cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SSeCKS/Gravin/AKAP12 suppresses prostate cancer metastasis by inhibiting cell motility and invasion through the inactivation of inside-out Src/FAK/integrin β1-mediated pathways

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 2179 Alterations in cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion affect tumor cell migration, invasion and metastasis. The SSeCKS/Gravin/AKAP12 gene encodes a cytoskeletal protein with scaffolding activity for regulators of G1->S progression, such as cyclins, PKC and PKA. SSeCKS expression is strongly downregulated by activated forms of Src or Ras and in human prostate cancer (CaP) lesions with Gleason sum ≥6. We previously showed that the tetracycline-regulated re-expression of SSeCKS in MatLyLu (MLL) CaP cells suppressed formation of macroscopic lung metastases in both spontaneous and experimental models of in vivo metastasis, while having minimal inhibitory effects on the growth of primary-site subcutaneous tumors. Part of the metastasis-suppressing activity of SSeCKS is based on its ability to downregulate pro-angiogenic genes such as those encoding VEGF, because the forced re-expression of VEGF rescued SSeCKS-suppressed lung metastasis formation by MLL cells ( Cancer Res. 66(11):5599-607, 2006). Here we demonstrate that while SSeCKS re-expression in MLL cells does not inhibit generic cell motility (e.g.- monolayer wound-healing), it potently inhibits chemotaxis, haptotaxis and Matrigel invasion. SSeCKS re-expression correlates with a delay in the serum-induced activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway and the downregulation of matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) expression and secretion. The forced expression of a constitutively-active MEK2 allele rescues SSeCKS-suppressed chemotaxis and Matrigel invasion. In contrast to the effects on motility, SSeCKS re-expression increases cell adhesion to fibronectin (FN) and type I collagen, correlating with an increase in basal and serum-stimulated phospho-FAK Tyr397 levels (up to 180 minutes post serum treatment). In contrast, SSeCKS re-expressing MLL cells exhibit only an initial 30 minute increase in serum-induced Src autophosphorylation (SrcpoY416) and Src substrate (FAKpoY861 and FAKpoY925) levels, followed by a total loss of Src activation. The SSeCKS-enhanced adhesion could be suppressed by the stable expression of FRNK, a dominant-interfering FAK allele, or with an integrin β1-blocking antibody, anti-CD29. Our findings suggest that SSeCKS suppresses oncogenic motility and metastatic invasiveness by suppressing serum-induced ERK activation and MMP-2 secretion, while simultaneously increasing cell-ECM adhesiveness by disengaging Src from an inside-out activated FAK/integrin β1 adhesion complex.
Nature and Effect of Ideological Preferences for News During the 2008 Presidential Campaign

Recent research has shown that exposing oneself to ideologically charged television news programs can induce political polarization. However, both experimental lab and observational studies have issues with measurements; while observational studies can make more externally valid inference, self-selection remains a serious hurdle to robust estimation.This paper addresses some of the key weaknesses in observational studies. Using the National Annenberg Election Studies 2008 panel data, it conceptualizes preference for news as a continuous latent trait and remedies concerns with self-reports by relying on measurements of news preference with higher reliability and validity. In its exploratory part, it investigates the ideological nature of news preference, finding a clearly identifiable and separable continuum of preferences for conservative news. In its analytic part, It circumvents estimation-concerns by relying on the Arellano – Bond GMM estimator, which eliminates autocorrelation of regressors and the error-terms, removes unobserved heterogeneity, and is more apt for estimating causal effects in few-panel (small T), large N designs. The paper concludes that recent findings of media-effects are spurious, and not borne out by the data. While estimation of media-effects with panel data is not impossible, robust identification-techniques yield inefficient estimates, creating the need for bigger-T-multi-wave panel studies.
Physicians' financial incentives and treatment choices in heart attack management

Using a large set of private health insurance claims, we estimate how physicians' financial incentives affect their treatment choices in heart attack management. Different insurance plans pay physicians different amounts for the same services, generating the required variation in financial incentives. We begin by presenting evidence that, unconditionally, plans that pay physicians more for more invasive treatments are associated with a larger fraction of such treatments. To interpret this correlation as causal, we continue by showing that it survives conditioning on a rich set of diagnosis and provider‐specific variables. We perform a host of additional checks to verify that differences in unobservable patient or provider characteristics across plans are unlikely to be driving our results. We find that physicians' treatment choices respond positively to the payments they receive, and that the response is quite large. If physicians received bundled payments instead of fee‐for‐service incentives, for example, heart attack management would become considerably more conservative. Our estimates imply that 20 percent of patients would receive different treatments, physician costs would decrease by 27 percent, and social welfare would increase. Physician incentives physician treatment choices health insurance heart attack management fee‐for‐service payments I11 I13 L20
Amount of Savings Needed for Health Expenses for People Eligible for Medicare: Unlike the Last Few Years, the News Is Not Good

