cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Signal configurations: Exploring set-theoretic relationships in angel investing

Abstract Anchored in signaling theory, we use a configurational approach to examine how new ventures credibly communicate their underlying firm quality, using a unique dataset of 117 new ventures that sought investment from a prominent angel group located in the Northeastern United States. Unlike existing research, which employs econometric models to reflect one best solution, we use crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (cs/QCA) to understand signal configurations during the angel investment decision-making process. Our findings suggest that there are multiple paths to our three outcomes, passed small group screening, passed large group presentation, and passed due diligence/invested, validating notions of equifinality. Signals are complementary and configurations differ by industry sector. We also find that effective signal configurations differ by stage of investment, thereby offering evidence of cognitive dual processing on the part of the angel investors. We contribute to the literature on signaling by linking our findings to recent work on signal interactions and by highlighting the configurational and temporal aspects of signaling in the angel investment context. Implications are discussed.
Sex differences in type 2 myocardial infarction: learning that we still have a lot to learn.

The clinical differentiation between type 1 myocardial infarction (MI) and type 2 MI is challenging yet vitally important with implications for diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. While sex differences in treatment and survival among patients with type 1 MI have been well documented, we are still learning about sex differences in type 2 MI. Men are more likely to have a type 1 MI, while women with type 1 MI are less likely to receive reperfusion and revascularisation, are less likely to be prescribed guideline-indicated medical therapy and have higher excess mortality.1 2 Whether there are real sex differences in type 2 MI treatment and outcomes is less clear. Patients with type 1 MI have a relatively homogenous aetiology of an acute thrombotic event, but patients with type 2 MI are much more heterogeneous. Considering that many of the aetiologies of type 2 MI, including spontaneous coronary artery dissection and vasospasm, affect women at much higher rates than men, one might expect type 2 MI to have even more pronounced sex differences in treatment and outcomes. With the increasing incidence of type 2 MI and its higher overall mortality compared with type 1 MI, understanding these differences is critical.1 3 However, taking a step back, even differentiating between type 1 and type 2 MI is difficult. Much of our clinical work on both the cardiology inpatient and consult services centres on these challenging diagnoses. We use our best clinical judgement incorporating labs, imaging, history and physical exam in an attempt to discern which patients would benefit from the more aggressive anticoagulation and invasive approach that is generally more helpful in patients with acute thrombotic type 1 MI events compared with those with type 2 MIs. Yet, even after coronary angiography, the diagnosis is not always clear. The available clinical …
Graph Autoencoders for Business Process Anomaly Detection

We propose an approach to identify anomalies in business processes by building an anomaly detector using graph encodings of process event log data coupled with graph autoencoders. We evaluate the proposed approach with randomly mutated real event logs as well as synthetic data. The evaluation shows significant performance improvements (in terms of F1 score) over previous approaches, in particular with respect to other types of autoencoders that use flat encodings of the same data. The performance improvements are also stable under training and evaluation noise. Our approach is generic in that it requires no prior knowledge of the business process.
Infrastructure enabled and electrified automation: Charging facility planning for cleaner smart mobility

Abstract Due to higher energy efficiency and lower emissions, electric vehicles (EVs) have become attractive transportation means in developing cleaner mobility systems. Moreover, many future automated vehicles (AV) can be electrified. Hence, existing market will experience a drastic growth in automated electric vehicles (AEVs). For infrastructure enabled automation (IEA), charging facility planning is required to accommodate the increasing AEV charging demand. The planning process must also account for their impact on the power grid. This study presents an integrated demand coverage optimization model over a coupled power-transportation (CPT) network. This model aims to pinpoint candidate locations of AEV charging stations that would serve the most charging demand in the transportation network, considering the upcoming technologies in AEV also will affect the charging behavior that can influence the charging system. Besides, power grid limitations at each charging station are considered for the minimal power cost of the network. The developed model is applied to Utah state road network to determine the optimal charging station locations.
We the People: Juries, Not Judges, Should Be the Gatekeepers of Expert Evidence

On August 18, 2007, Matthew Valente became paralyzed below the waist with partial paralysis to his upper body from a golf cart accident.2 At the time of the accident, Valente was eighteen years old and working as a cart and range attendant at La Tourette Golf Course on Staten Island.3 Valente’s work responsibilities included driving and transporting golf carts. La Tourette properly trained Valente on how to operate the golf carts. On the day of the accident, Matthew was driving an E–Z–Go golf cart manufactured by Textron.4 The golf carts did not have seatbelts or four-wheel brakes.5 Valente was driving on the cart path when his hat blew off.6 He applied the brakes, turned the wheel slightly, and the golf cart fishtailed, rolling over onto its passenger side, leaving Valente with a spinal fracture and paralyzed.7 Valente and his father brought a products liability suit against the manufacturer of the golf cart.8 Despite his efforts, Valente’s case never made it to
Advanced Glycation End Products Alters Platelet Aggregation

