Eileen M. Wanke

Exploring the impact of resilience, self-efficacy, optimism and organizational resources on work engagement.

BACKGROUNDnThe German health care system has undergone radical changes in the last decades. These days health care professionals have to face economic demands, high performance pressure as well as high expectations from patients. To ensure high quality medicine and care, highly intrinsic motivated and work engaged health care professionals are strongly needed.nnnOBJECTIVEnThe aim of this study was to examine relations between personal and organizational resources as essential predictors for work engagement of German health care professionals.nnnMETHODSnThis investigation has a cross-sectional questionnaire study design. Participants were a sample of hospital doctors. Personal strengths, working conditions and work engagement were measured by using the SWOPE-K9, COPE Brief Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Questionnaire, COPSOQ and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale.nnnRESULTSnSignificant relations between physicians personal strengths (e.g. resilience, optimism) and work engagement were evaluated. Work related factors showed to have a significant influence on work engagement. Differences in work engagement were also found with regard to socio-demographic variables.nnnCONCLUSIONnResults demonstrated important relationships between personal and organizational resources and work engagement. Health care management needs to use this information to maintain or develop work engaging job conditions in hospitals as one key factor to ensure quality health care service.

Prostataspezifisches Antigen (PSA)

ZusammenfassungDie Bestimmung von Tumormarkern im Serum stellt einen wesentlichen Bestandteil der Diagnostik, Verlaufskontrolle und Therapieüberwachung maligner Tumoren dar. PSA ist ein organspezifischer Marker, der in der Diagnostik des Prostatakarzinoms eingesetzt wird und sich durch hohe Sensitivität und Spezifität auszeichnet.AbstractThe determination of tumor markers in serum is an essential component of the diagnostics, follow-up control and therapy monitoring of malignant tumors. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is an organ-specific marker, which is used in the diagnostics of prostate cancer and is characterized by high sensitivity and specificity.

Tanzsport: Verletzungsmuster im Lateinamerikanischen Formationstanz

BACKGROUNDnLatin American formation dancing ranks among the technical-compositional types of sport and represents a discipline of dance sport due to its performance- and competition-orientated mode. Despite its high degree of popularity and a movement profile favouring injuries, there has been a lack of studies as to health hazards and damage in Latin American formation dancing. The aim of this study is to analyse formation dance-related health hazards and their causes.nnnMETHODSnA total of nu200a=u200a100 (m: nu200a=u200a52, f: nu200a=u200a48) Latin American dancers of the German top-level league participated in this anonymised retrospective cross-sectional investigation.nnnRESULTSnMean weights of the male dancers were 75.2u200akg and respectively 58.2u200akg for the females, mean body height/size were 1.82u200am (m) and 1.67u200am (f) and mean BMI 22.2 (m) and 20.0 (f), respectively. At least one each traumatic injury/chronic damage was sustained by 69.3u200a% (m) andxa077.6u200a% (f) of the dancers in the course of their dance sport activities. Almost all (97.9u200a%) injuries occurred during the training. A total of 409 injuries/overuse damages (=u200a4.1 injuries/athlete) wasxa0reported with 80.4u200a% traumatic injuries and 19.5u200a% chronic damages. Female dancers were more often injured than their male counterparts. The lower extremity was the most commonly affected body region [64.5u200a% (m) and, respectively, 71.2u200a% (f)], followed by upper extremity (m: 21.2u200a%, f: 17.6u200a%) and spinal column/trunk region (m: 12.0u200a%, f: 8.5u200a%). Blockages and pulled muscles were the most common complaints reported by males with contusions and pulled muscles being reported by females. Chondropathy/osteoarthrosis were the most frequent chronic diseases. Of all injuries sustained, circa two thirds were caused by extrinsic and circa one third by intrinsic factors.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe injury profiles/patterns in Latin American formation dancing show on the one hand parallels to the individual partner dances. On the other hand, typical and gender-specific movement elements seem to reflect in the injuries and chronic damages/diseases of formation dancers. This is to be taken into account when injury prevention measures are considered. There is also a need for further studies to allow a more differentiated analysis.

