bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Classification System for Outcome Measurements of Mid-Clavicular Fractures
Authors: Jubel Axel , Weisshaar Guido , Andermahr Jonas , Faymonville Christoph
Published: May 2016

Purpose: The current investigation was designed to evaluate and validate a simple assessment system focusing on outcomes on clavicle fractures.
Method: To examine the new scoring system focusing on outcomes post-midclavicular fracture and lateral clavicle fractures, 312 patients were studied on average 17 months post-injury. The cohort included 33 patients with lateral clavicle fractures, 46 non unions after midclavicular fracture and 233 patients with midclavicular fractures. As a control group, the same parameters in 45 healthy volunteers were examined. The Cologne Clavicle Score (CCS) is based on a system of three partnered objective/subjective items as well as radiographic assessment of fracture healing.
To validate the system, linear regression analysis was performed comparing the Cologne Clavicle Score to two established assessment systems (Score of Constant and Murley and the DASH Score).
Results: The correlation coefficients R=0.756 (Constant) and R=0.687 (DASH) post midclavicular fractures and R=0.780 (Constant and DASH) post lateral clavicle fractures indicated that the conclusions were comparable to two established assessment systems and therefore valid. The reliability coefficient Cronbach’s Alpha was calculated at 0.8324, indicating high reliability.
Conclusion: The CCS is a simple, valid, and reliable instrument to assess outcomes post-midclavicular fracture and lateral clavicle fractures. It needs application in further studies to fully evaluate the quality of its conclusions.
Painful First Metatarsal Phalangeal Joint Arthritis Treated with Percutaneous Tenotomy of the Flexor Hallucis Longus
Authors: Laborde  J. Monroe
Published: May 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe the results of a minor percutaneous procedure that can be done in the office for patients with arthritis of the metatarsal phalangeal joint of the first toe who have not responded to non-operative treatment.
Methods: Fourteen patients had painful degenerative arthritis of the metatarsal phalangeal joint of the first toe with symptoms for 1 to 20 years. All were treated with percutaneous tenotomy of the flexor hallucis longus between December 2008 and January 2012. Sugery was performed in the office under local anesthesia.
Results: Two patients were lost to follow up. Follow up for the remaining 12 patients ranged from 16 to 53 months, an average of 38 months. Pre-op pain ranged from 6 to 10 out of 10, average 8.1/10. Post-op pain at follow up ranged from 0 to 7/10, average 2.6/10 for an average improvement of 5.5/10. Five (5/12) patients rated pain 0/10 or 1/10 at follow up. There were no infections after surgery, but one patient complained of toe numbness and another of toe weakness. All patients had improvement of pain at follow up. Three (3/12) patients had only 1/10 long term improvement in their pain; 2 had subsequent surgery. Nine (9/12) patients were satisfied with the procedure.
Conclusion: Percutaneous flexor hallucis longus tenotomy could be considered an initial percutaneous office surgical treatment for painful degenerative arthritis of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint.
Perceived Costs and Benefits of Early Childbearing: New Dimensions and Predictive Power
Authors: Hayford Sarah R. , Guzzo Karen Benjamin , Kusunoki Yasamin , Barber Jennifer S.
Published: May 2016

CONTEXT

Understanding the causes of early childbearing is important for reducing the persistently high rates of early births in the United States. Perceptions of possible benefits may contribute to these rates, while high opportunity costs may dissuade women from early childbearing.

METHODS

Perceptions of costs and benefits of pregnancy, as well as later experiences of pregnancy, were assessed for 701 nulligravid women aged 18–22 who entered the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study in 2008–2009 and were interviewed weekly for up to 30 months. Bivariate t tests, chi‐square tests and multivariable discrete‐time event history analyses were used to assess associations of perceived personal consequences of childbearing (e.g., predicted financial costs), goals in potentially competing domains (opportunity costs) and social norms with subsequent pregnancy.

RESULTS

Twenty percent of women reported that early childbearing would have more positive than negative personal consequences. Compared with other women, those who had a pregnancy during follow‐up had, at baseline, more positive perceptions of the personal consequences of pregnancy and of their friends’ approval of pregnancy, and greater desire for consumer goods. In multivariable analyses, only the scales assessing perceived personal consequences of childbearing and friends’ approval of childbearing were associated with pregnancy (odds ratios, 2.0 and 1.2, respectively). Goals in potentially competing domains were not associated with pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

Young women's perceptions of consequences of early childbearing predict subsequent pregnancy. That these perceptions are distinct from childbearing desires and from other dimensions of costs and benefits illustrates the complex attitudinal underpinnings of reproductive behavior.
Intercalation of oxalate ions in the interlayer space of a layered double hydroxide for nickel ions adsorption
Authors: Giscard Doungmo , Kamgaing ThÃ©ophile , Temgoua Ranil ClÃ©ment Tonleu , Ymele Ervice , Tchieno Francis Merlin Melataguia , TonlÃ© Ignas Kenfack
Published: May 2016

