cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Power estimation using simulations for air pollution time-series studies

Estimation of power to assess associations of interest can be challenging for time-series studies of the acute health effects of air pollution because there are two dimensions of sample size (time-series length and daily outcome counts), and because these studies often use generalized linear models to control for complex patterns of covariation between pollutants and time trends, meteorology and possibly other pollutants. In general, statistical software packages for power estimation rely on simplifying assumptions that may not adequately capture this complexity. Here we examine the impact of various factors affecting power using simulations, with comparison of power estimates obtained from simulations with those obtained using statistical software. Power was estimated for various analyses within a time-series study of air pollution and emergency department visits using simulations for specified scenarios. Mean daily emergency department visit counts, model parameter value estimates and daily values for air pollution and meteorological variables from actual data (8/1/98 to 7/31/99 in Atlanta) were used to generate simulated daily outcome counts with specified temporal associations with air pollutants and randomly generated error based on a Poisson distribution. Power was estimated by conducting analyses of the association between simulated daily outcome counts and air pollution in 2000 data sets for each scenario. Power estimates from simulations and statistical software (G*Power and PASS) were compared. In the simulation results, increasing time-series length and average daily outcome counts both increased power to a similar extent. Our results also illustrate the low power that can result from using outcomes with low daily counts or short time series, and the reduction in power that can accompany use of multipollutant models. Power estimates obtained using standard statistical software were very similar to those from the simulations when properly implemented; implementation, however, was not straightforward. These analyses demonstrate the similar impact on power of increasing time-series length versus increasing daily outcome counts, which has not previously been reported. Implementation of power software for these studies is discussed and guidance is provided.
Designing iterative learning and repetitive controllers

This chapter discusses results in learning and repetitive control presented in a series of 60 publications. Emphasis in the summary is on the most practical approaches, with 8 learning laws discussed in detail, together with experimental demonstrations of their effectiveness. The distinction between learning control and repetitive control is discussed, and for linear systems it is suggested that in practical applications there is very little distinction, with most of the learning laws being ones that could be applied to either class of problems. Methods of long term stabilization are introduced, including use of zero-phase low-pass filtering of the error or the accumulated learning signal, and quantization based stabilization. Long term stabilization is demonstrated in experiments up to 10,000 repetitions. Learning laws are presented that require tuning only 2, 3 or 4 parameters. The methods of tuning them are clear, and can be done experimentally without needing a mathematical model. Demonstrations on a commercial robot performing a high speed maneuver, resulted in decreases in the RMS tracking error by factors of 100 to nearly 1,000 in a small number of repetitions. Such improvements can be obtained by simply tuning the learning controller in a manner similar to how one might tune a PD controller.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE TOXIC ACTIONS OF PURIFIED STREPTOLYSIN O ON THE ISOLATED HEART AND SEPARATE CARDIAC TISSUES OF THE GUINEA PIG

The response of isolated guinea pig hearts to perfusion with purified streptolysin O is characterized by a rapid, but transient, decrease in rate and amplitude of contraction; these reactions are superimposed upon a gradual, irreversible, loss of ventricular contractility. At ventricular standstill, the atria continue to beat spontaneously in a normal way. Isolated ventricle strips prepared from such preparations can be driven electrically, and their behavior is functionally indistinguishable from that of similar preparations made from normal hearts. Tests on spontaneously beating isolated atrial pairs show that the toxin induces a dose-dependent, reversible, decline in rate and amplitude which is accompanied by a marked, but transient, increase in the velocity of repolarization of the intracellular potential. The atrial reactions were completely blocked by atropine and potentiated by eserine. Acetylcholine was detected in the perfusates obtained by incubating a large pool of atrial tissue with active toxin, supporting the inference that the transient mechanical and electrophysiological reactions to toxin might be consequences of the release of acetylcholine from these tissues by the active toxin. Control studies showed that only the active toxin had the capacity to induce the cardiac responses. The toxin was active only in the reduced but not the oxidized form. The effects of the active toxin were modified if it were heated prior to challenge, and they could be neutralized by specific antiserum and inhibited by cholesterol. Since the driven ventricle strip was mechanically and electrophysiologically insensitive to streptolysin O, the irreversible changes in the whole heart must have occurred because of a defect in the atrioventricular conduction system.
To look or not to look: A hierarchical representation for visual planning on mobile robots

Mobile robots are increasingly being used in real-world applications due to the ready availability of high-fidelity sensors and the development of sophisticated information processing algorithms. However, one key challenge to the widespread deployment of mobile robots equipped with multiple sensors and processing algorithms is the ability to autonomously tailor sensing and information processing to the task at hand. This paper poses this challenge as the task of planning under uncertainty, and more specifically as an instance of probabilistic sequential decision-making. A novel hierarchy of partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) is incorporated, which uses constrained-convolutional policies and automatic belief propagation to achieve efficient and reliable operation on mobile robots. All algorithms are implemented and evaluated on simulated and physical robot platforms for the task of searching for target objects in dynamic indoor environments.
Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Glucose- and pH-Stimulated Release of Insulin†

