cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seeing, imagined, and lived: creating darshan in transnational Gaudiya Vaishnavism

Scholarship on Hindu traditions and practices proposes the practice of darshan as fundamental to Hindu traditions, particularly in temple worship, observing that devotees seek out images of deities primarily to see them and “receive” their darshan. These works typically gloss the definition of darshan with a sentence or two about seeing, exchanging glances, and/or receiving blessings. In this paper, I focus on the ways in which darshan is ideally imagined in conjunction with other bodily sensory practices through sources of authority, such as texts and senior devotees, to create a specific sensory experience and expectation in the transnational Gaudiya Vaishnava community. I then look to the lived realities of darshan in this tradition, specifically how devotees negotiate the structures created through sources of authority in their daily lives. Through this juxtaposition of idealized and lived darshan, I argue that we need a new approach towards theories of practice to take into account the complexities of darshanic moments in this and other religious practices.
Structure, Bonding, and Photoaffinity Labeling Applications of Dialkyldiazirines

Dialkyldiazirine photoaffinity probes are unparalleled tools for the study of small molecule–protein interactions. Here we summarize the basic principles of structure, bonding, and photoreactivity of dialkyldiazirines, current methods for their synthesis, and their practical application in photoaffinity labeling experiments. We demonstrate the unique utility of dialkyldiazirine probes in the context of our recent photoaffinity crosslinking-mass spectrometry analysis to reveal a hidden cholesterol binding site in the Hedgehog morphogen proteins. 1 Introduction 2 Structure, Bonding, and Spectral Properties 3 Photoreactivity 4 Synthesis 5 Application in Photoaffinity Labeling 6 Discovery of a Cholesterol–Hedgehog Protein Interface 7 Conclusions and Outlook
Ion acoustic decay instabilities in laser pellet interactions

Microwave experiments and computer simulations have shown that the ion acoustic parametric decay instability (IADI) can produce a significant number of hot electrons in a large-scale plasma. These hot electrons are a concern in proposed inertial confinement fusion (ICF) studies because they preheat the target and degrade compression. The ion wave turbulence excited by IADI will also be the source of anomalous resistivity, so that thermal electrons are strongly heated due to anomalous Joule heating. The authors have extensively studied the IADI in laser-pellet interactions. They have shown that the IADI threshold is quite low, so that IADI is potentially important in laser-driven fusion pellets. They have also shown that the ionic charge state Z can be measured using the Stokes signal. IADI is also a useful tool for plasma diagnostics at the critical surface. The experimental procedure is briefly described. >
Assessing local climate action plans for public health co-benefits in environmental justice communities

Climate change presents a complex environmental health and justice challenge for the field of urban planning. To date, the majority of research focuses on measuring local climate efforts and evaluating the general efficacy of adopted climate action plans (CAPs). Cumulatively, these studies argue that socio-economic and demographic variables (such as the fiscal health of cities, city size, and median household income) are important factors in implementing climate policies. Less studied are issues of environmental justice and the impacts of climate change on population health. Through interviews with urban planners and a document analysis of CAPs, this study assesses how California cities with high levels of pollution and social vulnerability address climate change and public health. The findings of this study show that CAPs in these cities rarely analyse whether greenhouse gas reduction strategies will also yield health co-benefits, such as a reduction in the co-pollutants of climate change (i.e. ozone, pa...
Quanta Image Sensor Jot With Sub 0.3e- r.m.s. Read Noise and Photon Counting Capability

The first quanta image sensor jot with photon counting capability is demonstrated. The low-voltage device demonstrates less than 0.3e- r.m.s. read noise on a single read out without the use of avalanche gain and single-electron signal quantization is observed. A new method for determining read noise and conversion gain is also introduced.
Membrane Deformability and the Capacity for Shape Change in the Erythrocyte

Erythrocytes must have the capacity to undergo marked membrane deformation and shape changes in order to circulate through capillaries and respond to a range of shear stresses. To study the interrelationships between membrane deformability and the capacity for shape transformation, we created rigid membranes using several agents and then examined the ability of these erythrocytes with rigid membranes to undergo amphipath-induced shape change. We have previously shown that wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and a monoclonal antibody to glycophorin A (R-10) cause membrane rigidity as measured by ektacytometry. Experiments were therefore designed to produced comparably rigid membranes using WGA, R-10, and diamide, and then to test the ability of lysophosphatidylcholine to produce echinocytes, and primaquine to produce stomatocytes. We found that diamide treatment substantially blocked both types of shape change. In contrast, R-10 binding did not impair either primaquine- or lysophosphatidylcholine- induce shape change. Further, WGA blocked echinocyte transformation, as previously reported, but not stomatocytosis. Using reduced and unreduced gel electrophoresis and Triton extraction, we compared the biochemical changes associated with WGA-, diamide-, and R-10-induced rigidity, and found them to be different. We conclude that not all rigid cells are incapable of shape change, and therefore that decreased membrane deformability is not predictive of impaired capacity for shape change.
Surface Chemistry and Bonding of Plasma-Aminated Polyaramid Filaments

