cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glucocorticoid Clearance and Metabolite Profiling in an In Vitro Human Airway Epithelium Lung Model

The emergence of microphysiologic epithelial lung models using human cells in a physiologically relevant microenvironment has the potential to be a powerful tool for preclinical drug development and to improve predictive power regarding in vivo drug clearance. In this study, an in vitro model of the airway comprising human primary lung epithelial cells cultured in a microfluidic platform was used to establish a physiologic state and to observe metabolic changes as a function of glucocorticoid exposure. Evaluation of mucus production rate and barrier function, along with lung-specific markers, demonstrated that the lungs maintained a differentiated phenotype. Initial concentrations of 100 nM hydrocortisone (HC) and 30 nM cortisone (C) were used to evaluate drug clearance and metabolite production. Measurements made using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and high-mass-accuracy mass spectrometry indicated that HC metabolism resulted in the production of C and dihydrocortisone (diHC). When the airway model was exposed to C, diHC was identified; however, no conversion to HC was observed. Multicompartmental modeling was used to characterize the lung bioreactor data, and pharmacokinetic parameters, including elimination clearance and elimination half-life, were estimated. Polymerse chain reaction data confirmed overexpression of 11-β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (11βHSD2) over 11βHSD1, which is biologically relevant to human lung. Faster metabolism was observed relative to a static model on elevated rates of C and diHC formation. Overall, our results demonstrate that this lung airway model has been successfully developed and could interact with other human tissues in vitro to better predict in vivo drug behavior.
International Insolvency Law & International Arbitration - A Preliminary Perspective

International insolvency law and international arbitration law have historically existed in separate worlds that have rarely intersected. However, the time has come to give more serious consideration to whether, and to what extent, international arbitration can provide useful assistance in international insolvency cases. The principal attraction for using international arbitration in the context of international insolvency cases arises from the fact that international arbitral decisions are enforceable in 150 countries, including virtually all of the nations engaged in international trade and commerce. This results from the adoption of the New York Convention in 150 countries. Thus an arbitral decision issued in an insolvency case can be enforced essentially worldwide. Enforceability in another country of an insolvency decision, in contrast, is more limited. Full enforceability is generally available in the European Union under the E.U. Insolvency Regulation (except Denmark). Outside the European Union, the principal legal authority for recognition of insolvency orders and judgments is the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (“the Model Law”), which has been adopted in some 40 countries. The first step in addressing this issue is to understand the nature and extent of the differences between arbitration and insolvency law, especially at the international level. This paper contains some preliminary observations for developing this topic.
A model of rapid phonotactic generalization

The phonotactics of a language describes the ways in which the sounds of the language combine to form possible morphemes and words. Humans can learn phonotactic patterns at the level of abstract classes, generalizing across sounds (e.g., “words can end in a voiced stop”). Moreover, they rapidly acquire these generalizations, even before they acquire soundspecific patterns. We present a probabilistic model intended to capture this early
Book Review: Black Markets: The Supply and Demand of Body Parts

The Author reviews Michele Goodwin’s book Black Markets: The Supply and Demand of Body Parts, published by Cambridge University Press, 2006. The book discusses the shortage of cadaveric organs available for transplantation. It argues that the shortage disproportionately impacts racial minorities. It then analyzes existing organ procurement laws and proposed alternatives, with a focus on market solutions.Black Markets is impeccably researched and persuasively argued, though some of its points are certainly controversial. The book is aimed at and very accessible to a general audience, but it will also prove interesting and informative to legal, medical and public health academic audiences. Even those readers who disagree with its proposals for reform of the organ procurement and allocation system will find the book informative and helpful in strengthening their understanding of the ethics, law and policy that affect organ transplantation in the United States. The book provides provocative and insightful material with which to continue the conversation about transplant policy.
Using reflection to evaluate student learning in ambulatory care IPPEs

Abstract Purpose Gather insight from student pharmacists about what they learned and whether objectives of an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) were achieved in an academic-based ambulatory care site. Methods Students wrote post-reflective essays after their first ambulatory care-site visit. They reflected upon their previous assumptions of ambulatory care, and the roles and skills required of pharmacists in this setting. Additionally, students ranked their interest in ambulatory care pre- and post-IPPE. Post-reflection essays were analyzed for recurring themes using a constant comparison method and a respondent validation method was employed to confirm these findings. Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test was used to analyze student interest in ambulatory care and descriptive statistics were used, as appropriate. Results Overall, 70 reflection articles were analyzed. Assumptions of ambulatory care were either incorrect or proved to be more than what was expected for 60% of students. Based on the themes identified, students learned most about the collaborative practice model, chronic disease state management, and the time commitment necessary for outcomes. Regarding skills required of a pharmacist, students discussed the need for a strong knowledge base, communication, and ability to transfer these skills from one setting to another. Interest in ambulatory care increased after the site visit ( p Conclusions With intentional reflection, ambulatory care IPPEs can serve as a meaningful outlet for learning while also achieving IPPE objectives.
Multistage Triaxial Testing to Estimate Effective Stress Relationships for Unsaturated Compacted Soils