Multi-stimuli responsive porous silica nanoparticles for controlled release of insulin were synthesized by tethering insulin molecules onto boronic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (BA-MSNs) and then coating the BA-MSNs with the bioadhesive and pH-sensitive polymer polyacrylic acid (PAA). The insulin molecules were conjugated onto the exterior surfaces of BA-MSNs via gluconic acid linker groups [or by making first the gluconic acid-modified insulin (Gins)]. The surfaces of the resulting BA-MSNs containing Gins were coated with PAA, which was used to protect the entrapped insulin from undergoing possible enzymatic degradations in such locations as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The PAA, which has excellent dispersibility and adherence to the mucosa, might also allow the permeation of such nanoparticles through the colon, and thereby improve their potential application for insulin delivery. The drug release properties of the resulting nanoparticles, denoted PAA-Gins-BA-MSNs, as well as their control samples were studied in enzyme-free simulated gastric fluid (SGF) (pH = 2.0), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) (pH = 6.8), and phosphate buffer saline (PBS) (pH = 7.4). Because of their shrinkage at low pH and swelling at high pH, the PAA-coated MSNs exhibited pH-dependent insulin release properties. Besides pH, glucose was shown to trigger the release of insulin from the nanoparticles, which demonstrates the nanoparticles' multi-stimuli-responsive properties for controlled release of insulin. Finally, we show that the PAA-coated MSNs were non-cytotoxic.
Digital control for switching converters

In this paper, several different techniques for designing discrete controllers for switching power converter applications are presented. Simulation results are also provided for illustration purposes.
REFLECTIONS ON THE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDERS: A PSYCHODYNAMIC AND THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVE

Since the founding of the psychoanalytic movement over a century ago, the psychiatric disease entity of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) has not received anywhere near the attention that other entities have received. Presumably, this may be due to the seemingly intractability, to the psychoanalytic process, of the illness. Freud (1907, 1909, 1913, 1926; 1966) devoted much attention to this subject but this endeavor has not, for the most part, been continued in any elaborate manner by psychoanalysts since then. There is no published study that I am aware of that documents a complete cure for OCD through the psychoanalytic process. Some modification of symptoms can, occur but complete cure will elude us for a long while. Freud’s (1909) famous case of The Rat Man shed much light on the underlying emotional conflicts of OCD, but the lasting, positive therapeutic effect of his analysis could not be established as the patient was killed during World War I. Transference phenomena must have played some role in the positive result that Freud seemingly noticed in the patient. Unfortunately, since Anna Freud’s 1966 review of the subject, virtually nothing has appeared in the psychoanalytic literature that has added to our understanding of the disorder or enhanced the very limited therapeutic influence of psychoanalysis in such cases. Meanwhile there has been an avalanche of contributions from biological psychiatry and behavioral psychology that have propounded different theories of pathogenesis and have laid claim to significant effectiveness. (Esman, 2001, p. 145) Several decades ago it was a given that the statistical incidence of OCD ranged from 0.5% to 1% of the general population, al
Evaluation of the streambed leakage concept in analytical models using data from three pumping tests

Two-dimensional analytical models of pumping induced drawdown and stream depletion account for the streambed properties and stream geometry. Using data from three pumping tests performed under various hydrologic conditions, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) a partially penetrating stream at a certain distance from the pumping well can be represented by the streambed leakage term in the analytical models; (2) in the streambed leakage term, the streambed conductance coefficient λ=(WK′)/m′ accounts for the average stream width W, the streambed thickness m′, and hydraulic conductivity K′. The first hypothesis was tested by comparing results from tests under flow and no-flow stream conditions. The second hypothesis was tested by comparing results from two tests under low and high streamflow conditions. Similar estimates of the hydraulic conductivity and storativity for all tests indicate the validity of the streambed leakage term. The drawdown data of the test under low- and high-flow conditions (varying W) do not follow the predictions of the analytical models, which results in inconsistent λ estimates. Thus, for different hydrologic conditions, λ cannot be scaled solely by the stream width W. One possible explanation for this result is streambed dynamics caused by the changes in the stream stage.
Supported bilayers at the vanguard of immune cell activation studies

