Market Access and the Arrow of Time

We revisit the natural experiments of division and unification of Germany now that more time has passed and more data have become available. We show that local market access shocks are not symmetric in time. The negative shock to local market access following the division of Germany lead to a fast and strong downward adjustment of the size of West-German cities near the new border. In contrast, the positive shock of reunification did not lead to any change in their relative size, even three decades after the German reunification

Robust Polarization Gradient Cooling of Trapped Ions

We implement three-dimensional polarization gradient cooling of trapped ions. Counter-propagating laser beams near $393\,$nm impinge in lin$\,\perp\,$lin configuration, at a frequency below the S$_{1/2}$ to P$_{3/2}$ resonance in $^{40}$Ca$^+$. We demonstrate mean phonon numbers of $5.4(4)$ at a trap frequency of $2\pi \times 285\,$kHz and $3.3(4)$ at $2\pi\times480\,$kHz, in the axial and radial directions, respectively. Our measurements demonstrate that cooling with laser beams detuned to lower frequencies from the resonance is robust against an elevated phonon occupation number, and thus works well for an initial ion motion far out of the Lamb-Dicke regime, for up to four ions, and for a micromotion modulation index $\beta\leq 0.1$. Still, we find that the spectral impurity of the laser field influences both, cooling rates and cooling limits. Thus, a Fabry-P\'{e}rot cavity filter is employed for efficiently suppressing amplified spontaneous emission of the diode laser.Comment: 11 pages and 9 figure

Aneurysmal bone cyst: results of an off label treatment with Denosumab

Background The treatment of aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) has evolved and less invasive methods have been tried. Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody which inhibits osteoclasts. It has been shown to be effective in giant cell tumour of bone (GCT) of bone and hence promises some effect also in ABC. We report on 6 patients treated with Denosumab and compare our results to the cases already published. Methods Data of 6 patients with ABCs and patients whose treatment included Denosumab were retrospectively analyzed. Denosumab was used at a dose of 120 mg on days 1, 8, 15 and 29, and every 4 weeks thereafter. In some of these patients the dose was reduced at the end of the treatment. Clinical and radiological responses were evaluated. Results In 4 female and 2 male patients with a mean age of 17 years (range: 6–30 years) the lesions were located in the sacrum (2), in distal radius, distal femur, talus and pelvis. One of the sacral lesions healed after 12 months and has stayed stable for 3 years since. The second patient received 2 years of therapy with recalcification, but recurred 1 year later and is under renewed therapy. The pelvic lesion improved but recurred. This patient has a 13-years history of intermittent therapy including surgery, two pregnancies and remains in a stable situation. The lesion of the talus did not improve with Denosumab after surgery and was complicated by destruction of the ankle joint with osteoarthritis. Recurrent lesions of the distal femur and the distal radius, previously treated by curettage and bone grafting healed under Denosumab and have remained stable for 2 and 3 years, respectively. One case of severe hypercalcemia was observed in a 7-year old child 6 months after discontinuation of Denosumab. Conclusion Denosumab provides a treatment option for ABCs in anatomically critical locations. Adjuvant application might reduce the rate of local recurrence. In young patients, severe rebound hypercalcemia months after discontinuation of Denosumab may occur

Evaluation of the zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat as a model for human disease based on urinary peptidomic profiles

Representative animal models for diabetes-associated vascular complications are extremely relevant in assessing potential therapeutic drugs. While several rodent models for type 2 diabetes (T2D) are available, their relevance in recapitulating renal and cardiovascular features of diabetes in man is not entirely clear. Here we evaluate at the molecular level the similarity between Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats, as a model of T2D-associated vascular complications, and human disease by urinary proteome analysis. Urine analysis of ZDF rats at early and late stages of disease compared to age- matched LEAN rats identified 180 peptides as potentially associated with diabetes complications. Overlaps with human chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers were observed, corresponding to proteins marking kidney damage (eg albumin, alpha-1 antitrypsin) or related to disease development (collagen). Concordance in regulation of these peptides in rats versus humans was more pronounced in the CVD compared to the CKD panels. In addition, disease-associated predicted protease activities in ZDF rats showed higher similarities to the predicted activities in human CVD. Based on urinary peptidomic analysis, the ZDF rat model displays similarity to human CVD but might not be the most appropriate model to display human CKD on a molecular level