Thermomechanical performance of polyaramid-reinforced, resin-matrix composites often is limited by poor adhesion in the filament-matrix interphase region. This study describes a method to improve adhesion by forming covalent bonds across the interface through amine functional groups. Amine functionality has been introduced onto poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide), PPTA, filaments by exposure to ammonia or monomethyl amine RF glow discharge plasmas. Surface amine concentration rises rapidly upon plasma exposure and reaches a steady state in 30 to 60 sec. Weibull parameters for the filament strength distribution are unchanged by the plasma amination reaction. The amine groups are stable in air and water. They may be reacted directly with epoxide resins, or modified to functionalities that can react with other polymer matrix materials.
Landfarming Framework for Sustainable Soil Bioremediation

In this chapter, we address four state-of-the-art aspects of the Landfarming Framework. These include: (1) definition and design, (2) treatment rate, (3) example of full-scale landfarming for soil bioremediation, and (4) research and application issues. Landfarming is a technology based on the use of soil microorganisms and agricultural methods in an aerobic environment to reduce soil contamination and associated risk of public exposure through transformation, immobilization, and detoxication processes in order to protect public health and the environment. Landfarming technology accomplishes recycling of organic carbon and nutrients within the biosphere and maintains basic soil characteristics necessary to support plant growth (forestation, vegetation, etc.) and thus contributes to natural resource sustainability. The success of landfarming technology depends upon efficient utilization of microorganisms in a soil farm environment to treat soil contamination. Thus the development and availability of tools and methods for effective utilization of microorganisms within a landfarm environment is critical. An improved understanding of chemical—soil—microbe interactions that includes bioavailability, microorganism characterization, and effect of biological formation of soil bound residues on risk assessment and management will result in improved design, management, and monitoring of landfarm systems for sustainable restoration of soil.
Path Collapse for an Inhomogeneous Random Walk

On an open interval we follow the paths of a Brownian motion which returns to a fixed point as soon as it reaches the boundary and restarts afresh indefinitely. We determine that two paths starting at different points either cannot collapse or they do so almost surely. The problem can be modelled as a spatially inhomogeneous random walk on a group and contrasts sharply with the higher dimensional case in that if two paths may collapse they do so almost surely.
Signal Jamming and Limit Pricing: A Unified Approach

In signal jamming, an rival uses observed pro ts to predict pro tability, but those pro ts can be manipulated by a rival rm. In the present model, the size of the market is known to the incumbent, who is one of two rms that might occupy it. The potential rival observes pro ts, which can be manipulated by the incumbent. Depending on the monopoly premium and the prior probability that the market is large, the equilibrium may be pooling in pure or mixed strategies, or separating, which are similar to the signal-jamming and signalling equilibria of Fudenberg & Tirole (1986) and Milgrom & Roberts (1982a) respectively. In contrast to the common result that strategic behavior encourages innovation even though it introduces current distortions, in this model the possibility of strategic behavior can either encourage or discourage entry into markets as yet unserved by any rm. A chapter in: Public Policy and Economic Analysis, eds., Moriki Hosoe and Eric Rasmusen, Fukuoka, Japan: Kyushu University Press, forthcoming. Indiana University School of Business (not the economics department), Rm. 450, 10th Street and Fee Lane, Bloomington, Indiana, USA 47405-1701. O ce: (812) 855-9219. Fax: (812) 855-8679. Internet: Erasmuse@indiana.edu. Draft: 7.1 (Draft 1.1, February 1991). I would like to thank Kyle Bagwell, David Hirshleifer, Steven Postrel, Daniel Spulber, and seminar participants at the University of Colorado, Erasmus University, Texas A & M, the Wharton School, Yale SOM, and for helpful comments, and George Michaelides for research assistance. Much of this work was completed while the author was Olin Faculty Fellow at Yale Law School and on the faculty of UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management. Forthcoming in: Public Policy and Economic Analysis, eds., Moriki Hosoe and Eric Rasmusen, Fukuoka, Japan: Kyushu University Press.
Celebrity Conservation: Interpreting the Irwins

Interactions between celebrity and conservation are proliferating. This paper reviews theories of celebrity, explores different perspectives on the role of celebrity in conservation and outlines a typology of celebrity involvement. It then examines the work of the late Steve Irwin and his daughter Bindi, and public responses to them, using these cases to illustrate how and why conservation and celebrity are becoming interwoven. Finally, it considers the long-term implications of celebrity conservation and the dangers of promoting conservation through para-social relations with nature.
Polarization of Molecular Luminescence in Plastic Media by the Method of Photoselection

