The 2018 hot drought pushed conifer wood formation to the limit of its plasticity: Consequences for woody biomass production and tree ring structure.

Hot droughts are expected to increase in Europe and disturb forest ecosystem functioning. Wood formation of trees has the potential to adapt to those events by compensatory mechanisms between the rates and durations of tracheid differentiation to form the typical pattern of vital wood anatomical structures. We monitored xylogenesis and measured wood anatomy of mature silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees along an elevational gradient in the Black Forest during the hot drought year of 2018. We assessed the kinetics of tracheid differentiation and the final tracheid dimensions and quantified the relationship between rates and durations of cell differentiation over the growing season. Cell differentiation kinetics were decoupled, and temperature and water availability signals were imprinted in the tree ring structure. The sudden decline in woody biomass production provided evidence for a disruption in carbon sequestration processes due to heat and drought stress. Growth processes of Scots pine (pioneer species) were mainly affected by the spring drought, whereas silver fir (climax species) growth processes were more disturbed by the summer drought. Our study provides novel insights on the plasticity of wood formation and carbon allocation in temperate conifer tree species in response to extreme climatic events.

[Neurological expert opinion in occupational disability insurance]. / Nervenärztliche Begutachtung in der Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung.

An expert opinion on occupational disability insurance is not a common occurrence and because of this represents a challenge for the appointed specialist. The peculiarities of the eligibility requirements for this type of insurance are described in detail in this article, including case examples. Besides the medical considerations, there are detailed, specific occupational aspects which must be considered in order to reach an expert judgment which is comprehensible for both, the contracting party and the claimant.

[Symptom Validity Testing (SVT) in the suspicion of a simulation or exaggeration of neurocognitive symptoms--a case report]. / Symptomvalidierungstestung (SVT) bei Verdacht auf eine Simulation oder Aggravation neurokognitiver Störungen--ein Fallbericht.

The significance of malingering or symptom exaggeration and its appropriate assessment have become increasingly recognised on an international scale. In the field of neurocognitive disorders, not only medicolegal cases, but also a number of clinical conditions are considered especially pertinent for assessment. This case report deals with a 22-year old patient who had suffered a moderately severe brain injury in a car accident almost three years before. In the context of seeking financial compensation from an insurance company, he claimed complete retrograde amnesia for all events and information prior to the accident. Moreover, he presented a Ganser-like response pattern (subsequent near misses) when trying to solve mathematical problems. Therefore, forced-choice symptom validity testing was performed with simple maths tasks. His response pattern was clearly less than random, indicating controlled incorrect responses and, thus, negative response behaviour. When confronted with this interpretation, he relinquished symptom exaggeration and was able to solve these tasks appropriately. While symptom validity techniques belong to the repertory of neuropsychologists in a number of countries, this is not yet true for Germany. However, their application will increasingly be encouraged to meet quality standards of medicolegal assessment.

[Investigations of volume and electrolyte concentrations in saliva of asthma- and epilepsy-diseased children under therapy]. / Untersuchungen von Volumen und Elektrolytkonzentrationen des Speichels asthma- und epilepsiekranker Kinder unter Therapie.

To investigate if in children suffering from asthma bronchiale or cerebral attacks and being under special long-term therapy changes in quantity and quality of saliva occure, both groups of probands were examined in comparision to corresponding controls. In both cases pharmaca were given which may influence the functions of vegetative neuralsystem. It was proved that children with asthma had a lower and those with attacks a higher volume of secretion in comparison with the controls. The calcium-concentrations proved to be higher in both treated groups, the magnesiumconcentration only in the anticonoulsive treated group. Plaqueextension, cariesincidence and index of periodontal inflammation was found to be slightly higher than in the controls.