Diabetes mellitus is in part characterized through the presence of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) within the cardiovascular system. AGEs are a heterogeneous population of glycated proteins,...
Magnetic Discontinuities From Field Topology

One of the most remarkable features of the astronomical universe is the general occurrence of suprathermal gases of 106 K or more in the outer atmospheres of planets, stars, and galaxies, and throughout the tenuous intergalactic gas in clusters of galaxies. The suprathermal gases are confined in the magnetic fields of the planets, stars and galaxies, preventing them from dispersing and, evidently, also acting as the heat source responsible for the elevated temperatures. The magnetic fields are deformed and extended by convection of their footpoints, inflation by escaping cosmic ray gas, etc. so that they have substantial free energy (over and above the energy of a potential field with the same flux distribution on the boundaries). The high electrical conductivity of the suprathermal gas and the characteristic scale of the field deformation would seem to be adequate to preserve the topology of the field lines, so that at first sight the magnetic free energy seems unavailable for heating. However, the Maxwell stress tensor possesses the unusual property of spontaneously creating internal surfaces of tangential discontinuity (current sheets) as the magnetic field relaxes to static equilibrium. The discontinuities are an essential part of the equilibrium balance of the magnetic stresses. On the other hand, the slight resistivity of the suprathermal gas prevents the final approach to the true mathematical singularities necessary for equilibrium. The result is a continuing effort on the part of the Maxwell stresses to reduce the thickness to zero (and the current density to infinity) creating continuing dissipation of the magnetic free energy no matter how small the resistivity. This is the familiar rapid reconnection phenomenon, of course, and it goes on continually throughout the interior of any magnetic field with the arbitrary interwoven topologies expected in nature.
Size and Configuration of Glycoprotein Fragments Cleaved from Tumor Cells by Proteolysis

Abstract Mucin-type glycoprotein material was fractionated by gel filtration after cleavage from viable TA3-Ha mouse mammary adenocarcinoma ascites cells by a modified trypsin. The macromolecular species present in each fraction were characterized by electron microscopy of metal-contrasted replicas as highly asymmetric rods. Investigation of one fraction gave close agreement for length by electron microscopic measurements and for a length calculated for a single polypeptide backbone model from a molecular weight value by short column sedimentation equilibrium, amino acid composition, and percentage of protein. This result supports a single, extended chain configuration for this fraction. With this value of molecular weight per unit length, approximate molecular weights of particles of the other fractions were calculated. Lengths of polypeptide chains varied from 50 nm (55,000 daltons) to greater than 700 nm, suggesting an average molecular weight for one fraction of over 500,000.
Modeling a wireless network for International Space Station

Describes the application of wireless local area network (LAN) simulation modeling methods to the hybrid LAN architecture designed for supporting crew-computing tools aboard the International Space Station (ISS). These crew-computing tools, such as wearable computers and portable advisory systems, will provide crew members with real-time vehicle and payload status information and access to digital technical and scientific libraries, significantly enhancing human capabilities in space. A wireless network, therefore, will provide wearable computers and remote instruments with the high performance computational power needed by next-generation "intelligent" software applications. Wireless network performance in such simulated environments is characterized by the sustainable throughput of data under different traffic conditions. This data will be used to help plan the addition of more access points supporting new modules and more nodes for increased network capacity as the ISS grows.
Actinomyces in the vaginas of women with and without intrauterine contraceptive devices

Either Actinomyces israeli, A. naeslundii, or Arachnia propionica was found, by immunofluorescence studies, in cervicovaginal mucus from 36% of 50 women. One or more of these organisms were found in a surprising 27% of those with neither intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) nor intravaginal foreign bodies. The only common finding was abundant vaginal mucus, and no clinical features were more serious than vaginal itching, odor, or vague discomfort. Among those women who harbored actinomycetes, the average duration of continuous IUD use was 5.3 years; the comparable figure for those with no infection was 2.1 years.
Magnetized interstellar molecular clouds - I. Comparison between simulations and Zeeman observations

