Gibt es einen Zusammenhang zwischen Gesundheit,Wohlbefinden und Facharztpräferenzen bei Medizinstudierenden?

Background

The fact that in some specializations (e.?g., general practitioner) and in some regions (mainly in the country side) there are not enough physicians to provide for the population means huge challenges for both German and Hungarian health care. By researching the specialization and work place preferences of medical students and by subjectively investigating their health state and behavior, we can gain important information about their motivation and other background factors.

Materials and methods

A total of 2935 students participated in the 2014 multicenter cross-sectional study. Students from two German and two Hungarian universities voluntarily completed the anonymous questionnaire. This article focuses on Germans (n?=?341) and Hungarians (n?=?1073) studying in Hungary and the medical students studying in Germany (n?=?1085).

Results

Evaluation of the motivational factors for the choice of specialization showed that the professional/scientific interest increases with higher quality of life. Furthermore, we have to emphasize that towards the end of studies the reasons work–life balance, better reconcilability with family (children, partner), and the wish to maintain the social and family relations play a bigger role in students’ motivation.

Conclusion

According to the results, students with active health promotion show more awareness towards their career when choosing their specialization. At the same time, we have to emphasize that the optimal balance between work and private life seems to be an increasingly important aspect in specialization decisions for Hungarian and German medical students. When taking measures to minimize the lack of physicians, it is important to take the motivation of future physicians into account to be able to achieve optimal medical provision. It also applies for the tendencies in specialties with emphasis on fields with shortages, such as general practitioners in rural regions in both Germany and Hungary.

     

Parenthood re-discovered: Views of recovered parents

Abstract

There is a growing body of research on the effects of parents’ alcohol and substance abuse problems on family members, which examines for example the effects and risks to children. In this article, we approach the theme from the perspective of parents who have recovered from alcohol and substance abuse problems. The research question in this study asks how recovered parents describe their re-discovered parenthood. The study is part of a wider “Growing up in the Finnish Drinking Culture” -project, conducted by the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland. The qualitative data consist of individual, pair and group interviews with parents (N?=?32). The parents were diagnosed with alcohol and or substance abuse problems and they all had undergone successful treatment. The data were analysed using subject position analysis, with six subject positions identified in parents’ accounts: Apprentice, Experienced; Emotion worker, Functional parent; Struggler and Optimist. Our study contributes to understanding how parenthood was regained following recovery and what experiences it entailed. It shows that a responsible life with the child and regaining parenthood are possibilities and realistic expectations following recovery.     

Robust controller synthesis with consideration of performance criteria

This paper presents interactive controller synthesis methods based on an inward approach and offers some advantages over the traditional loop gain shaping methods. The indirect use of weighting functions for the robustness controller tuning is introduced. Besides that, the method allows transparent closed‐loop pole placement to achieve desirable transient performance. The obtained controllers are of lower order for comparable performance than those synthesized with rmH₂, H_∞ or µ‐synthesis. The method is particularly well suited for robust control problems where frequency domain constraints emerge from the analyses of non‐parametric uncertainties and also for control problems where the frequency domain loop shaping is used to achieve time domain performance specifications. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Making it fit: Associations of line managers' behaviours with the outcomes of an organizational‐level intervention

Line managers' behaviours are important during implementation of occupational health interventions. Still, little is known about how these behaviours are related to intervention outcomes. This study explored the relationship between line managers' intervention‐specific transformational leadership (IsTL), intervention fit (the match between the intervention, persons involved, and the surrounding environment), and change in intrinsic motivation and vigour. Both direct and indirect relationships between IsTL and change in intrinsic motivation and vigour were tested. Ninety employees participating in an organizational‐level occupational health intervention provided questionnaire ratings at baseline and after 6 months. The results showed IsTL to be related to intervention fit and intervention fit to be related to intrinsic motivation. Using intervention fit as a mediator, the total effects (direct and indirect combined) of IsTL on change in intrinsic motivation and vigour were significant. In addition, IsTL had a specific indirect effect on intrinsic motivation. This study is the first to use IsTL as a measure line managers' behaviours. It is also the first to empirically evaluate the association between intervention fit and intervention outcomes. By including these measures in evaluations of organizational‐level occupational health interventions, we can provide more informative answers as to what can make interventions successful.     

Cell-polymer interactions of fluorescent polystyrene latex particles coated with thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) or grafted with poly(ethylene oxide)-macromonomer

Cell-polymer interactions of thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) or poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) coated particles with RAW264.7 macrophages and intestinal Caco-2 cells were evaluated. Nanosized particles were prepared by modifying the surface of fluorescent polystyrene (FPS) particles with the thermosensitive polymer gels or with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-macromonomer grafts. The particles were characterized by IR-spectroscopy for functional groups, light scattering for size distribution and zeta-potential for surface charge. Effects of temperature and polymer coating/grafting on the cellular interactions were evaluated by cell association/uptake and visualized by confocal scanning microscope. PEO and PNIPAM inhibited the polymer-cell contact by steric repulsion, evidenced by weak attachment of the particles. PVCL-coated FPS was adsorbed on the cells more strongly, especially at 37 degrees C, because of more hydrophobic nature at higher temperatures. The results suggest feasibility of the PNIPAM and PVCL for biotechnological/pharmaceutical applications, as the cell-particle interactions may be modified by size, surface charge, hydrophobicity, steric repulsion and temperature.