Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

About: Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is a education organization based out in Halle, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Liquid crystal. The organization has 20232 authors who have published 38773 publications receiving 965004 citations. The organization is also known as: MLU & University of Wittenberg.

Jack-of-all-trades effects drive biodiversity–ecosystem multifunctionality relationships in European forests

Abstract: There is considerable evidence that biodiversity promotes multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality), thus ensuring the delivery of ecosystem services important for human well-being. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood, especially in natural ecosystems. We develop a novel approach to partition biodiversity effects on multifunctionality into three mechanisms and apply this to European forest data. We show that throughout Europe, tree diversity is positively related with multifunctionality when moderate levels of functioning are required, but negatively when very high function levels are desired. For two well-known mechanisms, ‘complementarity’ and ‘selection’, we detect only minor effects on multifunctionality. Instead a third, so far overlooked mechanism, the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ effect, caused by the averaging of individual species effects on function, drives observed patterns. Simulations demonstrate that jack-of-all-trades effects occur whenever species effects on different functions are not perfectly correlated, meaning they may contribute to diversity–multifunctionality relationships in many of the world’s ecosystems.

Continuous intraoperative vagus nerve stimulation for identification of imminent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.

Abstract: Background Conventional intraoperative nerve monitoring, predicated on intermittent stimulation, can predict recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy only after the damage has been done. Methods Fifty-two patients (52 nerves at risk) who underwent continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring (CIONM) for thyroid surgery via vagus nerve stimulation had their electromyographic (EMG) tracings recorded and correlated with surgical maneuvers and postoperative RLN function. Results There was 1 imminent loss of signal (LOS) with intraoperative signal recovery and there were 4 losses of signal with corresponding unilateral transient RLN palsy. When EMG amplitude decreased >50% and EMG latency increased >10%, LOS and postoperative RLN palsy were noted in 4 of 8 patients (50%) who had multiple combined events. In 9 of 13 patients (70%) who developed adverse EMG changes, modification of the causative surgical maneuver resulted in recovery of those EMG changes and aversion of impending RLN palsy. Conclusion CIONM reliably signaled impending nerve injury, enabling immediate corrective action. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 35: 1591–1598, 2013

Deviations from the area law for supersymmetric black holes.

Abstract: We review modifications of the Bekenstein-Hawking area law for black hole entropy in the presence of higher-derivative interactions. In four-dimensional N = 2 compactifications of string theory or M-theory these modifications are crucial for finding agreement between the macroscopic entropy obtained from supergravity and the microscopic entropy obtained by counting states in string or M-theory. Our discussion is based on the effective Wilsonian action, which in the context of N = 2 supersymmetric theories is defined in terms of holomorphic quantities. At the end we briefly indicate how to incorporate non-holomorphic corrections.

Biotic homogenization can decrease landscape-scale forest multifunctionality

Abstract: Many experiments have shown that local biodiversity loss impairs the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple ecosystem functions at high levels (multifunctionality). In contrast, the role of biodiversity in driving ecosystem multifunctionality at landscape scales remains unresolved. We used a comprehensive pan-European dataset, including 16 ecosystem functions measured in 209 forest plots across six European countries, and performed simulations to investigate how local plot-scale richness of tree species (α-diversity) and their turnover between plots (β-diversity) are related to landscape-scale multifunctionality. After accounting for variation in environmental conditions, we found that relationships between α-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality varied from positive to negative depending on the multifunctionality metric used. In contrast, when significant, relationships between β-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality were always positive, because a high spatial turnover in species composition was closely related to a high spatial turnover in functions that were supported at high levels. Our findings have major implications for forest management and indicate that biotic homogenization can have previously unrecognized and negative consequences for large-scale ecosystem multifunctionality.

Oral health-related quality of life in patients treated with fixed, removable, and complete dentures 1 month and 6 to 12 months after treatment.

Abstract: Purpose This study described oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) before and after treatment in patients with fixed, removable, and complete dentures. Materials and methods OHRQoL was measured using the German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G) in a convenience sample of 107 prosthodontic patients at baseline and 1 and 6 to 12 months after treatment. The sum of OHIP-G item responses (OHIP-G49, range 0 to 196) characterized OHRQoL impairment in 42 patients treated with fixed prosthodontics, 31 patients treated with removable dentures, and 34 patients treated with complete dentures. OHIP-G49 medians were compared with the OHRQoL level in a general population sample (n = 2,026). A multivariable binomial regression analysis, controlling for the effects of baseline OHRQoL and follow-up wave, was used to compare the level of impaired OHRQoL in different prosthodontic treatment groups at follow-ups. Results OHRQoL improved in 96% of the subjects. OHIP-G49 medians reached the level of OHRQoL in the general population 1 month after treatment (fixed prosthodontics patients 6 OHIP-G units; general population subjects 5 units; removable denture patients 23 units, 15 units in general population subjects; complete denture patients 13 units, 23 units in general population subjects). OHIP-G49 medians were below population norms 6 to 12 months after treatment. In patients treated with removable/complete dentures, the expected posttreatment OHIP-G49 problem rate was 1.9 times the problem rate in patients treated with fixed prosthodontics, holding baseline OHIP-G49 and follow-up wave constant. Conclusion OHRQoL changed substantially comparing pretreatment scores with 1 and 6 to 12 months of follow-up in patients treated with fixed, removable, and complete dentures.