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On the basis of the type material of a new species of micrasterid, Micraster woodi sp. nov., from the upper Turonian of Lower Saxony (Germany), intraspecific patterns in variability of 18 size- and shape-related indices were analysed. The results were compared with available data for four other species of Micraster, viz. M. leskei, M. normanniae, M. cortestudinarium, M. rogalae and the closely related Roweaster corbovis, as documented by seven assemblages from the Turonian and Coniacian of Poland and Kazakhstan. Interspecific patterns in the variability of five shape indices reveal a specific pattern which is similar among most of the species studied. This finding indicates differences in developmental robustness among the shape indices studied. Indices with higher relative variability yield the more obvious differences between the species studied as given by the mean values of particular features. Accordingly, it is suggested that increases in variability, suggested to be the result of decreased canalisation, played an important role in the diversification of Micraster during the Late Cretaceous.

2013 wurde in Niedersachsen die allgemeine inklusive Schule gesetzlich eingeführt. Die hier vorgestellten Befunde sind Teil der Begleitforschung zur inklusiven Grundschule in Niedersachsen, die von Oktober 2014 bis Dezember 2017 durchgeführt wurde. Ziel der Studie ist eine Analyse des aktuellen Stands der Umsetzung sowie die Identifikation von Gelingensbedingungen und Herausforderungen. Die Studie basiert auf einem Mixed-Methods-Design und besteht aus drei Teilstudien. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden ausgewählte quantitative und qualitative Ergebnisse vorgestellt. (DIPF/Orig.) In 2013, inclusive education was legally fixed in schools in Lower Saxony. The presented results are part of the scientific monitoring of inclusive education in primary schools in Lower Saxony, which was conducted between October 2014 and December 2017. The study aims at analyzing the current status of implementation and at identifying related conditions of success as well as challenges. It is based on a mixed-methods design and divided into three sub-studies. In this paper, selected quantitative and qualitative findings are presented. (DIPF/Orig.)

Soil erosion caused by water has been monitored for 17 years on 465 ha cropland in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany). The 86 monitored fields are representative for three different typical agricultural landscapes with an intermediate to high water erosion risk in Northern Germany. The monitoring scheme included regularly conducted erosion damage mapping and cultivation surveys. The collected data encompasses 1275 field years and 1355 mapped erosion systems, giving evidence on the extent, frequency and rate of soil erosion by water. Mean mapped soil loss for all fields was relatively small at 0.85 t ha−1 a−1. The highest rate for a single field amounted to 7.02 t ha−1 a−1. Variability of soil loss in time and space was high: annual losses (mean of all fields) ranged between 0.04 and 2.81 t ha−1 a−1. The highest annual loss on a single field was 53.07 t ha−1. Every year, at least 24% of the monitored fields were not affected by erosion, only 1.3% of the monitored area eroded at least once a year. Spatial analysis of mapped erosion features shows that the highest soil loss is located in topographically-defined flow paths and in wheel tracks oriented in line of the steepest slope. Cultivated crops and tillage management have a high influence on loss rates ranging from 0.07 for catch crop to 2.78 t ha−1 a−1 for potato. Additionally, the results prove that farmers in the investigation areas were able to significantly reduce soil loss rates of the five most important crops from 0.6 to 0.37 t ha−1 a−1 by using conservation tillage measures. The annual variability in the collected data emphasises the importance of appropriate long-term monitoring programmes to create sound data on the extent, frequency and rate of soil erosion by water at a field to landscape scale.

Schiefelbein, U., Brackel, W. v., Cezanne, R., Eichler, M., Krzewicka, B., Neumann, P., Schultz, M. & Dolnik, C. 2018. Additional interesting records of lichenized and lichenicolous fungi from Northern Germany. — Herzogia 31: 114–132. Sixty-one species (32 lichens and 29 lichenicolous fungi) are reported as new or noteworthy from northern Germany or one of its federal states. Epicladonia simplex and Minutoexcipula tephromelae are new to Germany; Didymocyrtis cladoniicola, D. foliaceiphila, Endococcus fusiger, Hymenelia ceracea, Lichenochora coarctatae, Lichenostigma chlaroterae, Pyrenochaeta xanthoriae, Schismatomma umbrinum and Vouauxiella verrucosa are recorded for the first time from northern Germany; nine species are added to the lichen flora of the federal state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, 34 species to Schleswig-Holstein, seven species to Lower Saxony and one species each to Hamburg and Saxony-Anhalt. Verrucaria polygonia is rediscovered in Germany after more than 150 years.