In this study, sorption properties of a synthesized anionic clay were enhanced by the intercalation of oxalate ions in its interlayer space. The pristine and modified clay materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. These techniques confirmed the presence of oxalate ions in the interlayer space of the clay. The intercalated clay was then used as a matrix for the sorption in batch mode of nickel ions in aqueous solution. The influence of a number of parameters such as contact time, pH, initial concentration of the analyte and adsorbent dosage were studied. The maximum adsorption of nickel was obtained at pH 6, that is, about 90% Ni2+ removal. The adsorbent/adsorbate equilibrium follows a pseudo-second order kinetics and best matches the Langmuir model. The modified clay was shown to be efficient matrix for the sorption of nickel ions.
Member States’ liability for judicial error resulting in breaches of European Union Law
Authors: Neamt Valentin Paul
Published: May 2016

This paper presents the remedies available to persons whose European law rights have been infringed by judgments given by national Courts. The paper firsts presents the concept of state liability for judicial errors in relation to European law, as it stems from the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, then goes on to show how the European Court of Human Rights may give redress to such aggrieved parties. Finally, it discusses the differences in the possibility of redress given by the two courts and the compatibility between their approaches, finally leading to a discussion on the possible convergence of the two.
Documentary Letters of Credit, Legal Nature and Sources of Law
Authors: Alavi Hamed
Published: May 2016

There is no doubt about risky nature of international trade. Such risk can be conceptualized as country risk, transportation risk, customer risk and etc. Documentary Letters of Credit (LC) are used as a method of payment in international business for many centuries in order to reduce risk of trade specially when parties are located in different countries and do not have precise information from financial standing of each other. In such occasion LC will reduce the risk of trade by shifting payment obligation from buyer as an individual to a payment guarantee of a bank as a legal entity in return for presentation of complying documents with terms of credit by seller. Familiarity with legal nature and different legal frameworks which govern the international operation of documentary letters of credit can facilitate the process of international trade for businessmen and boost national economies. However, lack of knowledge about them can impose huge losses on international traders. Situation will be more complicated when we understand that there are many internationally recognized legal frameworks which can affect the operation of LC and they get frequently updated in order to address technological and economic developments in global market. In this paper, author tries to answer questions regarding (i) what are international legal frameworks governing operation of documentary letters of credit? (ii) which areas of LC operation has been covered by them and (iii) how do they address the legal questions regarding international operation of documentary letters of credit?
Theoretical Evaluation of the Maximum Work of Free-Piston Engine Generators
Authors: Kojima Shinji
Published: May 2016

Utilizing the adjoint equations that originate from the calculus of variations, we have calculated the maximum thermal efficiency that is theoretically attainable by free-piston engine generators considering the work loss due to friction and Joule heat. Based on the adjoint equations with seven dimensionless parameters, the trajectory of the piston, the histories of the electric current, the work done, and the two kinds of losses have been derived in analytic forms. Using these we have conducted parametric studies for the optimized Otto and Brayton cycles. The smallness of the pressure ratio of the Brayton cycle makes the net work done
Biological soil crusts cause subcritical water repellency in a sand dune ecosystem located along a rainfall gradient in the NW Negev desert, Israel
Authors: Keck Hannes , Felde Vincent John Martin Noah Linus , Drahorad Sylvie Laureen , Felix-Henningsen Peter
Published: May 2016

The biological soil crusts (BSCs) in the NW Negev cause local water redistribution by increasing surface runoff. The effects of pore clogging and swelling of organic and inorganic crust components were intensively investigated in earlier studies. However, the effect of water repellency (WR) was not addressed systematically yet. This study investigates subcritical WR of BSCs in three different study sites in the NW Negev. For this purpose, three common methods to determine soil WR were used: (i) the repellency index (RI) method (ii) the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test and (iii) the Wilhelmy plate method (WPM). Furthermore, the potential influence of WR on local water redistribution is discussed and the applied methods are compared. We found the BSC to be subcritically water repellent. The degree of WR may only affect water redistribution on a microscale and has little influence on the ecosystem as a whole. The RI method was clearly the most appropriate to use, whereas the WDPT and the WPM failed to detect subcritical WR.
Occurrence and spatial pattern of water repellency in a beech forest subsoil
Authors: Bachmann Jörg , Krueger Jiem , Goebel Marc-O. , Heinze Stefanie
Published: May 2016