This paper updates previous estimates by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) on savings needed to cover health insurance premiums and health care expenses in retirement. This report discusses the model used to estimate the amount of savings needed, the savings targets, and reasons for the recent increase in savings targets. This analysis does not factor in the savings needed to cover long-term care expenses. Medicare beneficiaries pay a share of their health expenses out-of-pocket because of program deductibles and other cost sharing. In 2015, a 65-year-old man needs $68,000 in savings and a 65-year-old woman needs $89,000 if each has a goal of having a 50 percent chance of having enough money saved to cover health care expenses in retirement. If either instead wants a 90 percent chance of having enough savings, $124,000 is needed for a man and $140,000 is needed for a woman. Savings targets increased from 6-21 percent between 2014 and 2015. For a married couple both with drug expenses at the 90th percentile throughout retirement who want a 90 percent chance of having enough money saved for health care expenses in retirement by age 65, targeted savings increased from $326,000 in 2014 to $392,000 in 2015. The main reason for the increase in needed savings is related to the adjustment that is made each year to rebaseline out-of-pocket spending associated with prescription drug use. As a result of the rebaselining, data on out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs for 2012 and beyond have increased. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is reducing cost sharing in the Medicare Part D coverage gap or so-called “donut hole.” By 2020, coinsurance in the coverage gap will be phased in to 25 percent. This year-to-year reduction in coinsurance will continue to reduce the savings needed for health care expenses in retirement, all else equal, for individuals with the highest drug use, which is one reason why this analysis finds past reductions in needed savings for health care expenses in retirement. Improvements in the outlook for growth in premiums related to the Medicare program also contributed to past declines in savings targets. However, more recently, these declines were offset by larger increases in out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs as a result of rebaselining.
Results from the Integrated Oil & Gas Sector: The 2015 Strategy and Corporate Performance in the Energy Industry (SCOPE) Study

We report results for the Midstream Oil & Gas sector from the Strategy and Performance in the Energy Industry (SCOPE) Survey conducted among professionals in the energy industry (so called “insiders”) to measure their perceptions about specific companies on multiple dimensions of strategic performance. The study includes nine of the most prominent midstream oil & gas companies: 1) Buckeye Partners, 2) Enbridge Energy Partners, 3) Enterprise Products Partners, 4) Genesis Energy, 5) Kinder Morgan, 6) Plains All American Pipeline, 7) Spectra Energy, 8) Sunoco, and 9) Targa Resources. This report includes analysis based on a total of 828 individual company evaluations provided by 665 O&G industry insiders. Using indexed scores, we report the relative performance of the nine companies on ten different dimensions of strategic performance: leadership and strategy, financial management, customer focus, corporate social responsibility, innovation, human resources, safety, global focus, crisis handling, and vendor satisfaction. The results of each company’s overall reputation among O&G industry insiders are also reported.
Identity Transformation During the Transition to Parenthood Among Same‐Sex Couples: An Ecological, Stress‐Strategy‐Adaptation Perspective

This article reviews the current research on the potential stressors associated with identity transformation experienced by same-sex couples during the transition to parenthood and the coping strategies they employ. By integrating disparate findings into an ecological, stress-strategy-adaptation framework, we demonstrate that the identity transformation experiences among same-sex couples during the transition to parenthood (a) involve various adaptive processes of navigating different stressors via their human agency within multiple nested contexts; (b) are products of the intersections of individual characteristics, relational dynamics, LGBT community culture, and heterosexual sociostructural norms; and (c) are complicated by social contextual factors such as social class, race/ethnicity, family structure, and the sociocultural environment associated with geographic location. Last, several avenues for future inquiry are suggested.
Metabolism after hypophysectomy