Biological adhesion between cells is critical for development of multicellular organisms and for the function of the adaptive immune system of vertebrates. A gap in understanding of adhesion systems arises from the difficulty of collecting quantitative data on the molecular interactions underlying adhesion, which is typically studied by population statistics such as percent adhesion in the presence of empirically defined forces to separate less adherent cells. Supported lipid bilayers formed on glass surfaces offer a useful model system in which to explore some basic features of molecular interactions in adhesive contacts. We have exploited the lateral mobility of molecules in the supported planar bilayers and fluorescence microscopy to develop a system for measurement of two-dimensional affinities and kinetic rates in contact areas. Affinity measurements are based on a modified Scatchard analysis. Measurements of kinetic rates are based on fluorescence photobleaching after recovery at the level of the entire contact area. This has been coupled to a reaction-diffusion equation that allows calculation of on- and off-rates. We have found that mixtures of ligands in supported planar bilayers can effectively activate T lymphocytes and simultaneously allow monitoring of the immunological synapse. Recent studies in planar bilayers have provided additional insights into organization principles of cell-cell interfaces. Perennial problems in understanding cell-cell communication are yielding to quantitative measurements based on planar bilayers in areas of ligand driven receptor clustering and the role of the actin cytoskeleton in immune cell activation. A major goal for the field is determining quantitative rules involved in signaling complex formation.
EmPro: an Environment/Energy Emulation and Profiling Platform for Wireless Sensor Networks

Quantitative evaluation of wireless sensor platforms is difficult. Unlike general purpose computers that can run SPEC benchmarks from a file, it is difficult to reproduce the environmental input needed to stimulate the sensor nodes. Even if possible, open-loop playback would be unable to correctly account for adaptivity built into the behavior of these nodes. As a result, researchers resort to simulations, which do not consider all relevant factors without significant speed penalty. To address this problem, we propose EmPro, an environment/energy emulation and profiling system for WSNs. It accurately outputs electrical signals to emulate not only digital and analog inputs to the sensors but also the power sources as well as RF attenuation according to pre-programmed sequences. This emulation approach enables researchers to run the networked sensors in real-time in a realistic manner with full controllability and reproducibility. EmPro in profiling mode can also capture the observable behavior of WSNs for detailed analysis. Experimental results on the Eco and MICA2 WSN platforms show that EmPro can drive these hardware systems in real-time with high accuracy. We expect EmPro will expedite testing and serve as a sorely needed standard benchmarking tool for WSN platforms
Effect of ACTH on thymic masses.

IN A previous paper published in 1948 (1) we reported on the effect of ACTH in a patient with myasthenia gravis and a thymic tumor. This initial study was conducted during the early days of ACTH therapy when the hormone was available in only limited amounts. The patient was treated with 40 mg. of ACTH daily for a period of four days, and treatment was followed by an appreciable decrease in the size of the thymic mass and a subsequent improvement in the myasthenic symptoms. Since this report was published, the salutary effect of ACTH on patients with myasthenia gravis without thymic enlargement has been confirmed elsewhere (2). However, Shy and his coworkers (3) have failed to observe either shrinkage of a thymic neoplasm or improvement in the symptoms of myasthenia gravis in 1 patient treated with cortisone. The present communication is concerned with the influence of ACTH on the size of the thymic mass in 4 additional patients. Three of this group had myasthenia gravis. In 2 patients the thymic enlargeme...
Corruption, Legitimacy and Human Rights: The Dialectic of the Relationship

In this essay, I investigate the relationship between corruption and human rights discourses as well as the idea of legitimacy, and argue that the corruption discourse undermines a particular kind of legitimacy by discrediting a particular kind of State. The essay offers a critique of the corruption discourse, and its putative linkages with a rights-based conception of legitimacy. I argue that the corruption discourse re-legitimizes particular conceptions of development, democracy, rule of law and human rights, that are elitist, eurocentric and statist.
Pseudotumor cerebri after treatment with tetracycline and isotretinoin for acne

Tetracyclines and isotretinoin are widely used treatments for patients with acne. Although generally safe, the use of these agents has been associated with pseudotumor cerebri and combination therapy with these agents may increase the risk for pseudotumor cerebri. A 14-year-old boy presented with headaches and bilateral visual loss secondary to papilledema. He had been treated with tetracycline and isotretinoin for acne for three weeks prior to presentation and was subsequently diagnosed as having pseudotumor cerebri. He required long-term medical therapy and eventually underwent bilateral optic nerve sheath decompression. The literature regarding pseudotumor cerebri in association with tetracyclines and isotretinoin treatment for acne is reviewed. Dermatologists should be aware of the risk of pseudotumor cerebri in patients receiving tetracycline or isotretinoin treatment for acne and should be particularly cautious about using both agents simultaneously.
Using Inclusion Theorems to Establish the Summability of Orthogonal Series

Let {ϕn(x)} be an orthogonal system of real functions, with respect to a distribution dµ(x), and defined over [a, b]. We shall be interested in matrix transformations of $$ s_n (x)\; = \;\mathop \sum \limits_{k\; = \;0}^n \;c_k \phi _k (x) $$ (1)
Online Identification of System Uncertainties Using Coprime Factorizations With Application to Hard Disk Drives