This paper presents an experimental methodology for using multistage, drained triaxial tests on compacted soils under unsaturated conditions to estimate soil-specific relationships between mean effective stress and matric suction. Tests were performed by applying a matric suction to a soil specimen in a triaxial cell using the axis translation technique with back-pressure, then shearing the specimen under drained conditions until reaching stress-path tangency. The specimen was then unloaded, a new suction was applied, and the shearing process was repeated. The points of maximum principal stress difference for the unsaturated specimen were plotted versus mean effective stress, defined using the degree of saturation as the effective stress parameter, and they were found to correspond well with the critical state line defined from triaxial tests on saturated specimens. The suction stress for the compacted soil tested in this study was observed to increase nonlinearly with suction, tending toward a constant value with increasing suction. Although there are potential changes in soil structure in the specimen during loading, unloading, and reloading, the results indicate that the multistage testing method may be useful for estimating soil-specific effective stress parameters for compacted soils in unsaturated conditions. Furthermore, the fact that differences in the soil-water retention curve of soil specimens subjected to different net confining pressures were observed for the soil tested in this study emphasizes the importance of using soil-specific tests to validate predictive relationships between suction stress and matric suction.
The Value Approach to Pricing: Planning for Demand

This chapter instructs on how to prepare a load forecast for both the short-run and long-range. The latter involves conforming the forecast to a strategic plan and accommodating it to the limits of available supply. Often the difficult issue of market share must be faced. Procedural issues are encountered: should the forecast indicate a single trend or include a range of trends? Availability of the product, the reliability of supply, and the anticipated impact of public-awareness programs, such as conservation, must each be considered. The higher importance of forecasts involving public-policy issues is emphasized.
Color-Pure Violet-Light-Emitting Diodes Based on Layered Lead Halide Perovskite Nanoplates.

Violet electroluminescence is rare in both inorganic and organic light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Low-cost and room-temperature solution-processed lead halide perovskites with high-efficiency and color-tunable photoluminescence are promising for LEDs. Here, we report room-temperature color-pure violet LEDs based on a two-dimensional lead halide perovskite material, namely, 2-phenylethylammonium (C6H5CH2CH2NH3+, PEA) lead bromide [(PEA)2PbBr4]. The natural quantum confinement of two-dimensional layered perovskite (PEA)2PbBr4 allows for photoluminescence of shorter wavelength (410 nm) than its three-dimensional counterpart. By converting as-deposited polycrystalline thin films to micrometer-sized (PEA)2PbBr4 nanoplates using solvent vapor annealing, we successfully integrated this layered perovskite material into LEDs and achieved efficient room-temperature violet electroluminescence at 410 nm with a narrow bandwidth. This conversion to nanoplates significantly enhanced the crystallinity and photophysical prop...
Eyewitness Identification: Research, Reform, and Reversal

Eyewitness identification research and reform are being reconsidered in light of research suggesting that reforms that were once thought to increase identification accuracy may have little effect on accuracy or may actually decrease accuracy. This article addresses three questions: How should eyewitness identification procedures be evaluated? How can the research-policy collaboration prevent policy revisions and reversals? And how can the research-policy collaboration prepare for revisions and reversals?
Abbe and Estlander Flaps

The Abbe and Estlander flaps are useful in the reconstruction of large, full-thickness upper or lower lip defects. Such defects may be the result of trauma, excision of neoplasm or other. The Abbe flap is designed towards the middle of the lip, while the Estlander flap is designed around the commissure. Smaller defects generally do not require such an extensive reconstructive option. The Abbe flap is particularly well suited to reconstruct the distinct anatomy of the philtral columns. It may be rotated from the lower lip to the upper lip or vice versa. In either case, it is based on the labial artery, which runs close to the border of the lip. It is performed as a two-stage reconstruction in which the flap is rotated at one stage and divided weeks later at another.
Redox Regulation of Cytochrome C Oxidase Assembly

Cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the last enzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, is the major oxygen consumer enzyme in the cell. COX biogenesis involves several redox-regulated steps. The process is highly regulated to prevent the formation of pro-oxidant intermediates. Regulation of COX assembly involves several reactive oxygen species and redox-regulated steps. One type of control targets the heme A-containing cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1), a key COX enzymatic core subunit translated on mitochondrial ribosomes. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Cox1 synthesis and COX assembly are coordinated through a negative feedback regulatory loop. This coordination is mediated by Mss51, a heme-sensing COX1 mRNA-specific processing factor and translational activator that is also a Cox1 chaperone. We have recently reported that Mss51 hemylation and Mss51-mediated Cox1 synthesis are both modulated by the reduction-oxidation (redox) environment. In vitro and in vivo exposure to hydrogen peroxide induces the formation of a disulfide bond in Mss51 involving CPX motif heme-coordinating cysteines. Mss51 oxidation results in a heme ligand switch, thereby lowering heme-binding affinity and promoting its release. We demonstrate that in addition to affecting Mss51-dependent heme sensing, oxidative stress compromises Mss51 roles in COX1 mRNA processing and translation. We conclude that the redox environment modulates Mss51 functions, which are essential for regulation of COX biogenesis and aerobic energy production.
Software Development Team Dynamics:Control, Coordination, and Secure Software

