Der augenblickliche Stand der dogmenhistorischen Lehre an deutschsprachigen Universitäten (1976-1995): Fortführung einer Erhebung

This note represents results about the extent of teaching the history of economic thought at German language based universities. At the time when cuts need to be made, many universi ties are thought of cutting non-essential courses first, of which the history of economic thought might be considered to be a likely candidate. Not so. Only roughly four per cent of our responding faculties have made this choice, the others are continuing their previous practice even despite the severe cutbacks and increasing teaching loads they have experienced during the survey period.Economics ;

A Qualitative Study of Healers and Their Clients in Germany

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationships between healers and their clients in Germany. Methods. An interdisciplinary research team performed semistructured interviews with healers and clients and participatory observation of healing sessions. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Results. Fifteen healers and sixteen clients were included. The healer-client relationship was described as a profound and unique experience, which brought forth interpersonal and spiritual connections. The healers were seen as role models for healing to occur and support for being connected spiritually. The clients had to be open-minded and responsible. The importance of the healers’ empathy was emphasized. Discussion. The relationship between healer and client can be seen as a triangular connection between client, healer, and a transcendent source which is not the case in typical patient- doctor relationships. The spiritual connection is also said to enhance the empathetic understanding of the healer. The personality and a partner-like attitude of the healer supported the client in giving a more positive meaning to his life, in reconnecting to his spirituality, and in taking responsibility. Future studies should address the role of spirituality in health care and the development of enduring healer-client relationships

Spirituality as Anti-Structure in James Cameron\u27s Avatar

This is a review of Avatar (2009)

Sense of coherence and religion/spirituality: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on a methodical classification of instruments measuring religion/spirituality

The coherence hypothesis assumes that sense of coherence (SOC) explains the positive link between religion/spirituality (R/S) and mental health. The aim of our meta-analysis is to evaluate the evidence for the association between SOC (sensu Antonovsky) and different aspects of R/S and thus to contribute to the verification of the coherence hypothesis. Eighty-nine English- and German-language primarily cross-sectional studies with 67,913 participants met the inclusion criteria. The R/S scales of all included studies were subjected to item-by-item qualitative content analysis in order to determine whether scales do actually measure religion or spirituality and which R/S aspects dominated the instrument. Based on this classification, overall and subgroup meta-analyses were conducted using a random effects model. The adjusted effect size between SOC and all positive R/S measures was r+ = .120, 95% CI [.092, .149]. Particularly significant (r+ .180) were correlations with negative R/S scales (r+ = -.405, 95% CI [-.476, -.333]), R/S instruments measuring primarily positive emotions (r+ = .212, 95% CI [.170, .253]) or meaning-making (r+ = .196, 95% CI [.126, .265]). Both sample characteristics (age, culture, gender, health status, religious affiliation) and study characteristics (e.g., publication year) had a moderating effect on the R/S-SOC connection. The correlation was particularly high in studies from Southern Asia (r+ = .226, 95% CI [.156, .297]), the African Islamic cultural value zone (r+ = .196, 95% CI [.106, .285]), and in a small subgroup of Iranian studies (r+ = .194, 95% CI [.117, .271]). The results confirm that R/S and SOC are clearly associated and suggest that there are different religious/spiritual pathways to a strong SOC. The strength of the associations presumably depends not only on individual differences, but also on cultural embeddedness and social plausibility of R/S

Salutogenesis and religion/spirituality: A meta-analysis of the relationship between sense of coherence and measures of religion and spirituality