The most accurate measurements of magnetic fields in star-forming gas are based on the Zeeman observations analyzed by Crutcher et al. (2010). We show that their finding that the 3D magnetic field scales approximately as density$^{0.65}$ can also be obtained from analysis of the observed line-of-sight fields. We present two large-scale AMR MHD simulations of several thousand $M_\odot$ of turbulent, isothermal, self-gravitating gas, one with a strong initial magnetic field (Alfven Mach number $M_{A,0}= 1$) and one with a weak initial field ($M_{A,0}=10$). We construct samples of the 100 most massive clumps in each simulation and show that they exhibit a power-law relation between field strength and density in excellent agreement with the observed one. Our results imply that the average field in molecular clumps in the interstellar medium is $ \sim 42 n_{H,4}^{0.65} \mu$G. Furthermore, the median value of the ratio of the line-of-sight field to density$^{0.65}$ in the simulations is within a factor of about (1.3, 1.7) of the observed value for the strong and weak field cases, respectively. The median value of the mass-to-flux ratio, normalized to the critical value, is 70% of the line-of-sight value. This is larger than the 50% usually cited for spherical clouds because the actual mass-to-flux ratio depends on the volume-weighted field, whereas the observed one depends on the mass-weighted field. Our results indicate that the typical molecular clump in the ISM is significantly supercritical (~ factor of 3). The results of our strong-field model are in very good quantitative agreement with the observations of Li et al. (2009), which show a strong correlation in field orientation between small and large scales. Because there is a negligible correlation in the weak-field model, we conclude that molecular clouds form from strongly magnetized (although magnetically supercritical) gas.
2,2'-(Propane-2,2-di-yl)dibenzothia-zole.

The two symmetry-independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C17H14N2S2, have similar geometry; the dihedral angles between the least-squares planes of the benzothia­zole groups in the two mol­ecules are 83.93 (3) and 81.26 (3)°.
A new liquid, intravenous immunoglobulin product (IGIV 10%) highly purified by a state-of-the-art process.

Background and Objectives The ultimate goal was to generate an industrial-scale process suitable to produce a high-yield, safe and stable immunoglobulin G (IgG) preparation for intravenous administration, which is ready to use for customer convenience. This new liquid 10% IgG preparation (IGIV 10%) was compared to Gammagard SD, a licenced lyophilized immunoglobulin in biochemical and preclinical testing. Materials and Methods The new process, which includes three dedicated virus clearance steps, is a streamlined combination of the currently applied and well-established manufacturing procedures. The biochemical characterization is done by standard methods focusing on purity, integrity and functionality of the preparation. Efficacy is demonstrated in vivo by mouse protection testing and in vitro by opsonization and protein A affinity chromatography. Pharmacokinetics in rats is evaluated after a single intravenous dose. The anaphylactoid potential is determined in rats and in guinea pigs, while thrombogenicity is assessed in a rabbit model. The influence of the products on vital functions is tested on dogs, while acute toxicity studies are carried out on mice and rats. Results The biochemical characterization data demonstrate the high purity of monomeric IgG in the product. The mouse protection test showed that the protective activity against systemic bacterial infections of IGIV 10% is at least as good as the reference Gammagard SD. This result is supported by the broad spectrum of antibodies in high titres against bacteria and viruses and the high functional integrity of the IgG molecule (≥ 90% functionally intact IgG) in IGIV 10%. The opsonic activity of all IGIV 10% lots is similar to the one of the reference Gammagard SD. In safety and thrombogenicity studies, no adverse effects of IGIV 10% were observed. Pharmacokinetic studies showed no statistically significant differences between the two products. In the acute toxicity animal studies, IGIV 10% compared favourably to the reference Gammagard SD. Conclusions The new manufacturing process enables the production of a highly purified IgG preparation for intravenous administration. The product has an IgG subclass distribution similar to plasma and contains a broad spectrum of functionally intact antibodies. Preclinical studies demonstrate that the liquid IGIV 10% combines excellent qualities of efficacy, safety and tolerability.
An Investigation of the Count Pate Performance of Baseline Restorers

The characteristics of baseline restorers (stabilizers) at high count rates were investigated. The analyses included both of the basic types of baseline restorers: 1) the non-linear circuit realizations (BLR), and 2) the time-variant stabilizers based on the gated differentiator concept. The advantage of the TVS over the BLR was demonstrated. Two new count rate effects were described. One is the count rate dependence of the noise error introduced by the stabilizer. Another one is the count rate dependent low frequency noise, which causes a reduction of the effectiveness of baseline restorers in cancelling low frequency interference at high count rates.
Postthoracotomy Syndrome and Postherpetic Neuralgia

Postthoractomy syndrome (PTS) is a multifactorial dis ease process which has never been adequately de scribed. This, in turn, has led to a discrepancy in the literature concerning the signs and symptoms which constitute PTS and what are the most efficacious treat ment modalities that should be used. The most impor tant fact before instituting therapy for PTS, is that recurrent disease must be ruled out. Once this is done, a stepped-treatment regimen can be instituted. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a disease state which afflicts 10% to 15% of patients who become infected with herpes zoster. At this time, there appears to be no definitive treatment regimen for PHN. However, there are various treatment modalities which can signifi cantly decrease the pain associated with the disease. There seem to be many promising agents undergoing scientific trials, so that a definitive treatment for PHN may soon be available.
Gene structure prediction by spliced alignment of genomic DNA with protein sequences: increased accuracy by differential splice site scoring.