Dynamic Critical Behavior of the Chayes-Machta Algorithm for the Random-Cluster Model. I. Two Dimensions

We study, via Monte Carlo simulation, the dynamic critical behavior of the Chayes-Machta dynamics for the Fortuin-Kasteleyn random-cluster model, which generalizes the Swendsen-Wang dynamics for the q-state Potts ferromagnet to non-integer q \ge 1. We consider spatial dimension d=2 and 1.25 \le q \le 4 in steps of 0.25, on lattices up to 1024^2, and obtain estimates for the dynamic critical exponent z_{CM}. We present evidence that when 1 \le q \lesssim 1.95 the Ossola-Sokal conjecture z_{CM} \ge \beta/\nu is violated, though we also present plausible fits compatible with this conjecture. We show that the Li-Sokal bound z_{CM} \ge \alpha/\nu is close to being sharp over the entire range 1 \le q \le 4, but is probably non-sharp by a power. As a byproduct of our work, we also obtain evidence concerning the corrections to scaling in static observables.Comment: LaTeX2e, 75 pages including 26 Postscript figure

Dynamic Critical Behavior of a Swendsen-Wang-Type Algorithm for the Ashkin-Teller Model

We study the dynamic critical behavior of a Swendsen-Wang-type algorithm for the Ashkin--Teller model. We find that the Li--Sokal bound on the autocorrelation time ($\tau_{{\rm int},{\cal E}} \ge {\rm const} \times C_H$) holds along the self-dual curve of the symmetric Ashkin--Teller model, and is almost but not quite sharp. The ratio $\tau_{{\rm int},{\cal E}} / C_H$ appears to tend to infinity either as a logarithm or as a small power ($0.05 \leq p \leq 0.12$). In an appendix we discuss the problem of extracting estimates of the exponential autocorrelation time.Comment: 59 pages including 3 figures, uuencoded g-compressed ps file. Postscript size = 799740 byte

Maternal depressive symptoms, and not anxiety symptoms, are associated with positive mother–child reporting discrepancies of internalizing problems in children: a report on the TRAILS Study

Maternal internalizing problems affect reporting of child’s problem behavior. This study addresses the relative effects of maternal depressive symptoms versus anxiety symptoms and the association with differential reporting of mother and child on child’s internalizing problems. The study sample comprised a cohort of 1,986 10- to 12-year-old children and their mothers from the Dutch general population in a cross sectional setup. Children’s internalizing problems were assessed with the DSM-IV anxiety and affective problem scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR). Current maternal internalizing problems were assessed with the depressive and anxiety symptom scales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), while the TRAILS Family History Interview (FHI) measured lifetime maternal depression and anxiety. Results show that current and lifetime maternal depressive symptoms were associated with positive mother–child reporting discrepancies (i.e. mothers reporting more problems than their child). Considering the small amount of variance explained, we conclude that maternal depressive symptoms do not bias maternal reporting on child’s internalizing problems to a serious degree. Studies concerning long term consequences of mother–child reporting discrepancies on child’s internalizing problems are few, but show a risk for adverse outcome. More prognostic research is needed

CAG Repeats Determine Brain Atrophy in Spinocerebellar Ataxia 17: A VBM Study

Abnormal repeat length has been associated with an earlier age of onset and more severe disease progression in the rare neurodegenerative disorder spinocerebellar ataxia 17 (SCA17).To determine whether specific structural brain degeneration and rate of disease progression in SCA17 might be associated with the CAG repeat size, observer-independent voxel-based morphometry was applied to high-resolution magnetic resonance images of 16 patients with SCA17 and 16 age-matched healthy controls. The main finding contrasting SCA17 patients with healthy controls demonstrated atrophy in the cerebellum bilaterally. Multiple regression analyses with available genetic data and also post-hoc correlations revealed an inverse relationship again with cerebellar atrophy. Moreover, we found an inverse relationship between the CAG repeat length and rate of disease progression.Our results highlight the fundamental role of the cerebellum in this neurodegenerative disease and support the genotype-phenotype relationship in SCA17 patients. Genetic factors may determine individual susceptibility to neurodegeneration and rate of disease progression