Three out of a series of respiration experiments on sixteen dogs, in which a part or the whole of the hypophysis was removed were reported.They represented: (1) Extirpation of part of the anterior lobe and all of the posterior lobe. (2) Removal of the anterior lobe, leaving the pars intermedia and the posterior lobe. (3) Complete hypophysectomy.The amount of gland destruction was determined by serial sections of the brain after the autopsy of the animals. Control experiments were made to determine the effect of the operative procedures without removal of the gland. There was no effect on the carbon dioxide output.In case if there was a distinct lowering of the carbon dioxide output, and a low level was established which persisted for sixteen days after the operation. At the end of this time the animal, which had previously been retaining nitrogen, was again in nitrogen equilibrium. On autopsy, an increase in fat and atrophy of the ovaries was observed. The weight of the animal had increased.
Detection of bcl-1 gene rearrangement and B-cell clonality in mantle cell lymphoma using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has recently emerged as a distinct clinicopathologic entity with characteristic molecular genetic features. Specifically, MCL are clonal B-cell neoplasms and often harbor bcl-1 gene rearrangements. Although this genetic profile is well documented, scant or no data are available on the molecular assessment of MCL using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue as a sample source. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to study bcl-1 and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangements (B-cell clonality) using formalin-fixed tissue from 12 cases of MCL. In addition, 12 cases of low grade B-cell lymphoma and 5 cases of reactive lymphocytic hyperplasia were studied as comparison controls. A hemi-nested PCR assay was developed to identify major translocation cluster (MTC) bcl-l gene rearrangements, whereas IgH gene rearrangements were evaluated by both a single-step and hemi-nested approach. Bcl-1 gene rearrangements were amplified in 4 of 12 (33%) MCL, but in none of the controls. With the hemi-nested approach, B-cell monoclonality was demonstrated in 11 of of 12 (92%) MCL ; 6 of 6 (100%) small lymphocytic lymphomas ; 1 of 2 marginal zone lymphomas ; I of 4 follicular lymphomas ; and 0 of 5 reactive lymphocytic hyperplasias. When one-step PCR was used for B-cell clonality assessment, the overall detection rate was lower, specifically : 8 of 12 (67%) MCL ; 4 of 6 (67%) small lymphocytic lymphomas ; 1 of 2 marginal zone lymphomas ; 0 of 4 follicular lymphomas ; and 0 of 5 reactive lymphocytic hyperplasias were identified as monoclonal. We have demonstrated that MTC bcl-l gene rearrangements can be amplified from formalin-fixed tissue. In addition, monoclonal B-cell populations from MCL are better amplified with a hemi-nested approach rather than a single-step PCR assay. With specialized nucleic acid isolation techniques and appropriate PCR protocol design, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue is an adequate source of DNA for assessing MTC bcl-1 and IgH gene rearrangements.
A NEW APPROACH TO ROBUST AND OPTIMAL NONLINEAR CONTROL DESIGN

This paper presents a new approach to the robust optimal control of nonlinear systems with parametric and dynamic uncertainties. The proposed method is novel and significant in several aspects. First, by means of techniques from reinforcement learning and approximate/adaptive dynamic programming, we bypass the difficulty of solving exactly the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation for nonlinear systems. Instead, a recursive learning scheme known as policy iteration is introduced and its convergence is examined in great details. Second, this paper proposes the first solution to computational optimal nonlinear control i n the presence of parametric and dynamic uncertainties. Robustness to dynamic uncertainty is systematically studied using nonlinear small-gain theorems appearing in the work of one of the authors. Finally, the main results are supported by rigorous stability analysis and validated by a practic al application to a one-machine power system. It is important to notice that the proposed methodology is general and has a potential impact in other fields such as smart electric grid and systems neuroscience.
Pheromone mating disruption of Rhyacionia zozana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): influence on the associated parasite complex

Larval and pupal parasites were collected before and after a mating disruption test of Rhyacionia zozana (Kearfott) to determine if the pheromone treatment affected either the species distribution or abundance of the parasite complex. Total percentage of parasitism was not changed because of the disruption treatment. In treated areas, however, abundance of the most numerous moth parasite, Glypta zozanae Walley and Barron, was reduced significantly below check plantation levels. In contrast, abundance of the pupal parasite Mastrus aciculatus (Provancher) was higher in pheromone-disrupted areas. No changes in the sex ratios of these species were attributable to the pheromone treatment. Parasite community structures were compared using a similarity index. The degree of likeness between treated and check plantations decreased after disruption, probably because of the changes in the incidence of parasitism by G. zozanae and M. aciculatus . Accounting for parasitism and reduced mating, surviving host populations in check plantations were over four times greater than in pheromone-disrupted areas. The importance of the host's sex pheromone as a potential kairomone and effects of changes in the host density caused by the mating disruption treatment on the associated parasite complex are discussed.
Effect of thyrotropic hormone on blood cholesterol of thyroidectomized rabbits.

SummaryThyrotropic hormone produces a fall in the blood cholesterol of hypercholesterolemic rabbits regardless of the presence or absence of the thyroid glands.
Regional Changes in Earth's Color and Texture as Observed From Space Over a 15-Year Period

