bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neutron powder diffraction study of Pb[Zrx(Fe2/3W1/3)1–x]O3 solid solutions
Authors: Frantti J. , Fujioka Y. , Zhang J. , Zhu J. , Vogel S. C.
Published: February 2015

This study presents the structural and magnetic properties of solid solutions Pb[Zrx(Fe2/3W1/3)1−x]O3 (PZFW), with x = 0.35 and 0.60. The focus is on the study of magnetic ordering and the co‐existing electrical dipole moments as a function of temperature. Neutron powder diffraction (NPD) measurements showed that both samples possess a pseudo‐cubic structure. A G‐type antiferromagnetic (AFM) order onsets at around 150 K in PZFW with x = 0.35, accompanied by a broad hump in the magnetization, magnetic peak width determined from the NPD patterns, and thermal expansion versus temperature curve, which indicate a diffusive phase transition. Weak anomalous thermal expansion was assigned to the spontaneous magnetostriction. A susceptibility cusp characteristic to an AFM ordering was observed at 15 K though no evident change was observed in the NPD patterns at 12 K. The magnetic behavior is assigned to different size clusters: with decreasing temperature a larger fraction of the material becomes magnetically ordered. Remnant magnetization was observed in PZFW with x = 0.35 at 2 K. No magnetic reflections were seen in PZFW with x = 0.60 down to 12 K. Magnetometer measurements revealed a weak AFM cusp at 8 K, confirmed by hysteresis loop measurements. The off‐center Pb‐displacements and the oxygen octahedra displacement along the cubic axis with respect to the B‐cations generate an electric dipole moment.
Synthesis and utilization of LaVO4:Eu3+ nanoparticles as fluorescent near‐field optical sensors
Authors: Nedilko S. G. , Chukova O. , Hizhnyi Yu. , Nedilko S. A. , Voitenko T. , Billot L. , Aigouy L.
Published: February 2015

We report the use of fluorescent La1‐xEuxVO4 (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) nanoparticles as near‐field optical sensors. A single particle was glued at the end of a sharp atomic force microscope tip and scanned on the surface of a test sample made of sub‐micron sized holes in a thin silver film. Illumination of the sample was performed at λ = 532 nm in a transmission configuration. The light transmitted through the apertures induced the fluorescence of europium ions. The collection of the fluorescence light as a function of the tip position above the surface allowed to map the near‐field distribution in the vicinity of the holes, at different heights above the surface showing the beam divergence in free space above the sample. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
XPS study of MoO3 and WO3 oxide surface modification by low‐energy Ar+ ion bombardment
Authors: Alov Nikolai V.
Published: February 2015

The surface modification of oxides MoO3and WO3 under irradiation by Ar+ ions with an energy of 3 keV in high vacuum is investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is shown that under irradiation by Ar+ ions lower and intermediate oxides and unoxidized metals are formed in the surface layers of higher oxides. It is found that the process of ion‐beam reduction of the surface of oxides MoO3and WO3 substantially depends on the irradiation dose and difference in energy of the metal–oxygen bond in oxides. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Dynamic moderation of an electric field using a SiO2 switching layer in TaOx ‐based ReRAM
Authors: Wang Qi , Itoh Yaomi , Tsuruoka Tohru , Ohtsuka Shintaro , Shimizu Tomohiro , Shingubara Shoso , Hasegawa Tsuyoshi , Aono Masakazu
Published: February 2015

ReRAMs using oxygen vacancy drift in their resistive switching are promising candidates as next generation memory devices. One remaining issue is degradation of the on/off ratio down to 102 or less with an increased number of switching cycles. Such degradation is caused by a local hard breakdown in a set process due to a very high electric field formed just before the completion of a conductive filament formation. We found that introducing an ultra‐thin SiO2 layer prevents the hard breakdown by dynamical moderation of the electric field formed in the TaOx matrix, resulting in repeated switching while retaining a higher on/off ratio of about 105. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
ERA‐20CM: a twentieth‐century atmospheric model ensemble
Authors: Hersbach Hans , Peubey Carole , Simmons Adrian , Berrisford Paul , Poli Paul , Dee Dick
Published: February 2015

This article describes an ensemble of ten atmospheric model integrations for the years 1899–2010, performed at the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Horizontal spectral resolution is T159 (about 125 km), using 91 levels in the vertical from the surface up to 1 Pa, and a time step of 1 h. This ensemble, denoted by ERA‐20CM, formed the first step toward a twentieth‐century reanalysis within ERA‐CLIM, a three‐year European funded project involving nine partners.

Sea‐surface temperature and sea‐ice cover are prescribed by an ensemble of realizations (HadISST2), as recently produced by the Met Office Hadley Centre within ERA‐CLIM. Variation in these realizations reflect uncertainties in the available observational sources on which this product is based. Forcing terms in the model radiation scheme follow CMIP5 recommendations. Any effect of their uncertainty is neglected. These terms include solar forcing, greenhouse gases, ozone and aerosols. Both the ocean surface and radiative forcing incorporate a proper long‐term evolution of climate trends in the twentieth century, and the occurrence of major events, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillations and volcanic eruptions.