In secure software has resulted of millions of dollars of company’s revenue as complex organizational systems are often software intensive. Researchers are still interested in the impact of the people involved, the process used and the project characteristics. This study looks at the security awareness and maturity level of those involved in the development process coupled with the management of the process to identify factors that lead to enhanced secure software development. Following a survey of prior literature, it is hypothesized that software development team members’ security awareness and maturity affect the design of software in a distributed context. Due to the nature of work of distributed team members, the relationship between team security awareness and maturity coordination on secure software design are also posited to be impacted by control types and coordination mechanisms. We contribute to literature by expanding the understanding of the process of creating secure software.
The Divine Comedy at Corinth: Paul, Menander and the Rhetoric of Resurrection

This article asks how the New Comedy of Menander might have influenced Paul's theological rhetoric in 1 Cor 5–15. An intertextual reading of Paul's letter against the backdrop of Menander's Samia reveals a number of shared topics, ethical concerns and dramatic characteristics. Paul's citation of Menander's Thais in 1 Cor 15.33 is part of this larger strategy to frame the struggles in Corinth within the ambit of Greek household ‘situation comedy’. Like Menander, Paul hybridises tragic and comic motifs throughout his epistle, inflecting the comedy of the Christ narrative with tragic examples of human misapprehension in this plea for ecclesial reconciliation.
The New AI: Basic Concepts, and Urgent Risks and Opportunities in the Internet of Things

Abstract For many decades, mainstream artificial intelligence (AI) refused to believe that deep learning with neural networks and backpropagation offer true brain-like general intelligence, despite numerous successes on tough engineering problems and mathematical advances. The tide changed in 2009 due to a $2 million NSF grant to Ng and LeCun which I signed off on, despite fierce objections which in today's US government environment would have prevented the action. Empirical success on well-known challenge problems led to follow-ons by DARPA, then by Google, and then a flood of interest by competitors trying to keep up. There are huge investments pursuing new applications of methods known and proven before 1990, but also a huge reservoir of more powerful methods proven out in engineering which have yet to be exploited in computer science, including mathematical principles which (along with related physics) begin to give us a real functional understanding of how the human brain and mind achieve their intelligence. The “Terminator” risk with AI is very serious, but as the Internet of Things (IOT) takes over the world, the risks of artificial stupidity (AS) are just as serious. There is an urgent need for us to develop new interfaces and integrated platforms, using more powerful AI in a human-friendly way along with more advanced unbreakable operating systems, quantum technology, and systems to fully support the deepest human potential. If we do not move quickly and effectively enough to develop more benign possibilities, the survival of humanity is at stake (see www.werbos.com/IT_big_picture.pdf ).
Disgust, Need for Affect, and Responses to Microbiome Research

Contributing to the literature on affective processing and attitude formation, this study investigates the effects of a discrete emotion (disgust) and an emotional disposition (need for affect [NFA]) on support for regulation in the context of microbiome research. Data from a web-based experiment (N = 1,005) showed that experienced disgust mediated the effect of disgust-eliciting information on support for regulation. This mediated relationship was moderated by NFA. More specifically, NFA moderated the path between experienced disgust and regulatory attitudes but not that between message exposure and experienced disgust. The two dimensions of NFA played different moderating roles: Emotional approach amplified the relationship between disgust and the attitudinal outcome, whereas emotional avoidance attenuated it. The study furthers understanding about how NFA influences emotional processing and contributes to research on disgust as a relatively understudied discrete emotion.
An Early Compilation of Saturn Observations from Babylon

In this paper, I publish and analyse a compilation of observations of the synodic phenomena of Saturn from Babylon, which can be dated to the early sixth century b.c. By comparing these observation...
Assessment of Job Satisfaction and Feeling Valued in Academic Medicine.

This cross-sectional survey study examines the factors associated with satisfaction at work in academic health care centers.
The Barrier Molecules Junction Plakoglobin, Filaggrin, and Dystonin Play Roles in Melanoma Growth and Angiogenesis.