Gene identification in genomic DNA from eukaryotes is complicated by the vast combinatorial possibilities of potential exon assemblies. If the gene encodes a protein that is closely related to known proteins, gene identification is aided by matching similarity of potential translation products to those target proteins. The genomic DNA and protein sequences can be aligned directly by scoring the implied residues of in-frame nucleotide triplets against the protein residues in conventional ways, while allowing for long gaps in the alignment corresponding to introns in the genomic DNA. We describe a novel method for such spliced alignment. The method derives an optimal alignment based on scoring for both sequence similarity of the predicted gene product to the protein sequence and intrinsic splice site strength of the predicted introns. Application of the method to a representative set of 50 known genes from Arabidopsis thaliana showed significant improvement in prediction accuracy compared to previous spliced alignment methods. The method is also more accurate than ab initio gene prediction methods, provided sufficiently close target proteins are available. In view of the fast growth of public sequence repositories, we argue that close targets will be available for the majority of novel genes, making spliced alignment an excellent practical tool for high-throughput automated genome annotation.
The Egyptian Revolution and the Politics of Histories

The Arab “revolutions” and the events surrounding them have posed a variety of theoretical challenges to political scientists. Popular uprisings have resulted in the ouster of long-standing autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, and are seriously threatening the survival of incumbent authoritarian rulers in a region that once seemed immune to democratic change (Brumberg 2002; Fish 2002; Heydemann 2007; Posusney and Angrist 2005; Salame 1994; Schlumberger 2007). These unforeseen developments pushed scholars of politics back to the drawing board to revisit dominant theoretical understandings of the drivers of regime change and stability (Albrecht and Bishara 2011; Bellin 2012; Blaydes and Lo 2012; Brownlee and Stacher 2011; Droz-Vincent 2011; Gause 2011; Goldstone 2011; Hoffman and Jamal 2012, Lynch 2011; Masoud 2011; Stacher 2012).
Structure–property relationships of polymer-filled nonwoven membranes for chemical protection applications

Polymer membranes with selective permeabilities are excellent material candidates for chemical protection applications. For example, poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) membranes have high water permeability, and at the same time, they can block some harmful chemicals. However, PAMPS membranes are mechanically weak and their vapor selectivities need to be further improved for practical chemical protection. In this study, nonwoven fabrics were employed as the structural host to enhance both the mechanical properties and functionality of PAMPS membranes. PAMPS-filled nonwoven membranes were prepared by filling the open pores of polypropylene nonwovens with linear and cross-linked PAMPS materials, respectively. It was found that PAMPS-filled nonwoven membranes showed improved tensile properties, reduced vapor permeability, and increased selectivity, and the resultant PAMPS-filled nonwoven membranes are promising material candidates for chemical protection applications.
Mode controlled guided wave tomography using annular array transducers for SHM of water loaded plate like structures

Ultrasonic guided wave tomography utilizes an array of permanently mounted transducers to detect and image defects like corrosion, cracks and delamination in structures. It is critical for successful tomography imaging to avoid the influences from external environmental conditions like water loading and changes in temperature. Water loading is particularly challenging as it affects the guided wave propagation in the structure. However, by taking advantage of the physical properties of guided waves it is possible to reduce its effect on the tomography images. Modal points on the dispersion curves can be found that have low out-of-plane displacement in their wave structure and hence no leakage into the liquid on the structure. In this paper, the omnidirectional excitation of desired guided wave modes with annular array transducers is discussed. Guided wave tomography of a steel plate like structure with a corrosion defect is studied under water loading conditions. The influence of water loading is overcome by exciting symmetric guided wave modes (S1) in the structure. Utilizing guided wave mode control it is shown that the defects in the structure can be easily discriminated from any artifacts in the images due to the liquid layer.
Comment on “Toward realistic molecular dynamics simulations of grain boundary mobility” by Zhou and Mohles

Zhou and Mohles [J. Zhou, and V. Mohles, Acta Materialia 59, 5997 (2011)] recently presented a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of grain boundary motion that contradicts the results of all previous such simulations. Here we show: (i) the Zhou–Mohles (Z–M) model incorporates a fundamental error in the definition of the atomic energy and forces; (ii) because of this error, the driving force for boundary motion is unknown; (iii) the Z–M model contains an additional, unrecognized, nonlinear driving force; and (iv) these observations explain and invalidate the Z–M results.
Temperature-dependent reaction-rate expression for oxygen recombination at Shuttle entry conditions

