cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An analysis of the relationship between the utilization of physical therapy services and outcomes of care for patients after total hip arthroplasty.

Background and Purpose. The effect of physical therapy intervention on the outcomes of care for patients treated in acute care hospitals has not been widely studied. This study examined the relationship between physical therapy utilization and outcomes of care for patients following total hip arthroplasty. Subjects. The sample consisted of 7,495 patients treated in US academic health center hospitals in 1996 who survived their inpatient stay and received physical therapy interventions. Methods. The primary data source was the University HealthSystem Consortium Clinical Data Base. Physical therapy use was assessed by examining physical therapy charges. Outcomes of care were assessed in terms of the total cost of care (ie, whether the care was more costly or less costly than expected, taking into account patient characteristics) and in terms of discharge destination (ie, whether the patient was discharged home or elsewhere). Regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between physical therapy use and outcomes. Results. Physical therapy intervention was directly related to a total cost of care that was less than expected and to an increased probability of discharge home. Conclusion and Discussion. The results of this study provide preliminary evidence to support the use of physical therapy intervention in the acute care of patients following total hip arthroplasty and indicate the need for further study of this topic.
Native American Youth and Culturally Sensitive Interventions: A Systematic Review:

Objective: A systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of culturally sensitive interventions (CSIs) with Native American youth was conducted. Method: Electronic bibliographic databases, Web sites, and manual searches were used to identify 11 outcome studies that examined CSI effectiveness with Native American youth. Results: This review found general improvement in the employment of rigorous evaluative methods in CSI research with Native American youth. Conclusion: Despite recent progress, CSI research remains in its infancy and more rigorous outcome studies are needed in order to determine if CSIs are more effective than standard treatments with Native American youth. Such research is necessary for professional competent practice with Native American youth and families.
Position-dependent control of numerical integration in circuit simulation

In circuit simulators based on nodal analysis techniques, one numerical integration method is typically used to solve all differential equations. The properties of this method determine to a large extent the types of waveforms which can be simulated accurately. In this work, a concept for the position dependent control of numerical integration to simulate waveforms with very diverse characteristics is introduced. The numerical integration is adjusted individually in different positions of the circuit so that an accurate emulation of diverse waveforms is attained. The object-oriented implementation is discussed. It is shown that the concept is numerically very efficient and therefore suitable for time critical simulation.
Metal‐Catalyzed Etching of Vertically Aligned Polysilicon and Amorphous Silicon Nanowire Arrays by Etching Direction Confinement

A systematic study of metal-catalyzed etching of (100), (110), and (111) silicon substrates using gold catalysts with three varying geometrical characteristics: isolated nanoparticles, metal meshes with small hole spacings, and metal meshes with large hole spacings is carried out. It is shown that for both isolated metal catalyst nanoparticles and meshes with small hole spacings, etching proceeds in the crystallographically preferred direction. However, the etching is confined to the single direction normal to the substrate surface when a catalyst meshes with large hole spacings is used. We have also demonstrated that the metal catalyzed etching method when used with metal mesh with large hole spacings can be extended to create arrays of polycrystalline and amorphous vertically aligned silicon nanowire by confining the etching to proceed in the normal direction to the substrate surface. The ability to pattern wires from polycrystalline and amorphous silicon thin films opens the possibility of making silicon nanowire array-based devices on a much wider range of substrates.
Optimum Quantization for Signal Detection

Optimum quantization of data, primarily for signal detection applications, is considered. It is shown that two useful detection criteria lead to quantization which gives the minimum mean-squared error between the quantized output and the locally optimum nonlinear transform for each data sample. This criterion is an extension of the usual minimum distortion criterion for optimum quantizers. Numerical results show that it leads to optimum quantizers which can be considerably better in their performance for non-Guassian inputs than the minimum-distortion quantizers.
PiggyBac transgenic strategies in the developing chicken spinal cord

The chicken spinal cord is an excellent model for the study of early neural development in vertebrates. However, the lack of robust, stable and versatile transgenic methods has limited the usefulness of chick embryos for the study of later neurodevelopmental events. Here we describe a new transgenic approach utilizing the PiggyBac (PB) transposon to facilitate analysis of late-stage neural development such as axon targeting and synaptic connection in the chicken embryo. Using PB transgenic approaches we achieved temporal and spatial regulation of transgene expression and performed stable RNA interference (RNAi). With these new capabilities, we mapped axon projection patterns of V2b subset of spinal interneurons and visualized maturation of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Furthermore, PB-mediated RNAi in the chick recapitulated the phenotype of loss of agrin function in the mouse NMJ. The simplicity and versatility of PB-mediated transgenic strategies hold great promise for large-scale genetic analysis of neuronal connectivity in the chick.
Automated Multi-Cycle Symbolic Timing Verification of Microprocessor-based Designs

