cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A simple validated gluten-free diet adherence survey for adults with celiac disease.

Background & Aims: Celiac disease is an increasingly prevalent disorder. To monitor response to treatment in clinical and research settings, it is essential to accurately measure gluten-free diet (GFD) adherence in a standardized manner. The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable Celiac Dietary Adherence Test (CDAT). Methods: Items and domains believed to be essential for successful GFD adherence were used to develop an 85-item survey with input from patient focus groups. The survey was administered to 200 individuals with biopsy-proven celiac disease who underwent standardized dietician evaluation (SDE) and serologic testing. Results: Of the initial 85 items, 41 were correlated highly with the SDE (P < .01). Responses for all 200 participants for the 41 items were entered into a single database. Computer-generated randomization produced a derivation cohort of 120 subjects and a validation cohort of 80. By using the derivation cohort, a 7-item questionnaire was developed using logistic regression. The additive score based on these items was correlated highly with the SDE in both the derivation and validation cohorts (P < .001) and performed significantly better than immunoglobulin A tissue transglutaminase titers in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis with areas under the curve of 0.830 and 0.652, respectively. Conclusions: The CDAT is a clinically relevant, easily administered, 7-item instrument that allows for standardized evaluation of GFD adherence and is superior to tissue transglutaminase serology. The CDAT may be useful in both research and clinical settings.
Plating of Patella Fractures: A Novel Technique Using Multiplanar Fixation

Fractures of the patella present unique challenges to surgeons and patients alike. As surgical knowledge and technique has advanced, management of these injuries has evolved from nonoperative care or patellectomy to anatomical reduction and internal fixation. Currently, tension band constructs are the most common method of fixation, but anterior knee pain and implant-related problems have become accepted as an expected consequence of treatment. Further, this technique often fails to address inferior pole comminution commonly seen in these injuries. In an effort to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, patella fracture plating has increased in popularity, but operative plating techniques vary significantly. In this article, we describe a novel treatment strategy that permits direct visualization of the articular reduction, uses multiplanar fixation through a low-profile small-fragment mesh plate, and addresses inferior pole comminution with minimal disruption to the patella vascularity.
Energy-saving control of hydraulic systems with novel programmable valves

The paper studies the energy-saving adaptive robust motion control of a single-rod hydraulic cylinder through the use of programmable valves-a unique combination of five proportional cartridge valves. The programmable valves decouple the meter-in and meter-out flows and provide true cross port regeneration flow which in turn allows tremendous control flexibility. Although at the expense of controller complexity, if well utilized, the added control flexibility can be used to significantly reduce the fluid power energy usage in a number of motion and loading conditions to meet the society's need for energy conservation while without sacrificing the achievable motion control accuracy.
Application of band-limited functions to the analysis of axially symmetric reflectors

A band-limited set of basis functions is employed, in a 3-D situation, to reduce the spatial-sample count associated with the method of moments (MoM) procedure. Results obtained from modelling axially symmetric reflectors, using variable spatial sample counts, are compared with ones derived from other classes of basis functions. The comparison evidences a superior computational performance (CPU time and memory requirements) of the proposed scheme in this context.
A model for slew-induced distortion in single-amplifier active filters

Under certain conditions of operation, the operational amplifier has the rate of change of its output limited to a value called the slew rate. This effect can result in slew-induced distortion (SID). A model has been developed which permits the analysis of SID on any single-amplifier active filter. The model can determine the influence of SID on the frequency response and the input-signal threshold at which SID occurs. The model also predicts the presence of jump resonance. Representative examples are given which illustrate the influence of SID on commonly used single-amplifier realizations. It is shown how one may prevent the occurence of SID. These results are applicable to the use of active filters at high frequencies and/or large-signal levels.
Exceptional electroweak model

We consider a gauge extension of the electroweak sector of the standard model based on the group ${\mathrm{G}}_{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{SU}(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{U}(1)$. The exceptional group ${\mathrm{G}}_{2}$ is the smallest rank two group that contains SU(3) as a subgroup; the SU(3) prediction ${sin﻿}^{2}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{w}=1/4$ follows approximately in this model if the couplings of the additional SU(2) and U(1) factors are sufficiently large. We study the symmetry-breaking sector of the model, the bounds from precision electroweak constraints and the mass spectrum of exotic gauge bosons that may be produced at future colliders. We also discuss a SU(3) electroweak model in which a vectorlike sector is included explicitly to facilitate the decays of otherwise stable exotic states. The models considered here represent plausible extensions of the minimal SU(3) electroweak model with potentially distinctive TeV-scale phenomenology.
Exploring the metric, Klein-Gordon operator, and spinors in a 10-space-time octonion extension of dirac theory