Most recent studies on soil water repellency (WR) were limited to the humous topsoil or to shallow subsoil layers slightly below the main root zone to approximately 0.5 m depth. Hence, the main objective of the present study was to investigate the wettability pattern of a forest soil including the deeper subsoil. The selected site was a 100 years old beech forest on a well-drained sandy Cambisol in northern Germany which showed moderate to partly extended acidification. Results obtained from three sampling transects (3 m length, 2 m depth; sampling grid 8 × 8 samples per transect; minimum distance of sampling locations to nearest tree about 0.5 m) show that contact angles (CA) were always in the subcritical WR range (0° < CA < 90°). Significant impact of the tree distance on WR was not observed for any of the transects. A prominent feature of two transects was the minimum WR level (CA < 10°) for samples with soil organic carbon (SOC) contents around 0.25–0.4%. For the topsoils it was observed that CA increased with SOC content from that minimum to a maximum CA of 60–75° for transects 1 and 2 with mean pH values < 3.5. For transect 3 with slightly higher average pH close to 4.0, average CA of samples were always < 10° and showed no trend to increase with increasing SOC content or other soil parameters like N content or C/N ratio. Subsoil samples, however, behave differently with respect to SOC: for these samples, generally low in SOC, the CA increase with decreasing SOC occurred at all transects for approximately 50% of the samples but did not show any clear tendencies with respect to further parameters like texture, pH or N content. We conclude that the SOC content is the most prominent parameter determining wettability, either positively correlated with WR for topsoils or negatively correlated for subsoil samples very low in SOC. We finally conclude for moderately acid beech forest stands that emerging WR starts in the A horizon after reaching a pH lower than 3.5, whereas subsoil WR might appear already at higher pH values. Even SOC contents of ~0.01–0.02% turned out to be very effective in increasing the CA up to 70°, which points out clearly the importance of small amounts of soil organic matter in affecting subsoil wettability. With respect to site hydrology we conclude that ongoing acidification as well as predicted higher frequencies of extended droughts due to climate change will promote the occurrence of WR with corresponding implications for site and catchment hydrology.
Spatial patterns of wetting characteristics in grassland sandy soil
Authors: Orfánus Tomáš , Stojkovová Dagmar , Rajkai Kálmán , Czachor Henryk , Sándor Renáta
Published: May 2016

In grasslands where organic and inorganic resources are alternating at scales of individual plants, the transient character is given to certain wetting properties of soil, which then become highly variable both in space and in time. The objective of presented study was to study wetting pattern within two soil horizons at 5-cm and 10-cm depths respectively and to examine how the wetting patterns relate to hydraulic conductivity determined by Minidisc infiltrometer at suction −2 cm, K
(−2 cm). This characteristics is implicitly independent on antecedent soil water content (SWC) since it relates to steady infiltration phase but can be influenced by present soil water repellency (SWR). Field measurements were performed on July 27–28, 2010 on the grassland experimental site located near the village Sekule in Southwest Slovakia. The water drop penetration time (WDPT), SWC and tension Minidisc infiltration measurements were carried out on the 0.64 m2 plot in a regular 8 × 8 grid. The results showed that SWR and SWC influence each other and cause correlation between spatial patterns of studied soil wetting characteristics and between characteristics measured at the two soil depths. Further, it was found out, that calculation of K
(−2 cm) according to Zhang may cause apparent correlation of K
(−2 cm) with antecedent SWC, which is the artificial effect of sorptivity parameter in the equation on steady stage of infiltration process. This pseudocorrelation has disappeared after adopting of Minasny and McBratney (2000) approaches by calculation of K
(−2 cm).
Sap flow in response to rainfall pulses for two shrub species in the semiarid Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Jian Shengqi , Wu Zening , Hu Caihong , Zhang Xueli
Published: May 2016

Rainfall pulses can significantly drive the evolution of the structure and function of semiarid ecosystems, and understanding the mechanisms that underlie the response of semiarid plants to rainfall is the key to understanding the responses of semi–arid ecosystems to global climatic change. We measured sap flow in the branches and stems of shrubs (Caragana korshinskii Kom. and Hippophae rhamnoides Linn.) using sap flow gauges, and studied the response of sap flow density to rainfall pulses using the “threshold–delay” model in the Chinese Loess Plateau. The results showed that the sap flow began about 1 h earlier, and increased twofold after rainfall, compared to its pre-rainfall value. The sap flow increased significantly with increasing rainfall classes, then gradually decreased. The response of sap flow was different among rainfall, species, position (branch and stem) during the pulse period, and the interactive effects also differed significantly (P < 0.0001). The response pattern followed the threshold–delay model, with lower rainfall thresholds of 5.2, 5.5 mm and 0.7, 0.8 mm of stem and branch for C. korshinskii and H. rhamnoides, demonstrating the importance of small rainfall events for plant growth and survival in semi–arid regions.
The importance of calibration parameters on the accuracy of the floods description in the Snyder’s model
Authors: Wałęga Andrzej
Published: May 2016

Comparison of quality of Snyder’s model for determination flood waves was examination in this work. Model parameters were calibrated based on objective functions: percentage error in peak flow (PEPF), percentage error in volume (PEV), peak-weighted root mean square error (PWRMSE), sum of absolute residuals (SAR) and sum of squared residuals (SSR). Quality of model was calculating by Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient E. Additionally sensitivity of a model was characterized by its flexibility. The analyses were performed in the watershed of Grabinka. It has been found that the use PWRMSE as the objective function allows to obtain the best quality results of simulation. Furthermore, Snyder’s model is flexible to the change of Cp coefficient.
Water demand forecasting using extreme learning machines
Authors: Tiwari Mukesh , Adamowski Jan , Adamowski Kazimierz
Published: May 2016