No atmospheric observations were assimilated. For this reason ERA‐20CM is not able to reproduce actual synoptic situations. However, the ensemble is able to provide a statistical estimate of the climate. Overall, the temperature rise over land is in fair agreement with the CRUTEM4 observational product. Over the last two decades the warming over land exceeds the warming over sea, which is consistent with models participating in the CMIP5 project, as well as with the ECMWF ERA‐Interim reanalysis. Some aspects of warming and of the hydrological cycle are discerned, and the model response to volcanic eruptions is qualitatively correct.

The data from ERA‐20CM are freely available, embracing monthly‐mean fields for many atmospheric and ocean‐wave quantities, and synoptic fields for a small, essential subset.
On local and zonal pulses of atmospheric heat transport in reanalysis data
Authors: Messori G. , Czaja A.
Published: February 2015

The present study analyses large values (or pulses) of local and zonally integrated meridional atmospheric heat transport due to transient eddies. The data used is the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecasts ERA‐Interim reanalysis with daily, 0.7° latitude and longitude resolution. The domain of interest is the extratropics. First, the circulation associated with local pulses of heat transport is described. This is found to match many of the features found in warm conveyor belts, although important regional differences exist. The large values of heat transport are seen to be associated with co‐varying meridional velocity and moist static energy anomalies. Next, it is shown that there exist strong pulses of meridional heat transport when a zonal integral around a given latitude circle is considered. These zonal pulses are only partly driven by the synchronized occurrence of a large number of local pulses. The existence of such pronounced variability in zonally integrated meridional heat transport can have important consequences for the energy balance of the high latitudes.
Fault‐tolerant control of discrete‐time LPV systems using virtual actuators and sensors
Authors: Tabatabaeipour S. Mojtaba , Stoustrup Jakob , Bak Thomas
Published: February 2015

This paper proposes a new fault‐tolerant control (FTC) method for discrete‐time linear parameter varying (LPV) systems using a reconfiguration block. The basic idea of the method is to achieve the FTC goal without redesigning the nominal controller by inserting a reconfiguration block between the plant and the nominal controller. The reconfiguration block is realized by an LPV virtual actuator and an LPV virtual sensor. Its goal is to transform the signals from the faulty system such that its behavior is similar to that of the nominal system from the viewpoint of the controller. Furthermore, it transforms the output of the controller for the faulty system such that the stability and performance goals are preserved. Input‐to‐state stabilizing LPV gains of the virtual actuator and sensor are obtained by solving LMIs. We show that separate design of these gains guarantees the input‐to‐state stability (ISS) of the closed‐loop reconfigured system. Moreover, we obtain performances in terms of the ISS gains for the virtual actuator, the virtual sensor, and their interconnection. Minimizing these performances is formulated as convex optimization problems subject to LMI constraints. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is demonstrated via a numerical example and stator current control of an induction motor. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Guess who is listening in to the board meeting: on the use of mobile device applications as roving spy bugs
Authors: Anwar Zahid , Khan Waqas Ahmad
Published: February 2015

Covert listening devices—a combination of a miniature radio transmitter and a microphone—have been used as key espionage instruments as early as the mid‐20th century. More recently, hackers have started exploiting inherent weaknesses in current mobile platforms allowing them to remotely convert a victim's smartphone device into a roving spy bug without his knowledge. The goal of this paper is to illustrate with the aid of an Android mobile platform application that permissions gained in a legitimate way can be used to evade the integrity and privacy of the mobile device and install malware that remains completely hidden. When the attacker makes a call to the victim's phone, he is able to listen in to the victim's surroundings transforming the mobile phone into a sophisticated covert listening device. This communication‐level attack goes undetected by current detection mechanisms. An anomaly‐based detection feature set is another contribution of this paper to mitigate the proposed attack. As more and more mobile devices are being rapidly integrated into enterprises with the increase in bring‐your‐own‐device model in many organizations, without a rigorous security screening policy, this weakness tends to facilitate corporate espionage by presumably allowing as many spy bugs in the board meeting as there are attendees with mobiles. This work provides a demonstration of a dangerous espionage attack targeting smartphones whereby an attacker can, with the aid of an Android mobile platform application, make a call to the victim's phone and listen in to the victim's surroundings transforming the mobile phone into a sophisticated covert listening device. It also proposes and evaluates a defense technique to detect and mitigate the attack where existing security mechanisms fall short. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A privacy preserving authentication scheme for roaming services in global mobility networks
Authors: Zhang Gefei , Fan Dan , Zhang Yuqing , Li Xiaowei , Liu Xuefeng
Published: February 2015