Background: Meta-analyses show that there is a weak positive correlation between religion/spirituality (R/S) and mental health. Various theoretical approaches and mechanisms of action have been put forward to explain this relationship. There have also been attempts to bring the mechanisms together in a general effect model. The coherence hypothesis, inspired by Antonovsky's salutogenesis model, plays a central role in these explanatory attempts and states that the positive association between R/S and mental health can be explained by sense of coherence (SOC). However, a systematic review of the literature and an analysis of the empirical basis for the assumption that R/S and SOC are positively related are still lacking. Objective: The aim of the doctoral thesis was to present an initial systematic review of English and German-language publications that report a statistical correlation between R/S and SOC. The meta-analysis of these studies aimed to identify factors that influence this association. Methods: In March 2023, 89 studies were included in the meta-analysis that used original SOC questionnaires and an R/S scale that corresponded to a heuristic definition of R/S after qualitative content analysis. In May 2024, the database search was repeated using the same search algorithm and a further 5 studies were identified. The content analysis of the R/S scales provided a taxonomy that showed which aspects of R/S were primarily measured. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to this taxonomy and other study and sample characteristics. Results: Looking at the 89 studies, positive R/S scales were found to correlate positively (r+ = .120, 95% CI [.092, .149]) and negative R/S scales negatively (r+ = -.405, 95% CI [-.476, -.333]) with SOC. The results were confirmed by the 5 additional studies: The effect sizes between positive R/S scales and SOC ranged from r = .01 to .36. The positive correlation is consistent with the hypothesis and would have been stronger if certain preliminary methodological decisions (e.g., inclusion of the extrinsic religiosity scales) had been made differently. The spirituality-SOC association was, as assumed, stronger than the religion-SOC association, which was attributed to the fact that spiritual systems of world interpretation gain social plausibility. Emotional aspects of R/S were more strongly associated with SOC than behavioral or cognitive aspects. Moreover, the strength of the association was not only influenced by individual differences (age, gender, health, religious affiliation), but above all by the cultural-spatial context. As expected, studies with a good fit to the research question and studies published in journals reported higher effect sizes.Hintergrund: Meta-Analysen belegen, dass zwischen Religion/Spiritualität (R/S) und psychischer Gesundheit ein schwacher positiver Zusammenhang besteht. Um diesen Zusammenhang zu erklären, wurden unterschiedliche theoretische Ansätze und Wirkmechanismen ins Feld geführt. Auch gibt es Versuche, die Mechanismen in einem allgemeinen Wirkmodell zusammenzuführen. Die durch Antonovskys Salutogenesemodell inspirierte Kohärenzhypothese spielt in diesen Erklärungsversuchen eine zentrale Rolle und besagt, dass die positive Assoziation von R/S und psychischer Gesundheit durch das Kohärenzgefühl (sense of coherence, SOC) erklärt werden kann. Allerdings fehlen bis dato ein systematischer Überblick über die Literatur und eine Analyse der empirischen Basis für die Annahme, dass R/S und SOC positiv zusammenhängen. Zielsetzung: Ziel der Promotionsarbeit war es, eine erste systematische Übersicht über englisch- und deutschsprachige Publikationen vorzulegen, die eine statistische Korrelation zwischen R/S und SOC berichten. Die Meta-Analyse dieser Studien zielte darauf ab, Faktoren zu identifizieren, die diese Assoziation beeinflussen. Methodik: Im März 2023 wurden 89 Studien in die Meta-Analyse eingeschlossen, die originäre SOC-Fragebögen verwendeten sowie eine R/S-Skala nutzten, die nach qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse einer heuristischen Definition von R/S entsprachen. Im Mai 2024 wurde die Datenbankrecherche mit demselben Suchalgorithmus wiederholt und es konnten weitere 5 Studien identifiziert werden. Die Inhaltsanalyse der R/S-Skalen lieferte eine Taxonomie, die aufzeigte, welche R/S-Aspekte vorrangig gemessen wurden. Gemäß dieser Taxonomie und weiterer Studien- und Stichprobenmerkmale wurden Subgruppen-Analysen durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Mit Blick auf die 89 Studien wurde festgestellt, dass positive R/S-Skalen positiv (r+ = 0,120; 95% CI [0,092; 0,149]) und negative R/S-Skalen negativ (r+ = -0,405, 95% CI [-0,476; -0,333]) mit SOC korrelierten. Das Ergebnisbild konnte von den 5 zusätzlichen Studien bestätigt werden: Die Effektstärken zwischen positiven R/S-Skalen und SOC reichten von r = 0,01 bis 0,36. Der positive Zusammenhang ist hypothesenkonform und wäre stärker ausgefallen, wenn bestimmte methodische Vorentscheidungen (z.B. Einschluss der Skalen zur extrinsischen Religiosität) anders getroffen worden wären. Die Spiritualität-SOC-Assoziation fiel, wie angenommen, deutlicher aus als die Religion-SOC-Assoziation, was darauf zurückgeführt wurde, dass spirituelle Weltdeutungssysteme an sozialer Plausibilität gewinnen. Emotionale Aspekte von R/S standen stärker mit SOC im Zusammenhang als behaviorale oder kognitive. Die Stärke der Assoziation wurde nicht nur von individuellen Unterschieden (Alter, Geschlecht, Gesundheit, Religionszugehörigkeit) beeinflusst, sondern vor allem auch vom kulturräumlichen Kontext. Erwartungsgemäß berichteten Studien, die eine gute Passung zur Forschungsfrage aufwiesen und Studien, die in Zeitschriften publiziert wurden, höhere Effektstärken