Timing verification ascertains whether timing checks on components in a circuit are satisfied given component delay models. This paper addresses timing verification of microprocessor-based designs for which previous approaches are shown to be inadequate. It introduces the concept of sequential path tracing - tracing paths through both space and time - that forms the basis of the mtv tool. mtv has the following novel features: unlike previous approaches, it considers sequential behavior together with timing and handles sequential sensitizability and multi-cycle paths automatically; it does not require a predefined clock schedule and can handle circuits with conditional or gated clocks, multiple unrelated clocks, asynchronous set/reset, and power-up initialization; it generates symbolic constraints between timing attributes of components that can be efficiently re-used for small circuit changes or by a synthesis/optimization tool; symbolic constraints also enable common ambiguity removal. Experimental results demonstrate that mtv takes only a few CPU minutes to generate symbolic constraints for each of several microprocessor-based designs.
An integrative approach to requirements analysis: How task models support requirements reuse in a user-centric design framework

Many software systems fail to address their intended purpose because of a lack of user involvement and requirements deficiencies. This paper discusses the elaboration of a requirements-analysis process that integrates a critical-parameter-based approach to task modeling within a user-centric design framework. On one hand, adapting task models to capture requirements bridges the gap between scenarios and critical parameters which benefits design from the standpoint of user involvement and accurate requirements. On the other hand, using task models as a reusable component leverages requirements reuse which benefits design by increasing quality while simultaneously reducing development costs and time-to-market. First, we present the establishment of both a user-centric and reuse-centric requirements process along with its implementation within an integrated design tool suite. Secondly, we report the design, procedures, and findings of two user studies aimed at assessing the feasibility for novice designers to conduct the process as well as evaluating the resulting benefits upon requirements-analysis deliverables, requirements quality, and requirements reuse.
Aflatoxin and Cyclopiazonic Acid Production by Aspergillus flavus Isolated from Contaminated Maize

Seven truck-loads of maize were tested for mycotoxin contamination. Aflatoxin was identified in all 7 at concentrations from 3 ng/g-501 ng/g (aflatoxin B1+ B2). Cyclopiazonic acid was identified in 4 loads with concentrations from 25-250 ng/g. Deoxynivalenol was found in 4 of 5 loads tested, over a range of 46-676 ng/g. Ninteeen isolates of Aspergillus flavus from the samples were tested for ability to accumulate cyclopiazonic acid and aflatoxin in liquid culture. Fourteen produced cyclopiazonic acid (0.5-135 μg/mL), 12 produced aflatoxin (0.01-0.70 μg/mL, aflatoxin B1+ B2), and one aflatoxin-producing isolate did not produce cyclopiazonic acid.
Flow Accelerated Corrosion in Steam Condensate Piping and Valves: Problems Faced and Actions Taken

Flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) is a combined form of erosion, corrosion and Cavitation. This is prominent in steam condensate lines which results in fast reduction of thickness in piping, piping components and valves. It is estimated that this problem is faced by majority of plants. There has been an increased emphasis on correcting these problems due to fatal accidents that occurred in 1986, 1995, 1996 and 2004 at various locations around the world. [3] After commissioning of the plant, Steam condensate system erosion/corrosion problem started appearing within one year of operation. To ensure uninterrupted plant running on line sealing was done and monitoring was done by proper thickness checking. These on line sealing points were replaced during available opportunity. In some cases plant shutdown was taken to replace leaking piping components & these incidents resulted into revenue loss to company. Aggressive inspection programs were taken up for thickness measurement on condensate lines and as a proactive measure, elbows were encapsulated with higher size elbows, reducers by on line welding/furmaniting with special clamps. Similarly gate and globe valves in condensate service also started failing as a result of erosion of body seat rings. Globe valves installed on bypass lines of control valves were found passing. Once these valves were operated for maintenance of control valves they could not be closed. In some cases valve body developed leak due to high velocity erosion. Various studies conducted for replacing these components by higher schedule fittings & pipes but it did not improve the situation except for slight increase in life of these components. Velocities were calculated at various locations and higher velocity, condensate impingement/cavitation was found as root cause of problems. This problem was solved by various methods like using higher metallurgy P11, P22 material, line size increase with increase in control valve sizing, lay out changes etc. This helped in improving reliability of condensate system and reducing risk associated with failure of piping. This paper presents a variety of cases where single-phase and two-phase steam flows, caused erosion-corrosion damage mainly at turn points of elbows and valves. It was observed that the presence, even of a small amount of the vapor phase can significantly increase the velocity of the condensate. This paper describes the mechanism of failures by study of the failed components, operating conditions & piping lay out. In this study velocity of steam /condensate at reducing section was found to be very high. Other various contributing factors like control valve / piping sizing, metallurgical requirements, effectiveness of steam traps, flow velocity and valve design (globe & gate) were also studied. The main causes of the failures are discussed and recommendations are provided to rectify the root cause of the problems & avoid similar problems in the future.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
MEASUREMENT OF ANALOG SEQUENTIAL DEPENDENCIES.