Earth-observing satellites provide global observations of many geophysical variables. As these variables are derived from measured radiances, the underlying radiance data are the most reliable sources of information for change detection. Here, we identify statistically significant trends in the color and spatial texture of the Earth as viewed from multiple directions from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), which has been sampling the angular distribution of scattered sunlight since 2000. Globally, our results show that the Earth has been appearing relatively bluer (up to 1.6% per decade from both nadir and oblique views) and smoother (up to 1.5% per decade only from oblique views) over the past 15 years. The magnitude of the global blueing trends is comparable to that of uncertainties in radiometric calibration stability. Regional shifts in color and texture, which are significantly larger than global means, are observed, particularly over polar regions, along the boundaries of the subtropical highs, the tropical western Pacific, Southwestern Asia, and Australia. We demonstrate that the large regional trends cannot be explained either by uncertainties in radiometric calibration or variability in total or spectral solar irradiance; hence, they reflect changes internal to the Earth's climate system. The 15-year-mean true color composites and texture images of the Earth at both nadir and oblique views are also presented for the first time.
Effect of acceleration on the erosion of aft dome insulation of solid motors

High acceleration affects erosion of solid rocket motor aft dome internal insulation. Some current research in this field is summarized. The erosion experiments of aft dome insulation of rocket motors is presented. The experimental results show that different kinds of insulation have different charring ablative rates. Charring rates are decreased under the effect of high acceleration.
Developing Trends and Countermeasures for Agriculture Project Management in China

In recent years,the agriculture project management in China has rapidly developed,particularly,for some large-sized project,project management has already become basic operation. Along with a large quantity of talents with project management awareness and experiences gradually getting the leadership position in agriculture management featured with security,efficiency and benefits,and the broad application of project management in agriculture sector,agriculture project management in China will make greater achievements. This article,starting from study of current situation of agriculture project management in China,briefly analyzed the trends of internationalization,informatization and diversification of agriculture project management in China,and proposed some corresponding countermeasures.
George Clement Bond on Inequality

Using ethnography from a 1995 ‘race’ crisis at Rutgers University, I show the applicability of George Bond’s writings on inequality. Bond’s ideas about social constructions of the past, organic ideologies, and people’s acceptance of structures that subjugate them, are discussed to demonstrate the use of ‘hoaxes’ and clientage in the Rutgers episode. The discussion occurs in the broader context of theory about social inequality and social dominance.
How did ankylosing spondylitis become a separate disease

Individual patients whose disease in retrospect is compatible with a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) began to be described in the 19th century, at a time when "rheumatism" comprised an undefined conglomeration of ailments. In the 1890s, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) began to be extricated from rheumatic fever and gout. But what criteria should delimit the diagnosis of RA? The first assistance came with the introduction of radiology in the first decade of the new century. By the 1930s, objective radiologic distinctions between RA and A S were being made, beginning with the preferential involvement of the sacroiliac joints in AS. The first useful serologic test was developed in the 1950s: "rheumatoid factor" that eventually is present in about three-fourths of cases of RA, but is absent in AS. In the 1970s discovery of clinical associations with specific histocompatibility antigens finalized the distinction between RA and AS with the discovery that one antigen, B-27, is associated ten times as frequently with AS than with RA, while it occurs no more frequently with RA than in the general population. Associations between B-27 and certain radiologic appearances has further been mutually confirmatory of their diagnostic significance.
Informatics tools to advance the biology of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans

Glycomics researchers have identified the need for integrated database systems for collecting glycomics information in a consistent format. The goal is to create a resource for knowledge discovery and dissemination to wider research communities. This has the potential to extend the research community to include biologists, clinicians, chemists, and computer scientists. This chapter discusses the technology and approach needed to create integrated data resources to empower the broader community to leverage extant glycomics data. The focus is on glycosaminoglycan (GAGs) and proteoglycan research, but the approach can be generalized. The methods described span the development of glycomics standards from CarbBank to Glyco Connection Tables. The existence of integrated data sets provides a foundation for novel methods of analysis such as machine learning for knowledge discovery. The implications of predictive analysis are examined in relation to disease biomarker to expand the target audience of GAG and proteoglycan research.
Integración en psicoterapia: ¿Crisis de madurez de la terapia del comportamiento?

The article is a review and evaluation of the experience of the author with behavior modification therapy, after twenty-five years of professional work with this therapeutic model. The purpose is not to demean the contributions that behavioral modification has brought to the practice of psychotherapy: rather, the intent of the article is to highlight the belief of the author that the supposition that this therapy is the exclusive holder of truth is a myopic and dangerous view. To counter this situation, a new, open attitude toward integration with other contemporary psychotherapies is proposed, with the object of augmenting therapeutic efficacy in clinical work.
Lost GRP on cytotoxicity

Deficiency in the RASGRP1 guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor leads to a novel primary immunodeficiency with impaired activation and proliferation of T cells and B cells and defective killing by cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells.
Winners, losers, and posers: The effect of power poses on testosterone and risk-taking following competition.