Objective To understand role of barrier molecules in melanomas. Background We have reported poor patient survival and low immune infiltration of melanomas that overexpress a set of genes that include filaggrin (FLG), dystonin (DST), junction plakoglobin (JUP), and plakophilin-3 (PKP3), and are involved in cell-cell adhesions. We hypothesized that these associations are causal, either by interfering with immune cell infiltration or by enhancing melanoma cell growth. Methods FLG and DST were knocked out by CRISPR/Cas9 in human DM93 and murine B16-F1 melanoma cells. PKP3 and JUP were overexpressed in murine B16-AAD and human VMM39 melanoma cells by lentiviral transduction. These cell lines were evaluated in vitro for cell proliferation and in vivo for tumor burden, immune composition, cytokine expression, and vascularity. Results Immune infiltrates were not altered by these genes. FLG/DST knockout reduced proliferation of human DM93 melanoma in vitro, and decreased B16-F1 tumor burden in vivo. Overexpression of JUP, but not PKP3, in B16-AAD significantly increased tumor burden, increased VEGF-A, reduced IL-33, and enhanced vascularity. Conclusions FLG and DST support melanoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Growth effects of JUP were only evident in vivo, and may be mediated, in part, by enhancing angiogenesis. In addition, growth-promoting effects of FLG and DST in vitro suggest that these genes may also support melanoma cell proliferation through angiogenesis-independent pathways. These findings identify FLG, DST, and JUP as novel therapeutic targets whose down-regulation may provide clinical benefit to patients with melanoma.
Perfluoroalkyl substances and likelihood of stroke in persons with and without diabetes.

Objective:The main objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship of perfluoroalkyl substances with stroke and any modifying influence of diabetes.Methods:Data on 3921 adults aged ⩾20 year...
Transgenic expression of GFP-LC3 perturbs autophagy in exocrine pancreas and acute pancreatitis responses in mice

Pancreatitis is a common, sometimes fatal, disease of exocrine pancreas, initiated by damaged acinar cells. Recent studies implicate disordered macroautophagy/autophagy in pancreatitis pathogenesis. ATG8/LC3 protein is critical for autophagosome formation and a widely used marker of autophagic vacuoles. Transgenic GFP-LC3 mice are a valuable tool to investigate autophagy ; however, comparison of homeostatic and disease responses between GFP-LC3 and wild-type (WT) mice has not been done. We examined the effects of GFP-LC3 expression on autophagy, acinar cell function, and experimental pancreatitis. Unexpectedly, GFP-LC3 expression markedly increased endogenous LC3-II level in pancreas, caused by downregulation of ATG4B, the protease that deconjugates/delipidates LC3-II. By contrast, GFP-LC3 expression had lesser or no effect on autophagy in liver, lung and spleen. Autophagic flux analysis showed that autophagosome formation in GFP-LC3 acinar cells increased 3-fold but was not fully counterbalanced by increased autophagic degradation. Acinar cell (ex vivo) pancreatitis inhibited autophagic flux in WT and essentially blocked it in GFP-LC3 cells. In vivo pancreatitis caused autophagy impairment in WT mice, manifest by upregulation of LC3-II and SQSTM1/p62, increased number and size of autophagic vacuoles, and decreased level of TFEB, all of which were exacerbated in GFP-LC3 mice. GFP-LC3 expression affected key pancreatitis responses; most dramatically, it worsened increases in serum AMY (amylase), a diagnostic marker of acute pancreatitis, in several mouse models. The results emphasize physiological importance of autophagy for acinar cell function, demonstrate organ-specific effects of GFP-LC3 expression, and indicate that application of GFP-LC3 mice in disease models should be done with caution.Abbreviations: AP: acute pancreatitis; Arg-AP: L-arginine-induced acute pancreatitis; ATG: autophagy-related (protein); AVs: autophagic vacuoles; CCK: cholecystokinin-8; CDE: choline-deficient, D,L-ethionine supplemented diet; CER: caerulein (ortholog of CCK); CTSB: cathepsin B; CTSD: cathepsin D; CTSL: cathepsin L; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; LAMP: lysosomal-associated membrane protein; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; TFEB: transcription factor EB; ZG: zymogen granule(s).
1 – Global Dimensions

Publisher Summary This chapter throws light on global dimensions on earth and its atmosphere. The chapter illustrates that the Earth system, as an entity in the cosmos, exists within an envelope of gases that are kept from escaping into the space by gravitational attraction to the planet below. Below 90 kilometers is the thin atmospheric region called “the homosphere”, where gases are well mixed with a highly uniform composition throughout. Moreover, subdivisions of the homosphere are distinguished by temperature zones at different altitudes. Troposphere is the principal layer that connects climate, weather, and life across the planet. Most of the water vapor and other ‘‘greenhouse gases'’ associated with insulating and retaining heat at the Earth's surface exist in the troposphere. Subsequently, the baseline or zero point for determining altitudes in the atmosphere is the sea level. In the Earth system, the largest water reservoir is the ocean. Water is the common environmental feature that makes life possible. It is the major constituent of metabolizing cells in all known life forms. The second largest non-marine reservoir occurs in the ground, with more than 20% of the freshwater on Earth. Finally, each life stage has a unique discrete history unto itself, and at the same time is linked with and often preconditioning future circumstances—as in the Earth system and human civilization.
Clinical characteristics and anti-PD-(L)1 treatment outcomes of KRAS-G12C mutant lung cancer compared to other molecular subtypes of KRAS-mutant lung cancer.

