bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NMR analysis of lipoprotein particle size does not increase sensitivity to the effect of soy protein on CVD risk when compared with the traditional lipid profile
Authors: Santo Antonio S. , Cunningham Ariana M. , Alhassan Sofiya , Browne Richard W. , Burton Harold , Leddy John J. , Grandjean Peter W. , Horvath Steven M. , Horvath Peter J.
Published: May 2008

The traditional lipid profile compared with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) may underestimate the risk for cardiovascular disease and may explain some of the discrepancies in results between studies analyzing the salubrious effects of soy. Our purpose was to compare the traditional lipid profile with NMR quantification of the number of lipoprotein particles, subclasses, and diameters or sizes in 30 sedentary males, between 18 and 30 years of age, consuming 1 of the following 3 supplements daily for 28 days: milk protein (Milk), isoflavone-poor soy protein (Soy–), or isoflavone-rich soy protein (Soy+). The study used a double-blind, parallel-arm design with random assignment to 1 of the 3 protein supplement groups. Fasting EDTA blood samples were collected at baseline and after 28 days of supplementation and analyzed for the number and size of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, respectively. Fasting serum samples were analyzed for concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), total HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), HDL2-C, HDL3-C, triglycerides (TGs), free fatty acids (FFAs), and glucose. Fasting heparin blood samples were collected at baseline and after supplementation and analyzed for apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, B, C-II, C-III, and E, as well as hepatic and lipoprotein lipase concentrations. HDL3-C increased by 47.2% after Soy+ supplementation and hepatic lipase decreased 19.2% after Soy– supplementation (p < 0.05). HDL-C and apolipoproteins A-I and A-II were found to increase in all 3 groups (p < 0.05). Results support that NMR analysis of lipoprotein particle number and size are not more sensitive to the effect of soy protein on CVD risk compared with the traditional lipid profile. Furthermore, the lack of isoflavones in soy protein seems to have a deleterious effect on hepatic lipase.
The length dependency of maximum force development in rat medial gastrocnemius muscle in situ
Authors: de Ruiter Cornelis J. , Busé-Pot Tinelies E. , de Haan Arnold
Published: May 2008

During many movements (e.g., running, jumping, and kicking) there is little time for skeletal muscles to build up force, thus rapid force development is important. The length dependency of isometric force development was investigated in maximally activated rat medial gastrocnemius muscles in situ with intact blood flow at 35 °C. Depending on time available for muscle activation, the length dependency of force development was expected to differ from that of the maximal isometric force (Fmax) reached much later during the contraction. During isometric force development in intact muscle–tendon preparations, the contractile elements actually shortened. Therefore, similar to previous findings on shortening contractions, it was hypothesized that maximal rate of force development (MRFD) would be obtained at a length below the optimum (Lo) for maximal isometric force production. To measure the effect of the entire time history of activation, force time integrals (FTIs) for different activation times (10–50 ms) were also calculated. The highest MRFD was obtained 1.94 ± 0.42 mm below (p < 0.05) Lo. When expressed relative to Fmax obtained at each individual length, the optimum was found at Lo – 4.4 mm. For FTI 10 ms and FTI 20 ms, optimum length was obtained at ~2 and 1 mm above (p < 0.05) Lo, respectively, whereas the optima for FTI 30, 40, and 50 ms were ~1 mm below (p < 0.05) Lo. In addition, at short lengths (< Lo – 4 mm) and for all activation times FTIs were relatively more decreased than Fmax. In conclusion, length dependency of force output during rapid force development differed from that of maximal isometric force; specifically, MRFD was obtained 2 mm below Lo.
Should Canadians eat according to the traditional Mediterranean diet pyramid or Canada’s food guide?
Authors: Downs Shauna M. , Willows Noreen D.
Published: May 2008