The three conjugations in 10-space are used to examine details of the operators, metric, and wave functions in an octonion generalization of quantum electrodynamics.
Shape variation in the least killifish: ecological associations of phenotypic variation and the effects of a common garden

Studies of the adaptive significance of variation among conspecific populations often focus on a single ecological factor. However, habitats rarely differ in only a single ecological factor, creating a challenge for identifying the relative importance of the various ecological factors that might be maintaining local adaptation. Here we investigate the ecological factors associated with male body shape variation among nine populations of the poeciliid fish, Heterandria formosa, from three distinct habitats and combine those results with a laboratory study of three of those populations to assess the contributions of genetic and environmental influences to shape variation. Field-collected animals varied principally in three ways: the orientation of the gonopodium, the intromittent organ; the degree of body depth and streamlining; and the shape of the tail musculature. Fish collected in the spring season were larger and had a more anteriorly positioned gonopodium than fish collected in autumn. Fish collected from lotic springs were larger and more streamlined than those collected from lentic ponds or tidal marshes. Some of the variation in male shape among populations within habitats was associated with population-level variation in species richness, adult density, vegetative cover, predation risk, and female standard length. Population-level differences among males in body size, position of the gonopodium, and shape of the tail musculature were maintained among males reared in a common environment. In contrast, population variation in the degree of streamlining was eliminated when males were reared in a common environment. These results illustrate the complicated construction of multivariate phenotypic variation and suggest that different agents of selection have acted on different components of shape.
Prospects for an Inclusive Theory of Justice: The Case of Non‐Human Animals

In this article, I argue that there are three widely accepted views within contemporary theorising about justice that present barriers to accepting that non-human animals possess direct entitlements of justice. These views are (1) that the basis of entitlements of justice is either contribution to a cooperative scheme for mutual advantage or the capacity to so contribute; (2) political liberalism, that is, the view that requirements for coercive state action can be justified only by appeal to the ideal of citizens as free and equal and the principles of justice that are entailed by that ideal; and (3) that the principles of justice apply directly to the institutions of what John Rawls calls the ‘basic structure of society’, and not to the conduct of individuals. I then consider several attempts to ground direct entitlements of justice for animals via modest revisions to one or more of these widely accepted views, and argue that they fail, and that, more generally, any such attempt must fail. I claim that any theory that can include direct entitlements for animals must reject (1) and at least one of (2) and (3), and that there are reasons to think that those who are inclined to endorse direct entitlements for animals are unlikely to be satisfied with any view that does not reject all three of the widely accepted views. I conclude by briefly noting some of the important implications of rejecting all of these views.
Mechanism of the stimulation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump by calmodulin.

Calmodulin has been shown to stimulate the initial rates of Ca2+-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, when it is present in the reaction assay media for these activities. To determine whether the stimulatory effect of Calmodulin is mediated directly through its interaction with the Ca2+-ATPase, or indirectly through phosphorylation of phospholamban by an endogenous protein kinase, two approaches were taken in the present study. In the first approach, the effects of calmodulin were studied on a Ca2+-ATPase preparation, isolated from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, which was essentially free of phospholamban. The enzyme was preincubated with various concentrations of calmodulin at 0±C and 37±C, but there was no effect on the Ca2+-ATPase activity assayed over a wide range of [Ca2+] (0.1–10 μM). In the second approach, cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were prephosphorylated by an endogenous protein kinase in the presence of calmodulin. Phosphorylation occurred predominantly on phos...
Decernotinib: A Next-Generation Jakinib.

Since the beginning of this millennium, rheumatologists have become applied cytokine biologists, taking advantage of the plethora of successful “biologics” that target cytokines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune disorders. The mechanism of action of these agents is to block cytokines outside of the cell. However, the actions of cytokines can also be blocked by disrupting signaling pathways within the cell. This is the mechanism of action employed by a recent class of orally administered drugs, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors or Jakinibs. In this issue of A&R, Genovese and colleagues report the results of a Phase IIb study with decernotinib, a second generation, JAK3-selective Jakinib (1).
Effects of different carbon nanotube supported catalysts on methanol and ethanol electro-oxidation

In this work, Pt and Pt-Ru nanoparticles were synthesized on both single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Effects of different nanotube supports on electrocatalytic activity of Pt and Pt-Ru nanoparticles for methanol and ethanol oxidations were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In comparison to MWCNTs, SWCNT supported Pt and Pt-Ru catalysts demonstrate better electrocatalytic activities in terms of forward peak current density, the ratio of forward peak current density to reverse peak current density, and charge transfer resistance. This study indicates that SWCNTs can serve as effective catalyst supports for both direct methanol and ethanol fuel cells.
Seeing the unseen: Second-order correlation learning in 7- to 11-month-olds

