduced olfactory bulb volume or diminished functioning of higher cortical areas. As previous results are controversial, we aimed to re-evaluate central olfactory processing in depression. We recorded the BOLD signal of 21 patients with Major Depressive Disorder and 21 age and gender matched healthy controls during odor presentation. In addition, we measured the individual olfactory bulb volume, tested odor identification and odor threshold, and asked for hedonic odor perception. In both groups, odor presentation led to a pronounced activation of primary olfactory areas. However, secondary olfactory areas were significantly less activated in depressed individuals. The two groups did not differ in olfactory bulb volume. Our results point towards altered olfactory processing in patients in those regions that relate to sensory integration and attention allocation. Difficulties in cognitive processing could impact olfactory function in depression. We are therefore in favor of a top-down mechanism originating in higher cortical areas explaining parts of the relation between depression and olfaction
Sachsens Linke!: Politik und Kultur für Sachsen und die Welt
No full textDarin aufgegangen „Links! : Politik und Kultur für Sachsen, Europa und die Welt“; Erscheinen eingestell
Erosion behaviour of human, bovine and equine dental hard tissues
No full textDental hard tissues from different species are used in dental research, but little is known about their comparability. The aim of this study was to compare the erosive behaviour of dental hard tissues (enamel, dentin) obtained from human, bovine and equine teeth. In addition, the protective effect of the pellicle on each hard tissue under erosive conditions was determined. In situ pellicle formation was performed for 30 min on enamel and dentin samples from all species in four subjects. Calcium and phosphate release was assessed during 120 s of HCl incubation on both native and pellicle-covered enamel and dentin samples. SEM and TEM were used to examine surface changes in native enamel and dentin samples after acid incubation and the ultrastructure of the pellicle before and after erosive exposure. In general, bovine enamel and dentin showed the highest degree of erosion after acid exposure compared to human and equine samples. Erosion of human primary enamel tended to be higher than that of permanent teeth, whereas dentin showed the opposite behaviour. SEM showed that eroded equine dentin appeared more irregular than human or bovine dentin. TEM studies showed that primary enamel appeared to be most susceptible to erosion
Health literacy and information needs among German skin cancer patients in comparison to people without skin cancer: A survey
No full textBackground
An increasing number of patients are seeking health information on the internet. Health literacy and the quality of information are crucial to enable patients to find relevant high-quality information.
Objectives
To investigate the relevance of quality criteria for health information and to determine the health literacy of skin cancer patients (SC) in comparison to those without skin cancer (NSC).
Methods
Between December 2021 until February 2022 we undertook an online survey on the importance of multiple criteria to investigate the relevance of quality criteria of online health information. SC and NSC were eligible for participation. The questionnaire assessed participants´ health information-seeking behavior and the evaluation of relevance of quality criteria for health information on a 5-point-LIKERT-Scale. The participants´ health literacy was measured according to the health literacy measurement scale ranging from 0-100. Comparisons between SC and NSC were investigated with t-tests.
Results
We retrieved data from 268 participants, of whom 98 (38%) were SC. Participants assigned the highest relevance to the health information topics treatment (4.7 ± 0.64) and effects of a disease (4.49 ± 0.76). Participants ranked the content of information with a mean of 4.72 (±0.57) to be the most relevant criterion, followed by objectivity (4.61 ± 0.67) and completeness of the information (4.59 ± 0.61). Participants showed the highest competence in understanding of information (62.4 ± 22.5) and in disease prevention (58.32 ± 22.9). They reached low values in accessing health related information (46.78 ± 25.62) and appraising it (33.16 ± 20.11). Subgroup analysis indicated that SC had a greater need for practical information that is helpful in dealing with a disease compared to NSC. They showed significantly lower health literacy than NSC.