The capacity of recently-developed extreme learning machine (ELM) modelling approaches in forecasting daily urban water demand from limited data, alone or in concert with wavelet analysis (W) or bootstrap (B) methods (i.e., ELM, ELMW, ELMB), was assessed, and compared to that of equivalent traditional artificial neural network-based models (i.e., ANN, ANNW, ANNB). The urban water demand forecasting models were developed using 3-year water demand and climate datasets for the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. While the hybrid ELMBand ANNBmodels provided satisfactory 1-day lead-time forecasts of similar accuracy, the ANNWand ELMWmodels provided greater accuracy, with the ELMWmodel outperforming the ANNWmodel. Significant improvement in peak urban water demand prediction was only achieved with the ELMWmodel. The superiority of the ELMWmodel over both the ANNWor ANNBmodels demonstrated the significant role of wavelet transformation in improving the overall performance of the urban water demand model.
Assessment of the effect of reactive materials on the content of selected elements in Indian mustard grown in Cu-contaminated soils
Authors: Radziemska Maja , Jeznach Jerzy , Mazur Zbigniew , Fronczyk Joanna , Bilgin Ayla
Published: May 2016

Zero-valent iron (ZVI) represent a promising agent for environmental remediation. The research was aimed to determine the influence of copper in doses of 0, 80, 150, 300, and 600 mg Cu·kg−1 of soil as well as ZVI, and lignite additives on the content of macroelements in the Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.). The average accumulation of analyzing elements in Indian mustard grown in copper contaminated soil were found to follow the decreasing order Mg > Na > P > Ca > K > N. Soil contamination at 600 mg Cu·kg−1 of soil led to the highest increase in P, Mg, N, and Ca content. The application of ZVI had a positive influence on the average phosphorus and potassium content of Indian mustard. Moreover, the application of ZVI and lignite had a positive influence on the average Mg and Ca content in the above-ground parts of Indian mustard. From the analyzed reactive materials, the application of lignite was shown to be the most effective resulting in the decrease in the average nitrogen and calcium content when compared to the control crop. Calcium content in plants from the control group, without the addition of zero-valent iron, and powered lignite (control), was positively correlated with increasing doses of copper.
Analysis of hydraulic load of a wastewater treatment plant in Jasło
Authors: Młyński Dariusz , Chmielowski Krzysztof , Młyńska Anna
Published: May 2016

The paper presents an analysis of hydraulic load in a wastewater treatment plant (WTP) in Jasło. The study was based on the records of daily sewage volume entering the treatment plant within a multi-year period of 2010–2014. The analysis took into account the average daily amount of incoming sewage, the maximum daily peaking factor for the incoming sewage, changes in the sewage volume depending on specific month and day of a week, and class intervals with the greatest frequency of occurrence.

The analysis revealed that the average daily volume of the sewage entering the WTP in Jasło in the investigated multi-year period was 13 045 m3·d−1. The amount of incoming sewage was variable, as evidenced by the maximum peaking factors of daily sewage inflow that ranged from 1.07 to 2.78, depending on a specific month. The sewage admission was the largest in March, May and June and on Saturdays. Sewage volume interval most often occurring at the WTP in Jasło was the one between 8 000 and 10 000 m3·d−1. The study results indicated that the facility was hydraulically underloaded.
Anodic polarization curves of austenitic steel Super304H in sulphuric acid solution
Authors: Chmela T.
Published: May 2016

Polarization curves measured in a sufficiently aggressive environment (e.g. 0.5 mol dm−3 of H2SO4) may help to assess corrosion resistance of stainless steels. New phases precipitate in steel exposed long-term to high temperatures, which may affect the corrosion resistance. Potentiostatic polarization curves were measured on austenitic steel Super304H in a solution annealed state (from the producer) and in a state aged for 15 000 hours at temperatures of 650, 675 and 700 °C. The higher level of current density in passivity (worse corrosion resistance) was reported after aging at 650 °C.
Engineering Optical Activity of Semiconductor Nanocrystals via Ion Doping
Authors: Tepliakov Nikita V. , Baimuratov Anvar S. , Gun’ko Yurii K. , Baranov Alexander V. , Fedorov Anatoly V. , Rukhlenko Ivan D.
Published: May 2016

Controlling the strength of enantioselective interaction of chiral inorganic nanoparticles with circularly polarized light is an intrinsically interesting subject of contemporary nanophotonics. This interaction is relatively weak, because the chirality scale of nanoparticles is much smaller than the optical wavelength. Here we theoretically demonstrate that ion doping provides a powerful tool of engineering and enhances optical activity of semiconductor nanocrystals. We show that by carefully positioning ionic impurities inside the nanocrystals, one can maximize the rotatory strengths of intraband optical transitions, and make them 100 times larger than the typical rotatory strengths of small chiral molecules.
Predicting Hourly Traflc Noise from Traflc Flow
Rate Model: Underlying Concepts for the
DYNAMAP Project
Authors: Smiraglia M. , Benocci R. , Zambon G. , Roman H.E.
Published: May 2016

