State North Rhine-Westphalia Research Articles

Evaluating the performance of constructed wetlands for the treatment of combined sewer overflows

Vertical-flow constructed wetlands remove pollutants from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and have been in operation for approximately 20 years in Germany. More than 150 sites are currently operated in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia, with most of them constructed according to the same guidelines. This number provides an adequate statistical population to evaluate the treatment efficiency of this design; however, most available data have not been collected in a standardized way.This study presents the results from a survey amongst operators of these plants, who provided long-term data for 24 sites. It also describes a statistical approach to harmonizing the data and evaluating the removal efficiencies of wastewater pollutants while considering errors and uncertainties with a Monte Carlo simulation. This method makes it possible to harmonize data from surveys and to draw generalized conclusions on the treatment efficiency of large-scale facilities. In this study, the evaluation could be adapted for the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids and total phosphorus.

Competitive funding in North Rhine-Westphalia

PurposeThis paper aims to examine a cluster-based strategy implemented in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia under the 2007-2013 “Regional Competitiveness and Employment” programme. Departing from traditional discretionary approaches, a substantial share of the funds was now allocated on a competitive basis. The authors analyse the resulting distribution of funds across stakeholders and sub-regions and try to assess the pros and cons of this process, which constitutes a novel delivery system for cluster policies.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a literature review, the paper applies two sets of regression models to explain the distribution of funds under the new policy delivery system. Interviews with stakeholders provide evidence on the efficacy and efficiency of the competitive funding process.FindingsThe changes introduced in the 2007-2013 funding period benefit universities and research organisations, as well as intermediary organisations, whereas the private sector and especially small firms capture a rather small piece of the pie. Contrary to the “innovation paradox” hypothesis, structurally weak sub-regions did not lose out in state-wide funding contests. The presence of universities with an overall high volume of third-party funding is the key variable explaining the spatial distribution of funds. This interview evidence identifies the duration of the selection process and its administrative complexity as main weaknesses, which the authors attribute to bureaucratic rationality on different levels.Originality/valueThis is the first analysis of a competitive funding scheme at the sub-national level, using the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a case study. It sheds light on the mechanisms of funding allocation in the 2007-2013 funding period of the European Union’s cohesion policy, which was reoriented towards supporting regional competitiveness and employment in response to the Lisbon Agenda. While competitive funding is still seen as mobilising regional stakeholders and improving the quality of projects and the selection process, these findings highlight administrative complexity as a main deficiency, which has partly been addressed in the 2014-2020 funding period.

AN ULTRA-SHORT SCALE ASSESSING AWARENESS OF AGE-RELATED CHANGE IN LARGE-SCALE SURVEYS

Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) may play a key role in maintaining physical health and psychological well-being in later life. Thus, incorporating the concept of AARC into large-scale population-based surveys of well-being and health is relevant to gain a better understanding of its relevance. Hence, a brief measure that recognizes the multi-dimensionality of the construct (i.e. gain-related vs. loss-related self-perceptions) is needed. Based on multi-dimensional item response (MIRT) analyses of AARC responses from a total of 819 community-residing individuals aged 40–89 from the United States and Germany, a 10-item scale is presented that offers a valid, reliable, and effective measurement of AARC gains and losses across this segment of the adult life span. This scale will be used for the first time in a representative population survey of adults aged 80 and older, the NRW80+ Study, conducted in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.

Vision Development towards a Sustainable North Rhine-Westphalia 2030 in a Science-Practice-Dialogue

The paper presents the results of a participatory vision development process in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in Germany. The vision development was part of a scientific research project that accompanied the development of a sustainability strategy for NRW at state level. The Sustainability Strategy NRW was adopted in July 2016 and contains parts of the vision developed in the research project: Sentences from the narrative text vision and proposed targets and indicators that back-up the vision for a sustainable NRW in 2030 were used by the state of NRW. The vision was developed in iterative steps in three consecutive dialogue rounds with different stakeholders from science and practice. The paper presents the methodological approach and the results of the vision formulation process. The paper discusses the lessons learned from the vision development—from both practical and theoretical perspectives of transition management. The paper explores the relevance of setting ambitious targets for sustainable development as part of a state strategy by taking the proposed target of a “4 × 25% modal split” by 2030 as an example. The project demonstrated that a participatory approach for vision development is time and resource consuming, but worth the effort as it improves the quality and acceptance of a vision. Furthermore, the project demonstrated that transformative science contributes valuable inputs for sustainability transitions and for facilitating participatory vision development.