Abstract A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. The effect of postural power displays (i.e. power poses) on hormone levels and decision-making has recently been challenged. While Carney et al. (2010) found that holding brief postural displays of power leads to increased testosterone, decreased cortisol and greater economic risk taking, this failed to replicate in a recent high-powered study (Ranehill et al. 2015). It has been put forward that subtle differences in social context may account for the differences in results. Power displays naturally occur within the context of competitions, as do changes in hormones, and researchers have yet to examine the effects of poses within this ecologically relevant context. Using a large sample of 247 male participants, natural winners and losers of a physical competition were randomly assigned to hold a low, neutral or high-power postural display. We found no main effect of pose type on testosterone, cortisol, risk or feelings of power. Winners assigned to a high-power pose had a relative, albeit small, rise in testosterone compared to winners who held neutral or low-power poses. For losers, we found little evidence that high-power poses lead to increased testosterone relative to those holding neutral or low-powered poses. If anything, the reverse was observed – losers had a reduction in testosterone after holding high-power poses. To the extent that changes in testosterone modulate social behaviors adaptively, it is possible that the relative reduction in testosterone observed in losers taking high-powered poses is designed to inhibit further “winner-like” behavior that could result in continued defeat and harm. Still, effects were small, multiple comparisons were made, and the results ran counter to our predictions. We thus treat these conclusions as preliminary.
Oh, as for the Health Insurance…it’s good, but…: rural elders in Agate, Ghana, discuss the National Healthcare Insurance Scheme

This paper investigates the Ghanaian National Healthcare Insurance Scheme (NHIS) through interviews with 28 elders over 50 years old with pre-existing illnesses in Agate, a rural village in Ghana. Our goals were to obtain snapshot views of the lives, in relation to health, wellness, and NHIS, of participants. Elders possessed reasonable information about NHIS. For most enrollees, NHIS provided peace of mind against financially-related health challenges, however, inability to afford non-covered medicines sometimes interfered with treatment. Most interviewees, insured or not, reported continuing chronic health problems. Based on qualitative data, we describe possibilities to improve elder experiences including: transportation to medical care, increased drug coverage, and faith-based health partnerships.
Modeling user expertise for choosing levels of shared autonomy

In shared autonomy, a robot and human user both have some level of control in order to achieve a shared goal. Choosing the balance of control given to the user and the robot can be a challenging problem since different users have different preferences and vary in skill levels when operating a robot. We propose using a novel formulation of Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) to represent a model of the user's expertise in controlling the robot. The POMDP uses observations from the user's actions and from the environment to update the belief of the user's skill and chooses a level of control between the robot and the user. The level of control given between the user and the robot is encapsulated in macro-action controllers. A user study was run to test the performance of our formulation. Users drive a simulated robot through an obstacle-filled map while the POMDP model chooses appropriate macro-action controllers based on the belief state of the user's skill level. The results of the user study show that our model can encapsulate user skill. The results also show that using the controller with greater robot autonomy helped users of low skill avoid obstacles more than it helped users of high skill.
Comments on time-varying fractional order

The calculus of arbitrary order, known as the fractional calculus, allows for real- and complex-valued orders. Interest in time-varying order is growing in order to study transient behavior under varying environmental conditions. Popular forms currently in use suffer from fundamental flaws of dimensional inconsistency and predict physically implausible behaviors such as violation of causality and/or violation of conservation of energy. This article reviews some of the motivation behind the study of time-varying fractional order and makes suggestions as to how to overcome the flaws in the forms in current usage. A new fractional-order integral operator is proposed that may allow for modeling time-varying fractional-order systems in a dimensionally consistent and physically plausible manner. Possible experimental tests of the revised fractional-order model are proposed.
Irrigation as a fuel pump to freshwater ecosystems

We generated a detailed time series of total dissolved hydrolyzable amino acids (DHAA) in a watershed dominated by irrigated agriculture in northern California, USA to investigate the roles of hydrologic and seasonal changes on the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM). DHAA are sensitive indicators of the degradation state and reactivity of DOM. DHAA concentrations ranged from 0.55 to 9.96 μM (median 3.51 ± 1.80 μM), with expected peaks during high-discharge storms and unexpected high values throughout the low-discharge irrigation season. Overall, summer irrigation was a critical hydrologic regime for DOM cycling since it mobilized DOM similar in concentration and reactivity to DOM released during storms. Together, irrigation and storm flows exported DOM with (1) the largest DHAA contributions to the dissolved organic carbon and the dissolved organic nitrogen pools, (2) the largest proportion of basic amino acids, and (3) the lowest degradation extent based on multiple indices. In this highly disturbed terrestrial system, UV–vis absorbance did not correlate with DHAA concentrations, while classic interpretations of common amino acid indicators (e.g., proportion of basic amino acids, degradation index, percent of non-protein amino acids) were prone to conflicting characterizations of DOM reactivity. Therefore, a new parameter (processing ratio, PR) derived from individual amino acid concentrations was developed that demonstrated a strong potential for mechanistic-driven characterization of the extent of DOM diagenesis in freshwaters. Irrigated agriculture altered stream biogeochemistry by releasing a continuous supply of reactive DOM (lowest PR values), thereby providing an additional energy source to downstream ecosystems.
Fluoroalkyl phthalocyanines: Bioinspired catalytic materials