We present four experiments with the object-examining procedure that investigated 7-, 9-, and 11-month-olds' ability to associate two object features that were never presented simultaneously. In each experiment, infants were familiarized with a number of 3D objects that incorporated different correlations among the features of those objects and the body of the objects (e.g., Part A and Body 1, and Part B and Body 1). Infants were then tested with objects with a novel body that either possessed both of the parts that were independently correlated with one body during familiarization (e.g., Part A and B on Body 3) or that were attached to two different bodies during familiarization. The experiments demonstrate that infants as young as 7months of age are capable of this kind of second-order correlation learning. Furthermore, by at least 11months of age infants develop a representation for the object that incorporates both of the features they experienced during training. We suggest that the ability to learn second-order correlations represents a powerful but as yet largely unexplored process for generalization in the first years of life.
Effects of Sodium Concentration on Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Microorganisms in Treeholes

A 2-factor field microcosm experiment with 2 concentrations of sodium ([Na]) was performed with and without mosquitoes to test the hypothesis that Na is a limiting nutrient for the treehole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus (Say), at concentrations observed in the field. This experiment also tested the effects of both water [Na] and mosquito larvae on cohabiting treehole microorganisms. Female Ae. triseriatus emerging from microcosms with high-[Na] were significantly larger than females emerging from low-[Na] microcosms. There was no effect of [Na] on the size of males; however, males had higher body [Na] than females at both [Na]. Densities of protozoans were lower in the presence of mosquitoes, and densities of bacteria were lower at high than low [Na]. Water [Na] may affect mosquito populations by decreasing energy expenditures to obtain Na at higher [Na], allowing for more allocation to growth. Males were not affected by the [Na]s tested here. This experiment agrees with field observations and other laboratory studies indicating that [Na] may affect populations of Ae. triseriatus under certain conditions.
Investigation of Aeroelastic Flow Control of a Fluttering Wing with HPCMP CREATE(trademark)-AV Kestrel

Abstract : The aeroelastic behavior of a finite aspect ratio (AR=6) NACA0018 wing is computationally analyzed. HPCMP CREATE(trademark)-AV Kestrel, a fully coupled computational fluid dynamic (CFD) and computational structural dynamic (CSD) code, is used to compare the effect of blowing on a rigid and an aeroelastically deforming wing. Externally controlled blowing slots distributed along the span of the wing are used to inject mass into the flow field to achieve open-loop flow control. The results indicate that control by blowing has a pronounced effect on the flowfield and therefore on the aerodynamic coefficients. For the rigid wing, the lift is increased, as are the pitching and rolling moments. When aeroelastic deformation is considered, the picture changes significantly. First, the flexible wing showed higher lift and drag compared to the rigid wing due to the increased local angle of attack in the outboard section of the wing. Futhermore, the pitching and rolling moments were significantly reduced.
Local Government Revenue Stability and Revenue Policy over Recessions

In this chapter we consider the impacts of three recessions on local government revenues over the 1985–2009 period. We control for the timing of local government fiscal years and weight recession impacts accordingly. We also introduce a moving average (MA) of this weight as a substitute for traditional lags, interacting constructed weights with: (1) own source revenues and (2) other outside sources to control for feedback effects. After controlling for recessions, we find the introduction of sales taxes to be associated with increases in short-run revenue volatility. We find a smaller attenuating relationship for property taxes—millage rate increases are associated with roughly 5 % lower year-to-year volatility over periods of recession. Increases in revenue from temporary sales tax targeting capital projects are associated with both: (1) damped short-run volatility, and (2) increased long-run volatility by 2–3 % each. We also find suggestive evidence of statistical associations between revenue bond issuance over recessions, increases in lease purchase agreements, and increases in the local unemployment rate with increases in short- and longer-run revenue volatility.
Deadline Guaranteed Service for Multi-Tenant Cloud Storage

It is imperative for cloud storage systems to be able to provide deadline guaranteed services according to service level agreements (SLAs) for online services. In spite of many previous works on deadline aware solutions, most of them focus on scheduling work flows or resource reservation in datacenter networks but neglect the server overload problem in cloud storage systems that prevents providing the deadline guaranteed services. In this paper, we introduce a new form of SLAs, which enables each tenant to specify a percentage of its requests it wishes to serve within a specified deadline. We first identify the multiple objectives (i.e., traffic and latency minimization, resource utilization maximization) in developing schemes to satisfy the SLAs. To satisfy the SLAs while achieving the multi-objectives, we propose a Parallel Deadline Guaranteed ( PDG ) scheme, which schedules data reallocation (through load re-assignment and data replication) using a tree-based bottom-up parallel process. The observation from our model also motivates our deadline strictness clustered data allocation algorithm that maps tenants with the similar SLA strictness into the same server to enhance SLA guarantees. We further enhance PDG in supplying SLA guaranteed services through two algorithms: i) a prioritized data reallocation algorithm that deals with request arrival rate variation, and ii) an adaptive request retransmission algorithm that deals with SLA requirement variation. Our trace-driven experiments on a simulator and Amazon EC2 show the effectiveness of our schemes for guaranteeing the SLAs while achieving the multi-objectives.
Feasibility Study on 3-D Printing of Metallic Structural Materials with Robotized Laser-Based Metal Additive Manufacturing