To provide secure roaming services for mobile users in Global Mobility Networks, many schemes have been proposed in recent years. However, most of them focus only on authentication and fail to satisfy many practical security requirements such as user anonymity and untraceability. To address this problem, we propose a privacy‐preserving authentication scheme based on elliptic curve cryptography. The proposed scheme is provably secure under a formal model that satisfies all practical security requirements. Compared with existing authentication schemes, ours enjoys better performance in terms of computation cost and security. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Privacy enhancement in anonymous network channels using multimodality injection
Authors: Nia Mehran Alidoost , Atani Reza Ebrahimi , Ruiz‐Martínez Antonio
Published: February 2015

The increase of the capacity of processing units and the growth of distributed computing make easy to collect and process information of Internet traffic flows. This information, however, can be used to perform attacks in anonymous communications that could compromise privacy. With the aim of preventing these attacks, we propose a scheme that implements a multimodal behavior using the random walk theory and crypto‐types. The random walk mechanism is responsible for generating network patterns, and the cryptotype performs the micro‐encryption tasks using series of quantum‐resistant cryptography methods through the anonymous channel. The result shows that using this technique, we can prevent network analysis attacks by means of the generation of a different pattern in each execution for the same set of data. Namely, the experiments we have developed indicate that the average rate of true detections of application behaviors made by intruders does not exceed 24%. Thus, this multimodal pattern gives a high level of immunity against data analysis attacks because the intruders could consider the generated patterns as the typical patterns. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A study and toolkit of CHECK‐THEN‐ACT idioms of Java concurrent collections
Authors: Lin Yu , Dig Danny
Published: February 2015

Concurrent collections are widely used in concurrent programs. However, programmers can misuse these concurrent collections when composing two operations where a check on the collection (e.g., collection contains an element) precedes an action (e.g., inserting an element). Unless the whole composition is atomic, the program contains an atomicity violation bug. This paper presents an extensive empirical study of CHECK‐THEN‐ACT idioms of Java (Oracle Corporation, Redwood, CA, USA) concurrent collections. We analyze 28 widely used open‐source Java projects (comprising 6.4 million lines of code) that use Java concurrent collections. We study the correct and incorrect use of idioms and the evolution of the programs with respect to idioms. Our tool, CTADETECTOR, detects and corrects misused idioms. CTADETECTOR discovered 60 bugs that were confirmed and fixed by developers. This shows that CHECK‐THEN‐ACT idioms are commonly misused in practice, and correcting them is important. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Empirical evaluation of a new composite approach to the coverage criteria and reachability testing of concurrent programs
Authors: Souza S. R. S. , Souza P. S. L. , Brito M. A. S. , Simao A. S. , Zaluska E. J.
Published: February 2015

Testing is a key activity to assure the quality of concurrent applications. In recent years, a variety of different mechanisms have been proposed to test concurrent software. However, a persistent problem is the high testing cost because of the large number of different synchronization sequences that must be tested. When structural testing criteria are adopted, a large number of infeasible synchronization sequences is generated, increasing the testing cost. Although the use of reachability testing reduces the number of infeasible combination (because only feasible synchronization sequences are generated), many synchronization combinations are also generated, and this again results in a testing cost with exponential behavior. This paper presents a new composite approach that uses reachability testing to guide the selection of the synchronization sequences tests according to a specific structural testing criterion. This new composite approach is empirically evaluated in the context of message‐passing concurrent programs developed with MPI. The experimental study evaluates both the cost and effectiveness of proposed composite approach in comparison with traditional reachability testing and structural testing. The results confirm that the use of the new composite approach has advantages for testing of concurrent applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cervical condition and fetal cerebral Doppler as determinants of adverse perinatal outcome after labor induction for late‐onset small‐for‐gestational‐age fetuses
Authors: Garcia‐Simon R. , Figueras F. , Savchev S. , Fabre E. , Gratacos E. , Oros D.
Published: February 2015

Objective

To estimate the combined value of fetal cerebral Doppler examination and Bishop score for predicting perinatal outcome after labor induction for small‐for‐gestational‐age (SGA) fetuses in the presence of normal umbilical artery Doppler recordings.

Methods

We conducted a cohort study in two tertiary centers, including 164 women with normal umbilical artery Doppler recordings who underwent induction of labor because of an estimated fetal weight < 10th percentile. The fetal middle cerebral artery pulsatility index and cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) were obtained in all cases within 24 h before induction. Cervical condition was assessed at admission using the Bishop score. A predictive model for perinatal outcomes was constructed using a decision‐tree analysis algorithm.

Results

Both a very unfavorable cervix, defined as a Bishop score < 2, (odds ratio (OR), 3.18; 95% CI, 1.28–7.86) and an abnormal CPR (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.18–5.61) were associated with an increased likelihood of emergency Cesarean section for fetal distress, but only the latter was significantly associated with the need for neonatal admission (OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.28–4.59). In the decision‐tree analysis, both criteria significantly predicted the likelihood of Cesarean section for fetal distress.