In hard disk drive (HDD) magnetic recording bit patterned media (BPM), data are written in predetermined paths. The deviation of these paths from the perfect circle is categorized as repeatable run-out (RRO) which needs to be tracked. An adaptive RRO following algorithm was developed in [1,2] in order to track the RRO. This algorithm uses models of the closed-loop sensitivity transfer functions, from the feedforward injection points to position error signal (PES), to estimate the feedforward control actions that are needed to track the RRO. The phase difference between these models and the actual transfer functions must be less than 90 degrees, in order to guarantee the convergence of the adaptive RRO following algorithm. The dual-stage actuators’ gains and resonance modes are affected by temperature variations, which in turn affect all closed loop sensitivity transfer functions. As a consequence, the 90-degree criteria may be violated unless these transfer functions are periodically updated. In this paper, the coprime factorizations method has been used to factorize and identify the uncertain part of the model instead of identifying the entire transfer function of the model. Experimental results conducted on a hard disk drive equipped with dual-stage actuation, confirm the effectiveness of the proposed estimation algorithm.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Ebbinghaus's contributions to psychology after 1885.

Hermann Ebbinghaus is best remembered for his research on memory, conducted and published early in his career. Ebbinghaus subsequently contributed to psychology as teacher, journal founder and editor, champion of experimental research, author of texts, and originator of a method of assessing intelligence. The year 1985 saw the publication of tributes to Ebbinghaus's memory research; the present article summarizes his later contributions to psychology.
Caloric Reserves in Salt Marsh Deer Flies, Chrysops fuliginosus (Diptera: Tabanidae)

The behavior of Chrysops fuliginosus adults was observed near a salt marsh in Milford, Conn., during 1978, 1979, and 1981–1983. Males and females were analyzed by a chemical test, consisting of a sulfuric acid solution of sodium bichromate, to quantify available caloric reserves in mating, resting, and blood-seeking individuals. Mean available energy reserves were highest in males (mean = 2.7 cal/mg) and females (mean = 2.5 cal/ mg) captured in copula. There were no appreciable differences between these groups and males resting on vegetation (mean = 2.6 cal/mg), but lower amounts of mean available caloric reserves were noted for females resting on vegetation (mean = 1.2 cal/mg) or seeking vertebrate hosts (mean = 1.4 cal/mg). The relatively higher caloric values recorded for copulating deer flies and resting males were attributed to nectar-feeding and quantities of stored reserves remaining after eclosion.
Evidence for Violation of the Δ I = 1 2 Rule in K + → 3 π Decay

A significant violation of the $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=\frac{1}{2}$ rule has been detected in ${K}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3\ensuremath{\pi}$ decay. The ratio of the coefficients of the linear terms in the squared matrix elements of ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{'}+} ({K}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0})$ and ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{+} ({K}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}})$ is found to be -2.63 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.18 (as compared with the $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=\frac{1}{2}$ rule prediction of -2), when the results of the Riverside ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{'}+}$ experiment are used together with the results of the present ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{+}$ experiment.
Experimental Overview of Direct Photon Results in Heavy Ion Collisions

Direct photons are color blind probes and thus they provide unique opportunities to study the colored medium created in heavy ion collisions. There are many different sources of direct photons each probing different physics processes as the system evolves. In basic 2→2 processes the prompt photons from primary hard scatterings offer the most precise measurements of the outgoing parton energy in the opposite direction. In heavy ion collisions the created medium emits photons as thermal radiation, whose rate and anisotropies provide a unique prospective on the properties and evolution of the system. Recent results on direct photons from the LHC and RHIC experiments are briefly summarized in this paper.
The Theoretical and Empirical Basis of Teacher Leadership A Review of the Literature

In the current review, we examined teacher leadership research completed since York-Barr and Duke published the seminal review on teacher leadership in 2004. The review was undertaken to examine how teacher leadership is defined, how teacher leaders are prepared, their impact, and those factors that facilitate or inhibit teacher leaders’ work. Beyond this, the review considered theories informing teacher leadership, teacher leadership within disciplinary contexts, and the roles of teacher leaders in social justice and equity issues. The most salient findings were (a) teacher leadership, although rarely defined, focused on roles beyond the classroom, supporting the professional learning of peers, influencing policy/decision making, and ultimately targeting student learning; (b) the research is not always theoretically grounded; (c) principals, school structures, and norms are important in empowering or marginalizing teacher leaders; and (d) very little teacher leadership research examines issues of social ...
Ventilator Support in Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common medical condition in children. A wide variety of pathophysiological conditions contribute to OSAS in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends adenotonsillectomy as the first-line therapy for OSAS in children. Positive airway pressure therapy (PAP) is an effective treatment alternative for majority of children who either fail or are not candidates for surgical therapy. The current chapter will discuss the indications and common practice with the use of PAP in children with OSAS.
The index of Callias-type operators with Atiyah–Patodi–Singer boundary conditions