The DYNAMAP project aims at obtaining a dynamic
noise map of a large residential area such as the City
of Milan (Italy), by recording traffic noise from a limited
number of noise sensors. To this end,we perform a statistical
analysis of road stretches and group them into different
clusters showing a similar measured hourly traffic noise
behavior. In the sameway,we group simulated hourly traffic
flow rates and compare their compositions with those of
the traffic noise groups. The best agreement with the traffic
noise was found by using the so-called normal traffic
flow rate, yielding overlaps between 68 and 97%. Finally,
we derive a simple analytical model to predict the hourly
traffic noise from the simulated normal traffic flow, in very
good agreement with the measured values.
Generation and Content Validation of a Persian Syntax Comprehension Test
Authors: Mohamadi Reyhane , Alavije Majid Rafiee , Minayi Asghar , Modaresi Yahya , Dastjerdi Mehdi Kazemi , Ghaderi Mahdi
Published: May 2016

Lack of formal tests for assessing Persian language proficiency is one of the main problems for speech and language pathologists in Iran. The purpose of this study was to generate an item pool for a syntax comprehension test based on the characteristics of the Persian language and Iranian culture, as well as the spoken variant for 4-6 years old native Persian speaking children. We first extracted 41 syntactic structures of Persian for the syntax comprehension test, of which 8 structures were excluded in the first phase. Then, 198 items were developed for the remaining 33 syntactic structures. To determine content validity, 14 experts assessed the structures and 12 experts expressed their views on the items. Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was calculated. 24 structures with CVR > 0.50 were selected. 107 items were selected based on their CVR value (CVR > 0.47). Eleven new items were regenerated to replace items with a CVR below 0.47. According to the results, the test turned out to have a good content validity.
Another Brick in the Whole. The Case-Law of the Court of Justice on Free Movement and Its Possible Impact on European Criminal Law
Authors: Mancano Leandro
Published: May 2016

European Union, and criminal, laws had been interacting in many ways even before explicit competence in criminal matters was acquired by the Union in the Treaty of Maastricht. Such intersections between supranational and national provisions have frequently been handled by the CJEU. In the main, the intervention of the Court is triggered by Member States’ recourse to penal sanctions in situations covered by EU law. In such cases, the CJEU is called upon to strike a complicated balance: it has to deal with Member States’ claims of competence in criminal law, whilst ensuring that that power is used consistently with EU law. By making reference to selected cases, this paper highlights the impact that principles established in the context of the fundamental freedoms can have on EU criminal law.
U.S. States’ fiscal constraints and effects on budget policies
Authors: Iannella Mario
Published: May 2016

The article looks at fiscal constraints adopted by the U.S. States. It questions the ability of those rules to determine sound budgetary policies. To assess this point it analyses, in the general part, the major kind of constraints so far adopted. Of each major category the focus is upon institutional weaknesses that create the room for the adoption of circumventing practices. The following section focuses instead on three case studies, to show examples of the way in which the constraints influenced policy-making without mining the ability of government to adopt unbalanced budgetary policies. The weaknesses are combined with the adoption of a deferential approach by the Courts that generally legitimized the accounting devices adopted by the States. The outcome is a system in which budget policies are influenced by several factors that go beyond the institutional framework. On the other side, legal boundaries create distortions and unwanted effects in policies implemented by the States.
The Legitimacy of Discriminatory Disenfranchisement? The Impact of the Rules on the Right to Vote in the Bremain/Brexit Referendum
Authors: Tatham Allan F.
Published: May 2016

The Divisional Court of the Queen’s Bench Division of the England and Wales High Court handed down its decision on 20 April 2016 in the judicial review case of Shindler. This ruling confirmed that British citizens living in other EU Member States for more than 15 years remain barred from voting in the June 2016 referendum.

The case sparks further consideration of the voting rules in general and may therefore be of interest to others in considering questions of legitimacy in respect of the eventual outcome of the popular vote on 23 June. Unlike other states, the UK has no established rules on referendums and each such popular vote (and the franchise for it) is therefore treated on an ad hoc basis. Fears have been expressed that the government could manipulate the outcome of a referendum, particularly in determining a different franchise for each popular vote.
Towards joint reconstruction of noise and losses in quantum channels
Authors: Piacentini F. , Avella A. , Traina P. , Lolli L. , Taralli E. , Monticone E. , Rajteri M. , Fukuda D. , Degiovanni I. P. , Brida G.
Published: May 2016

The calibration of a quantum channel, i.e. the determination of the transmission losses affecting it, is definitely one of the principal objectives in both the quantum communication and quantum metrology frameworks. Another task of the utmost relevance is the identification, e.g. by extracting its photon number distribution, of the noise potentially present in the channel.

Here we present a protocol, based on the response of a photon-number-resolving detector at different quantum efficiencies, able to accomplish both of these tasks at once, providing with a single measurement an estimate of the transmission losses as well as the photon statistics of the noise present in the exploited quantum channel.