Survival of the Fittest? An Exploratory Analysis of Reported Health Among Political Elites and Ordinary Citizens in Germany in the 2010s

How do elected politicians fare in terms of their health compared to the general public? This paper explores four dimensions of reported health from an original survey of local councillors, regional MPs and mayors in Germany’s most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), and compares the findings with the general German public that is further sub-divided in politically inactive and active citizens. Theoretically, the analysis widens the scope of resources and motivation of political participation by looking at physical characteristics of individuals. There is a clear increase in levels of health from least to most active for two dimensions of health (well-being and functional health). For sports activities as a measure of behavioural health, this pattern also holds except for professional politicians. Physical health, however, does not vary systematically across groups. The paper discusses the meaning of this additional layer of inequality between political elites and non-elites, next to education, income and gender. Given that health has its roots in a complex interplay of genes, upbringing, medical provisions, past and present behaviour, its relationship with political activity raises important questions about the meaning of health for access to democratic politics.

Creating a Resource Cadaster—A Case Study of a District in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area

Today, both resource efficiency in general and the efficient use of natural resources specifically in the building sector are major political issues. Recent studies on resource efficiency have found the “anthropogenic stock” of the building sector to outweigh natural resource stocks. To make the anthropogenic stock accessible, material quantities with their individual composition need to be estimated and extrapolated to regional level. A geographical information system (GIS) is used as tool to handle the building specific data and combine them on regional level to calculate the anthropogenic stock. The resulting resource cadaster reflects the material quantities, divided into sixteen material fractions, of a specific residential district in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area—a typical urban area in Germany. The case study area was weighted in total between 103.5 kt and 93 kt, depending on the dataset. This paper offers a step-by-step description of this approach, whereby a consistent dataset was created throughout the process of data collection and validation. In order to demonstrate the broader application of the resource cadaster, the results were extrapolated to the residential building sector of the entire federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In highly concentrated areas, like the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan area, both area-wide classification of material quantities and their regional localization are necessary to make the anthropogenic stock accessible. Information about toxic substances, however, also needs to be included in the process of data collection. This method of mapping could thus provide the foundation for future (re)uses of this stock. This study offers some concrete steps in the direction of achieving a circular economy.

Research into Practice—Promoting Participation, Perseverance and Publications

This year, organic farmers, advisors and researchers in the West of Germany celebrate the 25 th anniversary of the foundation of an organic research and demonstration network. Established to support and improve organic farming systems, the network is funded by the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is organized around 30 participating pilot farms called Leitbetriebe (‘leading farms’), with support from the university of Bonn and the Chamber of Agriculture For each of the practice-oriented research topics covered in this network, the typical five-year cycle of research involves a first year of experimental exploration and literature studies. The farmers participating in the pilot farm project discuss and select the topics of priority and review the research plans proposed by the scientists. This is followed by three years of systematic replicated field trials on several farms, and a final year of demonstration and evaluation, where the presentation of results is jointly done by farmers and researchers.

How Does Stereotype Threat Impact Immigrant Students’ Learning?

Stereotype threat occurs when an individual fears to affirm a negative threat about their group. In this video, SABRINA KÖNIG explores the extent to which implicit or explicit stereotype threat can explain learning discrepancies between immigrant students and their non-immigrant classmates. König and colleagues conducted a study in spring 2019 with 240 fourth graders (10 years old) in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia. The study identified no significant effects of stereotype threat in vocabulary learning situations. Stressing the importance of publishing this “null result” to counteract “publication bias”, König notes that ongoing work will explore the self identification of migrant status in greater depth.

How Does Stereotype Threat Impact Immigrant Students’ Learning?

Stereotype threat occurs when an individual fears to affirm a negative threat about their group. In this video, SABRINA KÖNIG explores the extent to which implicit or explicit stereotype threat can explain learning discrepancies between immigrant students and their non-immigrant classmates. König and colleagues conducted a study in spring 2019 with 240 fourth graders (10 years old) in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia. The study identified no significant effects of stereotype threat in vocabulary learning situations. Stressing the importance of publishing this “null result” to counteract “publication bias”, König notes that ongoing work will explore the self identification of migrant status in greater depth.

CEP opens more hydrogen stations in Geisingen, Münster

The Clean Energy Partnership has added two more hydrogen refueling stations to the expanding nationwide network in Germany. The ninth hydrogen station in the southern state of Baden-Württemberg is now open in Geisingen, extending the hydrogen fueling infrastructure towards the Alpine nations. And the northwestern state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has inaugurated a new station in Münster, which brings the total to 25 operational facilities in Germany.