We compute the index of a Callias-type operator with APS boundary condition on a manifold with compact boundary in terms of combination of indexes of induced operators on a compact hypersurface. Our result generalizes the classical Callias-type index theorem to manifolds with compact boundary.
Skeletal and dentoalveolar changes following the use of an occlusally bonded maxillary protraction headgear appliance in patients born with cleft lip and palate

Maxillary hypoplasia is a common finding in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP). This study evaluated the skeletal and dentoalveolar changes in patients with CLP treated with an occlusally bonded maxillary protraction headgear (PHG) appliance. A total of 267 consecutive patients (1995–2012) treated with a PHG appliance were reviewed. In all, 40 patients with CLP (mean age 7.70 years) met the inclusion criteria. Mean treatment duration was 7.5 months with a mean force of 405g per side. X - and Y -axis displacement for 38 lateral cephalometric landmarks was recorded at pretreatment ( T 0 ), following removal of PHG ( T 1 ), and at 1.5 years follow-up ( T 2 ). From T 0 to T 1 , A-point advanced by +2.48mm ( p p p p p p > 0.05), B-point moved anteriorly by 3.69mm ( p p A PHG appliance with a mean 810g of force resulted in 54.60% skeletal and 45.40% dentoalveolar advancement. At 1.5 years ( T 2 ), the maxillary position was stable with minimal anterior growth; however, the mandible showed significant anterior growth contributing to reduction of the ANB angle.
Special Section Guest Editorial: Video Analytics for Public Safety

This guest editorial introduces and summarizes the Special Section on Video Analytics for Public Safety.
Second Neoplasms After Successful Treatment for Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors

As survival rates following treatment for pediatric central nervous system tumors continue to improve, it is now clear that survivors of childhood cancer are at risk for a wide range of health, neurocognitive, social, and psychiatric issues. Perhaps the most significant and damaging complication facing survivors of childhood cancers is diagnosis of a second neoplasm. The development of a second neoplasm is a multifactorial process that is influenced by cancer histology, genetics, treatment technique and intensity, and environmental factors. These are a group of histologically diverse cancers that can occur at any location in the body with varied latency times. Many secondary malignant neoplasms have an extremely poor prognosis. While radiotherapy dose and field design been associated with second neoplasm development, new treatment strategies and technologies such as proton therapy have the potential to significantly reduce this devastating complication of treatment. As our ability to understand and quantify the factors that influence risk improve, models accurately predicting individual risk may be incorporated into treatment selection.
The acute thermal respiratory response is unique among species in a guild of larval anuran amphibians—Implications for energy economy in a warmer future

Climate change is bringing about increased temperatures of amphibian habitats throughout the world, where ectothermic larvae will experience elevated respiratory (metabolic) energy demands. We compared the acute, thermal respiratory response ("TRR") of four species of sympatric larval amphibians (Lithobates sphenocephalus, L. catesbeianus, Scaphiopus holbrookii, and Hyla chrysoscelis) to determine species-specific differences in the rate at which metabolic energy requirements increase with temperature. The TRR, the slope of the relationship between respiration rate and temperature within critical thermal limits, varied significantly among species such that the absolute, per capita change in metabolic energy requirement as temperature increased was greater for L. sphenocephalus and L. catesbeianus than for H. chrysoscelis and S. holbrookii. This was also reflected in the temperature coefficients (Q10,18.5-25.5), which ranged from 1.77 (S. holbrookii) to 2.70 (L. sphenocephalus) for per capita respiration rates. Our results suggest that L. sphenocephalus and L. catesbeianus will experience a more rapid increase in energetic requirements as temperature increases relative to the other species, possibly magnifying their influences on the resource pool. There is a critical paucity of information on the metabolic responses of most larval amphibians across a range of temperatures, despite that this relationship dictates the magnitude of the priority investment of assimilated energy in respiration, thus shaping the energetic economy of the individual. A broader knowledge of species-specific TRRs, combined with research to determine thermal acclimatory or adaptive potentials over chronic time scales, will provide a framework for evaluating whether asymmetric, climate-mediated differences in energetic demands among species could ultimately influence larval amphibian ecology in a warmer future.
Dapagliflozin--redefining treatment of T2DM?