We show and discuss the experimental results obtained in the practical implementation of such protocol, with different kinds and levels of noise.
Weak-value amplification: state of play
Authors: Knee George C. , Combes Joshua , Ferrie Christopher , Gauger Erik M.
Published: May 2016

Weak values arise in quantum theory when the result of a weak measurement is conditioned on a subsequent strong measurement. The majority of the trials are discarded, leaving only very few successful events. Intriguingly those can display a substantial signal amplification. This raises the question of whether weak values carry potential to improve the performance of quantum sensors, and indeed a number of impressive experimental results suggested this may be the case. By contrast, recent theoretical studies have found the opposite: using weak-values to obtain an amplification generally worsens metrological performance. This survey summarises the implications of those studies, which call for a reappraisal of weak values’ utility and for further work to reconcile theory and experiment.
Critique of the culinary reason
Authors: Leone Massimo
Published: May 2016

Present-day economically developed societies devote unprecedented attention to food. The culinary discourse, in all its facets, gains increasing centrality in cultures. Institutions, media, and common people are obsessed with what they eat. In Italy, a country already aware of itself with regards to food, gastronomy turns into the main concern, the most debated and cared of system of norms. Social phenomena like Slow Food and Zero Kilometer originate in Italy and then conquer the world, claiming that improving the quality of food is the way for a better planet. But what is the deep cultural meaning of this massive trend? What lies behind the culinary reason? Aesthetic neutralization of socioeconomic conflicts, chauvinistic marketing of stereotypes, and anti-intellectual subversion of sensorial hierarchies, the article contends.
Positive semidefiniteness of estimated
covariance matrices in linear models for
sample survey data
Authors: Haslett Stephen
Published: May 2016

Descriptive analysis of sample survey data estimates means, totals and their variances in a design
framework. When analysis is extended to linear models, the standard design-based method for regression parameters
includes inverse selection probabilities as weights, ignoring the joint selection probabilities. When
joint selection probabilities are included to improve estimation, and the error covariance is not a diagonal
matrix, the unbiased sample based estimator of the covariance is the Hadamard product of the population
covariance, the elementwise inverse of selection probabilities and joint selection probabilities, and a sample
selection matrix of rank equal to the sample size. This Hadamard product is however not always positive
definite, which has implications for best linear unbiased estimation. Conditions under which a change in
covariance structure leaves BLUEs and/or BLUPs are known. Interestingly, this class of “equivalent” matrices
for linear models includes non-positive semi-definite matrices. The paper uses these results to explore how
the estimated covariance from the sample can be modified so that it meets necessary conditions to be positive
semidefinite, while retaining the property that fitting a linear model to the sampled data yields the same
BLUEs and/or BLUPs as when the original Hadamard product is used.
The crystal structure of a fluorine-dominant titanium calcium amphibole from the Eifel paleovolcanic area, Germany
Authors: Aksenov Sergey M. , Chukanov Nikita V.
Published: May 2016

A new fluorine-dominant titanium calcium amphibole (FTCA) was found in alkali basalts of the Rothenberg volcano situated in the Eifel paleovolcanic region, Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), Germany. The empirical formula based on 24 (O+F) atoms is (Na0.65K0.30)(Ca1.95Na0.05)(Mg3.36Fe3+
0.87Fe2+
0.13Ti0.60)(Si5.92Al2.08)O22(F1.11O0.89). The crystal structure has been studied based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The monoclinic unit-cell parameters are: a=9.8684(2) Å, b=18.0457(3) Å, c=5.3113(1) Å, β=105.543(3)°; space group C2/m. The structure was refined to R=3.39% in anisotropic approximation using 3661F>4σF. The studied mineral is the first representative of F-dominant amphiboles with
C
Ti>0.5. It is considered as a F-dominant analogue of ferri-kaersutite NaCa2[Mg3Fe3+Ti](Si6Al2O22)O2.
Exact Solutions for Stokes’ Flow of a Non-Newtonian Nanofluid Model: A Lie Similarity Approach
Authors: Aziz Taha , Aziz A. , Khalique C.M.
Published: May 2016

The fully developed time-dependent flow of an incompressible, thermodynamically compatible non-Newtonian third-grade nanofluid is investigated. The classical Stokes model is considered in which the flow is generated due to the motion of the plate in its own plane with an impulsive velocity. The Lie symmetry approach is utilised to convert the governing nonlinear partial differential equation into different linear and nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The reduced ordinary differential equations are then solved by using the compatibility and generalised group method. Exact solutions for the model equation are deduced in the form of closed-form exponential functions which are not available in the literature before. In addition, we also derived the conservation laws associated with the governing model. Finally, the physical features of the pertinent parameters are discussed in detail through several graphs.
A Transgenic Rat for Specifically Inhibiting Adult Neurogenesis
Authors: Snyder Jason S. , Grigereit Laura , Russo Alexandra , Seib Désirée R. , Brewer Michelle , Pickel James , Cameron Heather A.
Published: May 2016