Conclusion

Combined use of the Bishop score and CPR improves the ability to predict overall Cesarean section (for any indication), emergency Cesarean section for fetal distress, and neonatal admission after labor induction for late‐onset SGA in the presence of normal umbilical artery Doppler recordings. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Laparoscopic Versus Open Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Improvement in Outcomes and Similar Cost
Authors: Martin Robert C. G. , Mbah Nsehniitooh A , Hill Randy St , Kooby David , Weber Sharon , Scoggins Charles R. , Maithel Shishir K.
Published: February 2015

Objective

To compare outcomes of laparoscopic versus open hepatic resection (OHR) exclusively for hepatocellular carcinoma in terms of morbidity and cost.

Background

Laparoscopic hepatic resection (LHR) has become more prevalent with recent improvements in instrumentation and surgeon experience.

Methods

A review of multicenter, prospectively collected hepatobiliary databases from three institutions was performed from 12/1990 to 12/2009. Prospective evaluation of all patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular cancer was performed.

Results

A total of 354 patients who had resections for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were analyzed, 100 were performed laparoscopically. The two groups were similar in terms of demographics and comorbidities. Evaluation of outcomes showed significantly higher intraoperative estimated blood loss although postoperative transfusion rates were similar. The incidence of any complication (44 vs 44 %, p = 0.23) and 90‐day mortality (6 vs 6 %, p = 0.8) were similar between the two groups, with a similar reoperation rate (4.0 vs. 2.4 %; p = 0.9). Using Cox regression analysis, the laparoscopic approach had no effect on disease‐free interval (OR 1.4, CI 0.31–6.3, p = 0.66) or overall survival (HR 1.2, CI 0.59–2.5 p = 0.6). Length of stay was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group 6.2 vs. 9.3 days (p = 0.001). Adjusted operative charges ($41 vs. $39 k, p = 0.601) and adjusted total hospital charges ($71 vs. $82 k, p = 0.368) were similar in LHR versus OHR.

Conclusion

Our study confirms previous literature showing comparable perioperative outcomes and recurrence. We further show comparable cost with laparoscopic versus open liver resection for HCC.
Preoperative 11C‐Methionine PET/CT Enables Focussed Parathyroidectomy in MIBI‐SPECT Negative Parathyroid Adenoma
Authors: Lenschow Christina , Gassmann Peter , Wenning Christian , Senninger Norbert , Colombo‐Benkmann Mario
Published: February 2015

Background

Precise preoperative localization is essential for focussed parathyroidectomy. The imaging standard consists of cervical ultrasonography (cUS) and 99mTc‐MIBI‐SPECT (MIBI‐SPECT). 11C‐methionine positron emission tomography/computed tomography (Met‐PET/CT) is a promising method for localizing parathyroid adenomas. The objective of our study was to elucidate whether additional Met‐PET/CT increases the rate of focussed parathyroidectomy.

Methods

Fourteen patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and three patients with tertiary HPT underwent cUS and MIBI‐SPECT. Met‐PET/CT was carried out in patients with negative MIBI results. Subsequent surgical strategy was adapted according to imaging results.

Results

cUS localized a single parathyroid adenoma in 10/17 patients (59 %), while MIBI‐SPECT/CT identified 11/17 single adenomas (65 %). In the remaining six patients, Met‐PET/CT identified five single adenomas. This step‐up approach correctly identified single adenomas in 16/17 patients (94 %).

Conclusion

Met‐PET/CT raises the rate of correctly localized single parathyroid adenomas in patients with negative cUS and MIBI‐SPECT/CT and increases the number of focussed surgical approaches.
Engineered Serratia marcescens for efficient (3R)-acetoin and (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol production
Authors: Bai Fangmin , Dai Lu , Fan Jiying , Truong Ngoctu , Rao Ben , Zhang Liaoyuan , Shen Yaling
Published: February 2015

(3R)-Acetoin and (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol are important pharmaceutical intermediates. However, until now, the quantity of natural microorganisms with the ability to produce single configuration of optically pure (3R)-acetoin and (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol is rare. In this study, a meso-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase encoded by the slaC gene from Serratia marcescens MG1 was identified for meso-2,3-butanediol and (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol biosynthesis. Inactivation of the slaC gene could significantly decrease meso-2,3-butanediol and (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol and result in a large quantity of (3R)-acetoin accumulation. Furthermore, a (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase encoded by the bdhA gene from Bacillus subtilis 168 was introduced into the slaC mutant strain of Serratia marcescens MG1. Excess (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase could accelerate the reaction from (3R)-acetoin to (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol and lead to (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol accumulation. In fed-batch fermentation, the excess (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase expression strain could produce 89.81 g/l (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol with a productivity of 1.91 g/l/h at 48 h. These results provided potential applications for (3R)-acetoin and (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol production.
Changes in CSF cholinergic biomarkers in response to cell therapy with NGF in patients with Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Karami Azadeh , Eyjolfsdottir Helga , Vijayaraghavan Swetha , Lind Göran , Almqvist Per , Kadir Ahmadul , Linderoth Bengt , Andreasen Niels , Blennow Kaj , Wall Anders , Westman Eric , Ferreira Daniel , Kristoffersen Wiberg Maria , Wahlund Lars‐Olof , Seiger Åke , Nordberg Agneta , Wahlberg Lars , Darreh‐Shori Taher , Eriksdotter Maria
Published: February 2015

Introduction

The extensive loss of central cholinergic functions in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain is linked to impaired nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling. The cardinal cholinergic biomarker is the acetylcholine synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), which has recently been found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The purpose of this study was to see if EC‐NGF therapy will alter CSF levels of cholinergic biomarkers, ChAT, and acetylcholinesterase.