Glycemic control for many patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is elusive, and the adverse effects of treatment, including hypoglycemia and weight gain, are partially culpable. Until recently, glycosuria has been regarded only as a consequence of T2DM, but dapagliflozin employs glycosuria as a mechanism of treatment. Will this paradigm shift gain acceptance?
Comparing Populism in Venezuela and the United States

This chapter presents a comparative analysis of four cases of populism found in Venezuela and the United States: Betancourt’s Accion Democratica (AD) (1945–1948), McCarthyism, the Chavez administration, and the Tea Party. Populism is here defined as a discourse containing a symbolic structure that demonizes the “enemy” as the disruption of the legacy traced to a glorified “founding moment.” This sense of nationalism represented in the relationship between the “founding moment” and the demonization of the “enemy” is reinforced through the attempt to define the enemy within a spectrum of linked internal and external threats to the nation. The symbolic discursive structure, which is found in all four cases, reveals further similarities between the anti-leftist content of McCarthyite and the Tea Party discourse and the Bolivarian/social reformist content of AD and Chavista discourse. The key difference, however, between the cases of populism in the immediate postwar period (AD and McCarthyism) and the present cases (Chavez and the Tea Party) is the relative success of the latter concerning their ability to institutionalize populist discourse within stable systems of democratic politics. This chapter attempts to account for the emergence of these new forms of institutionalized populism in historical perspective by revealing how the relationship between the Manichean structure of discourse and corresponding reductive economic platforms provides for clear-cut methods of implementing policy initiatives within democratic politics.
Video NeuroImages: Paraneoplastic spinal myoclonus associated with Caspr2 antibodies.

A 42-year-old man with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis presented with 6 weeks of abnormal leg movements. Examination revealed myoclonus in the legs bilaterally (video, [links.lww.com/WNL/A322][1]). Chest CT showed recurrence of metastatic thymoma. MRI spine revealed nonspecific hemosiderin deposition at the T9 level without metastases or vascular malformation. EMG demonstrated right leg and rectus abdominus myoclonus up to T6, most prominently at T9-L1 (figure). Serum anti-contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Caspr2) antibodies were positive. Chemotherapy led to resolution of the myoclonus. Caspr2 antibodies have been associated with limbic encephalitis and neuromyotonia,1,2 but our patient showed unusual Caspr2-associated spinal myoclonus. [1]: http://links.lww.com/WNL/A322
Angiogenesis Inhibitor Therapy in Renal Cell Cancer

The discovery of the role of angiogenesis pathways in the kidney cancer has significantly changed the landscape in this disease, particularly in the metastatic setting. Medications targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the center point of angiogenesis pathways, have given new treatment options to patients and clinicians beyond interferon therapy. This chapter provides a review of the history and current understanding of angiogenesis focusing on VEGF-targeting agents currently approved for use in clinical practice and will end with a discussion of newer VEGF targeting agents in clinical trials.
Cost-utility of proton therapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer.

e15184 Background: Proton therapy (PT) has received much public attention due to its higher costs and lack of evidence of clinical benefit compared to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) f...
Use of Models to Predict Ultrasonic NDE Reliability

The need to quantify and predict the probability of detection (POD) of defects by ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques is driven by the growing importance of damage tolerant design and maintenance philosophies. Experimental demonstration programs, while costly, are useful in assessing NDE system reliability for existent inspection hardware and for “typical” test specimens. However, such an approach is not effective for prediction of optimal inspection protocols nor for improving the inspectability of components at the design stage. There is, thus, a need for computationally efficient analytical models for such applications.
Immunology of Enteric Pathogens Salmonella, Shigella, and Escherichia coli

From the moment of birth the human gastrointestinal tract is assaulted daily with bacterial organisms; the lower ileum and colon are permanently and heavily colonized with bacterial flora. Certain bacteria when ingested have the ability to cause enteric disease; these include Shigella, Salmonella, and certain Escherichia coli. In this chapter the virulence properties and pathogenetic mechanisms of these agents will be discussed as well as their interaction with the host and the host’s defenses.
Editing: Where Do You Begin?

The pilot has removed the fasten seat belt sign, the man in the aisle seat beside you has stopped his nervous chatter, and you are ready to begin editing Calloway’s report. Before the flight attendants even begin the beverage service, the report has you rattled. The problems you see are certainly not insurmountable, but they are distracting. First is the text typeface, a large sans serif font that would be appropriate perhaps for an elementary school reader, but not for a technical report, especially not for one with national distribution. Another distraction is Calloway’s penchant for pretentious words: prioritization, facilitation and manufacturability.These words make the document read like something written by a bureaucrat, not by an engineer. Still another distraction is Calloway’s confusion between affect and effect. How could an engineer who reads even the minimum amount of literature in his or her field make that mistake?
CHEMISTRY OF THE ATMOSPHERE | Observations for Chemistry (In Situ): Water Vapor Sondes

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by E Weinstock, E Hintsa, volume 4, pp 1490–1499, © 2003, Elsevier Ltd.
Leaks Following Colonic or Rectal Anastomoses

In the previous chapter we have focused mainly on leaks originating from the small bowel. But, for the majority of surgeons, the most common “leaks” are those following elective or emergency colorectal surgery. We have asked Dr. Efron to elaborate further on this topic.—The Editors
Online in Half the Time: A Case Study with Online Compressed Courses.

