Medical mobile technologies - what is needed for a sustainable and scalable implementation on a global scale?

Current advances within medical technology show great potential from a global health perspective. Inexpensive, effective solutions to common problems within diagnostics, medical procedures and access to medical information are emerging within almost all fields of medicine. The innovations can benefit health care both in resource-limited and in resource-rich settings. However, there is a big gap between the proof-of-concept stage and implementation. This article will give examples of promising solutions, with special focus on mobile image-and sensor-based diagnostics. We also discuss how technology and frugal innovations could be made sustainable and widely available. Finally, a list of critical factors for success is presented, based on both our own experiences and the literature.Peer reviewe

Spatial doctrines of urban development - persistence and change in the course of time

In the field of urban and regional planning, France and Germany have shown several analogies since the beginning of the modern age. However, there is still a difference between more centralised governance processes (France) and a stronger position of the municipalities (Germany). But the planning strategies of France and Germany have moved closer together. A comparison covering about 100 years must differentiate between German planning strategies in East and West Germany for a considerable period. Urban planning has been influenced by similar models like the Athens Charter or the Leipzig Charter. The latter, a European document, was renewed in 2020. Furthermore, in both countries, similar paths can be identified: the pursuit of a strong technical focus, the tendency towards sustainable development, more flexibility, the growing importance of integrated policies and the challenges of urban sprawl. Main doctrines like integration, participation and future orientation have accompanied urban and regional planning in Germany as well as in France