Metallic structural materials continue to open new avenues in achieving exotic mechanical properties that are naturally unavailable. They hold great potential in developing novel products in diverse industries such as the automotive, aerospace, biomedical, oil and gas, and defense. Currently, the use of metallic structural materials in industry is still limited because of difficulties in their manufacturing. This article studied the feasibility of printing metallic structural materials with robotized laser-based metal additive manufacturing (RLMAM). In this study, two metallic structural materials characterized by an enlarged positive Poisson’s ratio and a negative Poisson’s ratio were designed and simulated, respectively. An RLMAM system developed at the Research Center for Advanced Manufacturing of Southern Methodist University was used to print them. The results of the tensile tests indicated that the printed samples successfully achieved the corresponding mechanical properties.
The effect of soluble E-selectin on tumor progression and metastasis

Distant metastasis resulting from vascular dissemination of cancer cells is the primary cause of mortality from breast cancer. We have previously reported that E-selectin expression on the endothelial cell surface mediates shear-resistant adhesion and migration of circulating cancer cells via interaction with CD44. As a result of shedding, soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin) from the activated endothelium is present in the serum. In this study, we aimed to understand the role of sE-selectin in tumor progression and metastasis. We investigated the effect of sE-selectin on shear-resistant adhesion and migration of metastatic breast cancer cells and leukocytes in vitro and in vivo. We found that sE-selectin promoted migration and shear-resistant adhesion of CD44+ /high breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) to non-activated human microvessel endothelial cells (ES-HMVECs), but not of CD44-/low breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and T-47D). This endothelial E-selectin independent, sE-selectin-mediated shear-resistant adhesion was also observed in a leukocyte cell line (HL-60) as well as human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Additionally, the incubation of MDA-MB-231 cells with sE-selectin triggered FAK phosphorylation and shear-resistant adhesion of sE-selectin-treated cells resulted in increased endothelial permeabilization. However, CD44 knockdown in MDA-MB-231 and HL-60 cells resulted in a significant reduction of sE-selectin-mediated shear-resistant adhesion to non-activated HMVECs, suggesting the involvement of CD44/FAK. Moreover, functional blockade of ICAM-1 in non-activated HMVECs resulted in a marked reduction of sE-selectin-mediated shear-resistant adhesion. Finally, the pre-incubation of CD44+ 4 T1 murine breast cancer cells with sE-selectin augmented infiltration into the lung in E-selectin K/O mice and infusion of human PBMCs pre-incubated with sE-selectin stimulated MDA-MB-231 xenografted breast tumor growth in NSG mice. Our data suggest that circulating sE-selectin stimulates a broad range of circulating cells via CD44 and mediates pleiotropic effects that promote migration and shear-resistant adhesion in an endothelial E-selectin independent fashion, in turn accelerating tissue infiltration of leukocytes and cancer cells.
The role of growth factors in cartilage metabolism

The formation of articular cartilage defects in osteoarthritis arise due to an imbalance between biosynthetic and catabolic processes affecting the extracellular matrix. The compensatory synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins required to re-established normal cartilage homeostasis may be compromised by the failure of affected chondrocytes to respond to growth-stimulating peptides. Growth factors and cytokines may act synergistically to attenuate or boost chondrocyte responses. An understanding of how chondrocytes in osteoarthritic joints respond to growth factors could aid in the development of a rationale for designing new therapies to control the progression of osteoarthritic pathology.
The pursuit of happiness introduction