Higher education institutions of today are offering different courses in different formats in order to attract students and increase enrollment. Courses that can be completed in a shorter time frame are growing in popularity but can come with challenges. This case study research examined the experiences of students and instructors in online compressed courses across a nine-month period in one academic program. Results indicate that, while the students performed well, they dropped good academic practices such as reading in depth and writing drafts of papers. In addition, instructors reduced the quality of their feedback and became overwhelmed with the workload. We discuss recommendations for creating online compressed courses that are of benefit to both students and instructors.
Achieving Consensus Under Bounded Confidence in Multi-Agent Distributed Decision-Making

Understanding the conditions under which a multiagent system reaches a consensus has wide applicability in distributed decision-making environments. The iterative exchange of local states (or opinions) between agents must usually adhere to various constraints. For example, an agent may update its state only from neighboring agents whose state does not differ by more than the agent's bound of confidence (BoC). In this paper, a novel method for generating an Erdős-Renyi random network that guarantees a consensus in a multi-agent system subject to agents' BoC constraints is presented. For the case when agents maintain binary uniformly distributed states, we provide theoretical results on the sensitivity of the network structure generated with respect to changes in the agent BoCs. To allow for more general types of uncertainty to be captured in agent states and the state update scheme, a Dempster-Shafer (DS) belief theoretic opinion model along with a non-parametric kernel density estimation method is utilized and the results are illustrated via a simulation. The method presented has numerous applications in social networks, autonomous mobile robots, distributed sensor systems, and viral marketing, to name a few. Furthermore, the model can be utilized to generate fault-tolerant multi-agent systems where the random network generation makes it difficult to fragment the agents via pre-planned attacks. A case study on autonomous robot soldiers is used for an illustration of these ideas.
Evaluating the impact of axillary dissection on recurrence-free survival by extent of nodal disease in invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.

Clinical trials have shown that axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) can be avoided for many breast cancer patients with limited nodal involvement. However, whether its omission is safe for those with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is still questioned. We sought to evaluate the impact of ALND on recurrence-free survival (RFS) by extent of nodal disease in patients with ILC. We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of ILC patients treated between 1990 and 2019 at our institution. Patients underwent either breast conservation surgery (BCS) or mastectomy. We used univariate and multivariate statistics in Stata 14.2 to evaluate associations between extent of axillary surgery and time to recurrence stratified by nodal burden. Of 520 cases, 387 (78.4%) were node negative, 74 (14.9%) had 1–2 positive nodes, and 59 (11.4%) had three or more positive nodes. Most patients (93.3%) had hormone receptor-positive disease, and 94.8% had low or intermediate-grade tumors. The rate of ALND significantly decreased over time (p < 0.002). Using a multivariate model, there was no significant difference in RFS estimates based on receipt of ALND (HR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.17–1.64, p = 0.27), which also held true for patients with 1–2 positive nodes using a test of interaction (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.12–6.76, p = 0.92). These findings support the safety of omitting ALND in selected patients with ILC. Further studies of axillary management in ILC and imaging tools to predict nodal involvement and therapeutic response are warranted.
Chemoproteomics: Towards Global Drug Target Profiling

Illuminating drugs' mechanisms of action and their effects on the biomolecules of pathogens and humans is a much-needed next step to facilitate pharmaceutical development. Although studies have linked some drugs to their therapeutic targets by using transcriptomics and genomics, these approaches have intrinsic limitations and cannot directly assess drugs' effects on their protein targets. In this regard, chemoproteomic methods can detect protein-ligand interactions and quantitate the chemical or thermal stability changes of the entire detectible proteomes induced by drugs of interest. These widely applicable techniques have recently been adapted to deconvolute the mechanisms of action of antiparasitic drugs and successfully identified an essential target that was previously not known to be druggable. A continued effort to Integrate chemoproteomics into the drug-development pipeline could greatly improve our understanding of drugs' mechanisms, toxicity and pharmacodynamic properties.
Higher-order hub cells involved in feedforward motifs as critical factors in epileptic network instability