Occupational accidents in professional dance with focus on gender differences

BackgroundClassical dance comprises gender specific movement tasks. There is a lack of studies which investigate work related traumatic injuries in terms of gender specific differences in detail.ObjectiveTo define gender related differences of occupational accidents.MethodsBasis for the evaluation were occupational injuries of professional dancers from three (nu2009=u2009785; f: nu2009=u2009358, m: nu2009=u2009427) state theatres.ResultsThe incidence rate (0.36 per year) was higher in males (m: 0.45, f: 0.29). There were gender specific differences as to the localizations of injuries, particularly the spine region (m: 17.3%, f: 9.8%, pu2009=u20090.05) and ankle joint (m: 23.7%, f: 35.5%, pu2009=u20090.003). Compared to male dancers, females sustained more injuries resulting from extrinsic factors. Significant differences could specifically be observed with dance floors (m: 8.8%, f: 15.1%, pu2009=u20090.02). There were also significant gender differences observed with movement vocabulary.ConclusionThe clearly defined gender specific movement activities in classical dance are reflected in occupational accidents sustained. Organisational structures as well as work environment represent a burden likewise to male and female dancers. The presented differences support the development of gender specific injury prevention measures.

Ballet as high-performance activity: health risks exemplified by acute injuries in dance students

INTRODUCTIONnThe perennial training and education to become a professional dancer is associated with maximum physical and psychic stress. These challenges fall into a period of utmost changes caused by adolescence. As a consequence, acute injuries may occur that - depending on the degree of severity - could endanger the education. The aim of this study was to analyse acute injuries, their causes and mechanisms with regard to gender-specific aspects in students of a state ballet school. These data may provide the basis to work out individual institution-centred injury prevention concepts.nnnMETHODSnThe data for the evaluation were obtained from occupational accident reports, accident documentations of various Berlin theatres as well as case records of a State Ballet School (n = 480, m: 120, w: 360) of the Berlin State Accident Insurance (UKB). Evaluation and descriptive statistics were conducted with Excel 2007 and PASW Statistics 18.nnnRESULTSnOne of three dance students is injured at least once a year. One out of ten accidents is classified as severe. The lower extremity is the most frequent localisation (67.8 %; m: 57.6 %, w: 73.0 %). There are age- and gender-specific particularities. The main acute injured body structures are joints and ligaments (69.5 %). Contusions (23 %), distorsions (33 %) and muscular strains (20 %) are the most frequent types of injuries. There is a correlation between the time of the day and the incidence of injuries. Acute injuries in both genders are more frequently caused by multifactorial (70 %; f: 71.6 %, m: 64.5 %) than by exogenous factors (30 %; f: 28.4 %, m: 35.5 %). Exogenous objects initiating an accident are corridors/stairs (f: 8.8 %, m: 13.7 %), followed by human being (f: 7.5 %, m: 13.2 %) and dance floor (f: 7.5 %, m: 5.7 %).nnnDISCUSSIONnWith due regard to gender, the results can be compared in many respects with those of professional dancers. There are various gender-specific differences in the acute injuries, reasons of which are numerous (e. g., the monospecific education/training, early specialisation, gender-specific differences concerning work contents). Incipient stages of injury prevention are as complex as the versatility of dance movements.

World-wide research architecture of vitamin D research: density-equalizing mapping studies and socio-economic analysis

BackgroundDespite the numerous associations of vitamin D with health and disease, vitamin D deficiency is still common from a global perspective. While basic research, clinical and preventive activities grow constantly in vitamin D research, there is no in-depth analysis of the related global scientific productivity available so far.MethodsDensity equalizing mapping procedures (DEMP) were combined with socioeconomic benchmarks using the NewQIS platform.ResultsA total of 25,992 vitamin D-related research articles were identified between 1900 to 2014 with a significant increase (r2u2009=u2009.6541) from 1900 to 2014. Authors located in Northern America – especially in the USA – distributed the majority of global vitamin D research, followed by their Western European counterparts. DEMP-analysis illustrates that Africa and South America exhibit only minor scientific productivity. Among high-income group countries, Scandinavian nations such as Denmark or Finland (2147.9 and 1607.7 vitamin D articles per GDP in 1000 billion USD) were highly active with regard to socioeconomic figures.ConclusionNetworks dedicated to vitamin D research are present around the world. Overall, the Northern American and Western European nations occupy prominent positions. However, South American, African and Asian countries apart from Japan only play a minor role in the global research production related to vitamin D. Since vitamin D deficiency is currently increasing in the Americas, Europe and parts of the Middle East, research in these regions may need to be encouraged.