In 1950, Elihu Katz submitted his MA thesis called “The Happiness Game—A Content Analysis of Radio Fan Mail” at Columbia University. It was supervised by Leo Lowenthal, and drew on recently published work by Paul Lazarsfeld, Robert Merton, and Erich Fromm. The topic for the thesis came from Lowenthal, who, as Katz now recalls, was then preparing to become Director of Research for Voice of America. Somehow, he obtained from CBS, perhaps through Lazarsfeld, several thousand letters sent in to the network during the early months of 1948. He was interested in letters sent by listeners in anticipation of such mail landing on his desk in his new position. The letters were sorted into different bundles and assigned to various graduate students for analysis. It was a happy chance that the bundle assigned to Katz were letters sent in by listeners (overwhelmingly female) in response to a request from a popular radio broadcaster of the day, Ted Malone. Malone asked regular listeners to his daytime show to note whenever they felt happy across the whole of February 1948 (a leap-year) and, at the end of the month, to send him a letter telling of their happiest day. Over two thousand letters were received, and from this, a sample of 236 letters was selected and submitted to a careful content analysis which formed the substance of the thesis. Immediately following this, Katz entered the doctoral program in the Department of Sociology and began to work with Lazarsfeld, a collaboration which culminated in Katz’s work on the Decatur survey material that Lazarsfeld had commissioned in 1943. It became his doctoral thesis and was published as Personal Influence (1955), co-authored by Katz and Lazarsfeld—a landmark in American sociological literature. The Happiness Game is historically significant in a number of ways. It tells us something of the inner workings of social science at Columbia in the aftermath of World War II, and in particular, of the part played by graduate students. It is Elihu Katz’s first research project—the start of a distinguished, still continuing career that now spans more than 60 years. And perhaps more than all this, there is the fascination of the topic itself—so unusual and so felicitous. What did happiness mean? What did it mean for the women who wrote to Malone? What did it mean in the context of the time? Was happiness something of special concern to Americans? The right to pursue it is, after all, asserted in the Declaration of Independence. In what follows, I will explore in a little detail the pursuit of happiness on air and its analysis by Katz in his Master’s thesis.
The significance of the histologic alterations adjacent to invasive vulvar carcinoma

It has been superficially recognized, but not appreciated, that carcinoma of the vulva differs in many respects from carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Past studies have suggested that "leukoplakia and leukoplakia-like lesions" are probably premalignant conditions since they are commonly associated with invasive cancer. Conversely, studies of the dystrophies during the past 15 years have indicated that the latter uncommonly progress to invasive cancer if treated adequately. In an attempt to review the histopathologic changes associated with invasive cancer, the last 98 cases of invasive disease were studied and the histopathologic characteristics of the adjacent tissue were divided into categories. It was noted that less than 20% of the invasive cancers demonstrated classic in situ neoplasia in the adjacent area, whereas more than 50% showed patterns suggestive of the dystrophies. Thus, although the dystrophies were not necessarily the precursory lesions, they did demonstrate probable long-term irritation, which is of major importance in the genesis of vulvar cancer. Furthermore, in situ cancer, as seen in the young patient, rarely seems to progress to invasive disease.
Data Assimilation for Inversion

Many EWR applications are data centric and naturally call for the ability to fuse spatial and temporal information from multiple sources and in different formats and scales. With the rapid advance of in situ and remote sensing technologies and cyberinfrastructures, a major EWR research front in recent years has focused on the development of effective algorithms for integrating real-time data into prediction models. Oftentimes, prior knowledge and historic training data are limited in both quality and quantity, leading to uncertainties in calibrated models and estimated parameters. Such issues are relevant not only to distributed EWR models, but also to data-driven models, as we have seen in Chap. 8. A fundamental need in EWR is thus related to systematic and continuous extraction of useful information from new observations to provide updated estimates of model states and parameters. In this chapter, mathematical tools and methods that can be applied to automate such information fusion process will be introduced.
Health and Ethical Consequences of Outsourcing Pivotal Clinical Trials to Latin America: A Cross-Sectional, Descriptive Study.

Introduction The implications of conducting clinical trials in low and middle income countries on the financial accessibility and safety of the pharmaceutical products available in those markets have not been studied. Regulatory practices and ethical declarations lead to the commercialization of the new products, referred to as New Molecular Entities (NMEs), in the countries where tested as soon as they are approved in high surveillance countries. Patients and patients’ associations use the Latin American courts to access new and expensive treatments, regardless of their safety profile and therapeutic value. Design and Objectives Cross-sectional, descriptive study. To determine the therapeutic value and safety profile of the NMEs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011 and 2012 that had been tested in Latin America, and the implications of their market approval for the pharmaceutical budgets in the countries where tested. Setting Latin America. Measures To assess the therapeutic value and safety of the NMEs commercialized in the different countries we used f independent drug bulletins. The prices of the NMEs for the consumers were obtained from the pharmaceutical price observatories of the countries were the medicines had been tested. If the price was not available in the observatories, it was obtained from pharmaceutical distributors. We used the countries’ minimum wage and per capita income to calculate the financial accessibility of a course of treatment with the NMEs. Results We found that 33 NMEs approved by the FDA in 2011 and 2012 have been tested in Latin America. Of these, 26 had been evaluated by independent drug bulletins and only five were found to add some value to a subset of patients and had significant side-effects. The pharmaceutical prices were very high, varied widely across countries and were unrelated to the countries’ income per capita or minimum wage. Conclusion The implementation of clinical trials in Latin America results in the commercialization of medicines with questionable safety profiles and limited therapeutic value, putting patients at risk and causing budgetary strains in pharmaceutical budgets.
Transvenous ethanol sclerotherapy of feeding arteries for treatment of a dural arteriovenous fistula