Attitudes towards ethnic minoritites. Analyses with the European Social Survey

Gegenstand der beiden Beiträge dieses Bandes, die im Rahmen eines Forschungspraktikums im Fach Migrationssoziologie im Wintersemester 2008/2009 und im Sommersemester 2009 an der Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg entstanden, sind Einflussfaktoren fremden- bzw. ausländerfeindlicher Einstellungen der einheimischen Bevölkerung, die anhand der Daten des European Social Surveys (ESS) analysiert werden. Im ersten Beitrag wird der Frage nachgegangen, wodurch sich die im Vergleich zu Westdeutschland höhere Fremdenfeindlichkeit in Ostdeutschland erklären lässt. Hierzu werden die Kontakt- und die Konflikthypothese simultan getestet. Bei der Operationalisierung der Konflikthypothese werden erstmals sowohl Gruppen berücksichtigt, die sich im Sinne der Konflikttheorie durch Zuwanderer bedroht fühlen sollten, als auch das tatsächliche Ausmaß geäußerter Bedrohungsgefühle. Es zeigt sich, dass sich das höhere Ausmaß an Fremdenfeindlichkeit in Ostdeutschland durch den geringeren Kontakt und den stärker empfundenen Konflikt erklären lässt. Im zweiten Beitrag wird im Rahmen eines Vergleichs von 18 EU-Ländern der Frage nachgegangen, inwieweit das Ausmaß fremdenfeindlicher Einstellungen durch das Kollektivgutdilemma der Sozialstaatlichkeit erklärt werden kann. Hierzu wird zunächst das Ausmaß der Fremdenfeindlichkeit auf Mikroebene geschätzt und anschließend für jedes der betrachteten 18 EU-Staaten ein vergleichbarer Indexwert berechnet – der so genannter Human Average Nationalism Statistical Index (HANSI). Dieser Wert geht im zweiten Schritt jeweils als abhängige Variable in das Modell zur Analyse der Makrofaktoren ein. Dabei zeigt sich, dass je umfassender die sozialstaatlichen Leistungen im Sinne eines Kollektivguts interpretiert werden können, desto höher ist das Ausmaß fremdenfeindlicher Einstellungen.The articles in this volume resulted from a teaching research project in migration studies that was conducted during winter term 2008/2009 and summer term 2009 at the Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg. Using data of the European Social Survey (ESS), causes and influencing factors of xenophobic attitudes of the native population are analysed. The first article asks for an explanation regarding the higher degree of Xenophobia in Eastern Germany compared to Western Germany. For this purpose the contact and the conflict hypothesis are tested simultaneously. When operationalising the conflict hypothesis, for the first time not only groups that should feel threatened by immigrants are considered (e.g. the unemployed or the poor), but also the degree of expressed feelings of menace. The authors can show that a higher degree of Xenophobia in Eastern Germany can be explained by a lesser extent of contacts and a higher extent of felt conflict. The second article deals with the question to what extent xenophobic respectively hostile attitudes of the native population towards immigrants can be explained by structural factors on the macro level, especially the public good dilemma of the welfare state. For this purpose 18 countries of the EU are compared. In a first step, the degree of Xenophobia is estimated on the micro level and afterwards a comparable value for every single country is calculated using the estimated coefficients - the so called Human Average Nationalism Statistical Index (HANSI). In a second step, this HANSI-value enters as dependent variable in a model to analyse the impacts of the macro factors. The authors can show that the more the benefits of the welfare state can be seen as a public good, the higher is the degree of Xenophobia