Usutu virus, Belgium, 2016

During late summer 2016, in a northwest European region extending over Belgium, the Netherlands and the eastern border of the German state of North Rhine Westphalia, an outbreak of wild bird deaths occurred similar to those reported on the continent since 1996. Dead birds were necropsied and examined by complementary methods. Pathologic and immunohistological investigations strongly suggested an infection by Usutu virus. Subsequently, genomic segments of the said virus were detected, the virus was isolated and its complete genome was sequenced. The strain, designated Usutu-LIEGE, is a close phylogenetic relative of those isolated in Germany which form a distinct group within the USUV phylogeny, the so-called Europe_3 lineage. Should this outbreak recapitulate the characteristics of those in southwest Germany in 2011 and in/around Vienna (Austria) in 2001, it is expected that specific avian populations in the affected area will face a significant reduction in size for a few years.

Re-energizing energy supply: Electrolytically-produced hydrogen as a flexible energy storage medium and fuel for road transport

Abstract “Energiewende”, which roughly translates as the transformation of the German energy sector in accordance with the imperatives of climate change, may soon become a byword for the corresponding processes most other developed countries are at various stages of undergoing. Germany's notable progress in this area offers valuable insights that other states can draw on in implementing their own transitions. The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is making its own contribution to achieving the Energiewende's ambitious objectives: in addition to funding an array of ‘clean and green’ projects, the Virtual Institute Power to Gas and Heat was established as a consortium of seven scientific and technical organizations whose aim is to inscribe a future, renewable-based German energy system with adequate flexibility. Thus, it is tasked with conceiving of and evaluating suitable energy path options. This paper outlines one of the most promising of these pathways, which is predicated on the use of electrolytically-produced hydrogen as an energy storage medium, as well as the replacement of hydrocarbon-based fuel for most road vehicles. We describe and evaluate this path and place it in a systemic context, outlining a case study from which other countries and federated jurisdictions therein may draw inspiration.

Lifespan of Doctorate and Non-doctorate Physicians in Northrine

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the lifespan of physicians in North Rhine depending on the criterion if they had graduated with a Dr. med. thesis under German law or not. North Rhine is part of the German federal state North Rhine-Westphalia. The date of birth and date of death of 1133 deceased physicians from the journal of the medical association of North Rhine were recorded according to their doctoral degree from January 2013 until June 2016 inclusive. For the calculation of their length of life, the descriptive statistics and for further statistical analysis, the R program 1 was applied. Physicians with a doctoral degree under German law (Dr. med.) reached an average age of 80.9 ± 12.1 years whereas physicians without a dissertation reached an age of 67.6 ± 13.8 years, on average. After correction for year of birth no significant difference between the average lifespan of the two groups could be found. The analysis of the survival data of deceased physicians showed a much longer length of life if they had graduated with a doctoral thesis under German law, which was not significant after a year of birth correction. For every statistical analysis possible confounders need to be considered.

Imbalances in the German public health system - numbers of state-certified occupational physicians and relation to socioeconomic data.

BackgroundState-certified occupational physicians who work as civil servants in the Federal Republic of Germany are key players in the German Public Health system. They control i.e. the legal compliance in occupational health and participate in the occupational disease procedures. Despite the role model function of the German Public health system for many developing countries, this area of Public health is debated to have been hampered in the past years by a disregard concerning structural developments.MethodsDifferent databases were screened for occupational health benchmarks. Obtained data were compared to socioeconomic data and indices were calculated.ResultsThe overall numbers of State-certified occupational physicians decreased in Germany between 1992 and 2012 from 136 to 86 (63 %). On the single state level, the ratios of State-certified occupational physicians per 1 Mio. working population ranged from 8 for the state of Saarland to 0.8 for the state of North Rhine Westphalia. A general difference was found for old versus new German states. Also, large differences were present for the ratios of State-certified occupational physicians per 106 employees towards public debt per capita (€) and the ratios of State-certified occupational physicians per Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the 16 German states in 2012.ConclusionsIn striking contrast to the WHO document on the Occupational safety and health (OSH) system that states in its executive summary that the human and institutional capacities of the German occupational health system are very strong in both quantity and quality, we here show extreme imbalances present at the single state levels that developed over the past 20 years. With a regard to the increasing complexity of the economic system a reversal of this trend should be demanded.