The design of self oxidation-resistant catalytic materials based on organic molecules, although advantageous due to the ability to control their structures, is limited by the presence of labile C–H...
Behavioral Toxicologic Studies of Dieldrin, DDT, and Ruelene in Sheep

Behavioral toxicology is a new field with a relatively small group of full-time dedicated workers. Because only a small number of laboratories provide data on the behavioral effects of toxicants, there is a real problem of general acceptance by the more traditional areas of toxicology. At present this is compounded by a deficiency of clearly defined examples of where behavioral toxicological data has demonstrated adverse health effects at exposure levels lower than those required to cause other types of Physiopathologie alterations.
Can Taste Aversion Prevent Bruxism

The first part of this note sketches a biofeedback modality for the treatment of bruxism. A mildly aversive, safe liquid is inserted into, and sealed in, small, bilaterally sleeved, polyethylene capsules. Two capsules are attached to a simple dental appliance that comfortably and securely places them between the lower and upper back teeth. The appliance and capsules are worn at night or at other times when bruxism is suspected to occur. Whenever a sleeping or an awake patient attempts to brux, one or both capsules rupture and the liquid is released into the mouth. The liquid then draws the patient's conscious attention to, and forestalls, any attempt of teeth clenching or grinding. Variations of the method and device can be used to diagnose bruxism. The second part of this note describes the long-term application of this taste-based approach to one chronic bruxer.
Mechanism and contextualism in behavior analysis: Just some observations.

contemporary contextualism and mechanistic philosophy and relation to behavior analysis, commentary reply
The Foundation of Operational Logistics

The term Operational Level of War or in short – Operational Level has emerged in the West in the 1982 revision of the US Army Field-Manual FM 100-5. This term was redefined in the 1986 version of that manual and since then it has been under continuous examination and review, and a source for debate amongst commanders and military scholars – in particular in conjunction with the related term: Operational Art [1]. The 1997 edition of that manual [2] introduced a new term – Operational Level of Conflict – and the 2012 edition [3] (now called ADRP 3-0) defines yet another term: Unified Land Operations as activities aimed at “seize, retain, and exploit the initiative to gain and maintain a position of relative advantage in sustained land operations through simultaneous offensive, defensive, and stability operations.” The logistics that supports and sustains these operations is called operational logistics (OpLog).
Toward improving drought monitoring using the remotely sensed soil moisture assimilation: A parallel particle filtering framework

Abstract Drought is the costliest hazard among all natural disasters. Despite the significant improvements in drought modeling over the last decade, accurate provisions of drought conditions in a timely manner is still a major research challenge. In order to improve the current drought monitoring skills, this study presents a land data assimilation system by merging the remotely sensed surface soil moisture with the model simulations with the use of a recently developed particle Markov chain Monte Carlo (PMCMC) method. To cope with the computational complexity, a modular parallel particle filtering framework (PPFF) is developed which allows a large ensemble size in PMCMC applications. The implementation of the proposed system is demonstrated with the 2012 summer flash drought case study over the Contiguous United States (CONUS). Results from both synthetic and real case studies suggest that the land data assimilation system improves the soil moisture predictions and the drought monitoring skills. Compared with the U.S. Drought Monitoring (USDM), the land data assimilation can better capture the drought onset on May 2012 and the drought severity in June and July 2012. This study recommends that the proposed land data assimilation system based on a high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure can better facilitate the drought preparation and response actions.
Prevalence and correlates of thrombosis in adults with immune thrombocytopenia: An NIS study.

Abstract Background Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is increasingly recognized as a thrombophilic disorder. However, no further investigation of risk factors has been conducted to date. This study evaluated classic and disease-specific correlates of thrombosis among ITP patients. We hypothesized the disease-specific thrombosis risk profile differed between ITP and non-ITP patients. Methods A retrospective analysis of adult discharge data from the National Inpatient Sample between 2009 and 2014 was performed. International Disease Classification codes were used to identify ITP and non-ITP patients with or without thrombosis. Estimates of prevalence were weighted using NIS-provided discharge-level weights to reflect national estimates. Rao-Scott Chi-square test was used to analyze categoric variables; weighted simple linear regression for continuous variables; and a weighted multivariable logistic regression to determine covariates associated with thrombosis. Results Thrombotic risk factors are increased in ITP patients, including postoperative state, malignancy, central venous lines, systemic lupus erythematosus, advanced age, obesity, and hypertension. Factors associated with thrombosis identified in multivariable logistic regression included antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, central venous lines, obesity, and hypertension, which were similar to non-ITP patients. Conclusions Our results show a higher prevalence of thrombosis in ITP than in non-ITP patients, and despite their lower platelet counts, correlates of thrombosis are similar between ITP and non-ITP patients. The most significant correlates include antiphospholipid syndrome, central venous lines, surgery, hypertension, age, and obesity.
Transoral Approach to the Craniovertebral Junction: A Neuronavigated Cadaver Study.