The growth of research on adult neurogenesis and the development of new models and tools have greatly advanced our understanding of the function of newborn neurons in recent years. However, there are still significant limitations in the ability to identify the functions of adult neurogenesis in available models. Here we report a transgenic rat (TK rat) that expresses herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase in GFAP+ cells. Upon treating TK rats with the antiviral drug valganciclovir, granule cell neurogenesis can be completely inhibited in adulthood, in both the hippocampus and olfactory bulb. Interestingly, neurogenesis in the glomerular and external plexiform layers of the olfactory bulb was only partially inhibited, suggesting that some adult-born neurons in these regions derive from a distinct precursor population that does not express GFAP. Within the hippocampus, blockade of neurogenesis was rapid and nearly complete within 1 week of starting treatment. Preliminary behavioral analyses indicate that general anxiety levels and patterns of exploration are generally unaffected in neurogenesis-deficient rats. However, neurogenesis-deficient TK rats showed reduced sucrose preference, suggesting deficits in reward-related behaviors. We expect that TK rats will facilitate structural, physiological, and behavioral studies that complement those possible in existing models, broadly enhancing understanding of the function of adult neurogenesis.
Spontaneous resolution of avascular necrosis of femoral heads following cure of Cushing’s syndrome
Authors: Pazderska A , Crowther S , Govender P , Conlon K C , Sherlock M , Gibney J
Published: May 2016

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a rare presenting feature of endogenous hypercortisolism. If left untreated, complete collapse of the femoral head may ensue, necessitating hip replacement in up to 70% of patients. The majority of the described patients with AVN due to endogenous hypercortisolaemia required surgical intervention. A 36-year-old female, investigated for right leg pain, reported rapid weight gain, bruising and secondary amenorrhoea. She had abdominal adiposity with violaceous striae, facial plethora and hirsutism, atrophic skin, ecchymosis and proximal myopathy. Investigations confirmed cortisol excess (cortisol following low-dose 48h dexamethasone suppression test 807nmol/L; 24h urinary free cortisol 1443nmol (normal<290nmol)). Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) was <5.0pg/mL. CT demonstrated subtle left adrenal gland hypertrophy. Hypercortisolaemia persisted after left adrenalectomy. Histology revealed primary pigmented micronodular adrenal disease. Post-operatively, right leg pain worsened and left leg pain developed, affecting mobility. MRI showed bilateral femoral head AVN. She underwent right adrenalectomy and steroid replacement was commenced. Four months after surgery, leg pain had resolved and mobility was normal. Repeat MRI showed marked improvement of radiological abnormalities in both femoral heads, consistent with spontaneous healing of AVN. We report a case of Cushing’s syndrome due to primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease, presenting with symptomatic AVN of both hips. This was managed conservatively from an orthopaedic perspective. Following cure of hypercortisolaemia, the patient experienced excellent recovery and remains symptom free 4 years after adrenalectomy. This is the first report of a favourable outcome over long-term follow-up of a patient with bilateral AVN of the hip, which reversed with treatment of endogenous hypercortisolaemia.

Learning points

AVN of femoral head can be a presenting feature of hypercortisolism, both endogenous and exogenous.

Rarely, treatment of hypercortisolaemia can reverse AVN without the need for orthopaedic intervention.

Primary pigmented nodular adrenal disease is a rare cause of ACTH-independent Cushing’s syndrome.
A Novel Strategy for Exploitation of Host RNase E Activity by a Marine Cyanophage
Authors: Stazic Damir , Pekarski Irena , Kopf Matthias , Lindell Debbie , Steglich Claudia
Published: May 2016

Previous studies have shown that infection of Prochlorococcus MED4 by the cyanophage P-SSP7 leads to increased transcript levels of host endoribonuclease (RNase) E. However, it has remained enigmatic whether this is part of a host defense mechanism to degrade phage messenger RNA (mRNA) or whether this single-strand RNA-specific RNase is utilized by the phage. Here we describe a hitherto unknown means through which this cyanophage increases expression of RNase E during phage infection and concomitantly protects its own RNA from degradation. We identified two functionally different RNase E mRNA variants, one of which is significantly induced during phage infection. This transcript lacks the 5′ UTR, is considerably more stable than the other transcript, and is likely responsible for increased RNase E protein levels during infection. Furthermore, selective enrichment and in vivo analysis of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) during infection revealed that phage antisense RNAs (asRNAs) sequester complementary mRNAs to form dsRNAs, such that the phage protein-coding transcriptome is nearly completely covered by asRNAs. In contrast, the host protein-coding transcriptome is only partially covered by asRNAs. These data suggest that P-SSP7 orchestrates degradation of host RNA by increasing RNase E expression while masking its own transcriptome from RNase E degradation in dsRNA complexes. We propose that this combination of strategies contributes significantly to phage progeny production.
What Do We Mean When We Say, “Structural Racism”? A Walk down West Florissant Avenue, Ferguson, Missouri
Authors: Johnson Walter
Published: May 2016