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) can be complex lesions that require a well trained eye for proper characterization and management decisions. With numerous possible arteries to supply and veins to drain them, DAVFs are often complex lesions. To best treat these complex lesions, the neurointerventionalist should be adept at treating them with multiple techniques. This report describes a unique case in which a DAVF was treated with arterial sclerotherapy using ethanol from a transvenous approach.
Defense Industry Interest Groups

The influence of interest groups in European Union (EU) policy-making has become an increasingly important area of research in European politics. Perhaps the best explanation for why European-level interest groups have become the subject of so much scholarly work is that the way policy-making is made has changed since the 1985 Single European Act (SEA). The SEA and Maastricht Treaty expanded the scope of Community policies to include policy areas which were previously the responsibility of national governments. They also reformed the EU decision-making process, thereby weakening the policy-making influence of national governments at the EU level.1 Such changes in the distribution of power within the EU naturally led to the proliferation of interest groups, and lobbying activity, at the EU level.
Design and Evaluation of a Data-Driven Password Meter

Despite their ubiquity, many password meters provide inaccurate strength estimates. Furthermore, they do not explain to users what is wrong with their password or how to improve it. We describe the development and evaluation of a data-driven password meter that provides accurate strength measurement and actionable, detailed feedback to users. This meter combines neural networks and numerous carefully combined heuristics to score passwords and generate data-driven text feedback about the user's password. We describe the meter's iterative development and final design. We detail the security and usability impact of the meter's design dimensions, examined through a 4,509-participant online study. Under the more common password-composition policy we tested, we found that the data-driven meter with detailed feedback led users to create more secure, and no less memorable, passwords than a meter with only a bar as a strength indicator.
Characteristic Alpha Reflects Predictive Anticipatory Activity (PAA) in an Auditory-Visual Task

Several lines of evidence suggest that humans can predict events that seem to be unpredictable through ordinary sensory means. After reviewing the literature in this controversial field, I present an exploratory EEG study that addresses this hypothesis. I used a pattern classification algorithm drawing on EEG data prior to stimulus presentation to successfully predict upcoming motor responses that were constrained by the upcoming stimulus. Both the phase of peak alpha activity and overall amplitude at ~550 ms prior to the presentation of the stimulus were useful in predicting the upcoming motor response. Although these results support the idea that brain activity may reflect precognitive processes in certain situations, due to the exploratory nature of this study, additional pre-registered confirmatory experiments are required before the results can be considered solid. Implications for creating a closed-loop predictive system based on human physiology are discussed.
A faster algorithm to calculate centrality based on Shortest Path Layer

Network centrality is an important index to measure the centrality of a node in a network. Calculating node centrality parameters is difficult, as networks become Large-Scale, it is essential to find out new algorithms to calculate the centrality of the more complex and bigger networks. Motivated by this trend, a new data structure and faster algorithm for nodes' centrality is provided in this paper. Our algorithm is based on the foundation of the Shortest Path Layer, we used this algorithm to calculate degree centrality, betweenness centrality and closeness centrality for unweighted networks simultaneously. To test its calculation speed, we did 540 simulation experiments using Ulrik Brandes' algorithm, using SPL without evolution and SPL with evolution, respectively. Results show that our structure and algorithm can improve calculation speed by at least 170.43% compared with Brandes' algorithm, and margin of betweenness result error is less than 1010.
Three’s Company: How the US and China’s Complementary Competition is Improving African Health

President Obama's and President Xi Jinping's visits to Tanzania — and the associated jubliation and fanfare accompanying them — seem to validate much of what has been written in the past few years of the supposed competition between the United States and China for influence and resources in Africa, with many authors proclaiming that the U.S. was losing this competition. Aside from propagating the idea that Africa is some sort of homogenous collection of people, ideas, and cultures, many of these authors view the role of Africa as primarily an economic battleground in which the U.S and China must battle to determine control while ignoring the fact that the differing strengths and focuses of the American and Chinese economies do not lend themselves to any sort of outright competition in Africa.
Association between urinary manganese and blood pressure: Results from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011-2014.

Manganese is a trace mineral required for metabolism, growth and tissue formation, and reproduction. It is mainly obtained through food and water, as well as through occupational exposure. This study used data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, combining the 2011–12 and 2013–14 cycles. We conducted linear regression analyses on urinary manganese and blood pressure. Significant negative associations (p<0.01) between urinary manganese and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure existed after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, race/ethnicity, and status of taking antihypertensive medication. These results indicate that urinary manganese may play some role in blood pressure and protecting against hypertension, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Kohn-Sham potentials from electron densities using a matrix representation within finite atomic orbital basis sets.