A statistic sensitive to sequential dependencies existing between responses was proposed. Two studies were undertaken to determine the validity and practicality of this measure. In the first study, results included: (1) the distribution of this measure (λ) is sufficiently normal to permit parametric analyses; (2) λ sensitively reflects both individual differences and the course of learning; and (3) only a low positive correlation exists between λ and average error. The second study, in the area of controller sensitivity, indicated that λ is more sensitive to small changes in task parameters than either average error or root-mean-square. Future applications of the λ coefficient to both analog and digital data were suggested.
Dentin Sialoprotein in Bone and Dentin Sialophosphoprotein Gene Expressed by Osteoblasts

Dentin sialoprotein (DSP) and dentin phosphoprotein (DPP) are expressed as a single mRNA transcript. This transcript codes for a large precursor protein termed dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP). DSP, DPP, and DSPP have been considered to be tooth-specific. Recently, we found out that the dspp gene was expressed in osteoblasts and bone. With Western immunoblots, we detected DSP in the Gdm/EDTA extracts of rat long bone, at a level of about 1/400 of that in dentin. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques with primers specific to the 5'DSP portion (termed DSP, 1432 bp), 3'DPP sequence (DPP, 2135 bp), and the region covering portions of both the DSP and DPP (DSPP, 3471 bp), we detected DSPP mRNA in MC3T3-E1 cells, ROS 17/2.8 osteoblast-like cells, and mouse calvaria. The results from PCR show that this gene is expressed at a much lower level in osteoblasts than in odontoblasts. The data indicate that DSPP is not a tooth-specific protein and that dramatically different regulatory mechanisms governing DSPP expression are involved in tooth and bone.
Comparison of copper levels in runoff from fresh-market vegetable production using polyethylene mulch or a vegetative mulch.

Runoff from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production with polyethylene mulch has been implicated in the failure of commercial shellfish farms in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. Copper, applied in the form of copper hydroxide, is the most widely used fungicide–bactericide for control of tomato diseases and recently has been detected in the Chesapeake Bay (USA) watershed. Elevated levels of copper have been shown to have adverse effects on shellfish, finfish, and other aquatic organisms. This research evaluates the off-site movement of copper with the dissolved phase and the particulate phase of runoff from controlled field plots containing tomato plants grown in either polyethylene mulch or a vegetative mulch, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.). Overall, runoff collected from polyethylene mulch plots contained significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater loads of dissolved- and particulate-phase copper than runoff from hairy vetch mulch plots. However, the loss of copper associated with the particulate phase was significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) than that associated with the dissolved phase of runoff from both mulch treatments, with the particulate phase accounting for more than 80% of the copper loads. The reported toxicity of copper to aquatic organisms and the greater runoff volume, soil loss, and off-site loading of copper measured in runoff from the polyethylene mulch suggests that this management practice is less sustainable and may have a more harmful impact on aquatic ecosystems.
More than information: what coastal managers need to plan for climate change

Climate change and sea-level rise (SLR) increasingly threaten the world's coastlines, man- agers at local, regional, state, and federal levels will need to plan and implement adaptation measures to cope with these impacts in order to continue to protect the economic, social, and environmental security of the state and of local communities. In this paper, we explore the information needs of California coastal managers as they begin confronting the growing risks from climate change. Through this case study we examine the challenges managers face presently, what information they use to perform their responsibilities, what additional information and other knowledge resources they may need to begin planning for climate change. We place our study into the broader context of the study of how science can best support policy-makers and resource managers as they begin to plan and prepare for adaptation to climate change. Based on extensive interview and survey research in the state, we find that managers prefer certain types of information and information sources and would benefit from various learning opportunities (inadditionto that information) to make better useof available global change information. Coastal managers are concerned about climate change and willing to address it in theirwork,but requirefinancial and technical assistance fromother agenciesat the state and federal level to do so. The study illustrates the strong need for boundary organizations to serve various intermediary functions between science and practice, espe- cially in the context of adaptation to global climate change impacts.
The impact of postpartum contraception on reducing preterm birth: findings from California.