In the method of photoselection for measuring molecular polarization, it is not necessary that the molecule be embedded in a crystal of known structure, but merely rigidly fixed in a random arrangement. In this paper the possibility of using a plastic as the host solvent is examined. This would replace the previously used mixtures of organic solvents that form glasses at 77°K, and which, because of experimental conditions, might give rise to great depolarization effects. In methyl methacrylate polymer (Lucite), the phosphorescence of phenanthrene, coronene, and pyrazine is found to be polarized at room and liquid-nitrogen temperatures. The measured degree of polarization in the plastic is found to be in good agreement with the expected value. The effect on the degree of polarization of temperature, concentration, thickness, and shape of the plastic sample is discussed. The importance of using this method for further polarization investigations to increase our understanding of the structure and spectroscopic properties of complex luminescent guest molecules, as well as the internal structure and motions of different host polymers, is pointed out.
Use of the carbon dioxide laser in dermatologic surgery. A clinically relevant update for 1993.

background. The effective and safe use of the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser in the 1990s has been facilitated by technologic advances and widespread clinical use producing a better understanding of laser-tissue interactions, refinements in technique, and modifications of the list of indications. Safety guidelines have evolved from identification of complications. objective. To discuss the basic principles and applications of CO2 laser surgery. methods. Types of CO2 lasers and their applications are discussed. conclusion. Today, use of the carbon dioxide laser simplifies many procedures, is reasonably safe, is effective for its intended usages, and is the preferred treatment of several cutaneous disorders.
Excellent reliability with high throughput techniques and materials for alloy attachment

An evaluation is presented which comprehensively examines alloys which can be utilized for secondary attachment in microwave modules. After reflow, the evaluation cycle encompassed in 168-h bake operation, thermal cycling, and mechanical vibration and shock. The samples were X-rayed, examined visually for wetting anomalies, and microsectioned to analyze intermetallic formation. All alloys tested were reflowed without flux in a reducing atmosphere reflow furnace, a high-throughput process clearly amenable to high-volume production. although PbIn 50/50 forms intermetallics with time and temperature, the problem can be controlled with control of the Au plating process. In situations where such monitoring would be difficult, alloys are identified which perform reliably under extended conditioning. >
How low can you go? Maximum constraints on hydrogen concentrations prior to the Great Oxidation Event

Shaw postulates that Earth's early atmosphere was rich in reducing gases such as hydrogen, brought to Earth via impact events. This commentary seeks to place constraints on this idea through a very brief review of existing geological and geochemical upper limits on the reducing power of Earth's atmosphere prior to the rise of oxygen. While these constraints place tight limits on this idea for rocks younger than 3.8 Ga, few constraints exist prior to that time, due to a paucity of rocks of that age. The time prior to these constraints is also a time frame for which the proposal is most plausible, and for which it carries the greatest potential to explain other mysteries. Given this potential, several tests are suggested for the H2-rich early Earth hypothesis.
Model gluon propagator and pion and rho meson observables

A one parameter, model confined-gluon propagator is employed in a phenomenological application of the Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations to the calculation of a range of \ensuremath{\pi}- and \ensuremath{\rho}-meson observables. Good agreement is obtained with the data. The calculated quark propagator does not have a singularity on the real-${\mathit{p}}^{2}$ axis. A mass formula for the pion, involving only the vacuum, dressed quark propagator, is presented and shown to provide an accurate estimate of the mass obtained via a direct solution of the Bethe-Salpeter equation. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Effect of Sustained Maternal Responsivity on Later Vocabulary Development in Children with Fragile X Syndrome.

Purpose This research explored whether sustained maternal responsivity (a parent–child interaction style characterized by warmth, nurturance, and stability as well as specific behaviors, such as contingent positive responses to child initiations) was a significant variable predicting vocabulary development of children with fragile X syndrome through age 9 years. Method Fifty-five mother–child dyads were followed longitudinally when children were between 2 and 10 years of age. Measures of maternal responsivity and child vocabulary were obtained at regular intervals starting at age 2.9 years. Sustained responsivity was indicated by the average responsivity measured over Observations 2–5. Responsivity at the 1st time period, autism symptoms, and cognitive development were used as control variables. Results After controlling for development and autism symptoms, the authors found significant effects for sustained responsivity on receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, and the rate of different words child...
Workers' Moral Mum Effect: On Facework and Unethical Behavior in the Workplace

Through this language production experiment, we demonstrate workers' tendency to avoid describing behavior in ethical terms—what we label the moral mum effect. Working adults (N = 195) responded to an unethical request from a supervisor, coworker, or subordinate. Content and contingency table analyses revealed that most workers did not label the unethical request as unethical and hierarchical relationship did not mitigate this organizational communication dynamic. Additionally, we explore how another feature of language-use in work settings—operational justifications—may take the place of moral objections, especially in the case of subordinates interacting with their supervisors. We conclude with suggestions for overcoming the moral mum effect through communication skills training.
Incorporation of the methyl group of methionine into lipids and RNA by Musca domestica larvae