Method

Encapsulated cell implants releasing NGF (EC‐NGF) were surgically implanted bilaterally in the basal forebrain of six AD patients for 12 months and cholinergic markers in CSF were analyzed.

Results

Activities of both enzymes were altered after 12 months. In particular, the activity of soluble ChAT showed high correlation with cognition, CSF tau and amyloid‐β, in vivo cerebral glucose utilization and nicotinic binding sites, and morphometric and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging measures.

Discussion

A clear pattern of association is demonstrated showing a proof‐of‐principle effect on CSF cholinergic markers, suggestive of a beneficial EC‐NGF implant therapy.
Comparison of Postoperative Alignment of Total Knee Replacement Using Computer-Assisted Navigation with Conventional Guiding System in Chinese Population with Significant Coronal Femoral Bowing
Authors: Mai Chow Mei Yee , Leuk Tsang Wai , Kwan Wong Man , Bong Lee On , Ho Leung Kin
Published: February 2015

Background/Purpose

Coronal femoral bowing is common in Chinese population. This might affect the restoration of mechanical alignment in conventional total knee replacement (TKR). The aim of the study was to compare the postoperative alignment of conventional TKR with computer-assisted navigation TKR (CAN-TKR), to investigate the effect of femoral bowing on postoperative alignment in conventional TKR and to understand the role of CAN-TKR in limbs with significant femoral bowing.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of 331 knees that underwent TKR (either conventional or CAN-TKR) in our centre from January 2010 to June 2012. The incidence of coronal femoral bowing was measured. The postoperative alignments were compared between the two groups.

Results

The incidence of excessive coronal femoral bowing was 41.4%. For patients with or without significant coronal femoral bowing, the CAN-TKR group was significantly better in restoring postoperative mechanical axis and the coronal femoral angle (p < 0.05). Proportions of outliers were also much less in the CAN-TKR group.

Conclusion

CAN-TKR reduces outliers in all patients, and is especially superior in restoring mechanical alignments in patients with significant coronal femoral bowing.
Inadequacy of Musculoskeletal Knowledge among Undergraduate Medical Students
Authors: Abhinav Bhatnagar , Mayur Vadhel , Vanamali Sethuraman
Published: February 2015

Background/Purpose

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a significant public health problem. It has been observed that after leaving medical school, students are incapable of making a general assessment of the musculoskeletal system.

Methods

Accordingly, a pilot study was planned using the Freedman and Bernstein questionnaire and carried out in medical schools in India. Three hundred and twelve students at different levels were enrolled and administered the questionnaire. The correctness score for each student was obtained in each group and compared with the recommended qualifying score.

Results

For the sixth term and the ninth term, 44.61% and 50.71% students met the criterion, respectively, while interns showed the highest proportion of 71.42%. For the majority of the questions, the awareness level of ninth semester students and interns was better than that of sixth term students.

Conclusion

Compared to studies in other countries, the situation in India is not different. Medical institutions should place stress on orthopaedic education to provide better physicians.
Use of Universal Mini External Fixator in the Management of Postosteomyelitic Defects in Short Tubular Bones in the Paediatric Population
Authors: Kawoosa Altaf A. , Wani Iftikhar H. , Shah Shaika F. , Syed Baasit
Published: February 2015

Background/Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of reconstruction of postosteomyelitic defects in short tubular bones in a paediatric population using a universal mini external fixator (UMEX).

Methods

This was a prospective case series based on 10 consecutive cases who were followed-up for an average period of 3.5 years. Ten patients (mean age: 10.2 years) with an average shortening of 4 cm of the corresponding digit were operated upon using soft tissue distraction by UMEX followed by interposition bone grafting from the iliac crest. The second metacarpal was involved in five patients, the first metacarpal in three patients, and the proximal phalanx of the right big toe was involved in two patients.

Results

All of the patients achieved union at the graft host site at an average of 12 weeks and an average of 3.8 cm lengthening of the digit was achieved. All patients had improved digit length, and function and appearance of the hand and toe. Apart from a minor pin tract infection and stiffness, there were no major complications. Final average follow-up at 3.5 years did not show any recurrence of infection or loss of correction.