Objective Family planning is recommended as a strategy to prevent adverse birth outcomes. The potential contribution of postpartum contraceptive coverage to reducing rates of preterm birth is unknown. In this study, we examine the impact of contraceptive coverage and use within 18 months of a birth on preventing preterm birth in a Californian cohort. Study Design We identified records for second or higher-order births among women from California’s 2011 Birth Statistical Master File and their prior births from earlier Birth Statistical Master Files. To identify women who received contraceptive services from publicly funded programs, we applied a probabilistic linking methodology to match birth files with enrollment records for women with Medi-Cal or Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment Program (PACT) claims. The length of contraceptive coverage was determined through applying an algorithm based on the specified method and the quantity dispensed. Preterm birth was defined as a birth occurring Results The cohort consisted of 111,948 women who were seen at least once by a Medi-Cal or Family PACT provider within 18 months of delivery. Of the cohort, 9.75% had a preterm birth. Contraceptive coverage was found to be protective against preterm birth. For every month of contraceptive coverage, odds of a preterm birth Conclusion Improving postpartum contraceptive use has the potential to reduce preterm births.
Optical properties of Morgan's poor clusters

The galaxy density, spiral content, and richness of the 23 poor clusters of galaxies cataloged by Morgan and co-workers are determined and compared with those of Abell clusters. It is found that Morgan's clusters generally represent a smooth continuation of the galaxy clustering spectrum from the rich Abell clusters. This continuity in optical properties implies a corresponding continuity in X-ray properties. The extended X-ray emission recently detected from several of Morgan's clusters is consistent with the amount of thermal bremsstrahlung emission expected on the basis of the present optical observations and previous correlations of X-ray-optical cluster properties. The fraction of cluster galaxies that are spirals is a sensitive function of the galaxy surface density, N(-)0.
Automated Procedure for Simultaneously Measuring Total Globulin and Total Protein in Serum

An automated continuous-flow procedure has been developed for simultaneously measuring total serum protein and globulin. The method for total protein is a minor modification of an existing automated method in which the biuret reagent is used. Total globulin is measured by reaction with glyoxylic acid, and standardized with N-acetyltryptophan. An empirical factor relating concentration of N-acetyltryptophan to human globulin has been derived. Values for total serum globulin obtained by this new automated procedure correlate closely with values obtained by electrophoresis, but do not agree with values obtained by use of procedures involving binding of anionic dye. Recovery of gamma globulin added to serum is essentially quantitative; the day-to-day precision (CV) is 4.31%.
Certain Clinical States and Pathologic Changes Associated with Deeply Inverted T Waves in the Precordial Electrocardiogram

A correlation of the clinical and electrocardiographic findings was undertaken in 110 cases which had in common the presence of deeply inverted T waves in central terminal leads centered about position 3 on the precordium. The results of this study are reviewed. A summary is presented of changes encountered at the time of necropsy in nine cases in which electrocardiographic changes of similar type had been recorded. These observations are integrated with concepts derived from the dipole theory. The total evidence is viewed in relation to observations reported by other investigators.
Macrophage-Independent Regulation of Reverse Cholesterol Transport by Liver X Receptors

Objective— The ability of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles to accept cholesterol from peripheral cells, such as lipid-laden macrophages, and to transport cholesterol to the liver for catabolism and excretion in a process termed reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is thought to underlie the beneficial cardiovascular effects of elevated HDL. The liver X receptors (LXRs; LXRα and LXRβ) regulate RCT by controlling the efflux of cholesterol from macrophages to HDL and the excretion, catabolism, and absorption of cholesterol in the liver and intestine. Importantly, treatment with LXR agonists increases RCT and decreases atherosclerosis in animal models. Nevertheless, LXRs are expressed in multiple tissues involved in RCT, and their tissue-specific contributions to RCT are still not well defined. Approach and Results— Using tissue-specific LXR deletions together with in vitro and in vivo assays of cholesterol efflux and fecal cholesterol excretion, we demonstrate that macrophage LXR activity is neither necessary nor sufficient for LXR agonist–stimulated RCT. In contrast, the ability of LXR agonists primarily acting in the intestine to increase HDL mass and HDL function seems to underlie the ability of LXR agonists to stimulate RCT in vivo. Conclusions— We demonstrate that activation of LXR in macrophages makes little or no contribution to LXR agonist–stimulated RCT. Unexpectedly, our studies suggest that the ability of macrophages to efflux cholesterol to HDL in vivo is not regulated by macrophage activity but is primarily determined by the quantity and functional activity of HDL.
Measurement of Korean Tourists’ Perceived Images of Overseas Destinations

This article identifies image attributes measuring the total attractiveness of overseas destinations to Korean tourists and investigates image attributes affecting Korean tourist choice behaviors of trip planning time frame, budgeted travel costs, and length of trip. The attractiveness of a destination was found to be defined by its adventurous atmosphere, scenery, environmental friendliness, availability of tourist information, and architectural style. Respondents’ perceptions of travel cost, destination lifestyle, availability of quality restaurants, freedom from language barriers, and availability of interesting places to visit affected their choice behaviors.
Exposure to herbivores increases seedling growth and survival of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) through decreased interspecific competition in canopy gaps

