University of Hamburg

About: University of Hamburg is a education organization based out in Hamburg, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Laser. The organization has 45564 authors who have published 89286 publications receiving 2850161 citations. The organization is also known as: Hamburg University.

Bringing ecosystem services into economic decision-making: land use in the United Kingdom.

Abstract: Landscapes generate a wide range of valuable ecosystem services, yet land-use decisions often ignore the value of these services. Using the example of the United Kingdom, we show the significance of land-use change not only for agricultural production but also for emissions and sequestration of greenhouse gases, open-access recreational visits, urban green space, and wild-species diversity. We use spatially explicit models in conjunction with valuation methods to estimate comparable economic values for these services, taking account of climate change impacts. We show that, although decisions that focus solely on agriculture reduce overall ecosystem service values, highly significant value increases can be obtained from targeted planning by incorporating all potential services and their values and that this approach also conserves wild-species diversity.

An Investigation of Smoothness Constraints for the Estimation of Displacement Vector Fields from Image Sequences

Abstract: A mapping between one frame from an image sequence and the preceding or following frame can be represented as a displacement vector field. In most situations, the mere gray value variations do not provide sufficient information in order to estimate such a displacement vector field. Supplementary constraints are necessary, for example the postulate that a displacement vector field varies smoothly as a function of the image position. Taken as a general requirement, this creates difficulties at gray value transitions which correspond to occluding contours. Nagel therefore introduced the ``oriented smoothness'' requirement which restricts variations of the displacement vector field only in directions with small or no variation of gray values. This contribution reports results of an investigation about how such an ``oriented smoothness'' constraint may be formulated and evaluated.

Non-invasive brain stimulation: a new strategy to improve neurorehabilitation after stroke?

Abstract: Summary Background Motor impairment resulting from chronic stroke can have extensive physical, psychological, financial, and social implications despite available neurorehabilitative treatments. Recent studies in animals showed that direct epidural stimulation of the primary motor cortex surrounding a small infarct in the lesioned hemisphere (M1 lesioned hemisphere ) elicits improvements in motor function. Recent developments In human beings, proof of principle studies from different laboratories showed that non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation and direct current stimulation that upregulate excitability within M1 lesioned hemisphere or downregulate excitability in the intact hemisphere (M1 intact hemisphere ) results in improvement in motor function in patients with stroke. Possible mechanisms mediating these effects can include the correction of abnormally persistent interhemispheric inhibitory drive from M1 intact hemisphere to M1 lesioned hemisphere in the process of generation of voluntary movements by the paretic hand, a disorder correlated with the magnitude of impairment. In this paper we review these mechanistically oriented interventional approaches. What next? These findings suggest that transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation could develop into useful adjuvant strategies in neurorehabilitation but have to be further assessed in multicentre clinical trials.

Polymerization of Propene and Butene with a Chiral Zirconocene and Methylalumoxane as Cocatalyst

Abstract: Hitherto, only atactic polypropylene could be prepared with soluble bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium(iv)/methylalumoxane Ziegler-Natta catalysts.".'' E ~ e n [ ~ ' has recently shown that mixtures of, e.g., 63% isotactic and 37% atactic polypropylene are formed with the sterically rigid ethylenebis( I-indeny1)titanium dichloride (mixture of meso form and ra~emate) . '~ ' If, however, the chiral ethylenebis(4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-lindeny1)zirconium dichloride 1 (Fig. 1) is used in combination with methylalumoxane ([AI(CH3)-O],) as cocatalyst, highly isotactic polypropylene is obtained. The racemate of 1 was used for this polymerization. The fraction of polymer soluble in toluene can be reduced to 0.2 wt.45, which is considerably lower than the 2-7% achievable with heterogeneous TiCI,/MgC12/AI(C2H5)3/ C,H,CO,C,H,-based catalysts.1h1

Business Cases for Sustainability: The Role of Business Model Innovation for Corporate Sustainability

Abstract: A considerable body of literature deals with the creation of economic value while increasing corporate environmental and social performance. Some publications even focus on the business case for sustainability which aims at increasing corporate economic value through environmental or social measures. The existence of a business case for sustainability is, however, mostly seen as an ad hoc measure, a supplement to the core business, or simply a coincidence. As a contrast, this paper argues that business model innovations may be required to support a systematic, ongoing creation of business cases for sustainability. A framework for business model innovation is proposed as a means to strategically create business cases on a regular basis as an inherent, deeply integrated element of business activities.