Conclusion

We believe that UMEX is a versatile method of managing postosteomyelitic defects in short tubular bones, with fewer complications and a high union rate, even in situations in which bone fragments are small and difficult to handle with other methods.
Irreducible Radial Dislocation of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint of a Finger
Authors: Sean Ho Wei Loong , Winston Chew Y.C.
Published: February 2015

Dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) are often easily reduced with closed reduction and manipulation. Irreducible PIPJ dislocations are rare. They can be caused by soft tissue interposition, with interposition of the lateral band being very rare. Clinical signs may be nonspecific, with subtle changes on imaging. In our case, we highlight the clinical signs, imaging, and operative findings in an irreducible radial dislocation of the PIPJ.
Practical Procedures in Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery
Authors: Giannoudis Peter V. , Pape Hans-Christian
Published: February 2015

This highly illustrated textbook provides an essential guide for surgeons in training. It follows a step-by-step approach to performing a surgical procedure. It includes details of positioning the patient, the approach and reduction technique, the implant to be inserted, protocols for postoperative mobilisation, complications to look for, when the patient should be seen in the outpatient clinic and whether the implant should be removed. Intraoperative pictures have been incorporated to make the surgeon aware of all the important issues involved. It covers the most common trauma procedures that surgeons in training are expected to perform during their residency. Each procedure has been written by an expert. This will be an invaluable resource for the resident in training during the long on-call nights in the hospital while preparing for operations.
The Design and Analysis of Research Studies
Authors: Manly Bryan F. J.
Published: February 2015

This book provides students and research workers in the biological, medical and social sciences with the statistical background needed to collect and analyse data in an intelligent and critical manner. Key examples and case studies are used to illustrate commonly encountered research problems and to explain how they may be solved or even avoided altogether. Professor Manly also presents a clear understanding of the opportunities and limitations of different research designs, as well as an introduction to some new methods of analysis that are proving increasingly popular. Topics covered include the differences between observational and experimental studies; the design of sample surveys; multiple regression and its generalizations to log-linear and logistic models; experimental and quasi-experimental designs; interrupted time series; computer intensive methods of statistical inference; and the ethical considerations of research. In the final chapter, there is a useful discussion of how the various components of a research study (including deciding on the objectives, planning, designing, and the collection and analysis of data) come together. This practical and well-structured book will be essential reading for graduate students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines, including biology, anthropology, medicine and the social sciences.
Indogermanische Grammatik
Authors: Hirt Hermann Alfred
Published: February 2015

Hermann Alfred Hirt (1865–1936) taught Greek, Latin and early Germanic languages at Leipzig University from 1892 to 1912 before moving to the chair of Sanskrit and comparative linguistics at Giessen. Born around the time when Bopp and Schleicher were publishing their ground-breaking work on Indo-European, and a young man when Brugmann published his monumental comparative grammar (all available in this series), Hirt began this seven-volume grammar in the 1920s soon after the exciting discovery of Tocharian and the decipherment of Hittite. The project arose out of his extensive research on the historical phonology of Indo-European vowels, which led him to consider much wider issues. Volume 2 (which appeared first, in 1921) revisits and updates Hirt's earlier work on the vowel system, and emphasises the value of comparative philology as opposed to single-language studies. It includes a full index of words.
The History of New South Wales
Authors: Barrington George
Published: February 2015

Described by the London Chronicle as 'the genteelest thief ever remembered at the Old Bailey', during the 1770s the dandy, actor and pickpocket George Barrington acquired infamy throughout Great Britain. His prosecution and conviction in 1790 merely served to intensify popular interest and ensured that when in 1802 the account of his transportation to Australia was published, reading audiences responded with hearty enthusiasm. After prefacing his volume with a concise and useful history of New South Wales, the author regales readers with tales of murder, theft, punishment and retribution. These bloody episodes, combined with engaging, albeit prejudiced, notes on the indigenous population, found favour with European readers and twenty years of serialisations, new editions and translations followed. Punctuated by quirky vignettes and unusual coloured plates, Barrington's narrative continues to entertain and inform anyone with an interest in British colonial, maritime or criminal history.
An Environmental History of Latin America
Authors: Miller Shawn William
Published: February 2015

A narration of the mutually mortal historical contest between humans and nature in Latin America. Covering a period that begins with Amerindian civilizations and concludes in the region's present urban agglomerations, the work offers an original synthesis of the current scholarship on Latin America's environmental history and argues that tropical nature played a central role in shaping the region's historical development. Human attitudes, populations, and appetites, from Aztec cannibalism to more contemporary forms of conspicuous consumption, figure prominently in the story. However, characters such as hookworms, whales, hurricanes, bananas, dirt, butterflies, guano, and fungi make more than cameo appearances. Recent scholarship has overturned many of our egocentric assumptions about humanity's role in history. Seeing Latin America's environmental past from the perspective of many centuries illustrates that human civilizations, ancient and modern, have been simultaneously more powerful and more vulnerable than previously thought.
An Introduction to Christianity
Authors: Woodhead Linda
Published: February 2015