The successful development of early stages of blight-resistant hybrid stock has increased hopes for restoration of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) to eastern North American forests. However, these forests have undergone substantial ecological change in the century since the functional extirpation of American chestnut, and it remains unknown to what extent American chestnut will be able to recolonize contemporary forests. In particular, high densities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and competition with mesophytic tree species such as maple (Acer) may impede chestnut regeneration, much as they affect oak (Quercus). We used a split-plot analysis of variance (ANOVA) design to examine the effects of canopy gaps and herbivory on survival and growth of third generation backcrossed (BC3) hybrid chestnut seedlings over two growing seasons in central Indiana, U.S.A. Only 4 of 588 (0.7%) seedlings in closed-canopy plots survived to the end of the study, as opposed to 264 of 589 (45%) seedlings in gap plots. Within the gap treatment, fencing was associated with reduced chestnut survival as well as reduced herbivory and increased cover of non-chestnut vegetation. Our results indicate that herbivory may indirectly benefit chestnut regeneration by suppressing competition. However, this beneficial effect is likely context-dependent and additional work is needed to establish the conditions under which it occurs.
Tribological behavior of plasma-enhanced CVD a-C:H films. Part I: effect of processing parameters

Abstract A systematic study was conducted on the effect of plasma-enhanced CVD processing parameters, namely bias voltage, pressure and CH 4 /Ar flow ratio, on the characteristics and tribological response of amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) films. Film hardness, intrinsic stress, structure, composition and tribological response were characterized. Variation of processing parameters was found to produce a-C:H films with a range of characteristics with the CH 4 /Ar ratio exercising a dominant effect. A low ratio produced harder films with more sp 3 bonding, low hydrogen content and low wear rate; whereas a high ratio produced softer films, with more sp 2 bonding, higher hydrogen content and low friction. Film characteristics were found to affect the wear mechanism with softer films showing a layer-by-layer removal and harder films involving formation of fine debris. These two diverse types of films offer the opportunity to synthesize multilayered films combining desirable properties from each component.
Cognitive changes in schizophrenia-a critical look

Examination of neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenia indicates that against a background of diffuse impairment, some neurocognitive domains are differentially impaired. These include attention, memory and, to a lesser extent, abstraction and mental flexibility ('executive functions'). The deficits are present at the onset of illness and persist despite clinical improvement. The severity of initial deficits is weakly related to initial severity of symptoms, but a follow-up longitudinal evaluation suggests that the less patients improve in negative symptoms, the less they improve in neuropsychological performance. By contrast, improvement in some positive symptoms is associated with less improvement in some neuropsychological functions. The cognitive deficits are related to data from structural and functional imaging. Lower temporal lobe volume is associated with poorer cognitive abilities, and abnormally high left temporal lobe metabolism is also associated with poorer memory. The interplay betwe...
Neuroticism and the attentional mediation of dysregulatory psychopathology.

Neuroticism emerges consistently as a fundamental trait in factor-analytic studies of personality and temperament, and its association with diverse forms of psychopathology has been demonstrated repeatedly. Hence, elucidating the nature of neuroticism would be expected to advance understanding of the psychobiological processes contributing to psychopathology. In contrast to formulations that regard neuroticism as a predisposition to negative affect primarily, we emphasize neuroticism's effects on cognition. Specifically, we propose that (a) neuroticism is associated with facilitation of the automatic orienting of attention, (b) this attentional process may adversely affect one's ability to engage in the controlled evaluation and correction of problematic cognitive and behavioral response tendencies, and (c) negative affect and psychopathology associated with neuroticism result from the disruption of these evaluative and corrective processes.
Parabolic equations related to curve motion

Abstract We study curve motions based on differential equations. Curve motion equations are classified into two types: adaptive equations (which depend on the choice of coordinate systems) and non-adaptive equations. Examples from both types of equations are studied, and the global existence for these equations is proved based on integral estimates.
The importance of knowing a dodo is a bird : categories and inferences in 2-year-old children