Studies on the incorporation of the methyl group of 14C-labelled dietary methionine into various cellular constituents of axenically reared housefly larvae (Musca domestica) are reported. The methyl group of methionine is incorporated into serine, ethanolamine, a non-polar lipid fraction, and into the 2′-O-methylnucleosides of ribonucleic acids, but not into choline. Smaller quantities are incorporated into glycerol and fatty acids. The data indicate that housefly larvae perform many of the reactions of one-carbon metabolism that occur in other animals.
MRI-derived T2 relaxation times and cartilage morphometry of the tibio-femoral joint in subjects with and without osteoarthritis during a 1-year follow-up

Summary Objective To assess differences in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based compositional (T2) and morphometric (volume and thickness) parameters of the tibio-femoral joint cartilage in subjects with and without osteoarthritis (OA) and compare these with clinical assessment tools during a 1-year follow-up. Method Three Tesla MRI of the knee joint was performed in eight female patients (body mass index [BMI]>30) with early OA and 10 age-matched female controls (BMI Results At BL, T2 was significantly higher ( P P 3 vs 2.91±0.49cm 3 and 1.59±0.24mm vs 1.90±0.29mm, respectively). A significant change in clinical parameters of OA, cartilage T2 values or a decrease of volume and average thickness could not be demonstrated within both groups. Conclusion Significant differences between the groups indicate that both T2 and morphometric parameters may be useful in quantifying early OA related changes. In a 12-month follow-up, however, no significant alterations of the studied parameters were found, which may be due to the length of the observation interval.
An analysis of the operational GFS simplified Arakawa Schubert parameterization within a WRF framework: A Hurricane Sandy (2012) long‐term track forecast perspective

Hurricane Sandy (2012) is known as an incredibly destructive storm and one defined meteorologically by its large size, and its significant forecast track spreads among various operational models roughly 1 week before landfall. While the operational European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model accurately depicted a northeastern United States landfall, the Global Forecasting System (GFS) model consistently forecast a track toward the North Atlantic Ocean. Using a Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model framework, Bassill (2014) suggested that these differences were primarily a function of differences between the two models' cumulus parameterization (CP). This study also uses a WRF model framework to examine the simplified Arakawa Schubert CP used in the GFS model. It is found that increasing the deep convective entrainment coefficient produces more realistic forecast tracks for forecasts initialized roughly 1 week before landfall. This occurs through a reorientation of the precipitation (and associated latent heating) around Sandy during a critical time period in which it was interacting with a series of upper troughs to its west and northwest. Reorienting the latent heating reshapes the upper tropospheric steering pattern toward the one that is more negatively tilted and consistent with observations.
Thermal decomposition of rhodium, iridium, and ruthenium chlorides

Abstract The decomposition of rhodium, indium, and ruthenium chloride hydrates in air and in hydrogen have been studied by means of thermogravimetric analysis; additional studies have been made of their reduction when dispersed on low- and high-area substrates. Under the conditions used, reduction to metal is complete at 105 °, 190 °, and ~ 350 ° for the Rh, Ir, and Ru salts, respectively. In air, dechlorination and oxidation are complete at 890 °, 680 °, and ~ 440 °, respectively. Boron carbide, a low-area substrate, appears to exert little influence on the reduction temperature of the rhodium salt, whereas with alumina, a high-area support, desorption of decomposition products may be the cause for the slower rate of weight loss observed with all three salts.
FT IR studies on the active component of hematoporphyrin derivative

Abstract It is shown by FT IR that neither a dihematoporphyrin ether nor a dihematoporphyrin ester can be supported as the structure for the major component of photofrin II which is used in photoradiation therapy.
Near infrared broadband emission of In0.35Ga0.65As quantum dots on high index GaAs surfaces.

The morphology and optical properties of In0.35Ga0.65As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on (210), (311)A, (711)A, (731) and (100) substrates are investigated. QDs formed on (210) and (731) oriented substrates are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Regular QDs are observed on (100), (311)A, and (711)A. Randomly distributed QDs and comet-shaped QDs form on (210) and (731) substrates, respectively. A high density of QDs on the order of 1011 cm−2 are obtained from (711)A. The optical measurement shows a spectrum linewidth (FWHM = 74.3 nm) of QDs on GaAs (210) three times wider than GaAs (100) substrate. Long exciton decay times, over 1 ns, are also measured by time-resolved photoluminescence technique for all samples. Our results demonstrate the potential for QDs on GaAs high index substrates for wideband applications.
Teaching Word Processing as Part of Office Procedures

(1981). Teaching Word Processing as Part of Office Procedures. The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 56, No. 5, pp. 173-175.
Disease and development in the tropics: a review of Chagas' disease.

Abstract The deaths and sicknesses which occur in the developing nations as the result of infectious and communicable diseases can be sharply reduced through the application of appropriate public health measures. To assure the success of improvements in the health standards of these societies health programs must be pursued within an ecological framework. This presents a problem however, as the very data needed to cope with the complexities of disease control in many of these societies are inadequate or nonexistent. Parasitic diseases are a particular problem of the developing nations. Among these is American trypanosomiasis or Chagas' disease which is widespread throughout South and Central America. In the instance of Chagas' disease many questions remain as to the severity and incidence of the disease, yet people are migrating into areas suspect for the disease, and in some instances the migrants themselves may be responsible for introducing the disease into their areas of destination. Control of the disease is the ultimate objective but before this can be accomplished data concerning the range, ecology, and incidence of the disease and its insect vectors must be collected and analyzed.
Autism as performance

I am a dramatherapist in the United States and the mother of an 18-year-old son who functions somewhere on the autism spectrum. This clinical comment is my reflection upon how my older son has util...
Establishing a human research protection program in a combatant command.