An Introduction to Christianity examines the key figures, events and ideas of two thousand years of Christian history and places them in context. It considers the religion in its material as well as its spiritual dimensions and explores its interactions with wider society such as money, politics, force, gender and the family, and non-Christian cultures and societies. This Introduction places particular focus on the ways in which Christianity has understood, embodied and related to power. It shows how the Church's longstanding love affair with 'higher power', both human and divine, has been repeatedly challenged by alternative ideas of of 'power from below', both sacred and secular. Finally, by bringing the history of Christianity right up-to-date, this book explores the ways in which churches of both North and South react to the rise of modern democracy. Comprehensive and accessible, this book will appeal to the student and general reader.
The Cambridge Introduction to Modernism
Authors: Lewis Pericles
Published: February 2015

More than a century after its beginnings, modernism still has the power to shock, alienate or challenge readers. Modernist art and literature remain thought of as complex and difficult. This introduction explains in a readable, lively style how modernism emerged, how it is defined, and how it developed in different forms and genres. Pericles Lewis offers students a survey of literature and art in England, Ireland and Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century. He also provides an overview of critical thought on modernism and its continuing influence on the arts today, reflecting the interests of current scholarship in the social and cultural contexts of modernism. The comparative perspective on Anglo-American and European modernism shows how European movements have influenced the development of English-language modernism. Illustrated with works of art and featuring suggestions for further study, this is the ideal introduction to understanding and enjoying modernist literature and art.
Italy
Authors: Hearder Harry , Morris Jonathan
Published: February 2015

Italy: A Short History is a concise but comprehensive account of Italian history from the Ice Age to the present day. It is intended for both students of Italian history and culture and the general reader, whether tourist, business-person or traveller, with an interest in Italian affairs. Harry Hearder places the main political developments in Italian history in their economic and social context, and shows how these related to the great moments of artistic and cultural endeavour. Amongst key events, he analyses the growth and decline of the Roman Empire, the remarkable cultural achievements of the Renaissance, Italian unification and the contradictions of the fascist dictatorship of Mussolini. Jonathan Morris brings the work up to the present day with an authoritative but colourful history of the corruption scandals that brought down the post-war Italian political system in the 1990s and the new political forces that have emerged in its place.
Roman Religion
Authors: Warrior Valerie M.
Published: February 2015

Examining sites that are familiar to many modern tourists, Valerie Warrior avoids imposing a modern perspective on the topic by using the testimony of the ancient Romans to describe traditional Roman religion. The ancient testimony recreates the social and historical contexts in which Roman religion was practised. It shows, for example, how, when confronted with a foreign cult, official traditional religion accepted the new cult with suitable modifications. Basic difficulties, however, arose with regard to the monotheism of the Jews and Christianity. Carefully integrated with the text are visual representations of divination, prayer, and sacrifice as depicted on monuments, coins, and inscriptions from public buildings and homes throughout the Roman world. Also included are epitaphs and humble votive offerings that illustrate the piety of individuals, and that reveal the prevalence of magic and the occult in the spiritual lives of the ancient Romans.
The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Studies
Authors: Balme Christopher B.
Published: February 2015

Providing thorough coverage of the methods and tools required in studying historical and contemporary theatre, this Introduction examines the complexities of a rapidly changing and dynamic discipline. Following a cross-cultural perspective, the book surveys the ways theatre and performance are studied by looking initially at key elements such as performers, spectators and space. The central focus is on methodology, which is divided into sections covering theatre theory, historiography and textual and performance analysis. The book covers all the main theatrical genres - drama, opera and dance - providing students with a comparative, integrated perspective. Designed to guide students through the academic dimension of the discipline, the volume emphasizes questions of methodology, research techniques and approaches, and will therefore be relevant for a wide variety of theatre studies courses. Informative textboxes provide background on key topics, and suggestions for further reading are included at the end of each chapter.
The Reformation of Rights
Authors: Witte, Jr John
Published: February 2015

John Calvin developed arresting new teachings on rights and liberties, church and state, and religion and politics that shaped the law of Protestant lands. Calvin's original teachings were periodically challenged by major crises - the French Wars of Religion, Dutch Revolt, the English Civil War, American colonization, and American Revolution. In each such crisis moment, a major Calvinist figure emerged - Theodore Beza, Johannes Althusius, John Milton, John Winthrop, John Adams, and others - who modernized Calvin's teachings and translated them into dramatic new legal and political reforms. This rendered early modern Calvinism one of the driving engines of Western constitutionalism. A number of basic Western laws on religious and political rights, social and confessional pluralism, federalism and constitutionalism, and more owe a great deal to this religious movement. This book is essential reading for scholars and students of history, law, religion, politics, ethics, human rights, and the Protestant Reformation.
The Shakespearean Stage 1574–1642
Authors: Gurr Andrew
Published: February 2015