Walter Benjamin describes the concept of “presence of mind” as a way of thinking about and being in time that is at once, historical, prophetic, and actively engaged in the fullness of the moment. Its achievement is a bodily art as much as a mental one; it is the sort of understanding that comes from walking down the street.The street I want to walk along today is West Florissant Avenue, in Ferguson, Missouri. There on August 4, 2014, Emerson Electric announced third-quarter sales of $6.3 billion, down about 1 percent from the second quarter, but undergirded by a record backlog of orders. A quarter mile to the northeast, five days later, Officer Darren Wilson killed Michael Brown. While the distance between the spot on Canfield Drive where Michael Brown died and the corporate headquarters of Emerson Electric is so small that the shots fired by Officer Wilson must have been audible in the company lunchroom, I do not want to draw too direct a line between them. I do not want to suggest that Emerson Electric is responsible for the murder of Michael Brown, at least not according to any conventional understanding of responsibility in our society. I do, however, want to use the proximity of Emerson’s corporate headquarters and the shooting of Michael Brown to suggest something about the framing determinants of historical events: ways the relationship between the past and the future is hedged in, limited, perhaps even determined by past histories and the habits of mind they support. After explaining what I mean on a fairly abstract level, with reference to the long history of the United States, I narrow the aperture a bit to think about the history of racism and real estate, of white supremacy and wealth, of structural racism with particular attention to the history of twentieth-century Saint Louis. I then, finally, return to Ferguson, the recent past, and the notion of “presence of mind.”
Flesh in the Street
Authors: Rios Jodi
Published: May 2016

Much has been written in various media outlets regarding the causes of, meanings of, and, to some extent, solutions to events in Ferguson. Also debated is whether or not a genuine social movement is emerging, what form it is taking, and if it can be sustained as places like New York, Cleveland, and Baltimore take Ferguson’s place on the front page. While much of this work assumes the Ferguson Protest Movement and the now more widely known Black Lives Matter movement to be one and the same, a closer look suggests that the Ferguson protestors maintain organizational and political distinctions unique to this particular group and place. With this in mind, it is important to consider two questions. What was specifically different about the death of Michael Brown and the place in which he lived and died, such that this event sparked sustained protests around the world? And what is different about the core group of protestors that emerged from the events in Ferguson, Missouri?This essay considers a potential paradigm shift in the struggle against the well-honed logics of racialization in the United States and offers a little hope toward the future. As leaders of the early protests in Ferguson would later describe, the need to place their bodies directly on the front lines of the militarized police action initially rose as a response to the spectral flesh of Michael Brown’s body and had as much to do with pushing back against the historical disciplining of their bodies in space—as bodies out of place—as it did with protesting yet another police officer abusing deadly force. This was the critical factor that sparked another kind of flesh in the street in the form of the Ferguson Protest Movement. This intentionally orchestrated spectacle—of unapologetic Black life and flesh—in turn breathed new life into a fledgling movement that simply insisted that Black lives matter.
Intersectionality
Authors: Garcia Lorena
Published: May 2016

Among feminists scholars’ critiques of knowledge production has been the disconnect between theory and practice. Feminists of color, in particular, have engaged in this critique in their articulations of themselves as scholars, their research foci, and the relevance of their intellectual labor to their communities’ struggles for social justice. Their approach to intersectionality as a practice linked to social justice is evidenced in their articulation of identities such as “insurgent Black intellectual” and “Xicanista,” as well as practices such as that of “oppositional consciousness.” Describing Black feminism as a social justice project, Patricia Hill Collins defines her work as intellectual activism and considers how engaged scholarship can remain oppositional. The commitment by feminist scholars of color to continue to enact intellectual labor that challenges unjust social, political, economic, and cultural arrangements can be carried out in different ways, but all entail an intersectional practice. I will focus on only two strategies—the assertion by feminist scholars of color of their intellectual labor’s intended intervention, and the careful selection of sites in which to carry out their work—and as I show, both strategies also involve certain risks.
Making History Matter: Teaching Comparative African American and Latina/o Histories in an Age of Neoliberal Crisis
Authors: Ortiz Paul
Published: May 2016

This article critically evaluates a comparative ethnic studies course that I have taught at three different universities during the past fifteen years, called “African American and Latina/o Histories.” I am especially interested in the impact this form of education has on participants, many of whom are first-generation college students of color, as well as the ways that course alumni have taken what they have learned in the classroom into their work as community organizers, teachers, prison educators, art workers, parents, and other roles. An overarching concern here is how we can design courses that address the challenges that working-class students face in an era of mass incarceration, anti-immigrant hysteria, and anti-Black racism. As one of my students notes, “The agents of law and order encourage us to live in the shadows and their bulky flashlights keep us hiding.” In the current climate of fear, and in the shadow of family incarceration and deportations that so many of our students live under, how can educators create spaces where students are encouraged to critically examine the world they (we) live in? Equally important, how can students move from rigorous analysis to effective action and civic engagement?