Extensive United States combat operations commenced for the first time in over decade in 2003. Early in 2004 there was no human research protection regulatory review and approval mechanism based in a deployed military combatant command. The absence of such a system presented a critical impediment to
Conceptual analysis as armchair psychology: in defense of methodological naturalism

Three proponents of the Canberra Plan, namely Jackson, Pettit, and Smith, have developed a collective functionalist program—Canberra Functionalism—spanning from philosophical psychology to ethics. They argue that conceptual analysis is an indispensible tool for research on cognitive processes since it reveals that there are some folk concepts, like belief and desire, whose functional roles must be preserved rather than eliminated by future scientific explanations. Some naturalists have recently challenged this indispensability argument, though the point of that challenge has been blunted by a mutual conflation of metaphysical and methodological strands of naturalism. I argue that the naturalist’s challenge to the indispensability argument, like naturalism itself, ought to be reformulated as a strictly methodological thesis. So understood, the challenge succeeds by showing (1) that we cannot know a priori on the basis of conceptual analysis of folk platitudes that something must occupy the functional roles specified for beliefs and desires, and (2) that proponents of Canberra Functionalism sometimes tacitly concede this point by treating substantive psychological theories as the deliverances of a priori platitudes analysis.
Mimesis between poetics and rhetoric: Performance culture and civic education in Plato, Isocrates, and Aristotle

Abstract This essay argues that the genealogy of the schism between poetics and rhetoric can be understood best by contrasting the attitudes of Plato and Aristotle towards the social impact of the poetic tradition with those of Isocrates. Plato seeks to discipline the process of poetic and political enculturation by splitting mimesis as representation from mimesis as performative imitation and audience identification. Aristotle completes Plato's Utopian project by constructing a hierarchy wherein representational mimesis of the tragic plot in the Poetics is central to a philosophical life, while mimesis as performative imitation of style in the Rhetoric is of marginal utility. In so doing, he counters Isocrates’ performative conception of speech education, according to which identification and performance both activate and sustain one's civic identity.
Homogeneous isotope exchange reaction between hydrogen and deuterium

Abstract The isotope exchange reaction between hydrogen and deuterium was studied in incident and reflected shock waves over the temperature range 1200–1800 K by vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The observed exchange reaction ensued after long induction periods at rates that proved to account for the amounts of exchange previously seen in single-pulse shock-tube and reflected-wave mass-spectrometric investigations. From the absence of detectable reaction during the induction period, lower bounds of 70 and 45 kcal were placed on the barriers to molecular exchange in four- and six-center transition structures, respectively.
Competitiveness in the CFA Franc Zone

This paper reviews the evolution of competitiveness in the CFA franc zone using a proposed comprehensive competitiveness framework. In particular, we examine competitiveness in the WAEMU and CEMAC regions by analyzing the environment and policy components of competitiveness and their quantifiable determinants, including indicators to measure productivity and labor market conditions, prices and costs, macroeconomic performance, business environment, governance, and technology and infrastructure. Our findings suggest that despite some recent improvements - particularly for the CEMAC - both regions face serious competitiveness challenges when compared to pier groups of countries. In order to become more competitive, raise growth, and improve the quality of life, there is a need for structural reform to improve productivity, reduce factor costs, and create the right business, legal, and political environment to attract economic activity.
The role of learning in normative and non-normative behavior

There are good reasons why social psychologists have emphasized the negative side of human reasoning. They are simply following humans' tendency to pay particular attention to unusual occurrences. Attempts to refocus attention onto a wider range of behavior should include the influence of learning on both normative and non-normative behavior.
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) - 3'UTR : a Kissing Complex Dependent Molecular Switch ?

With over 200 milllion people infected with the highly mutational hepatitis C virus (HCV), the need to find a conserved and functionally essential therapeutic target within the HCV genome is imperative. The 3′UTR of the HCV RNA genome, contains a 100% conserved 55 nucleotide (nt) sequence which has been proposed to be involved in interactions with a conserved sequence located within the HCV RNA coding region, interactions essential for HCV replication. Interestingly, the same 55 nt region has also been shown to be involved in the HCV genome dimerization through an unknown mechanism. In this study, we used different biophysical techniques to elucidate that the HCV RNA dimerization occurs through a kissing complex intermediate which is converted to a more stable duplex in the presence of the HCV core protein. We also provide for the first time direct experimental evidence for the interactions of the 3′UTR 55nt with the coding region of the HCV genome. Our results, which reveal dual ability of the HCV 3′UTR region to interact with both, the conserved HCV RNA sequence in the coding region, as well as with another HCV RNA genome, strongly suggest that the 3′UTR might serve as a molecular switch within the HCV life cycle for processes such as viral replication and packaging. Thus this region could serve as an extremely potential therapeutic target, allowing the inhibition of more than one process in the HCV life cycle.
Inflammatory activation of prostaglandin production by microglial cells antagonized by amyloid peptide.