We revisit the static response function-based Kohn-Sham (KS) inversion procedure for determining the KS effective potential that corresponds to a given target electron density within finite atomic orbital basis sets. Instead of expanding the potential in an auxiliary basis set, we directly update the potential in its matrix representation. Through numerical examples, we show that the reconstructed density rapidly converges to the target density. Preliminary results are presented to illustrate the possibility of obtaining a local potential in real space from the optimized potential in its matrix representation. We have further applied this matrix-based KS inversion approach to density functional embedding theory. A proof-of-concept study of a solvated proton transfer reaction demonstrates the method’s promise.
Integral Representations: Laplace's Method *

This chapter focuses on the Laplace's method for integral representations. This method is applicable to linear ordinary differential equations. It yields an integral representation of the solution. The idea behind the method is that the solution of a linear ordinary differential equation can be written as a contour integral. The procedure considers L z [·] a linear differential operator with respect to z , and it is supposed that the ordinary differential equation to be solved has the form L z [ u ( z )] = 0. The procedure then looks for a solution of L z [ u ( z )] = 0 in the form u ( z )= ∫ K ( z,ɛ ) v ( ɛ ) dɛ for some function v ( ɛ ), and some contour C in the complex ɛ plane. The function K ( z,ɛ ) is called the kernel. The chapter highlights that for the case where L z [·] is a linear operator with polynomial coefficients, the solution is easy to find using the Laplace kernel.
Benefits and Harms of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Chronic Painful Conditions, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia: A Systematic Review.

Background Cranial electrical stimulation (CES) is increasingly popular as a treatment, yet its clinical benefit is unclear. Purpose To review evidence about the benefits and harms of CES for adult patients with chronic painful conditions, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Data sources Several databases from inception to 10 October 2017 without language restrictions and references from experts, prior reviews, and manufacturers. Study selection Randomized controlled trials of CES versus usual care or sham CES that reported pain, depression, anxiety, or sleep outcomes in any language. Data extraction Single-reviewer extraction checked by another; dual independent quality assessment; strength-of-evidence grading by the first author with subsequent group discussion. Data synthesis Twenty-eight articles from 26 randomized trials met eligibility criteria. The 2 trials that compared CES with usual care were small, and neither reported a statistically significant benefit in pain or anxiety outcomes for patients with fibromyalgia or anxiety, respectively. Fourteen trials with sham or placebo controls involving patients with painful conditions, such as headache, neuromuscular pain, or musculoskeletal pain, had conflicting results. Four trials done more than 40 years ago and 1 from 2014 provided low-strength evidence of a possible modest benefit compared with sham treatments in patients with anxiety and depression. Trials in patients with insomnia (n = 2), insomnia and anxiety (n = 1), or depression (n = 3) had inconclusive or conflicting results. Low-strength evidence suggested that CES does not cause serious side effects. Limitation Most trials had small sample sizes and short durations; all had high risk of bias due to inadequate blinding. Conclusion Evidence is insufficient that CES has clinically important effects on fibromyalgia, headache, neuromusculoskeletal pain, degenerative joint pain, depression, or insomnia; low-strength evidence suggests modest benefit in patients with anxiety and depression. Primary funding source Veterans Affairs Quality Enhancement Research Initiative. (PROSPERO: CRD42016023951).
The Drosophila Immune Deficiency Pathway Modulates Enteroendocrine Function and Host Metabolism.

Summary Enteroendocrine cells (EEs) are interspersed between enterocytes and stem cells in the Drosophila intestinal epithelium. Like enterocytes, EEs express components of the immune deficiency (IMD) innate immune pathway, which activates transcription of genes encoding antimicrobial peptides. The discovery of large lipid droplets in intestines of IMD pathway mutants prompted us to investigate the role of the IMD pathway in the host metabolic response to its intestinal microbiota. Here we provide evidence that the short-chain fatty acid acetate is a microbial metabolic signal that activates signaling through the enteroendocrine IMD pathway in a PGRP-LC-dependent manner. This, in turn, increases transcription of the gene encoding the endocrine peptide Tachykinin (Tk), which is essential for timely larval development and optimal lipid metabolism and insulin signaling. Our findings suggest innate immune pathways not only provide the first line of defense against infection but also afford the intestinal microbiota control over host development and metabolism.
SEWS: A Channel-Aware Stall-Free WiFi Video Streaming Mechanism