A temperature-dependent oxygen surface reaction-rate coefficient has been determined from experimental STS-2 heating and wall temperature data at altitudes of 77.91 km, 74.98 km, and 71.29 km. The coefficient is presented in an Arrhenius form and is shown to be less temperature dependent than previous results. Finite-rate viscous-shock-layer heating rates based on this present expression have been compared with predicted heating rates using the previous rate coefficients and with experimental heating data obtained over an extensive range of STS-2 and STS-3 entry conditions. A substantial improvement is obtained in comparison of experimental data and predicted heating rates using the present oxygen reaction-rate expression.
Experimental separability of channeling giant magnetoresistance in Co/Cu/Co

The magnitude of the electronic channeling contribution is a significant open issue in the understanding of giant magnetoresistance (GMR). We show that for the technologically important system $\mathrm{Co}∕\mathrm{Cu}∕\mathrm{Co}$, channeling GMR can be isolated and quantified experimentally through measurement in the limit of rapid surface diffuse scattering. First-principles based Boltzmann transport calculations are compared with experimental in situ magnetoconductance data, which support the possibility of a significant contribution from channeling. Cyclic control of atomic-scale surface roughness, applied during in situ measurement, will enable a quantitative estimate of the channeling contribution.
The endoscopic fascial sling for treatment of female urinary stress incontinence

AbstractPurpose: We describe a new technique, the endoscopic fascial sling, for the treatment of female urinary stress incontinence.Materials and Methods: A total of 22 women 25 to 84 years old with urinary stress incontinence underwent this procedure.Results: There were no urethral erosions or wound infections using the fascial strip. Of the women 16 (73 percent) are cured of incontinence and 4 (18 percent) are improved (use pads less frequently than preoperatively), and the procedure failed in 2 (9 percent).Conclusions: The endoscopic fascial sling offers a new alternative for the treatment of female urinary stress incontinence, combining the reliability of sling procedures and the decreased morbidity of needle suspension techniques.
Experiences With an Alternate Energy Systems Course

Experiences with a technical elective course, ME 4353/6353 Alternate Energy Systems, are delineated. Alternate Energy Systems (AES) was devised for senior and beginning graduate students in mechanical engineering (ME) and presents a first-order introduction to the plethora of alternate energy technologies now considered as available, viable, or promising. The AES course covers basic principles, economic considerations, application potentials, and advantages and disadvantages of a variety of alternate energy technologies. The course topics, contents, and goals are discussed in detail in the paper. After two offering, the AES course meets the stated purpose of the course and has become a popular elective even though the workload and effort required are significant.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Preconditions and consequences of transference interpretations. A clinical-quantitative investigation.

Our aim was to study the preconditions and consequences of transference interpretations by both quantitative and clinical methods. We selected the three specimen psychoanalytic treatments which had been studied most by clinical-quantitative research. For each patient the main data consisted of 16 interpretation contexts. The context of each interpretation included 250 patient words before and 250 patient words after the interpretation. Three judges independently rated these before and after segments for each of the 16 samples from each of the three patients. Judges tended to agree highly in rating these segments on nine variables. The before vs. after ratings showed that each patient had a different but individually typical response to the 16 interpretations, ranging from patient A who usually showed a negative response, to patient B who showed some positive response, to patient C who showed a very positive response. For each of these three patients there was a clear parallel between the positivity of the immediate response to interpretations and the outcome of treatment. Even though we have so far studied only three patients, the consistency of the results suggests that it would be worth testing in a larger group whether a sample of immediate responses to interpretations might predict the eventual outcome of the treatment. Patient factors seem central in explaining the bases for the different response of each of the three patients to transference interpretations. The Health-Sickness Rating Scale ratings showed that patient A and patient B were less healthy initially than patient C— healthier patients may be able to respond better to transference interpretations. Also, the analyses of the segments before the interpretation revealed that even before the interpretation there were differences in the three patients. These were consistent with their differing responses to interpretation; for example, patient A was rated as having less understanding than the other patients even before the interpretations. Another patient factor, the patient's readiness to experience a helping relationship, probably was significant also in explaining the differing response of the three patients to interpretations; they already differed in this experience by the third to fifth sessions, and these differences paralleled their response to interpretation.
Seeing Lincoln: Spielberg's film and the visual culture of the nineteenth century