9596Background: KRAS mutations are identified in approximately 30% of NSCLC. There are no FDA approved targeted therapies for patients with KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but novel ...
Biological and Organic Chemical Decomposition of Silicates

The weathering of silicate rocks and minerals, an important concern of geologists and geochemists for many years, traditionally has been approached from strictly physical and chemical points of view. Biological effects were either unrecognized, ignored, or were mentioned in passing to account for such phenomena as the accumulation of organic matter in sediments or the generation of reducing environments. A major exception occurred in soil science where agricultural scientists, studying the factors important in the development of soils and their ability to nourish and sustain various crops, laid the foundation for much of what is known of the biological breakdown of silicate rocks and minerals. The advent of the space age accelerated the realization that many environmental problems and geo- chemical processes on Earth can only be understood in terms of ecosystems. This in turn, spurred renewed interest and activity among modem biologists, geologists and soil scientists attempting to unravel the intimate relations between biology and the weathering of silicate rocks and minerals of the earth surface.
Cuffed endotracheal tubes in neonates and infants of less than 3 kg body weight-A retrospective audit.

BACKGROUND Large prospective clinical studies have shown that modern cuffed pediatric tracheal tubes can be used safely, even in children weighing ≥ 3 kg. There is a growing interest in their use in children weighing less than 3 kg so that they, too, can benefit from the potential advantages, particularly the high probability of these tubes fitting into and sealing the pediatric airway at the first intubation attempt. This study aimed to find a cut-off body weight for procedures requiring a cuffed tracheal tube to seal the airway in children weighing less than 3 kg and to evaluate the frequency and predictive factors for the requirement to place a cuffed instead of an uncuffed tracheal tube. METHODS This study was a retrospective analysis of 269 children weighing 2000-2999 g, primarily intubated by pediatric anesthetists. Frequency of intubation with uncuffed Sheridan tubes versus cuffed Microcuff$^{®}$ Pediatric Endotracheal Tube (PET) 3.0 mm ID was studied. Predictive variables were assessed by means of logistic regression analysis. The ROC curve for weight at intubation time and Youden index were calculated. RESULTS 149 (55.4%) children were finally intubated with a cuffed tracheal tube. Logistic regression demonstrated that body weight at tracheal intubation and birth weight were the strongest predictors for the appropriateness of cuffed/uncuffed tracheal tubes. The threshold weight at tracheal intubation was 2700 g for a probability > 50 % of using a cuffed tracheal tube. CONCLUSION Half of the children weighing 2000-2999 g received a Microcuff$^{®}$ PET 3.0 mm ID, especially those with a body weight above 2700 g. Because of the anatomical dimensions in patients with a body weight of 2000-2999 g, cuffed tracheal tubes with smaller outer diameters may be required to better fit their airways.
Computing Stabilizing Linear Controllers via Policy Iteration

In recent years, a wide number of theoretical papers have focused on reinforcement learning approaches to the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) problem. However, nearly all of these papers assume that an initial stabilizing controller is given. This paper gives a model-free, off-policy reinforcement learning algorithm for computing a stabilizing controller for deterministic LQR problems with unknown dynamics and cost matrices. When the system is stabilizable, a controller which is guaranteed to stabilize the system is computed after finitely many steps. Furthermore, the solution converges to the optimal LQR gain.
Fabric evolution and crack propagation in salt during consolidation and cyclic compression tests

It is of great interest to describe and quantify the evolution of microstructure for a better understanding of rock deformation processes. In this study, 2D microstructure images of salt rock are analyzed at several stages of consolidation tests and cyclic compression tests to quantify the evolution of the magnitude and orientation of solidity, coordination, local solid volume fraction, and crack volume. In both the consolidation and the cyclic compression tests, the deformation of aggregates achieved by grain rearrangement is greater than that achieved by the deformation of an individual grain. In the consolidation test, the aggregates are rearranged into horizontal layers of coordinated grains, the orientation distribution of grain indentations is quasi-uniform, and the size of the pores reduces and becomes more uniformly distributed. As a result, salt rock microstructure becomes more homogeneous. The increase in local solid volume fraction in the lateral direction is correlated with an increase in the oedometer modulus. In the cyclic compression tests, grain-to-grain contact areas decrease due to the redistribution of grains and the propagation of intergranular cracks. Aggregates are reorganized into columns of coordinated grains. Intergranular opening-mode cracks tend to develop in the axial direction, while intergranular shear-mode cracks propagate preferentially in the lateral direction. The lateral components of the fabric tensors of coordination and local solid volume fraction decrease, which result in an increase in the Poisson’s ratio. The fabric descriptors used in this work allow a better quantification and understanding of halite deformation processes and can be used in other types of rocks encountering similar deformation mechanisms.
Any day, split halfway: Flexibility in scheduling high-dose cisplatin-A large retrospective review from a high-volume cancer center.