Weitschataster intermedius gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Upper Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) of Hannover (Lower Saxony, N Germany). The new species is characterized by its conspicuous rimmed pedicellariae scars covering almost the complete actinal surface and by small body size. W. intermedius represents a transitional state between W. decipiens comb. nov. from the Lower Campanian and the well-known W. undulatus comb. nov. from the Lower Maastrichtian of NW Europe. Among Spencer’s types of W. undulatus, one paratype is recognized as belonging to the genus Parametopaster.

Photobleaching is an effect terminating the photon output of fluorophores, limiting the duration of fluorescence-based experiments. Plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) can increase the overall fluorophore photostability through an enhancement of the radiative rate. In this work, we use the DNA origami technique to arrange a single fluorophore in the 12-nm gap of a silver NP dimer and study the number of emitted photons at the single molecule level. Our findings yielded a 30× enhancement in the average number of photons emitted before photobleaching. Numerical simulations are employed to rationalize our results. They reveal the effect of silver oxidation on decreasing the radiative rate enhancement., We acknowledge funding by a starting grant (SiMBA, EU 261162) of the European Research Council (ERC) and the Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft (AC 279/2-1 and TI 329/9-1). IK is grateful for the support by the Mobility Plus grant 1269/MOB/IV/2015/0 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW). CV thanks a scholarship of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. AIF-D and AC-G acknowledge funding from the Spanish MINECO under Contracts FIS2015- 64951-R and MDM-2014-0377-16-4, respectively. AIF-D also acknowledges funding from EU Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement FP7-PEOPLE- 2013-CIG-630996. GA and PT acknowledge funding of the state ministry for research of lower saxony in the frame of the “Quantum- and Nanometrology” (QUANOMET) strategic research area. Quanomet is part of the LUH-TUBS research alliance

The former Cistercian convent of Wienhausen in Lower Saxony contains a unique collection of miniature-manuscripts from the 14th till 16th century. These little and on first sight unimpressive booklets – most of them comprise no more than a few folia – have drawn little scholarly attention as a group. When studied, scholars were mainly interested in their content (prayers etc.), but less in their material distinctiveness, namely the very small size and the fact that a relatively large number of these booklets has been preserved. Most of these booklets contain Latin texts, demonstrating the high educational level of the cloistered women, but also showing that Latin is the language of divine vicinity. Using the example of the Wienhäuser Manuscript 80 we suggest that the women made those little booklets from the blank folia-margins of discarded larger parchment manuscripts. The use of scraps probably offered a possibility for the women to produce booklets for their very personal use and belongings aside from all other manuscripts for daily devotional practices. We suggest that the meaning of the small booklets lays not only or primarily in the texts, but also in the objects themselves, their tininess and the fact that the women made and owned them. A future dna-analysis could throw light on the relation between these tiny scrap booklets and other preserved manuscripts from the convent.

Familial protective factors are an integral part of prevention approaches aimed at problematic behaviour in adolescents. However, there is scarce evidence on the role of familial protective factors in families deviating from the two-parent family configuration. For evaluating targeted (preventive) interventions, a reliable and valid measurement of familial protective factors is crucial. We investigated the factor structure of the Communities That Care (CTC) Family Attachment Scale and tested its measurement invariance in different family structures. Adolescents (n = 2.459, grades 6–11) from Lower Saxony, Germany filled in the German version of the CTC Youth Survey. Our analyses focused on the CTC Family Attachment Scale measuring the adolescent’s attachment to the mother and the father with six items. We evaluated the postulated unidimensional structure of the scale by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and tested the measurement invariance using multigroup factor analyses across different family structures (two-parent family/single-parent family). We used SPSS V.23 and the R packages lavaan and semTools. The two-factor solution for the CTC Family Attachment Scale with one factor representing attachment to the mother and one indicating attachment to the father had an adequate model fit in the total sample (χ2(5) = 29.938; p

Remarkable finds of late medieval pilgrim badges excavated in the former harbour of the Hanseatic city of Stade have opened an unexpected window onto the pilgrimage history of northwestern Germany ...

The debate surrounding possible adverse health effects from the civil use of nuclear power under normal operating conditions has been on-going since its introduction. It was particularly intensified by the detection of three leukaemia clusters near nuclear installations, i.e. near the reprocessing plants in Sellafield and Dounreay, UK, and near the Krümmel nuclear power plant, Germany, the last of which commenced between 1990 and 1991 and was first described in 1992; it continued until 2003, and an elevated risk up to 2005 has been reported in the literature. A number of expert commissions and working groups were set up by the governments of the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein to investigate the possible causes of the cluster. An overview of the many risk factors that were investigated as a possible explanation of the Krümmel cluster is given here, focussing on radiation, but also including other risk factors. Further, results from related epidemiological and cytogenetic studies are described. In summary, the cause of the occurrence of the Krümmel cluster has to be considered as unknown. Further research on the causes of childhood leukaemia is needed, focussing on epigenetics and on gene-environment interaction. An update of the leukaemia incidence around the Krümmel site shows that the incidence rates are now comparable to the average rate in Germany.

Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Untersuchung analysiert die Auswirkungen der Flüchtlingssituation auf den Tourismus in Niedersachsen. Mit der Betrachtung der möglichen Konsequenzen des Flüchtlingszustroms auf den Tourismus wird eine bisher in der Wissenschaft kaum erforschte Komponente des Flüchtlingszuzugs untersucht. Mithilfe einer Meinungsumfrage bei Akteuren auf den verschiedenen Ebenen des Tourismus gelingt eine umfassende Betrachtung der Chancen und Risiken der Flüchtlingssituation in Bezug auf Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten, Destinationsimage und Haushaltslagen in touristisch geprägten Kommunen. Als Ergebnis können Chancen für den Arbeitsmarkt sowie die Handlungsfähigkeit der Kommunen eingeschätzt werden. Mit diesem Beitrag gelingt somit ein erster Schritt, die komplexen Auswirkungen des Flüchtlingszuzugs auf die Tourismuswirtschaft zu erforschen.

Zusammenfassung Ziel Ziel der Studie war die vergleichende Beurteilung der Mundgesundheit von 6–16-jährigen Niedersächsischen (NI) und Thüringer (TH) Schülern mit geistigen Behinderungen (GB) und psychoemotionalen Störungen (PES). Methodik Bei 571 TH Schülern mit GB sowie 118 NI Schülern mit GB und 80 mit PES erfolgte eine Erfassung von Kariesbefall, odontogenen Infektionen, Fissurenversiegelungen (FV) und Parodontalgesundheit. Die Daten wurden mittels altersadjustierter linearer und binär-logistischer Regressionsanalyse verglichen. Ergebnisse Schüler mit PES vereinten die höchste Kariesprävalenz und den höchsten Kariesbefall in beiden Dentitionen sowie die höchste Prävalenz odontogener Infektionen im Milchgebiss. Bei 6–11-Jährigen mit GB unterschied sich die Häufigkeit odontogener Infektionen nicht wesentlich zwischen Thüringen und Niedersachsen. 6–11-jährige NI Schüler mit PES hatten ein mehr als 2-faches Risiko an Karies zu erkranken bzw. odontogene Infektionen zu entwickeln als Gleichaltrige mit GB. Der Sanierungsgrad von NI Schülern mit PES war in beiden Dentitionen und Altersgruppen besser als von Schülern mit GB. Die TH Schüler mit GB wiesen in beiden Dentitionen einen geringeren Kariesbefall und einen höheren Sanierungsgrad auf als die NI Schüler. Im Vergleich zu gesunden Altersgefährten sind Schüler mit GB oder PES in beiden Dentitionen häufiger und schwerer von Karies betroffen. Sie hatten einen geringeren Sanierungsgrad und waren seltener mit FV versorgt. Schlussfolgerung Schüler mit PES oder GB haben einen unbefriedigenden Mundgesundheitsstatus und stellen zahnmedizinische Risikogruppen dar, wobei Schüler mit PES stärker von Karies und odontogenen Infektionen betroffen sind. Der Sanierungsgrad von Schülern mit GB ist im Vergleich zu Schülern mit PES und gesunden Altersgefährten unzureichend und signalisiert die Benachteiligung dieser vulnerablen Patientengruppen.

Psychische Storungen stehen vermehrt im Fokus gesundheitswissenschaftlicher Betrachtungen. Das tatsachliche Ausmas ist jedoch schwierig abzuschatzen, da flachendeckende Untersuchungen insbesondere im Langsschnitt fehlen. Mit Daten der AOK Niedersachsen aus den Jahren 2010–2013 wurde die administrative Inzidenz und Pravalenz psychischer Storungen abgeschatzt und alters- und geschlechtsspezifisch untersucht. Zudem wurde auf Stadt- und Landkreisebene analysiert, ob regionale Gegebenheiten mit der Haufigkeit diagnostizierter psychischer Storungen im Zusammenhang stehen. Die Auswertungen basieren auf Sekundardaten von 1,5 Mio. Versicherten der Geburtsjahrgange 1940–1994, die im betrachteten Zeitraum durchgangig versichert waren. Einbezogen wurden gesicherte Diagnosen aus der ambulanten Versorgung. Jede dritte versicherte Person wies innerhalb von 12 Monaten mindestens eine Diagnose psychischer Storungen auf. Bei etwa 11 von 100 Versicherten wurde im Untersuchungsjahr 2012 eine psychische Storung neu dokumentiert. Frauen sind, mit Ausnahme der Storungen durch psychotrope Substanzen, deutlich haufiger betroffen als Manner. Des Weiteren wurden Altersunterschiede ermittelt. Auf regionaler Ebene zeigten sich in Bezug auf die administrative Pravalenz psychischer Storungen positive Zusammenhange zur Arzte- und Therapeutendichte. Daruber hinaus zeichnen sich Regionen mit einer hohen Arbeitslosenquote tendenziell durch eine hohe Pravalenz psychischer Storungen aus. Die Ermittlung der administrativen Inzidenz und Pravalenz stellt trotz einiger Limitationen eine Moglichkeit dar, geschlechts- sowie altersspezifische und regionale Unterschiede aufzuzeigen. Die regionalen Auswertungen deuten darauf hin, dass die Beschaftigungssituation in den Kreisen im Zusammenhang zur Hohe der regionalen administrativen Pravalenz steht.