This article is a re-examination of Steven Spielberg's film Lincoln in an effort to understand the film's engagement with nineteenth-century visual culture. Rather than consider whether or not the visual details of the film look, to modern audiences, to be authentic representations of the past, the author asks her readers to view the film as a reflection of how the Civil War era appeared to those who lived it, seeing the mid-nineteenth-century through the eyes of its inhabitants and the significance of photography to its visual culture.
The Synerqistic Solvent Extraction of Manganese by Macrocyclic Crown Ethers in Combination with Didodecylnaphthalene Sulfonic Acid: Effect of Macrocycle Substituents

Abstract Crown ethers in combination with organophilic cation exchangers synergize the extraction of certain metai ions from aqueous solutions, and their selectivity has been thought largely dependent on the correspondence between the crown other's cavity diameter and the metal ion diameter. This work focuses on two crown ethers, tert. -butylbenzo -15-crown-5 (tBB15C5). and tert, -butylcyclohexano 15-crown-5 (tBC15C5) each of which has a cavity diameter of 1.7 to 2.2 × 10−10 m. and their extraction of Mn2+ (ionic diameter 1.4 to 2.2 × 10−10 m) from aqueous nitrate solutions. The organophilic cation exchanger used was didodecylnaphthalene sulfonic acid (HDDNS). The data show no observable complexes of the manganese salt of HDDNS
Infinitely divisible distributions in turbulence.

The imbedding of the scale similarity of random fields into the theory of infinitely divisible probability distributions is considered. The general probability distribution for the breakdown coefficients of turbulent energy dissipation is obtained along with corresponding similarity exponents. Related issues of self-similarity and asymptotic behavior of statistical characteristics are also considered.
Defining the Morphology and Mechanism of the Hemoglobin Transport Pathway in Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes

Hemoglobin degradation during the asexual cycle of Plasmodium falciparum is an obligate process for parasite development and survival. It is established that hemoglobin is transported from the host erythrocyte to the parasite digestive vacuole (DV), but this biological process is not well characterized. Three-dimensional reconstructions made from serial thin-section electron micrographs of untreated, trophozoite-stage P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IRBC) or IRBC treated with different pharmacological agents provide new insight into the organization and regulation of the hemoglobin transport pathway. Hemoglobin internalization commences with the formation of cytostomes from localized, electron-dense collars at the interface of the parasite plasma and parasitophorous vacuolar membranes. The cytostomal collar does not function as a site of vesicle fission but rather serves to stabilize the maturing cytostome. We provide the first evidence that hemoglobin transport to the DV uses an actin-myosin motor system. Short-lived, hemoglobin-filled vesicles form from the distal end of the cytostomes through actin and dynamin-mediated processes. Results obtained with IRBC treated with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) suggest that fusion of hemoglobin-containing vesicles with the DV may involve a soluble NEM-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor-dependent mechanism. In this report, we identify new key components of the hemoglobin transport pathway and provide a detailed characterization of its morphological organization and regulation.
The stochastic properties of high daily maximum temperatures applying crossing theory to modeling high-temperature event variables

The statistical properties of the excursions of maximum daily temperatures above various critical thresholds of interest are analyzed with a view to developing models of heat wave events using more than 100 years of record from meteorological stations in Lake City, DeFuniak Springs, Avon Park, and Fort Myers, Florida. These stochastic variables include; event density (number of such events per unit time), duration, timing, and peak values over the threshold. The theoretical basis for the modeling is found in Crossing Theory. The methodology has the flexibility to extrapolate to such levels while also having the advantage of being able to be applied to spatially differentiated data to determine risks associated with high-temperature events during any time period or at any location of interest.
Introducing Change in a Mental Hospital

With all their dynamism and emphasis on progress, Americans tend to resist changes like other peoples. There are two reasons for this resistance. On the one hand, any change of any consequence is likely to require some shift in habits to which the individuals involved have been accustomed. On the other hand, since every group is a social system, any change in one of its component parts is likely to require or result in alternation or rearrangement of other parts. Both of these tend to be painful or troublesome.
The global regulator ArcA controls resistance to reactive nitrogen and oxygen intermediates in Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis.

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is a major cause of food-borne diseases associated with consumption of shell eggs. Clinical isolates of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis exhibit a wide spectrum of virulence in mice. A highly virulent isolate (SE2472) was previously shown to be more resistant in vitro than other clinical isolates to acidified sodium nitrite (ASN), a generator of reactive nitrogen and oxygen intermediates (RNI/ROI). SE2472 is also more resistant to S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) than an ASN-susceptible isolate of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE8743). To investigate the molecular basis for the RNI/ROI resistance of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis, we transformed a genomic DNA library of SE2472 into SE8743. A plasmid clone conferred upon SE8743 enhanced resistance to ASN, GSNO, and H2O2. The DNA insert in the clone encoded ArcA, a global regulator. An arcA mutant of SE2472 was constructed and was found to be more susceptible to GSNO and hydrogen peroxide but not more susceptible to ASN than wild-type SE2472. The susceptibility of the arcA mutant to GSNO and H2O2 was complemented by a plasmid harboring arcA. The coding sequence of the arcA gene in SE2472 and the coding sequence of the arcA gene in SE8743 were identical, suggesting that the difference in resistance to RNI/ROI maybe due to the activity of genes regulated by ArcA. No significant difference in virulence between the wild type and the arcA mutant of SE2472 was observed in mice. These observations show that arcA is essential for resistance of S. enterica serovar Enteritidis to nitrosative and oxidative stress. However, additional genetic loci may contribute to the resistance to RNI/ROI and unusually high virulence for mice of SE2472.
Magnet Balls Stuck to the Frenulum of the Lip