High-dose (HD) cisplatin remains the standard of care with chemoradiation for locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Cooperative group trials mandate bolus-HD (100 mg/m2 × 1 day, every 3 weeks) cisplatin administration at the beginning of the week to optimize radiosensitization-a requirement which may be unnecessary. This analysis evaluates the impact of chemotherapy administration day of week (DOW) on outcomes. We also report our institutional experience with an alternate dosing schedule, split-HD (50 mg/m2 × 2 days, every 3 weeks). We retrospectively reviewed 435 definitive chemoradiation OPC patients from 10 December 2001 to 23 December 2014. Those receiving non-HD cisplatin regimens or induction chemotherapy were excluded. Data collected included DOW, dosing schedule (bolus-HD vs split-HD), smoking, total cumulative dose (TCD), stage, Karnofsky Performance Status, human papillomavirus status and creatinine (baseline, peak and posttreatment baseline). Local failure (LF), regional failure (RF), locoregional failure (LRF), distant metastasis (DM), any failure (AF, either LRF or DM) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from radiation therapy start. Median follow-up was 8.0 years (1.8 months-17.0 years). DOW, dosing schedule and TCD were not associated with any outcomes in univariable or multivariable regression models. There was no statistically significant difference in creatinine or association with TCD in split-HD vs bolus-HD. There was no statistically significant association between DOW and outcomes, suggesting that cisplatin could be administered any day. Split-HD had no observed differences in outcomes, renal toxicity or TCD compared to bolus-HD cisplatin. Our data suggest that there is some flexibility of when and how to give HD cisplatin compared to clinical trial mandates.
Social-Emotional Functioning in Preschool-Aged Children With Cancer: Comparisons Between Children With Brain and Non-CNS Solid Tumors.

OBJECTIVES The preschool years (ages 4-6) are essential for the development of social-emotional skills, such as problem solving, emotion regulation, and conflict resolution. For children with cancer treated during this period, especially those with brain tumors, there are questions regarding the consequences of missed normative social experiences. The objective of this pilot study was to explore the social-emotional functioning of young children with brain tumors, as compared to those with non-CNS solid tumors, who have recently completed treatment. METHODS Children with brain (n = 23) or solid tumors (n = 20) 4-6 years of age (5.42 ± 0.73 years; 60.5% male, 65.1% white) who were 8.21 (SD = 2.42) months post-treatment completed objective measures (Challenging Situations Task, NEPSY-II) of social functioning while a caregiver completed questionnaires (e.g., BASC-3, NIH Toolbox Emotion Measures). RESULTS A large portion of the sample (brain tumor: 65.2%, solid tumor: 44.4%) fell in the clinical range on parent-report measures of peer interaction. There were no statistically significant differences between patient groups across measures, but effect sizes suggest youth with brain tumors potentially experienced more difficulties on some indices. All children were more likely to choose prosocial responses when presented with a challenging social situation where they were physically provoked (e.g., hit) versus socially provoked (e.g., left out). CONCLUSIONS Preschool-aged children with cancer may experience weaknesses in social functioning shortly after treatment, with youth with brain tumors potentially demonstrating greater concerns. Emphasizing social interaction is critical to ensure young children have the opportunity to develop critical social-emotional skills.
Conventional versus Accelerated Beef Production with Carcass Electrical Stimulation

Sixty-four 8-too-old steers, produced from 7/8 Simrnental sires mated to crossbred dams, averaged 265 kg initial weight. Forty-eight steers were assigned to an Accelerated (ACC) production system, while 16 steers were assigned to a Conventional (CONV) production system. Steers on the ACC system were fed an 85% concentrate diet; steers on the CONV system were backgrounded for 110 d on a high silage diet and then finished on an 85% concentrate diet. The ACC steers were slaughtered in three groups at average weights of 438, 492 and 554 kg; CONV steers were slaughtered at 591 kg. Days-on-feed were 139 (ACC-I), 174 (ACC-II), 2,0,.2 (ACC-III) and 284 (CONV), respectively. At slaughter, one side of the carcass was pulse-electrically stimulated (ES) with 400 V at 45 min postmortem and the other side served as a nonelectrically stimulated control (C). Semimembranosus (SM) and longissimus (LD) C and ES steaks were removed at 48 and 24 h postmortem, respectively, vacuum packaged, aged 6 d at 2 C, frozen and later thawed for trained sensory panel and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) evaluations. Overall average daily gains were not different among slaughter groups, but CONV steers gained faster (P .O5) from CONV steers. Electrical stimulation decreased (P<.05) 2-, 4- and 6-h pH readings. The LD steaks from ACC-II and ACC-III steers were at least equal in all sensory traits, except juiciness, to those from CONV steers. The SM steaks from CONV steers had the highest WBS force and lowest sensory scores. Electrical stimulation decreased (P<.0$) LD myofibrillar and overall tenderness scores, but had no effect on SM palatability.
TSLP plays roles that are distinct from IL7 in normal human B cell development (HEM1P.227)