Gender equality in academic research on epilepsy—a study on scientific authorships

The study aims to elucidate the state of gender equality in epilepsy research, analyzing the representation of female authorships from 2008 to 2016.

Standard values of the upper body posture and postural control: a study protocol.

BackgroundDecisions on orthopedic interventions on upper body posture and its control have usually resulted from comparisons with the healthy state. Therefore, practitioners as well as scientists in human movement science or orthopedics need access to such kind of data which are patient-centered and well measured. Until now, these data have been missing concerning upper body posture as well as postural control and their control. That is why the aim of the current project is to measure these data with healthy participants across the lifespan.ResultsFor standard value determination tolerance range and confidence intervals will be calculated. In addition, Pearson- or Spearman-Rank correlations will be used as well as two-sample-t-tests or Mann-Whitney-U-tests for specific group differences. All tests will be two-sided with the level of significance of 5xa0%.DiscussionThis project aims at improving classifications in adaptations of upper body posture and postural control. Measured standard values have not been determined before to this extent. Therefore, interventional effects may become better quantifiable and justiciable.

Occupational accidents in professional dancers with regard to different professional dance styles.

BACKGROUNDnThe term professional dance comprises various dance styles. There are no studies which investigated work related traumatic injuries with regard to five different dance styles.nnnOBJECTIVEnTo define dance-style related differences of traumatic injuries.nnnMETHODSnThe basis for the evaluation were the occupational injuries of professional dancers of six theaters (n=1339; f: n=658, m: n=681) and one State Ballet School (n=612; f:n=421, m: n=191).nnnRESULTSnIndependent of the dance style, the lower extremity (leg and hip) is the most frequently injured anatomical region (p< 0.001). The more dancers move away from the classical dance technique, the more traumatic head/neck injuries increase (p<0.001). Injury patterns and injured structures also show differences subject to dance styles (p< 0.001). In classical dance the most commonly sustained injuries are due to intrinsic factors with the significance of extrinsic factors increasing the more dancers diverge from defined classical dance techniques.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe results shown in the study clarify the enormous dance-style related differences in traumatic injuries sustained by dancers. These differences support the development of dance-style related injury prevention measures and suggest further investigations with the focus being placed on the influence of organizational structures (e.g. number of performances) as well as on the working environments.

Traumatic injuries in revue dancers

Revue productions are a combination of dancing and singing, musical and spoken sequences, and acrobatics, performed with or without a story line, and characterized by a versatility of dance styles and a high number of performances (over 250 in a 10-month season). The aim of this quantitative single cohort study is to evaluate work-related traumatic injuries in this dance genre. Data were obtained from work accident reports of the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the public sector in Berlin (UKB) involving 440 revue dancers (183 males and 257 females). Analysis was conducted with Excel 2007 and PASW Statistics 18. One out of three female dancers and one out of two male dancers sustained an acute injury in the course of a theatrical season (0.22 injuries per 1,000 hours). The incidence rate was 0.44 for males and 0.31 for females, with the lower extremity as the most commonly injured body region, followed by the spine. Of all occupational accidents, 75.1% happened on stage, with 69% during performances. The dance partner and dance floor were the most common exogenous factors resulting in a traumatic injury. Of all traumatic injuries, 81.7% occurred in the first 3 hours after starting work. Gender specific differences could be observed. Due to the limited availability of comparable studies of other forms of professional dance, in this study revue dance is largely considered as an independent genre.