This study examined 2-year-old children's ability to make category-based inferences. Subjects were asked a series of questions that they could answer based on category membership, appearances, or both. In one condition, all pictures were named; in a second condition, none were named. Children performed well on prototypical pictures regardless of whether they were named; on atypical pictures, they performed better when category labels were provided. A control study demonstrated that children ignored the label when it named a transient property rather than a stable category. Contrary to standard views of young children, these results indicate an early-emerging capacity to overlook salient appearances. However, one important development still to take place is the ability to use subtle perceptual cues to determine category membership in the absence of language. Are young children's categories based on appearances alone, or are children aware that categories can reflect deeper commonalities? Many years of developmental research and theory have suggested that children cannot look beyond the obvious (Wellman & Gelman, 1988). Children are highly attentive to
Induction of Resistance to Azole Drugs in Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosoma cruzi is the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas’ disease, a frequently fatal illness affecting the heart and gastrointestinal systems. An estimated 16 million to 18 million people in Latin America and 50,000 to 100,000 people in the United States are infected with this pathogen. Treatment options for T. cruzi infections are suboptimal due to the toxicities and limited effectiveness of the available drugs. Azole antimicrobial agents have been discovered to have antitrypanosomal activity by inhibition of ergosterol synthesis. The triazole itraconazole was recently shown to produce a parasitologic cure rate of 53% in chronically infected patients (W. Apt et al., Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 59:133–138, 1998), a result which may lead to more use of this family of drugs for the treatment of T. cruzi infections. In the experiments reported on here, resistance to azoles was induced in vitro by serial passage of mammalian-stage parasites in the presence of fluconazole for 4 months. These parasites were cross resistant to the other azoles, ketoconazole, miconazole, and itraconazole. They remained susceptible to benznidazole and amphotericin B. The azole-resistant phenotype was stable for more than 2 months of in vitro serial passage without fluconazole. In addition, the parasites resisted treatment in mice receiving ketoconazole. The rapid development of azole resistance in T. cruzi in vitro suggests that resistance to azole drugs has the potential to occur in patients and may pose an impediment to the progress being made in the treatment of T. cruzi infection.
Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis Causing Painless Chronic Knee Swelling in an Adolescent

It is uncommon for an adolescent to present with a painless chronic knee effusion without a history of trauma. Acute knee effusions are usually caused by internal derangement, patellar dislocations, or fractures. The differential diagnosis of a chronic knee effusion must include the more uncommon diagnoses of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis, reactive arthritis, synovial osteochondromatosis, synovial hemangioma, synovial sarcoma, or pigmented villonodular synovitis. Radiographic imaging, plain radiographs, and magnetic resonance imaging in addition to a biopsy specimen are most helpful in differentiating these diagnoses. Pigmented villonodular synovitis is an uncommon diagnosis that is rarely seen in an adolescent. Treatment includes synovectomy via arthroscopy or open arthrotomy.
Electrical stimulation effects on cutaneous wound healing in rabbits. A follow-up study

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high voltage monophasic pulsed electrical stimulation on wound healing using positive polarity. Forty-four rabbits were assigned to experimental or control groups and followed for four or seven days. We classified the groups as Exp4, Con4, Exp7, and Con7, respectively. Each animal was anesthetized, and a full-thickness incision, 3.5-cm long, was made on its back. After 24 hours, the Exp4 and Exp7 rabbits received high voltage electrical stimulation for two hours twice daily. Wound closure for the Exp4 rabbits (50%) was significantly less than that of the Con4 rabbits (78%). After seven days, however, the Exp7 and Con7 rabbits had similar wound-closure values (80% and 82%, respectively). Tensile-strength values for the control and experimental animals were comparable at both time periods. Histologic examination of the wounds suggested a more rapid rate of epithelization between the Exp4 and Exp7 rabbits compared with the Con4 and Con7 rabbits. The results of this study are inconclusive, but may indicate that positive-polarity stimulation enhanced wound closure between four and seven days of treatment.
A Robust, Streamlined Approach to Bosutinib Monohydrate

This article describes a systematic approach used to streamline the process for the isolation of bosutinib monohydrate, a promiscuous solvate former. A thorough understanding of the complex solid form landscape was garnered, and this knowledge was used to develop a process that routinely delivered the correct solid form and excellent purity at the end of the last bond-formation step, without the need for additional recrystallization and/or solid form conversion steps.
HIV antibody testing in health-care facilities of Beijing

Objective To understand current status and distribution of resources for HIV antibody testing in medical and health-care institutions at varied levels and districts,and to find out positivity of HIV-antibody in general population at varied health-care institutions of Beijing.Methods Hospitals at different areas and levels were selected by stratified sampling as study objectives.Information about positivity of HIV-antibody test in varied hospitals and their distribution were collected.All the data were input into Microsoft Excel.SPSS version 11.5 software was used to analyze the data.Results of past HIV antibody testing were reviewed from the records.Results Nineteen hospitals qualified for HIV-antibody laboratory testing in four districts were selected,including nine hospitals in urban and ten in suburb of Beijing.During July 2005 to June 2006,a total of 86 277 serum specimens were collected for HIV-antibody testing and 205(154 males and 50 females)were confirmed as HIV-antibody positive,with an overall positive rate of 0.24%,0.37% in males and 0.12% in females.Positive rate of HIV-antibody was highest in clinics for skin diseases and sexually-transmitted diseases(STD)(1.13%),and then followed by department of infectious diseases(0.76%),department of gynecology(0.02%),department of surgery(0.005%),other departments of hospitals(0.06%),and unknown(0.014%).HIV-positive rate was 0.46% in suburb,higher than that in urban(0.14%).HIV-positive rate in hospitals specialized for communicable diseases(1.24%)and centers for disease control and prevention(CDC)(1.45%)was higher than that in general hospitals(0.01%).Overall positive HIV-antibody rate was higher in males than that in females,higher in those aged 30-40 years than that in those at other ages,higher in suburban than that in urban,and higher in department of skin diseases(1.1%)than that in other departments of hospitals.Conclusion As a whole,positivity of HIV-antibody in visitors to health-care institutions was at lower level and risk for HIV infection in staff occupationally exposed to HIV at health-care institutions was less.Number of laboratories qualified for HIV antibody testing in Beijing is increasing continuously.Results of research indicated that positive rate of HIV-antibody in general population is still in a lower level and risk of cross-infection with HIV by interventional treatment is also lower.More attention should still be paid to HIV screening in high-risk population.
Efficiently heralded silicon ring resonator photon-pair source