The murine cell line MMGT-16 is of microglial origin and capable of releasing immunoinflammatory cytokines. When stimulated by the proinflammatory stimulus lipopolysaccharide (LPS), MMGT-16 cells secrete large amounts of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). This PGE(2) production is nearly abolished if amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta (1-40)) is present in the incubation medium. In addition, Abeta (1-40) inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) induction by LPS. Since these effects are not reproduced by the reverse control Abeta (40-1), these results suggest a novel, intriguing modulatory role for amyloid beta peptide in the inflammatory response of microglial cells.
Preemptive Scheduling to Minimize Maximum Completion Time on Uniform Processors with Memory Constraints

We consider the problem of preemptively scheduling n jobs on m processors. The ith job has a processing requirement pi and a memory requirement qi. The ith processor has a speed si and a memory capacity ci. The ith job can be run on the jth processor whenever cj â¥ qi. When all jobs have a deadline Di we develop an On log m time algorithm that finds a feasible schedule or determines that no such schedule exists. We then use this algorithm to find the minimum time by which all jobs can be completed in Onm log2m time.
Periphyton productivity on artificial and natural surfaces in constructed freshwater wetlands under different hydrologic regimes

Four constructed freshwater marshes in midwestern USA were subjected to two hydrologic regimes of turbid river water. Two wetlands (high flow) received 41 cm of water depth per week and the other two wetlands (low flow) received 6–9 cm week. Periphyton samplers near the inflow and outflow of all four wetlands measured dry weight, organic dry weight and chlorophyll a every 2 weeks for one growing season. We also estimated periphyton growth on the dominant macrophytes (Polygonum amphibium L., Polygonum pennsylvanicum L., Phalaris arundinacea L., Typha angustifolia L. and Typha latifolia L.) three times in all four wetlands. Periphyton growth on artificial surfaces was higher in the high flow wetlands (P<0.10). Inflow samplers in all wetlands had higher average chlorophyll a (0.4 vs. 0.2 μg cm−2), dry weight (3.0 vs. 1.0 mg cm−2) and organic dry weight (0.7 vs. 0.4 mg cm−2) than outflow samplers (P<0.10). Epiphyte chlorophyll a, dry weight and organic dry weight, were highest on Polygonum spp. and lowest on Typha spp. (P<0.10). Net epiphyte productivity ranged from 2 to 85 g carbon m−2 per year and was highest in a high flow wetland. Higher productivity in high flow wetlands and near the inflow was attributed to higher nutrient availability.
INTRODUCTION: VICTORIAN STUDIES AND CULTURAL STUDIES

THE IDEA FOR THIS CLUSTER of work had its origins in a session of the 1996 Modern Language Association Convention in Washington, D. C., where the editors of Victorian Literature and Culture organized a panel devoted to the topic at hand: “Victorian Studies and Cultural Studies.” The panel presentations and the post-panel discussion were extremely stimulating, and it was clear that the rich topic wanted further consideration. The following selection of essays, gathered together under this journal’s special feature, the “Editors’ Topic,” is the result. Here, then, are four articles representing a range of practice — though not, by any means, the entire range of practice — in the intersecting fields of Victorian studies and cultural studies. The articles are followed by fourteen forum essays presenting an array of pressing issues, arguments, and sharp opinions centering in the relations — past, present, and potential — between Victorian studies and cultural studies. Three of the following eighteen pieces were presented (and those in shorter, nascent form) at the MLA: Mary Ellis Gibson’s article on Henry Martyn, Jane Eyre, and Missionary Biography, Kristen Leaver’s consideration of Victorian melodrama, and my brief ruminations on the concepts of “discourse” and “genre.” All the rest were commissioned for this issue of Victorian Literature and Culture.
Abstract PL04-02: Targeting MEK in KRAS mutant lung cancer.