Abstract Background Accidents associated with magnets as foreign bodies pose a serious threat to the health of children and adolescents. Prompt management and removal of the magnet is important to avoid life-threatening complications. Objective Our aim was to highlight an unusual health hazard associated with magnets in children. Case Report We report on a unique case of an adolescent girl who presented with two magnet balls stuck to the frenulum of her upper lip, resulting in intense pain and discomfort. The magnets were removed painlessly by induced magnetism through metallic mosquito forceps. Conclusions As children experiment with toys and products containing detachable magnetic balls, more cases will likely present to emergency departments. Increased awareness and preventive measures should be undertaken to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with magnets.
Optimizing Data Layouts for Parallel Computation on Multicores

The emergence of multicore platforms offers several opportunities for boosting application performance. These opportunities, which include parallelism and data locality benefits, require strong support from compilers as well as operating systems. Current compiler research targeting multicores mostly focuses on code restructuring and mapping. In this work, we explore automatic data layout transformation targeting multithreaded applications running on multicores. Our transformation considers both data access patterns exhibited by different threads of a multithreaded application and the on-chip cache topology of the target multicore architecture. It automatically determines a customized memory layout for each target array to minimize potential cache conflicts across threads. Our experiments show that, our optimization brings significant benefits over state-of-the-art data locality optimization strategies when tested using 30 benchmark programs on an Intel multicore machine. The results also indicate that this strategy is able to scale to larger core counts and it performs better with increased data set sizes.
GaAs{001}(2×4) surface-structure studies with shadow-cone-enhanced secondary-ion mass spectrometry

The atomic geometry of the GaAs{001}(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4) surface has been analyzed quantitatively by shadow-cone-enhanced secondary-ion mass spectrometry. The technique is based on the concept that the shadow cone created by the interaction between an incident-ion beam and a surface atom focuses ion flux onto specific crystal coordinates. In this experiment, secondary ${\mathrm{Ga}}^{+}$ions were desorbed by a 3-keV ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+}$-ion beam and were detected at an energy of 20 eV. The surface was prepared by molecular-beam epitaxy and transferred in situ to an UHV surface-analysis chamber. The microscopic mechanisms of the desorption process were elucidated by a three-dimensional molecular-dynamics computer simulation. The data analysis also involved comparing the incidence angles corresponding to enhanced intensity features in the secondary-${\mathrm{Ga}}^{+}$-ion yield with the angles determined in a two-body-interaction calculation using the Moli\`ere approximation to the Thomas-Fermi potential. This study confirms the ${\mathrm{As}}_{2}$-dimer structure of the GaAs{001}(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4) surface, and the As-As bond length is determined to be 2.73\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10 \AA{}. This value suggests that, analogous to the atoms in bulk As, the ${\mathrm{As}}_{2}$-dimer atoms are threefold coordinated. Within the precision of the analysis, no relaxations were observed in the second and deeper layers of the surface.
Dedicated rewriting: Automatic verification of low power transformations in Register Transfer Level

We present dedicated rewriting, a novel technique to automatically prove the correctness of low power transformations in hardware systems described at the Register Transfer Level (RTL). We guarantee the correctness of any low power transformation by providing a functional equivalence proof of the hardware design before and after the transformation. We characterize low power transformations as rules, within our system. Dedicated rewriting is a highly automated deductive verification technique specially honed for proving correctness of low power transformations. We provide a notion of equivalence and establish the equivalence proof within our dedicated rewriting system. We demonstrate our technique on a non-trivial case study. We show equivalence of a Verilog RTL implementation of a Viterbi decoder, a component of the DRM SoC, before and after the application of multiple low power transformations. We further demonstrate the application of our technique on a completely different kind of hardware circuit, viz. microprocessors. We show the correctness of instruction-driven slicing algorithm as applied to the OR1200 microprocessor.
Toward Load and Resistance Factor Design for Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Structures