Abstract Sixty-five million people suffer from epilepsy and associated cognitive decline worldwide. Therefore, there is urgent need to identify novel mechanisms involved in epileptic network instability. Densely connected “hub” neurons have been implicated as key controllers of developmental as well as epileptic circuits. While such hub cells are traditionally defined by connection count, how these connections contribute to interictal dynamics is not understood. We performed whole-brain single-cell calcium imaging of the larval zebrafish brain in an acute seizure model. Biologically constrained modeling of cell-cell effective interactions successfully reproduced experimental calcium dynamics and enabled hub identification. Simulated perturbation of single hub neurons in the preseizure state confirmed that such traditional hub cells can exert major influence over global dynamics. Novel higher-order graph analytics revealed that the sensitivity to perturbation is not simply linked to outgoing degrees but rather to overexpression of feedforward motifs surrounding the hub cells that enhance downstream excitation. Model- and species similarity of the key findings was supported by similar results from the hippocampus of chronically epileptic mice. Collectively, these data identify a specific class of high-order hub neuron that is richly involved in feedforward motifs as an attractive new target for seizure control. Highlights Whole brain single-cell calcium imaging in zebrafish combined with effective connectivity modeling was used to study epileptic network instability Preseizure whole brain networks were more sensitive to simulated targeted perturbation of single richly connected “hub” neurons Higher-order graph clustering revealed overexpression of a class of hub cells engaged in feedforward motifs in the unstable preseizure state Such higher-order hub neurons enhanced downstream excitation and were causally linked to network instability Higher-order hub cells were identified in the hippocampus of chronically epileptic mice, showing similar findings across models and species.
Protect, Repair, and Regenerate: Towards Restoring Vision in Glaucoma.

We summarize recent advances in strategies that aim to restore optic nerve function and vision in glaucoma through protective, reparative, and regenerative avenues. Neuroprotection relies on identification of early retinal ganglion cell dysfunction, which could prove challenging in the clinic. Cell replacement therapies show promise in restoring lost vision, but some hurdles remain in restoring visual circuitry in the retina and central connections in the brain. Identification and manipulation of intrinsic and extrinsic cellular mechanisms that promote axon regeneration in both resident and transplanted RGCs will drive future advances in vision restoration. Understanding the roles of multiple cell types in the retina that act in concert to promote RGC survival will aid efforts to promote neuronal health and restoration. Effective RGC transplantation, fine tuning axon guidance and growth, and synaptogenesis of transplanted and resident RGCs are still areas that require more research.
The Association of Neighborhood Medical Facilities with Aging in Place and Risk of Incident Myocardial Infarction

Objectives: Aging in place (residential stability) is a desirable means of aging where adults remain in their homes, even when facing challenges that impair their capacity for self-care. Residential stability, especially following acute health challenges, depends on individual and community factors, possibly including proximity to medical facilities. Methods: We explored the association between the density of medical facilities around homes with risk of incident myocardial infarction (MI) and with aging in place following incident MI. Results: Densities of neighborhood pharmacies were not associated with aging in place or time to MI. High densities of neighborhood clinical care facilities were significantly associated with decreased residential stability. Discussion: The lack of significant associations between medical facility exposures and MI-related outcomes, coupled with prior findings, casts doubt on their salience and may indicate that other neighborhood features are more strongly associated with these outcomes.
Perioperative and oncologic outcomes of open, laparoscopic, and robotic distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma

The utilization of minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy (MIDP) is increasing, yet debate remains regarding its oncologic safety in the setting of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Herein we present our institutional experience with robotic (RDP), laparoscopic (LDP), and open distal pancreatectomy (ODP) in the setting of PDAC. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected single institutional database of patients undergoing consecutive ODP, LDP, and RDP for left-sided PDAC between January 2008 and December 2019 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) was done. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes were compared using non-parametric testing and Fischer exact or chi-squared testing. Kaplan–Meier survival curves for disease-free survival and overall survival were compared by Log-Rank sum test. Backward Cox-proportional hazard regression analysis was used to determine if the operative approach was an independent predictor of recurrence and overall survival. Over 12 years, 146 consecutive distal pancreatectomies for PDAC were performed, of which 28.1% ODP, 60.3% RDP, and 11.6% LDP. There were no statistical differences in patients’ baseline characteristics, including gender, comorbidities, prior abdominal surgeries, and AJCC8th stage (p > 0.05). Postoperatively, there was no difference in the frequency of major complications (p = 0.414), CR-POPF (p = 0.563), or DGE (p = 0.179). The median overall survival was 28.4 months for ODP, 34.6 months for RDP, and 32.5 months for LDP (Log Rank p = 0.914). On multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, the surgical approach was not associated with overall survival. This comparative analysis suggests a non-inferiority of RDP platforms, compared to LDP and classic ODP. The merits of MIS pancreatic surgery in the setting of PDAC should be evaluated in future prospective studies with care to analyze RDP outcomes separately from LDP.
A New Method of Reflection Dispersive Fourier Transform Spectroscopy of Near-Opaque Liquids and Solids

A transparent window is introduced in the sample arm of a dispersive, two beam interferometer to act as a reference optical starting position of the recorded interferograms to eliminate micrometer back-lash error, and to give reproducible phase information leading to determination of precise absorption and refraction spectra.