Conclusions
Our study documents that SC and NSC have a high need for different dimensions of quality of health information. These differences in the importance of criteria should be considered in the development of future targeted health information
A modified cap plasticity description coupled with a localizing gradient-enhanced approach for concrete failure modeling
No full textThe modeling of concrete has always been of great interest. In this work, a yield criterion with three surfaces is proposed to capture the plastic yielding behavior under different loading conditions, including uniaxial tension/compression, biaxial tension/compression and tension-compression. Material failure, characterized by the degradation and finally the complete loss of material integrity, can be modeled by the continuum damage approach. Within finite element methods, the nonlocal enhancement of integral-type or gradient-type is often required for the well-posedness of the partial differential equation system. In this work, a localizing gradient damage model has been adopted to obtain mesh-insensitive material responses, while ruling out the unphysical broadening of the damage zone often observed in constant length scale gradient damage models. Following a consistent derivation, the plasticity-damage coupled model has been implemented into an in-house finite element framework. Several representative and demonstrative examples serve to illustrate the capability of the proposed description in concrete modeling, followed by the conclusion, where some final insights are provided
Wirtschaft und Nachhaltigkeit als Zielkonflikt bei der Entwicklung zirkulärer Textilien: Ein Beispiel aus der angewandten Designforschung
No full textIMPACT AND MEASUREMENT – MANAGING RISK?:Einführung
Rahmenwerkzeuge zur Orientierung
Vorgehen
Methodik
Resultate
Tuftteppich Prototyp
Diskussion
Zielkonflikte sind Teil von Entwicklungen
Denkmodell
Designer:innen als teil der Lösung
Fazit
Acknowledgement
ReferenzenDie Textilwirtschaft sieht sich mit grossen Herausforderungen konfrontiert in der Erreichung von Nachhaltigkeitszielen. Neben neuen Konsummustern und Geschäftsmodellen müssen insbesondere die produktionsbasierten Emissionen verringert werden. Eine Möglichkeit hierfür, basierend auf dem Modell der Kreislaufwirtschaft, ist der Ersatz von Rohstoffen durch rezyklierte Fasern. Die vorliegende Arbeit betrachtet Zielsetzungen zur Integration von Recyclingfasern in der Produktgestaltung aus ökonomischer und
ökologischer Perspektive. Anhand von drei konkreten Prototypen, die im Forschungsprojekt Texcircle realisiert wurden, wird das erarbeitete Designbriefing erläutert sowie die tatsächlich erreichten Ziele daran gespiegelt, die in Funktionsprototypen validiert werden konnten. Bereits während der Prototypenentwicklung zeigten sich Zielkonflikte zwischen wirtschaftlichem Denken und Nachhaltigkeitsbestrebungen, die zu Kompromissen im Designbriefing führten. Diese Zielkonflikte konnten im Anschluss an das Projekt mit diesem Text reflektiert werden. Der Designrolle kam innerhalb des Forschungsprojektes eine Vermittlungsposition zwischen ökologischer und ökonomischer Perspektive zu. Für die Zukunft gilt es zu klären, inwieweit Designschaffende innerhalb dieser Konflikte agieren und steuern können. Hierfür erachtet es die Autorenschaft als essenziell das Design in Unternehmen auf einer strategischen Wirkungsebene zu platzieren.:Einführung
Rahmenwerkzeuge zur Orientierung
Vorgehen
Methodik
Resultate
Tuftteppich Prototyp
Diskussion
Zielkonflikte sind Teil von Entwicklungen
Denkmodell
Designer:innen als teil der Lösung
Fazit
Acknowledgement
Referenze
Michael. Undeviginti Odarum Horatianarum Melodiae (1526)
No full textMichaels vierstimmige Tonsätze zu den lyrischen Versmaßen des römischen Dichters Horaz erschienen zuerst 1526 anonym in Augsburg als Beilage zu einem Lehrbuch der lateinischen Grammatik. In zwei Neudrucken des Werks, die 1531 und 1533 in Marburg erschienen, erfreuten sie sich großer Beliebtheit als Unterrichtsmaterial am dortigen Pädagogium. Erst als sie 1551 zusammen mit den entsprechenden Odenvertonungen des Petrus Tritonius in Frankfurt am Main neu herausgegeben worden sind, erkundigte sich der Herausgeber Petrus Nigidius über den Komponisten, über den aber schon damals nichts weiter bekannt war, als dass er mit Vornamen Michael hieß und seinerzeit als Sänger am Augsburger Dom aktiv gewesen war. Obwohl Michaels Humanistenoden mit vier Auflagen innerhalb von 25 Jahren zu den damals meistgedruckten Sammlungen ihrer Gattung gehörten, scheinen sie seit dem Ende des 16. Jahrhunderts weitgehend in Vergessenheit geraten zu sein. Mit der vorliegenden Ausgabe werden die Undeviginti Odarum Horatianarum Melodiae wieder praktischen und wissenschaftlichen Zwecken zugänglich gemacht
Mental health and life satisfaction in East and West Germany: Effects of generation and migration of citizens
No full textOverall, our data point to inequalities between the Eastern and
Western states regarding mental health 16 years after reunification favoring
the residents of the Western states by lower distress and life satisfaction. Our data attest to the stresses and adjustments associated with migration from the
Eastern to the Western states before reunification. A lower level of mental
health and life satisfaction in the oldest generation may be related to the
sequelae of World War II and also to aging