Presented here are results on a silicon ring resonator photon pair source with a high heralding efficiency. Previous ring resonator sources suffered from an effective 50% loss because, in order to generate the photons, the pump must be able to couple into the resonator which is an effective loss channel. However, in practice the optical loss of the pump can be traded off for a dramatic increase in heralding efficiency. This research found theoretically that the heralding efficiency should increase by a factor of ∼ 3:75 with a factor of 10 increase in the required pump power. This was demonstrated experimentally by varying the separation (gap) between the input waveguide and the ring while maintaining a constant drop port gap. The ring ( R = 18:5 μm , W = 500 nm , and H = 220 nm ) was pumped by a tunable laser ( λ ≈ 1550 nm ). The non-degenerate photons, produced via spontaneous four wave mixing, exited the ring and were coupled to fiber upon which they were filtered symmetrically about the pump. Coincidence counts were collected for all possible photon path combinations (through and drop port) and the ratio of the drop port coincidences to the sum of the drop port and cross term coincidences (one photon from the drop port and one from the through port) was calculated. With a 350 nm pump waveguide gap (2:33 times larger than the drop port gap) we confirmed our theoretical predictions, with an observed improvement in heralding efficiency by a factor of ∼ 2:61 (96:7% of correlated photons coupled out of the drop port). These results will enable increased photon flux integrated photon sources which can be utilized for high performance quantum computing and communication systems.
Lifetime measurement of the first excited 2+ state in 16C.

The lifetime of the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ state in $^{16}\mathrm{C}$ has been measured with the recoil distance method using the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}(^{9}\mathrm{Be},2p)$ fusion-evaporation reaction at a beam energy of 40 MeV. The mean lifetime was measured to be 11.7(20) ps corresponding to a $B(E2;\text{ }\text{ }{2}_{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{0}^{+})$ value of $4.15(73){e}^{2}\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fm}}^{4}$ [1.73(30) W.u.], consistent with other even-even closed shell nuclei. Our result does not support an interpretation for ``decoupled'' valence neutrons.
Classification of magnetic inhomogeneities and 0 -π transitions in superconducting-magnetic hybrid structures

We present a comparative study of pair correlations and currents through superconducting-magnetic hybrid systems with a particular emphasis on the tunable Bloch domain wall of an exchange spring. This study of the Gor'kov functions contrasts magnetic systems with domain walls that change at discrete points in the magnetic region with those that change continuously throughout. We present results for misaligned homogeneous magnetic multilayers, including spin valves, for discrete domain walls, as well as exchange springs and helical domain walls---such as Holmium---for the continuous case. Introducing a rotating basis to disentangle the role of singlet and triplet correlations, we demonstrate that substantial amounts of (so-called short-range) singlet correlations are generated throughout the magnetic system in a continuous domain wall via the cascade effect. We propose a classification of $0\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}$ transitions of the Josephson current into three types, according to the predominant pair correlations symmetries involved in the current. Properties of exchange springs for an experimental study of the proposed effects are discussed. The interplay between components of the Gor'kov function that are parallel and perpendicular to the local magnetization lead to a novel prediction about their role in a proximity system with a progressively twisting helix that is experimentally measurable.
Errors and Faults

Understanding the behavior of failures in large-scale systems is important in order to design techniques to tolerate them. Reliability knowledge of resources can be used in numerous ways by scientist of systems administrators: (1) it can be used to improve the quality of service of the machine; (2) to reduce performance loss due to unexpected failures either by reliability-aware scheduling or by reliability-aware checkpointing; (3) to design more resilient applications, programming models or machines in the future. This chapter focuses on offering an overview of failures observed in real large-scale systems and their characteristics, with an emphasis on modeling, detection, and prediction.
Critical Roles of GI/O Proteins and Phospholiapse C-δ1 in the Activation of Receptor-Operated TRPC4 Channels

Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) proteins form non-selective cation channels commonly known to be activated downstream from receptors that signal through phospholipase C (PLC). Although TRPC3/C6/C7 can be directly activated by diacylglycerols produced by PLC hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), the mechanism by which the PLC pathway activates TRPC4/C5 remains unclear. We show that coincident stimulation of Gi/o proteins and PLCδ1 (and not Gq/11-PLCβ) is necessary and sufficient for TRPC4 activation. In HEK293 cells co-expressing TRPC4 and Gi/o-coupled μ opioid receptor (μOR), μ agonist DAMGO elicited currents in a biphasic manner, with an initial slow phase preceding a second rapidly developing phase. While the currents were dependent on intracellular Ca2+ and PIP2, both Ca2+ and PIP2 also exhibited inhibitory effects on the channel. Depleting PIP2 abolished the biphasic kinetics and facilitated channel activation by weak Gi/o stimulation. Channel activation was inhibited by knocking down expression of PLCδ1 in both HEK293 cells heterologously expressing TRPC4 and renal carcinoma-derived A498 cells that endogenously express TRPC4. Channel activation was strongly suppressed by a dominant-negative PLCδ1 mutant or a constitutively active RhoA mutant. Our results demonstrate an integrative mechanism of TRPC4 for detection of coincident Gi/o, Ca2+, and PLC signaling, wherein TRPC4 and PLCδ1 are functionally coupled. This mechanism is not shared with the closely related TRPC5, implicating unique roles of TRPC4 in signal integration in the brain and other systems.
Electrical stressing of bilayer insulator HfO 2 /Al 2 O 3 metal-insulator-insulator-metal (MIIM) diodes

Bilayer metal/insulator/insulator/metal (MIIM) diodes of HfO2 and Al2O3 using asymmetric metal gates are investigated for their susceptibility to trap charge. Comparing the effects of constant current electrical stressing for varying thicknesses of insulators, the authors have formulated an adaptation of the Fowler-Nordheim derivative method such that an estimate of the charge centroid location can be obtained for bilayer insulators. In this work it has been found the addition of an HfO2 layer into an Al2O3 MIM device leads to increased charge trapping and greater shifts in the I-V characteristic.
Does Tibial Slope Affect Perception of Coronal Alignment on a Standing Anteroposterior Radiograph

Abstract Background A standing anteroposterior (AP) radiograph is commonly used to evaluate coronal alignment following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The impact of coronal alignment on TKA outcomes is controversial, perhaps due to variability in imaging and/or measurement technique. We sought to quantify the effect of image rotation and tibial slope on coronal alignment. Methods Using a standard extramedullary tibial alignment guide, 3 cadaver legs were cut to accept a tibial tray at 0°, 3°, and 7° of slope. A computed tomography scan of the entire tibia was obtained for each specimen to confirm neutral coronal alignment. Images were then obtained at progressive 10° intervals of internal and external rotation up to 40° maximum in each direction. Images were then randomized and 5 blinded TKA surgeons were asked to determine coronal alignment. Continuous data values were transformed to categorical data (neutral [0], valgus [L], and varus [R]). Results Each 10° interval of external rotation of a 7° sloped tibial cut (or relative internal rotation of a tibial component viewed in the AP plane) resulted in perception of an additional 0.75° of varus. Conclusion The slope of the proximal tibia bone cut should be taken into account when measuring coronal alignment on a standing AP radiograph.
Effective Policy for Reducing Poverty and Inequality? The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Distribution of Income

We examine the effect of the EITC on the poverty and income of single mothers with children using a quasi-experimental approach that leverages variation in generosity due to policy expansions across tax years and family sizes. We find that the income increasing effects of the EITC are concentrated between 75 and 150 percent of income-to-poverty with little effect at the lowest income levels and at levels of 250 percent of poverty and higher. We use these results to show that by failing to capture the indirect effects of the credit on earnings, static calculations of the antipoverty effects of the EITC may be underestimated by almost 50 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Inositol Phosphate Kinases and Phosphatases

This article provides an initial guide for those encountering the field of inositol phosphate metabolism for the first time. Information is provided on the nomenclature deployed in this field, and the catalytic activities of the enzymes that metabolize inositol phosphates are briefly introduced.
T-shirt Resurgence

The purpose of this design was to create sustainable clothing and help prevent fabric waste by repurposing old and used t-shirts. The dress incorporates bohemian styles that bring a free spirit and happy mood to the garment. This dress is made with my husbandâ€™s old t-shirts; the old ones with holes and stains that served years of purpose, but had reached the end of life. The t-shirts were cut with hundreds of stripes. Then, the dress was made using several hand weaving and knotting techniques, such as basket weaves for overall garment, backward and forward knots for waist and hem areas, and a three color fishtail for the shoulder straps. The dress was made directly on the dress form, and with the exception of the sown on hooks on the back, there was no sewing or needle engaged in creating the garment.