More than 100 years after the first description by Kanavel of a transoral–transpharyngeal approach to remove a bullet impacted between the atlas and the clivus [1], the transoral approach (TOA) still represents the ‘gold standard’ for surgical treatment of a variety of conditions resulting in anterior craniocervical compression and myelopathy [2, 3]. Nevertheless, some concerns—such as the need for a temporary tracheostomy and a postoperative nasogastric tube, and the increased risk of infection resulting from possible bacterial contamination and nasopharyngeal incompetence [4–6]—led to the introduction of the endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) by Kassam et al. [7] in 2005. Although this approach, which was conceived to overcome those surgical complications, soon gained wide attention, its clear predominance over the TOA in the treatment of craniovertebral junction (CVJ) pathologies is still a matter of debate [3]. In recent years, several papers have reported anatomical studies and surgical experience with the EEA, targeting different areas of the midline skull base, from the olfactory groove to the CVJ [8–19]. Starting from these preliminary experiences, further anatomical studies have defined the theoretical (radiological) and practical (surgical) craniocaudal limits of the endonasal route [20–25]. Our group has done the same for the TOA [26, 27] and compared the reliability of the radiological and surgical lines of the two different approaches. Very recently, a cadaver study, with the aid of neuronavigation, tried to define the upper and lower limits of the endoscopic TOA [28].
Five Factor Model of Personality, Personality Disorder

It is evident that the conceptualization, diagnosis, and classification of personality disorder are shifting toward a dimensional trait model and, more specifically, the five-factor model (FFM) in particular. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the FFM of personality disorder. It will begin with a description of this dimensional model of normal and abnormal personality functioning, along with a brief overview of its empirical support. This will be followed by a discussion of its potential advantages, as well as a comparison with Section III of DSM-5 for emerging models and measures.
The Development of the Physical Activity and Social Support Scale

Research suggests 5 forms of social support: companionship, emotional, informational, instrumental, and validation. Despite this, existing measures of social support for physical activity are limited to emotional, companionship, and instrumental support. The purpose was to develop the Physical Activity and Social Support Scale (PASSS) with subscales that reflected all 5 forms. Participants (N = 506, mean age = 34.3 yr) who were active at least twice per week completed a 235-item questionnaire assessing physical activity behaviors, social support for physical activity, general social support, and other psychosocial questions. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop and validate the PASSS. Exploratory factor analysis supported a 5-factor, 20-item model, χ2(100) = 146.22, p < .05, root mean square error of approximation = .05. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated good fit, Satorra–Bentler χ2(143) = 199.57, p < .001, root mean square error of approximation = .04, comparative-fit index = .97, standardized root mean square residual = .06. Findings support the PASSS to measure all 5 forms for physical activity.
Case Histories of Significant Medical Advances: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

We describe how endoscopy transformed the diagnosis of ulcers, cancerous polyps and other diseases of the alimentary canal and enabled “minimally invasive” surgeries to treat such diseases. Specifically, we chronicle how: 1) flexible glass fiber instruments in the 1950s and 1960s; 2) new diagnostic techniques and minimally invasive endoscopic surgeries in the 1970s and early 1980s 3) digitization and miniaturization through the end of the 20th century. A concluding section summarizes the competitive situation of the equipment producers in 2000.
Prospective evaluation of adhesion formation and shrinkage of intra-abdominal prosthetics in a rabbit model.

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair requires an intraperitoneal prosthetic; however, these materials are not without consequences. We evaluated host reaction to intraperitoneal placement of various prosthetics and the functional outcomes in an animal model. Mesh (n = 15 per mesh type) was implanted on intact peritoneum in New Zealand white rabbits. The mesh types included ePTFE (DualMesh®), ePTFE and polypropylene (Composix®), polypropylene and oxidized regenerated cellulose (Proceed®), and polypropylene (Marlex®). Adhesion formation was evaluated at 1, 4, 8, and 16 weeks using 2-mm mini-laparoscopy. Adhesion area, adhesion tenacity, prosthetic shrinkage, and compliance were evaluated after mesh explantation at 16 weeks. DualMesh® had significantly less adhesions than Proceed®, Composix®, or Marlex® at 1, 4, 8, and 16 weeks (P < 0.0001). Marlex® had significantly more adhesions than other meshes at each time point (P < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences in adhesions between Proceed® and Composix® meshes. After mesh explantation, the mean area of adhesions for Proceed® (4.6%) was less than for Marlex® (21.7%; P = 0.001). The adhesions to Marlex® were statistically more tenacious than the DualMesh® and Composix® groups. Overall prosthetic shrinkage was statistically greater for DualMesh® (34.7%) than for the remaining mesh types (P < 0.01). Mesh compliance was similar between the groups. Prosthetic materials demonstrate a wide variety of characteristics when placed inside the abdomen. Marlex® formed more adhesions with greater tenacity than the other mesh types. DualMesh® resulted in minimal adhesions, but it shrank more than the other mesh types. Each prosthetic generates a varied host reaction. Better understanding of these reactions can allow a suitable prosthetic to be chosen for a given patient in clinical practice.
The GTPase KRAS suppresses the p53 tumor suppressor by activating the NRF2-regulated antioxidant defense system in cancer cells.