Experiences and Perceived Effects of Rosary Praying: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this study is to explore experiences and perceived effects of the Rosary on issues around health and well-being, as well as on spirituality and religiosity. A qualitative study was conducted interviewing ten Roman Catholic German adults who regularly practiced the Rosary prayer. As a result of using a tangible prayer cord and from the rhythmic repetition of prayers, the participants described experiencing stability, peace and a contemplative connection with the Divine, with Mary as a guide and mediator before God. Praying the Rosary was described as helpful in coping with critical life events and in fostering an attitude of acceptance, humbleness and devotion

Die innere ethische Fallbesprechung: ein kommunikationspsychologisches Instrument zur Selbstklärung in ethischen Konfliktsituationen

Ethische Fallbesprechungen (EFB) sind ein zentrales Element der Ethikberatung im Gesundheits- und Sozialwesen. Die Qualität von EFB hängt auch von der Selbstreflexions- und Diskursfähigkeit der Akteure ab. Um diese Kompetenzen zu fördern, wird in diesem Beitrag das Instrument der inneren EFB erarbeitet. Das Modell der inneren EFB verbindet das Konzept der inneren Ratsversammlung (Schulz von Thun) mit dem Schema einer prinzipienorientierten Falldiskussion (Marckmann und Mayer) und umfasst vier Schritte: 1) Wahrnehmung der inneren Pluralität; 2) Prinzipienethische Strukturierung; 3) Brainstorming und kritische Reflexion; 4) Entwurf einer integrierten Stellungnahme.Ethical case deliberation (ECD) is a central element of ethical consultation in health care and welfare services. The quality of ECD depends, among others, on the ability of the actors to self-reflect and to engage in discourse. To promote these competencies, the instrument of the inner ECD is developed in this paper. The inner ECD combines the concept of inner council (Schulz von Thun) with the processing logic of an ECD oriented to the four principles of biomedical ethics (Marckmann and Mayer). The inner ECD encloses four steps: 1) perception of internal plurality; 2) structuring according to the four principles approach; 3) brainstorming and critical reflection; 4) integrated response

Patients with exercise-associated ventricular ectopy present evidence of myocarditis

BACKGROUND: The origin and clinical relevance of exercise-induced premature ventricular beats (PVBs) in patients without coronary heart disease or cardiomyopathies is unknown. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance enables us to non-invasively assess myocardial scarring and oedema. The purpose of our study was to discover any evidence of myocardial anomalies in patients with exercise-induced ventricular premature beats. METHODS: We examined 162 consecutive patients presenting palpitations and documented exercise-induced premature ventricular beats (PVBs) but no history or evidence of structural heart disease. Results were compared with 70 controls matched for gender and age. ECG-triggered, T2-weighted, fast spin echo triple inversion recovery sequences and late gadolinium enhancement were obtained as well as LV function and dimensions. RESULTS: Structural anomalies in the myocardium and/or pericardium were present in 85 % of patients with exercise-induced PVBs. We observed a significant difference between patients with PVBs and controls in late gadolinium enhancement, that is 68 % presented subepicardial or midmyocardial lesions upon enhancement, whereas only 9 % of the controls did so (p < 0.0001). More patients presented pericardial enhancement (35 %) or pericardial thickening (27 %) compared to controls (21 % and 13 %, p < 0.0001). Myocardial oedema was present in 37 % of the patients and in only one control, p < 0.0001. Left ventricular ejection fraction did not differ between patients and controls (63.1 ± 7.9 vs. 64.7 ± 7.0, p = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with exercise-associated premature ventricular beats present evidence of myocardial disease consistent with acute or previous myocarditis or myopericarditis

Certain olfactory centers of the forebrain of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49948/1/900900205_ftp.pd