The role of TSLP in human B cell development is largely unknown and its function in context of IL7 is unstudied. We found that TSLP can replace IL7 in providing a signal essential for in vitro production and proliferation of human CD19+ Pax-5+ B cell progenitors. To study the role of TSLP in human B cell development, in the context of IL7 stimulation, we developed a novel xenograft model. Mouse IL7 is active on human cells, however, this is not the case for TSLP. We took advantage of this to develop a xenograft model system comprised of mice that provide human TSLP (+T mice) and control mice that do not (-T mice). Using this model we found that TSLP increases proliferation and upregulates Mcl-1 in CD34+CD19-IL7Ra progenitors resulting in a 3-4 fold expansion of the CD34+ pro-B cell compartment in +T as compared to -T mice. This expansion is maintained during subsequent stages of B cell development, partially due to increased protection from apoptosis that occurs independently of Bcl-2 family pro-survival proteins. While TSLP stimulates in vitro proliferation of pro-B cells, in vivo proliferation of B lineage precursors was similar in +T and -T mice suggesting redundancy with IL7. B cell subsets in normal pediatric bone marrow samples show progenitor ratios and Mcl-1 expression that mirrors that in +T xenograft mice. These data provide evidence that TSLP function in human B cell development includes both unique activities as well as activities redundant to those of IL7.
Surgery: Green light given for laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer

Randomized trial data support the use of laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer; however, such evidence was lacking for rectal cancer. Now, the COLOR II randomized trial gives minimally invasive resection of rectal cancer the 'green light', answering the question 'should laparoscopic surgery be used?' The new key question is 'who should be performing laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer?'
Galileo at Jupiter: First Results

On the occasion of this historic meeting in Padua, it is interesting to speculate about how Galileo himself would have viewed these proceedings. I can easily imagine him coming into one of the sessions and conducting a little examination to bring himself up to date. What experiments are you doing? Why are you doing them? What have you learned? Despite the intervening centuries, I think it would have been very easy to describe to Galileo what we are doing. There would be a few things he would have to catch up on, for instance: quantum theory, high energy physics, and radio communications. I am sure he would also be very interested in the work our mission designers have done on the use of gravitational assists for our trajectories. However, many of the fundamentals are still the same as they were in Galileo’s time. He certainly would understand why we want to understand. He would recognize that we are still asking many of the questions he was interested in—what are the planets, what are they made of, how did they form, what has happened to them since they formed. In this brief discussion of the preliminary results from the spacecraft named for the great astronomer/physicist I hope to convey some of the excitement and wonder of new discovery which motivated our illustrious predecessor. I hope and believe that Galileo would have been pleased with what we have done with his spacecraft.
Thermochronologic constraints on Jurassic rift flank denudation in the Thiel Mountains, Antarctica

The Thiel Mountains are part of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) and occupy a strategic position close to the East-West Antarctic boundary. They occur in a region of relatively subdued topography distal from high topography and high relief of most of the TAM adjacent to the West Antarctic rift system. Low-temperature thermochronology on samples collected from the Reed Ridge granite on the north flank of the Thiel Mountains constrain the thermal and hence tectonic history. Apatite fission track data plus thermal models indicate cooling from ca. 165-150 Ma. In conjunction with 40 Ar/ 39 Ar K-feldspar data, the results indicate cooling was due to relatively slow erosional denudation, and not thermal relaxation following Jurassic tholeiitic magmatism. Denudation was most likely associated with the formation of the Jurassic rift system across Antarctica that marked the initial breakup of Gondwana. This is the oldest episode of denudation associated with formation of the present day TAM.
SOME NORMATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF KORSGAARD'S THEORY OF THE INTERSUBJECTIVITY OF REASON

: This article argues that Christine Korsgaard's conception of self-constitution can be historicized by considering the impact of actual humans on our reflective activity. Because Korsgaard bases her argument on a philosophy of action rather than of intention (as Kant does), and our actions must always be concrete, the article argues that the principles for action which we develop in reflection are likewise responses to concrete human demands. It further interprets the types of demands humans make on each other as the expression of historical circumstance rather than as transcendentally anchored. The notion of universal respect that reflection seeks to achieve is thus seen as developing by a self-correcting process of concrete human interaction. Finally, the article concludes that there can be no metaphysical proof of morality, since morality develops through human interaction that seeks to approximate the idea of respect for persons.
Design and Analysis of Hospital Admission Control for Operational Effectiveness