Sachs, S., Hornung, J.J., Lallensack, J.N. & Kear, B.P., November.2017. First evidence of a large predatory plesiosaurian from the Lower Cretaceous non-marine ‘Wealden facies’ deposits of northwestern Germany. Alcheringa 42, 501-508. ISSN 0311-5518.Here, we describe the incomplete mandible of a large-skulled ‘pliosauromorph’ plesiosaurian from the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian) of northwestern Germany. The fossil derives from limnic–brackish ‘Wealden facies’ deposits of the Deister Formation (Buckeberg Group), and is preserved as a natural mould in fine-grained sandstone. Examination of the original remains, in conjunction with a three-dimensional photogrammetrically digitized ‘cast’, revealed a conspicuous rosette of symphyseal alveoli, which would otherwise typically characterize Early–Middle Jurassic macrophagous plesiosaurians including rhomaleosaurids and the pliosaurid Simolestes. The Deister Formation ‘pliosauromorph’ represents the first record of a large-bodied plesiosaurian macrocarnivore from th...

Summary A massive infestation with warble fly larvae was observed in a mare in Lower Saxony, Germany. From a herd of 20 horses, only a single mare accidently escaped the routine treatment with macrocyclic lactone in autumn and showed the myiasis infestation next year in January. Eighteen subcutaneous nodules were found on the back (n = 2), ribs (n = 3), flank (n = 5) and croup (n = 8). Deer, the specific hosts of the warble fly Hypoderma diana, was abundant on this farm and some other risk factors for the hypodermiosis are discussed herein. This is the first report of myiasis caused by H. diana in horses in Germany. This massive warble fly infestation in a horse in Germany reported here is important to alert equine health professionals concerning the prevention of this disease in the routine parasite control programme.

Background Risks associated with Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission in the Americas have been discussed widely in the media as several European athletes declined to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Since risk perceptions of individuals in unaffected areas are unknown, we assessed the risk perceptions of ZIKV and related behaviour in Lower Saxony, Germany, with a specific focus on pregnant women and their partners. Methods In May 2016, we surveyed 1,037 participants aged 15-69 years of an online panel (addressing hygiene and preventive behaviour regarding infections) in Lower Saxony with respect to their risk perceptions related to ZIKV. We additionally included 26 expectant parents who were recruited at antenatal preparation courses in Braunschweig and Hannover between May and July 2016. Results Six hundred fifty-five (69.1%) of the panel participants had ever heard about ZIKV. About 8% of the study participants reported to be concerned about ZIKV. Pregnant women had the highest odds of reporting concern about ZIKV (OR: 6.24; 95% CI: 2.94-13.26, reference: non-pregnant women). The vast majority of participants (79%) would travel to the Olympics if they won a free trip; this proportion was lower in currently pregnant women (46%). Risk perceptions towards ZIKV were considerably lower than those towards Ebola during the 2014 epidemic. Conclusion This study showed that fear of contracting ZIKV is not a major deterrent for travelling to high-risk areas. Pregnant women are appropriately concerned about the risk of ZIKV. Studies modelling the further spread of ZIKV need to account for these results.

Since 2014, students of the Police Academy of Lower Saxony have processed the analysis of cold cases in cooperation with the responsible police departments and the district attorney. This study summarizes the early experiences of the training program and analyzes the benefits for both students and for the police and public prosecutors. The project's aim is to find supporting evidence through the implementation of a structured reconstruction of a crime, constructing data on victimology and possible offender's motives, and finally, to create a lead file controlling process on the complete cold case.All in all, students controlled 693 leads on 7 cases. 527 leads were finished or dead ends, but 166 had to be re-evaluated. Of those, 103 leads remained open while 23 leads were worthy of further investigative effort. Forensic re-analysis was recommended in 14 leads. Twelve times, the students came upon previously undetected cross-reportings of persons within a case or between different cases.Initial expe...