Beschreibung der Stichprobenziehung zu den Mitgliedern der NSDAP vom 27. März - 7. September 1989 im Berlin Document Center

Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt zwei Stichproben von 42.018 früheren NSDAP-Mitgliedern, die sich der Partei vor 1933/34 anschlossen. Diese Stichprobe entstand durch die Kooperation des Arbeitsbereichs Vergleichende Faschismusforschung des ZI6 der FU Berlin mit dem Department of Sociology der University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Der Autor beschreibt die Methode der Stichprobenziehung und diskutiert sie dann hinsichtlich ihrer Validität und Reliabilität. Das gemeinsame Projekt kann selbst als eine Methode begriffen werden, um eine relativ unbekannte Population von verschiedenen Perspektiven her anzugehen. (pmb)'This report describes two samples of 42.018 former NSDAP-members in Germany, who joined the party in the years before 1933/34. The samples were taken at random by members of the Arbeitsbereich Vergleichende Faschismusforschung des ZI6 der FU Berlin in cooperation with the Department of Sociology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. The source were the two original masterfiles of the NSDAP, today stored at the Berlin Document Center. The report is discussing the method of sampling (in comparison to the method Michael KATER used in his study), the cleaning up of the data and is testing the validity and representativity of the two datasets in several steps. The results show that the two samples seem to be a good proxy for the unknown population - although there are some immanent problems in the variation of the regional dispersal of the two original masterfiles of the NSDAP.' (author's abstract

Wirkungen des SGB II auf Personen mit Migrationshintergrund: Projekt IIa1 - 04/06 ; Jahresbericht zum 31.12.2008 - Hauptband

Auf Grundlage von Geschäftsdaten, von repräsentativen telefonischen Befragungen und von qualitativen Interviews mit Betroffenen und Fallmanagern wurden die Wirkungen der "Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende" auf Migrant/innen untersucht. Ihr Anteil an allen ALG-II Beziehenden beträgt im bundesweiten Durchschnitt 28 Prozent. Im Vergleich zu denjenigen ohne Migrationshintergrund sind sie im Durchschnitt jünger und haben häufiger keinen, aber auch häufiger höhere (Aus-)Bildungsabschlüsse. Die häufig fehlende Anerkennung ausländischer Abschlüsse wirkt sich auf die Arbeitsmarktchancen ebenso negativ aus wie das Fehlen jeglicher Ausbildung. Migrant/innen erhalten bei den Grundsicherungsstellen im Vergleich zu Deutschen ohne Migrationshintergrund mehr Beratungsgespräche, schließen jedoch seltener Eingliederungsvereinbarungen ab und nehmen seltener an Maßnahmen teil. Einige Herkunftsgruppen werden deutlich häufiger mit Sanktionen belegt, andere Herkunftsgruppen deutlich seltener

Dual guidance structure for evaluation of patients with unclear diagnosis in centers for rare diseases (ZSE-DUO): study protocol for a controlled multi-center cohort study

Background: In individuals suffering from a rare disease the diagnostic process and the confirmation of a final diagnosis often extends over many years. Factors contributing to delayed diagnosis include health care professionals' limited knowledge of rare diseases and frequent (co-)occurrence of mental disorders that may complicate and delay the diagnostic process. The ZSE-DUO study aims to assess the benefits of a combination of a physician focusing on somatic aspects with a mental health expert working side by side as a tandem in the diagnostic process. Study design: This multi-center, prospective controlled study has a two-phase cohort design. Methods: Two cohorts of 682 patients each are sequentially recruited from 11 university-based German Centers for Rare Diseases (CRD): the standard care cohort (control, somatic expertise only) and the innovative care cohort (experimental, combined somatic and mental health expertise). Individuals aged 12 years and older presenting with symptoms and signs which are not explained by current diagnoses will be included. Data will be collected prior to the first visit to the CRD's outpatient clinic (T0), at the first visit (T1) and 12 months thereafter (T2). Outcomes: Primary outcome is the percentage of patients with one or more confirmed diagnoses covering the symptomatic spectrum presented. Sample size is calculated to detect a 10 percent increase from 30% in standard care to 40% in the innovative dual expert cohort. Secondary outcomes are (a) time to diagnosis/diagnoses explaining the symptomatology; (b) proportion of patients successfully referred from CRD to standard care; (c) costs of diagnosis including incremental cost effectiveness ratios; (d) predictive value of screening instruments administered at T0 to identify patients with mental disorders; (e) patients' quality of life and evaluation of care; and f) physicians' satisfaction with the innovative care approach. Conclusions: This is the first multi-center study to investigate the effects of a mental health specialist working in tandem with a somatic expert physician in CRDs. If this innovative approach proves successful, it will be made available on a larger scale nationally and promoted internationally. In the best case, ZSE-DUO can significantly shorten the time to diagnosis for a suspected rare disease

Empagliflozin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Background The effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk for disease progression are not well understood. The EMPA-KIDNEY trial was designed to assess the effects of treatment with empagliflozin in a broad range of such patients. Methods We enrolled patients with chronic kidney disease who had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 20 but less than 45 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) of body-surface area, or who had an eGFR of at least 45 but less than 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2) with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams) of at least 200. Patients were randomly assigned to receive empagliflozin (10 mg once daily) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was a composite of progression of kidney disease (defined as end-stage kidney disease, a sustained decrease in eGFR to < 10 ml per minute per 1.73 m(2), a sustained decrease in eGFR of & GE;40% from baseline, or death from renal causes) or death from cardiovascular causes. Results A total of 6609 patients underwent randomization. During a median of 2.0 years of follow-up, progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes occurred in 432 of 3304 patients (13.1%) in the empagliflozin group and in 558 of 3305 patients (16.9%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 0.82; P < 0.001). Results were consistent among patients with or without diabetes and across subgroups defined according to eGFR ranges. The rate of hospitalization from any cause was lower in the empagliflozin group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.95; P=0.003), but there were no significant between-group differences with respect to the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure or death from cardiovascular causes (which occurred in 4.0% in the empagliflozin group and 4.6% in the placebo group) or death from any cause (in 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively). The rates of serious adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions Among a wide range of patients with chronic kidney disease who were at risk for disease progression, empagliflozin therapy led to a lower risk of progression of kidney disease or death from cardiovascular causes than placebo