Advanced fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, which have been favored for certain aerospace, military, marine, and automotive applications, now are starting to be introduced in buildings, bridges, and other civil construction, where their desirable properties can enhance performance. A load and resistance factor design (LRFD) standard for composites would facilitate their use in civil infrastructure, creating a market for new FRP building materials by providing a basis for structural design that is comparable with existing LRFD standards for other common construction materials. Such a specification must take into account the distinguishing features of FRP composites: Their orthotropic nature, sensitivity to moisture, temperature, and ultraviolet effects, dependence of strength and stiffness on the rate of application and duration of structural loads, and uncertainties in their mechanical and structural properties. The structural reliability tools needed to develop an LRFD standard are at hand. However, at present, only rudimentary statistical databases required to support this development are available. If such databases were to become available in the near future, practical LRFD design criteria could be implemented for civil construction.
Biomimetic syntheses of syncarpurea

Abstract Simple syntheses of syncarpurea (1) from syncarpic acid and the amino acids ornithine or citrulline are presented.
RELIGION, HISTORY AND THE SUPREME GODS OF AFRICA: A CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEBATE

The status of the Supreme Being in precolonial traditional African religious thought has been the subject of innumerable studies within the fields of anthropology and religious studies. Of particular concern in this paper is the debate that has raged between the so-called 'Devout' scholars and the 'De-Hellenists." The former emphasize the notion that there existed among all African peoples before contact with Islam and Christianity a Supreme Being with approximately the same attributes that one currently associates with 'universalistic' world religions: the Supreme God as conceptualized by Africans was omnipotent, and defined as the creator of the world. The 'De-Hellenists,' among whom is the well-known scholar, Okot p'Bitek, argue that 'Devout' scholars have generated this concept of a Supreme Being out of a non-reality and that they had done so, in part, 'to defend Africa from the intellectual arrogance of the West.' This arrogance p'Bitek associates with 'eighteenth century philosophers and... nineteenth century anthropologists [who] used African and other non-Western religions to demonstrate their theories of "progress."'2 p'Bitek argues that early Western studies of world religions divided the history of religious practices into three evolutionary phases: Fetishism, Polytheism and Monotheism. The supposed religion of African peoples was defined as fetishism, the lowest form of religious thought.3 Even after scholars began to reject these evolutionary theories, leading Western anthropologists are said to have continued 'to use insulting terms when describing African institutions.' In reaction to this racist scholarship, African scholars began to claim that African peoples knew the Christian God long before the missionaries introduced this new religion. In p'Bitek's words, African scholars robed their deities in 'awkward Hellenic garments [in order] to show to the world... that the African deities are but local names
When and how should we measure plasma ammonia

Hyperammonaemia is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. It is important to diagnose as it is often treatable and perhaps, most importantly, may be genetically determined. Measurement of plasma ammonia is rarely necessary in adult medicine. In paediatrics, and particularly in the neonatal period, it is an important investigation in the diagnosis and often in the subsequent management of several inherited metabolic disorders. Patients with these disorders, particularly neonates, will deteriorate over a period of hours and investigation cannot wait. In these situations a plasma ammonia together with other investigations for metabolic disorders must be available urgently and are sometimes necessary out of normal laboratory hours. Interpretation must take into account the age and maturity of the child as well as the clinical state and results of other investigations. If treatment is initiated, frequent monitoring of plasma ammonia may be required. Plasma ammonia can be reliably and conveniently measured using a specific ion-selective electrode system or an automated enzyme method. Screening using a microdiffusion method is not a satisfactory alternative to a quantitative assay. Plasma ammonia is no longer solely the province of the specialised paediatric laboratory, but should be part of the repertoire of every laboratory supporting neonatal or paediatric units. The threshold for accepting requests should be lower than at present if we are to prevent misdiagnoses.
The Constitution as Social Design: Gender and Civic Membership in the American Constitutional Order

The Constitution as Social Design: Gender and Civic Membership in the American Constitutional Order. By Gretchen Ritter. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006. 400p. $70.00 cloth, $29.95 paper. Gretchen Ritter takes the American Constitution seriously. Like few others, she views the country's fundamental charter as announcing far more than a design for government institutions and a series of individual rights guarantees. The importance of the Constitution, she insists, extends deeper than can be captured by examining the text's most obvious features. It “creates and regulates a social order ” (p. 8), a comprehensive understanding of public and private life. “The constitutional order acts as an instrument of social design,” claims Ritter; it endorses certain relationships over others, while also choosing to recognize certain members of the polity as privileged (p. 9). Traditional conceptions of the marital relationship or of the role of particular classes of people in the public realm, for example, are fostered and perpetuated by the constitutional scheme, not because the words of the text necessarily command it but because the nature of a constitution—an instrument that embraces a particular political and social order—makes it so.