Variability in hospital occupancy negatively impacts the cost and quality of patient care delivery through increased emergency department (ED) congestion, emergency blockages and diversions, elective cancelations, backlogs in ancillary services, overstaffing, and understaffing. Controlling inpatient admissions can effectively reduce variability in hospital occupancy to mitigate these problems. Currently there are two major gateways for admission to a hospital: the ED and scheduled elective admission. Unfortunately, in highly utilized hospitals, excessive wait times make the scheduled gateway undesirable or infeasible for a subset of patients and doctors. As a result, this group often uses the ED gateway as a means to gain admission to the hospital. To better serve these patients and improve overall hospital functioning, we propose creating a third gateway: an expedited patient care queue. We first characterize an optimal admission threshold policy using controls on the scheduled and expedited gateways for a new Markov decision process model. We then present a practical policy based on insight from the analytical model that yields reduced emergency blockages, cancelations, and off-unit census via simulation based on historical hospital data.
A framework for fully automatic moving video-object segmentation based on graph partitioning

This paper presents an automatic moving video-object segmentation algorithm based on graph partitioning. Initially, each frame is over-partitioned into color homogeneous regions based on the mean shift algorithm and edge detection. This is followed by a low-level morphological region merging step using the so-called flat zone approach to avoid some limitation caused by the watershed-plus-markers technique. Then each segmented frame is represented by a graph in which every region corresponds to one node, and one edge is defined for every neighbouring region of that particular node. Subsequently, a graph partitioning algorithm, namely normalized-cut, is performed on the constructed graph to further merge neighbouring regions. As the final step, the resulting regions are merged to form semantic video objects using the robust optical flow fields. In various parts of the process, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the generalized Lloyd algorithm (GLA) are used for clustering. Simulation results at the end of the paper illustrate that the proposed algorithm gives as accurate results as some of the semiautomatic methods introduced in the literature.
Community Literacy, Labor Market Intermediaries, and Community Communication Ecologies

Arguing that we fail both parents and students if we continue to think of community literacy as a dichotomy between school and work, this article illustrates Labor Market Intermediaries (LMIs) as sites of community literacy. The investigation of LMIs in a particular community (Greater Lafayette, Indiana) allows for a more thorough understanding of community literacy outside of traditional sites such as schools, community centers, and adult education programs; in turn, the article argues that such an understanding may lead to more productive involvement by literacy educators in our communities.
Stereochemistry of the hydroxylation in 4-hydroxysphinganine formation and the steric course of hydrogen elimination in sphing-4-enine biosynthesis.

Abstract 4-Hydroxysphinganine is the major long chain sphingolipid base of plants and some species of yeast, and it occurs in substantial amounts in mammalian glycosphingolipids. Several studies have provided evidence that sphinganine is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of 4-hydroxysphinganine, and two mechanisms, which involve the hydration of sphing-4-enine or the direct hydroxylation of sphinganine, have been postulated to account for the hydroxyl group at carbon 4 of the 4-hydroxysphinganine. It has not been possible to obtain active cell-free systems for more detailed investigation of the pathway. Experiments in vivo with yeast (Hansenula ciferri) show that perdeuterated palmitic acid is incorporated into 4-hydroxysphinganine with the loss of only one deuterium atom (an obligatory loss due to replacement by the hydroxyl group at carbon 4), a finding which strongly supports a hydroxylation mechanism and excludes hydration of sphing-4-enine. The yeast incorporates (S)-[2-2H1]palmitic acid into 4-hydroxysphinganine with retention of the deuterium atom, whereas deuterium is completely lost from (R)-[2-2H1]palmitic acid in the conversion. The hydroxylation step therefore proceeds with retention of configuration at carbon 4 of the precursor base. Studies of the incorporation of (R)-[2-2H1]-, (S)-[2-2H1]-, (R)-[3-2H1]-, and (S)-[3-2H1]palmitic acids into sphing-4-enine with a cell-free preparation from H. ciferri show that the pro-R hydrogens of palmitate are removed in the formation of the trans double bond of sphing-4-enine; these data are consistent with a mechanism involving an antiperiplanar elimination process.
Innovations for Grid Security from Trusted Computing

Bruno Crispo: But why do you need to chain the certificates, I don't understand. Usually I look for, for example, storage, and then I go find somewhere that can provide the storage I need, but why do I need a chain? Reply: Do you mean, you do it yourself?
Improvement of template matching for distance measurement system based on image sensors

This paper describes an improved template matching for a distance measurement system based on image sensors using a target. Authors have developed the distance measurement system that consists of two movable image sensors for automatic berthing of ships. The measurement system measures a distance by detecting and tracking the target. We aim at applying the distance measurement system for automatic relative positioning system between a ship and a FPSO. In this application, the shape of the target captured in images is deformed by their relative positions and attitudes and then measurements error is increased due to the target deformation. For solving the deformation, we propose an improved template matching robust to target deformation. Improved template matching is able to detect the deformed target with template database which is created by image conversion with perspective projection of a reference template. By using improved template matching, the distance measurement error is decreased. From the experimental results performed in miniature and indoor environments, we confirmed that the measurement error of the relative distance is decreased by using the database.