In human cancer cells that harbor mutant KRAS and WT p53 (p53), KRAS contributes to the maintenance of low p53 levels. Moreover, KRAS depletion stabilizes and reactivates p53 and thereby inhibits malignant transformation. However, the mechanism by which KRAS regulates p53 is largely unknown. Recently, we showed that KRAS depletion leads to p53 Ser-15 phosphorylation (P-p53) and increases the levels of p53 and its target p21/WT p53-activated fragment 1 (WAF1)/CIP1. Here, using several human lung cancer cell lines, siRNA-mediated gene silencing, immunoblotting, quantitative RT-PCR, promoter–reporter assays, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays, we demonstrate that KRAS maintains low p53 levels by activating the NRF2 (NFE2-related factor 2)–regulated antioxidant defense system. We found that KRAS depletion led to down-regulation of NRF2 and its targets NQO1 (NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1) and SLC7A11 (solute carrier family 7 member 11), decreased the GSH/GSSG ratio, and increased ROS levels. We noted that the increase in ROS is required for increased P-p53, p53, and p21Waf1/cip1 levels following KRAS depletion. Downstream of KRAS, depletion of RalB (RAS-like proto-oncogene B) and IκB kinase–related TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) activated p53 in a ROS- and NRF2-dependent manner. Consistent with this, the IκB kinase inhibitor BAY11-7085 and dominant-negative mutant IκBαM inhibited NF-κB activity and increased P-p53, p53, and p21Waf1/cip1 levels in a ROS-dependent manner. In conclusion, our findings uncover an important role for the NRF2-regulated antioxidant system in KRAS-mediated p53 suppression.
Do Foliar Endophytes Matter in Litter Decomposition

Litter decomposition rates are affected by a variety of abiotic and biotic factors, including the presence of fungal endophytes in host plant tissues. This review broadly analyzes the findings of 67 studies on the roles of foliar endophytes in litter decomposition, and their effects on decomposition rates. From 29 studies and 1 review, we compiled a comprehensive table of 710 leaf-associated fungal taxa, including the type of tissue these taxa were associated with and isolated from, whether they were reported as endo- or epiphytic, and whether they had reported saprophytic abilities. Aquatic (i.e., in-stream) decomposition studies of endophyte-affected litter were significantly under-represented in the search results (p < 0.0001). Indicator species analyses revealed that different groups of fungal endophytes were significantly associated with cool or tropical climates, as well as specific plant host genera (p < 0.05). Finally, we argue that host plant and endophyte interactions can significantly influence litter decomposition rates and should be considered when interpreting results from both terrestrial and in-stream litter decomposition experiments.
Chapter 13 – Geometric Continuity II

The preceding chapter contained the basic algorithms for G2 curves: an interpolation algorithm (v-splines) and a design algorithm (direct G2 splines). In this chapter, we shall add a theoretical framework to these algorithms. See also the remarks in Chapter 11 concerning geometric continuity.
Electrohydrodynamic inkjet printing of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)

Abstract The current fabrication methods for micro and nano scale Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) devices either require high environmental conditions or sophisticated procedures at high cost. Electrohydrodynamic inkjet (EHD) printing is a potential method to effectively fabricate micro scale PDMS devices because EHD printing is environment-friendly, low-cost, compatible to various inks, and most importantly, high resolution. However, little research has been conducted to study EHD printing of PDMS-based ink. In this paper, EHD printing of PDMS has been investigated. The effects of several critical parameters on the printing process were studied. The dimension of the printed patterns and the printing frequency were preciously controlled by the voltage parameters. The patterns with a network structure was demonstrated. The results indicated that the voltage amplitude and the pulse frequency could both control the dimensions of droplets and the printing frequency. As future work, we plan to develop a simulation tool to predict printing quality of PDMS and optimize printing process to fabricated 3D PDMS structures in micro scale.