Despite all of the success in targeted therapies for NSCLC, treatment of KRAS mutant NSCLC has been much more challenging. In Caucasian patients, KRAS mutant NSCLC is the most common subset of NSCLC. Therapeutic development of agents specifically targeting KRAS have been unsuccessful. However, recent preclinical and clinical studies suggest that targeting MEK may have some efficacy in KRAS mutant NSCLC. MEK inhibitors selumetinib (AZD6244) and trametinib (GSK1120212) are undergoing clinical development in previously treated KRAS mutant NSCLC patients. A randomized phase II clinical trial of selumetinib/docetaxel vs. docetaxel demonstrated a significant improvement in radiographic response (RR) rate (37% vs. 0%) and progression free survival (PFS) (5.3 vs. 2.1 months) and a numerical increase in overall survival (OS) (9.4 vs. 5.2 months) all in favor of the selumetinib combination. A phase III trial comparing selumetinib/docetaxel to docetaxel alone is currently underway. The trametinib study compared single agent trametinib to docetaxel in a similar patient population. In this study, the PFS was similar for both trametinib and docetaxel (11.7 and 11.4 weeks, respectively) as was the RR (12% in each arm). Additional studies are underway. Recent preclinical studies also suggest that the presence or absence of the tumor suppressor gene, LKB1, may impact the efficacy of selumetinib/docetaxel in a murine model of KRAS mutant NSCLC. LKB1 loss is detected in ∼ 30% of KRAS mutant cancers. In addition, there may be differences in patient outcomes based on the subtype of KRAS mutations. The impact and strategies to evaluate LKB1 loss and the subtypes of KRAS mutations in ongoing clinical trials of MEK inhibitors will be discussed. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):PL04-02. Citation Format: Pasi A. Janne. Targeting MEK in KRAS mutant lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr PL04-02.
The Effects of Telematics on Driver Distraction

This study used both cellular phones and analogue radio to measure driver distraction and workload in a low fidelity driving simulator. Thirty-four participants performed a simulated driving task while using either a cell phone or a radio in conjunction with a secondary task assessing their spare attentional capacity. The results showed that more lane deviations were made during the cell phone and radio tuning use than both of the pre-allocation and Post-allocation phases. The secondary task errors were also higher during both the cell phone and radio tuning allocation phase than the pre-allocation and post-allocation phases. These findings indicate the greater workload load levels associated with the use of telemetric devices, These findings have major implications for driver safety and telemetric systems design.
The specter of glycopeptide resistance: current trends and future considerations

Abstract Two glycopeptide antibiotics, vancomycin and teicoplanin, are currently available for clinical use in various parts of the world, whereas a third, avoparcin, is available for use in agricultural applications and in veterinary medicine in some countries. Because of their outstanding activity against a broad spectrum of gram-positive bacteria, vancomycin and teicoplanin have often been considered the drugs of "last resort" for serious infections due to drug-resistant gram-positive pathogens. Glycopeptides had been in clinical use for almost 30 years before high-level resistance, first reported in enterococcal species, emerged. More recently, there have been disturbing reports of low- and intermediate-level resistance to vancomycin in strains of Staphylococcus aureus . A review of earlier reports reveals, however, that S. aureus strains with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides were first identified >40 years ago. Such strains may occur in nature or may have developed low-level mutational resistance in response to the selection pressure of glycopeptide therapy. Of considerably greater concern is the possibility that vancomycin resistance genes found in enterococci may be transferred to more virulent organisms such as staphylococci or Streptococcus pneumoniae .
Five-year frequency stability of a Zeeman stabilized laser

A five-year record of the lockpoint frequency of a Zeeman stabilized laser shows an observed drift rate of 0.3 +/- 0.5 MHz/yr following an initial drift of 5.7 +/- 2.2 MHz/yr in the first eighteen months of intermittent operation. A second Zeeman laser drifted at a rate of -0.8 +/- 1.0 MHz/yr over the last 2.5 yr; the frequency drift was -0.2 +/- 0.6 MHz/yr over the last 3.3y r. Empirical temperature correctionsto laser frequency measurements produce a slight variance reduction in the data but no effective bias in the drift estimates.
Changes in Morphology and Optical Properties of Sclera due to Hyperosmotic agent

The primary and the secondary goals of this study were to investigate the change in morphology and optical properties of sclera due to a hyperosmotic agent i.e. 100% anhydrous glycerol. We performed our experiments in vivo on the sclera of 8 rabbits and 3 miniature pigs. All the animals were under anesthetic for the entire experiment according to an approved protocol. The position of the eye was stabilized with a suture placed in the limbus. Glycerol was delivered to sclera in 2 methods (i) injection (using a hypodermic needle 27G ½), (ii) direct application after 0.3 cm incision at conjunctiva. A camera attached to a slit lamp was used to capture the morphological changes of the sclera. For the secondary goal we used a diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) system with a linear fiber arrangement to measure reflectance from the sclera before and after application of glycerol. The probe source-detector separation was set to 370 μm for optimal penetration depth. We fit the measured diffuse reflectance to a Lookup Table (LUT)-based inverse model specific to our probe geometry to determine the scattering and absorption properties of the sclera. This method estimated the size and density of scatterers, absorbers-blood volume fraction, melanin concentration, oxygen saturation, and blood vessel size. The results illustrated that the initial clearing of sclera started 3 minutes after injecting glycerol to sclera. The sclera became completely transparent at 8 minutes and stayed clear for 10-15 minutes. During this time the choroid layer was visible through sclera. The clear sclera became less transparent over next 11 minutes and became completely opaque once we applied 0.9% saline to hydrate the sclera. These dehydration and hydration cycles were repeated 4 times for each eye and the results were consistent for all animal models. When glycerol was applied directly to sclera after the incision at the conjunctiva, the sclera became transparent instantaneously. For the secondary goal, the changes in optical properties of sclera were monitored during the dehydration and hydration cycles. The reduced scattering coefficient decreased when glycerol was injected and it further reduced with direct application. The scattering increased after re-hydration. We also measured the blood volume fraction, melanin concentration, oxygen saturation, and blood vessels diameter to calculate absorption coefficient with the DOS system. This study provided a novel way to identify morphological changes of sclera in addition to measuring changes in optical properties due to hyper osmotic agent. The changes in optical properties were consistent with the morphological changes in sclera during the dehydration and hydration cycles.
Genetic programming system for building block analysis to enhance data analysis and data mining techniques