Grade Skipping From the Perspective of Teachers in Germany

The present study explored teachers’ perspectives on one specific type of acceleration, namely, grade skipping. In addition, we investigated the extent to which teachers’ beliefs about students’ academic, motivational, and social development after grade skipping may explain teachers’ acceptance of this accelerative strategy. Moreover, we examined whether teachers’ acceptance is linked to their decisions about using this intervention. Using data from the PARS project, which included 316 teachers from 18 secondary schools in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, we assessed teachers’ acceptance, beliefs, and perceived knowledge about grade skipping using 4-point rating scales. Teachers also reported whether they had advised a student to skip a grade. Multilevel regression analyses indicated that teachers’ beliefs about students’ social, motivational, and academic development largely explained their acceptance. Teachers who showed a higher level of acceptance and perceived knowledge were more likely to have recommended grade skipping before. Educational implications are discussed.

Does gender make a difference? Gender-related fairness of high-stakes testing in A-level examinations in English as foreign language in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the context of Educational Governance

The shift from decentralized to centralized A-level examinations (Abitur) was implemented in the German school system as a measure of Educational Governance in the last decade. This reform was mainly introduced with the intention of providing higher comparability of school examinations and student achievement as well as increasing fairness in school examinations. It is not known yet if these ambitious aims and functions of the new centralized examination format have been achieved and if fairer assessment can be guaranteed in terms of providing all students with the same opportunities to pass the examinations by allocating fair tests to different student subpopulations e.g., students of different background or gender. The research presented in this article deals with these questions and focuses on gender differences. It investigates gender-specific fairness of the test items in centralized Abitur examinations as high school exit examinations in Germany. The data are drawn from Abitur examinations in English (as a foreign language). Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis reveals that at least some parts of the examinations indicate gender inequality.

Democracy related units in Social Studies Curriculums Based on Self-regulation Strategies: A Comparison of Turkey and Germany

This study aimed to compare the units related to democracy concept of Social Studies Curriculums applied in Federal Republic of Germany and Republic of Turkey. The goals of the study indicated in Democracy related unit in Social Studies Curriculum in Turkey is examined comparatively with North Rhine-Westphalia State of Germany based on the learning strategies depending on Zimmerman (1998) and Pintrich (2000)’s learning model built on self-regulation. Firstly, literature review of the descriptive research method was used and then, documents were categorized, classified and sorted out using document analysis technique. The derived data of the both countries were compared by the appropriateness to self-regulation strategies. As a result of the study, the democracy related units applied by the curriculums of both countries are found appropriate to students’ gaining self-regulation strategies and also at the end of the study; some suggestions are stated to be able to use the educational environment more effectively in terms of self-regulation strategies.

Student assessment and grade retention: evidence from a natural experiment

ABSTRACTIn several countries, students are tracked into secondary school types. This paper studies whether parents or teachers assess students' potential performance more adequately. We evaluate a reform in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2006. The reform replaced parents' choice about their children's school type by a binding teacher recommendation. The dependent variable is educational attainment measured by grade retention rates. We find that teacher recommendations cause less grade retentions. The effect is mainly driven by students from better situated districts. This finding may capture that with free parental choice, parents select too demanding tracks for their children.

Balancing profitability with social consciousness: Determinants of suppliers' intensity of participation in the EU school fruit scheme

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to identify the determinants of suppliers' intensity of participation in the European Union school fruit scheme (SFS) based on the example of the SFS in the German federal state North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2013/14, approximately 100 suppliers including many agricultural enterprises or farm shops took part in a telephone survey. The data were processed by a factor analysis. Multivariate regression and ordered logit analyses were used to examine the determinants of intensity of participation. The results indicate that economic as well as non-economic factors determine suppliers' intensity of participation in such programs, though the financial aspect was determined as the most influential single factor for participation. In addition, the feel-good factor from helping to improve children's dietary habits and supporting the local community has been identified as an important motive.

Analysis of Rural and Urban Supply Chains in the European School Fruit Scheme Using Qualitative Interviews and Network Analysis of Content

ABSTRACTThis study analyzes the determinants of the positive and negative effects experienced by suppliers in the context of programs involving the joint participation of the state, society, and local economy. The European Union’s School Fruit Scheme (SFS) forms the basis of this study. Particular attention is paid to the origin of the suppliers; that is, whether they are based in rural or urban areas. We interviewed 28 suppliers participating in the SFS in the German Federal State of North Rhine Westphalia. Visual text analytics using network analysis of content was applied using classic forms of qualitative coding and a weighted c-index. Our findings reveal that the negative effects of the scheme are greater in rural areas. Therefore, changes in the framework may be necessary to strengthen rural areas. Further, the social relations are often more pronounced in rural areas compared to those in urban areas.