The rise of video streaming has placed significant demands on network infrastructure. These demands are most acutely felt in the wireless space where limited resources are available. Compounding the matter, most techniques for adapting to network dynamics have been developed with wired networks in mind thus making performance in congested wireless networks, especially WiFi, quite problematic. In this paper, we propose a novel cross-layer design to improve video bitrate selection by incorporating MAC layer information. We design a lightweight channel characterization method that can provide an accurate airtime estimation based on the observation of WiFi control packets. We then devise a bitrate adaptation algorithm that can judiciously avoid faulty bitrate increases whenever severe channel competition is detected. Through extensive lab experiments, we show that our proposed method can significantly reduce video stall rates by up to 30x (from 65% to 2%) compared to existing methods.
Customer Loyalty Schemes in the Retail Sector

Customer loyalty schemes (or programs) are explicit efforts by retailers to gain long-term patronage from customers. Loyalty schemes are developed for a variety of reasons: to reward loyal customers, to generate more robust information about customer behavior, to influence consumer behavior, and as a defensive measure to combat a competing scheme. The purpose of this note is to describe the objectives of these schemes, including their origin and evolution; to highlight key aspects of their implementation; and to suggest approaches to maximize their impact. While this note focuses on the U.S. and U.K. retail sectors, most of its content is applicable to other economies.Learning Objective: Provide background on customer loyalty schemes in the U.S.
Ionic Hydrogen and Halogen Bonding in the Gas Phase Association of Acetonitrile and Acetone with Halogenated Benzene Cations

We report on the gas phase association of the small polar and aprotic solvent molecules acetonitrile (CH3CN) and acetone (CH3COCH3) with the halogenated benzene radical cations (C6H5X•+, X = F, Cl,...
Development, processing and applications of bio-sourced cellulose nanocrystal composites

Abstract Plastic pollution concerns have catalyzed research into green materials with the specific goal of accessing new bio-derived and bio-degradable polymers with improved property profiles. One way to achieve these new materials is through the incorporation of nanofillers into bio-based polymer matrices. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which are extracted from biomass, have been investigated as one route to bio-based composites with enhanced performance. The combination of the excellent reinforcement capabilities of these bio-derived, nanosized particles along with relatively low production cost and biodegradability makes cellulose-based nanocomposites an attractive and promising approach to the next generation of green materials. Discussed herein is an overview of the use of CNCs to access reinforced bio-based nanocomposites, with particular focus on bio-available polyester and polysaccharide matrices. The characteristic changes provided by the incorporation of the nanofillers into the bio-based materials and their advantages and drawbacks are discussed. Specifically, the different parameters influencing mechanical reinforcement and barrier properties, such as the nature of processing, use of additives or CNC surface modifications are reviewed. Finally, the benefits of using CNC fillers in a number of potential future application areas, including polymer compatibilization, water purification, biomedical and electronics are outlined.
Identified gaps and opportunities in perinatal healthcare delivery for women in treatment for opioid use disorder.

BACKGROUND Pregnancy and the delivery of an infant mark a unique time of engagement in healthcare for women in treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology calls for a comprehensive approach to perinatal healthcare delivery for pregnant women with OUD in order to facilitate improved health outcomes and increase patient-provider collaboration. Yet, there is little knowledge regarding the perceptions of women with OUD regarding the current delivery of healthcare which could inform a personalized, tailored approach to perinatal healthcare delivery. Methods: Four focus groups consisting of 22 women with OUD were conducted, transcribed, and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis methodology. Results: Women reported an overall lack of preparation for the birth and neonatal healthcare experiences and identified opportunities for greater support by the healthcare team. Women emphasized the desire for evidence-based preparation from trusted sources about delivery, neonatal abstinence syndrome, breastfeeding, and how their medications affect their pregnancy and baby. Women reported receiving a varied amount of support from healthcare providers in their transition to motherhood, but women predominantly reported receiving emotional and informational support from their mothers and partners. Conclusions: The knowledge obtained in this study points to gaps in perinatal healthcare delivery for women with OUD. Improving the delivery of perinatal healthcare may contribute to increased engagement by women with OUD, and ultimately improve outcomes for a vulnerable population.
Active Thermal Management of Automotive Camera Components

This study is about the thermal management of camera component in vehicle cockpit. A thermal management is necessary because it is directly related to abnormal operation and user's safety, if the camera components have a high temperature. The highest temperature component among the camera module is camera multi-processor chip, the forced convection is used to reduce the temperature of the component in the vehicle stage. The most commonly used method of the forced convection in the vehicle stage is a fan control using ducts. In the vehicle stage, the duct location is normally fixed and limited for changing. In the limited systems, a method of adding or removing the number of the vent and a controlling the direction of the air using the duct are proposed. In addition, the flow-guide is designed and also proposed to control the direction of flow. The number of vents controls the flow to the outlet, while the guide directly controls the flow direction to provide a cooling solution for the heat generation. As the same methodology, this study can provide a fan flow solution to control high temperature of camera components.