Recently, many computerized data mining tools and environments have been proposed for finding interesting patterns in large data collections. These tools employ techniques that originate from research in various areas, such as machine learning, statistical data analysis, and visualization. Each of these techniques makes assumptions concerning the composition of the data collection to be analyzed. If the particular data collection does not meet these assumptions well, the technique usually performs poorly. For example, decision tree tools, such as C4.5, rely on rectangular approximations, which do not perform well if the boundaries between different classes have other shapes, such as a 45 degree line or elliptical shapes. However, if we could find a transformation f that transforms the original attribute space, in which class boundaries are more, better rectangular approximations could be obtained. In this paper, we address the problem of finding such transformations f. We describe the features of the tool, WOLS, whose goal is the discovery of ingredients for such transformation functions f, which we call building blocks. The tool employs genetic programming and symbolic regression for this purpose. We also present and discuss the results of case studies, using the building block analysis tool, in the areas of decision tree learning and regression analysis.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Subunit-specific polyclonal antibody targeting human ρ1 GABAC receptor

The GABAC receptor, a postsynaptic membrane receptor expressed prominently in the retina, is a ligand-gated ion channel that consists of a combination of ρ subunits. We report characterization of a novel guinea pig polyclonal antibody, termed GABAC Ab N-14, directed against a 14-mer peptide (N-14) of the extracellular domain of the human ρ1 subunit. The antibody exhibits high sensitivity for N-14 by ELISA. In Western blots, GABAC Ab N-14 shows reactivity with the ρ1 subunit of preparations obtained from ρ1 GABAC-expressing neuroblastoma cells, Xenopus oocytes, and mammalian retina and brain. Flow cytometry reveals a rightward shift in mean fluorescence intensity of GABAC-expressing neuroblastoma cells probed with GABAC Ab N-14. Immunostaining of neuroblastoma cells and oocytes with GABAC Ab N-14 yields fluorescence only with GABAC-expressing cells. Antibody binding has no effect on GABA-elicited membrane current responses. Immunostaining of human retinal sections shows preferential staining within the inner plexiform layer. GABAC Ab N-14 appears well suited for investigative studies of GABAC ρ1 subunit in retina and other neural tissues.
Design and synthesis of a fluorescent reporter of protein kinase activity.

There is widespread interest in developing fluorescent reporters of protein kinase activity, species that can furnish a visual readout of both when and where intracellular kinases are activated in response to a stimulus. We have constructed and identified, via a combination of rational design, library synthesis, and screening, a difluorofluorescein-appended peptide-based species that responds to protein kinase C phosphorylation in a fluorescently sensitive fashion. The phosphorylation-induced divalent metal ion-mediated 265% enhancement in fluorescence proceeds with a Vmax of 8.5 μmol/min·mg and a Km of 20.5 μM.
A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR EVALUATING RESPIRATOR PERFORMANCE

Abstract Evaluation of respirators used for protection against dusts, fumes, and mists significantly more toxic than lead can be conducted utilizing a uranine aerosol with a geometric mean size of 0.20 micron. The uranine aerosol is introduced into an exposure helmet chamber which permits exposure of the subject wearing the respirator to concentrations of below 4 mg/m3. The aerosol is collected continuously outside the respirator and during inhalation in the respirator void with membrane filters. Uranine analysis by fluorescence permits evaluation of respirator penetration as low as 0.05% in a fifteen minute study with an exposure concentration of 3 mg/m3.
Measurement and Modeling of the n-channel and p-channel MOSFET's Inversion Layer Mobility at Room and Low Temperature Operation

A new semi-empirical model for the electron and hole mobilities of the MOSFET inversion layers is proposed. This model takes into account the dependence of Coulombic, phonon, and surface roughness scattering on temperature and transverse field over a wide range of values (77 K ≤ T ≤ 343 K and transverse fields up to 1.36 MV/cm). For the first time, the magnitude of the key parameter η in defining the effective transverse field is found to be a continuous function of temperature for both electrons and holes. The Eeff dependences of the universal curves are observed to differ between the electrons and holes, particularly at low temperatures. The proposed model, verified by comparison of experimental data and simulated MOSFET I-V characteristics at different temperatures, can be easily incorporated into 2-D device simulators for device and circuit simulation.