For almost forty years The Shakespearean Stage has been considered the liveliest, most reliable and most entertaining overview of Shakespearean theatre in its own time. It is the only authoritative book that describes all the main features of the original staging of Shakespearean drama in one volume: the acting companies and their practices, the playhouses, the staging and the audiences. Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition contains fresh materials about how specific plays by Shakespeare were first staged, and provides new information about the companies that staged them and their playhouses. The book incorporates everything that has been discovered in recent years about the early modern stage, including the archaeology of the Rose and the Globe. Also included is an invaluable appendix, listing all the plays known to have been performed at particular playhouses and by specific companies.
Music Sketches
Authors: Sallis Friedemann
Published: February 2015

The term 'music sketch' relates to the vast variety of documents that are used by composers to work out a musical technique or idea and to prepare their work for performance or publication. These documents can often provide crucial insights into authorship, biography, editorial practice and musical analysis. This introduction provides students and scholars with the knowledge and skills they need to embark on research projects involving the study of composers' working documents. Presenting examples of the compositional process over a 400-year period, it includes a selection of detailed case studies on how sketches were created and the techniques that were used, such as transcription and the sorting of loose leaves. Numerous illustrations of manuscripts and autographs, many of which have never been published before, show how these vital documents can be used to better understand compositional processes.
Why Switzerland?
Authors: Steinberg Jonathan
Published: February 2015

Switzerland is a special and fascinating place. Its unique institutions, its direct democracy, multi-member executives, absence of strikes, communal autonomy, its universal military service, its wealth, and four national languages make it interesting in itself. But it has wider significance, in representing the 'Europe that did not happen', the Europe that escaped the centralisation of state and economy associated with the modern world. Today, there is a new special feature. Switzerland is an island surrounded by the European Union, and resists membership. Why Switzerland? attempts to answer three related questions: why has such an exception to European norms survived? Why should outsiders notice its peculiarities and what can they learn from them? Finally, can so unusual a society continue to exist when many of the conditions in which it evolved have disappeared?
A History of Modern Burma
Authors: Charney Michael W.
Published: February 2015

Burma has lived under military rule for nearly half a century. The results of its 1990 elections were never recognized by the ruling junta and Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma's pro-democracy movement, was denied her victory. She has been under house-arrest ever since. Now an economic satellite and political dependent of the People's Republic of China, Burma is at a crossroads. Will it become another North Korea, will it succumb to China's political embrace or will the people prevail? Michael Charney's book- the first general history of modern Burma in over five decades - traces the highs and lows of Burma's history from its colonial past to the devastation of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. By exploring key themes such as the political division between lowland and highland Burma and monastic opposition to state control, the author explains the forces that have made the country what it is today.
The Fossil Flora of Great Britain
Authors: Lindley John , Hutton William
Published: February 2015

Employed early on in his career by Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist John Lindley (1799–1865) went on to conduct important research on the orchid family and also recommended that Kew Gardens should become a national botanical institution. This pioneering three-volume work of palaeobotany, first published between 1831 and 1837, catalogues almost 300 species of fossil plants from the Pleistocene to the Carboniferous period. The geologist and palaeontologist William Hutton (1797–1860), with whom Lindley collaborated, was responsible for collecting the fossil specimens from which the 230 plates were drawn. The first serious attempt at organising and interpreting the evidence of Britain's primeval plant life, this resource is notable also for its prefatory discussion of topics such as coal seams and prehistoric climate. Volume 3 includes a note on the action of water on plants. This is followed by the descriptions of plates 157–230.
Ethics and Integrity in British Politics
Authors: Allen Nicholas , Birch Sarah
Published: February 2015

Public perceptions of political ethics are at the heart of current political debate. Drawing on original data, this book is the first general account of popular understandings of political ethics in contemporary British politics. It offers new insights into how citizens understand political ethics and integrity and how they form judgments of their leaders. By locating these insights against the backdrop of contemporary British political ethics, the book shows how current institutional preoccupations with standards of conduct all too often miss the mark. While the use of official resources is the primary focus of much regulation, politicians' consistency, frankness and sincerity, which citizens tend to see in terms of right and wrong, are treated as 'normal politics'. The authors suggest that new approaches may need to be adopted if public confidence in politicians' integrity is to be restored.
Siluria
Authors: Murchison Roderick Impey
Published: February 2015

The Scottish geologist Sir Roderick Impey Murchison (1792–1871) first proposed the Silurian period after studying ancient rocks in Wales in the 1830s. Naming the sequence after the Silures, a Celtic tribe, he believed that the fossils representing the origins of life could be attributed to this period. This assertion sparked a heated dispute with his contemporary Adam Sedgwick, ultimately ruining their friendship. First published in 1854, Siluria is a significant reworking of Murchison's earlier book, The Silurian System, which had appeared in 1839. Thorough in his approach, he combines his own findings with those of researchers around the world, touching also on the later Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian periods as well as questions of natural history. An important text in nineteenth-century geology and palaeontology, the work contains a valuable geological map of Wales along with detailed engravings of fossils, including crustaceans, cephalopods and fish.