Eating well with Canada’s food guide (CFG) was developed by Health Canada as an education tool to encourage the Canadian public to have eating habits that meet nutrient needs, promote health, and reduce the risk of nutrition-related chronic disease. It was developed in the Canadian context and reflects the food supply available to Canadians, as well as food choices made by Canadians. There are other dietary patterns that are consistent with health such as the traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD), which has gained popularity in Canada. The potentially different food choices that Canadians could make if they were to follow one guide over the other might significantly influence population health. Although the two guides differ in their recommendations for red wine, fats, and meat and meat alternatives, they both promote a diet rich in grains, fruits, and vegetables. The CFG may have some advantages over the TMD for Canadians, such as focusing on vitamin D and recommending limited alcoholic beverage intake. Some shortcomings of the CFG compared with the TMD are the grouping of animal proteins with nuts, seeds, and legumes into a single category, and not recommending limits for red meat consumption. If Canadians following the CFG were to choose whole grains and vegetarian options from the meat and alternatives category more often, the CFG may be preferable to TMD for Canadians. The TMD is an alternative to the CFG for Canadians if sources of vitamin D are included in the diet and wine consumption is limited or is imbibed in moderation.
Resistance exercise and strong healthy children: safe when done right!
Authors: Phillips Stuart M.
Published: May 2008

Weight lifting in children and youth is often viewed as a potentially harmful activity that could result in damage to bones, connective tissue, and muscle. Reviews, such as the one appearing in this issue of the journal by Behm et al. (Appl. Physiol. Metab. Nutr. 33: this issue), show that the balance of evidence indicates that weight lifting in pediatric populations is safe. Importantly, weight lifting, when performed in a safe and age-appropriate manner, is very beneficial on a number of health fronts, including strength and balance, self-esteem, and reducing cardiovascular risks. This is an understudied area that is still lacking in key areas of research to establish efficacy, dose–response relationships, and other health benefits.
A study of the posterior esophagus in the winter flounder, Pleuronectes americanus, and the yellowtail flounder, Pleuronectes ferruginea: morphological evidence for pregastric digestion?
Authors: Murray Harry M. , Wright Glenda M. , Goff Gregory P.
Published: May 2008

The morphology and the histochemistry from the mucus of the posterior esophagus of the winter flounder and the yellowtail flounder were examined using light and electron microscopy. The esophageal mucosa of both species was organized into elaborate branching folds. The epithelium consisted of a stratified layer of cuboidal cells interspersed with mucus-producing goblet cells. The cuboidal cells in the surface layer also exhibited a secretory function and were characterized by Golgi-associated granules and apical micoridges. These cells were termed esophageal surface secreting cells (ESSCs). The granules of the winter flounder ESSCs were ultrastructurally similar to mucous granules, whereas those of the yellowtail flounder were reminiscent of serous granules. Both types were analogous to those associated with salivary glands in mammals. Both goblet cells and ESSCs from the winter flounder stained positive for sulphated acid mucins, whereas in the yellowtail flounder goblet cells stained positive for sulphated and nonsulphated acid mucin combinations and ESSCs stained only for nonsulphated acid mucins. A pregastric digestive function is proposed, based upon the thick muscularis externa composed of striated circular muscle, the increased surface area due to mucosal folding, the complex histochemistry of the mucus, and the secretory nature of the ESSCs.
Territoriality and time budgets in beavers during sequential settlement
Authors: Nolet Bart A. , Rosell Frank
Published: May 2008

Beavers (Castor fiber) were sequentially released into a previously unoccupied area. The settlement of the animals approximated an ideal despotic distribution: they successively settled in rich habitat and then in poor habitat, and then became floaters. This pattern is regarded as evidence that territorial behavior limited density. The early arrivals showed a seasonal difference in territory size (small in winter, large in late spring and summer), which was expected from optimal territory size theory but which was not found in later arrivals. In the first 2 years, the beavers were swimming very large distances (up to 20.0 km per night), and were apparently undergoing a long-term decline in body condition. Body temperature decreased during swimming, especially in winter (daily amplitude 2.04 °C). Each year, winter territories were about the size (7.9 ± 0.9 (SE) km, including 3.0 ± 0.4 km of wooded banks) that beavers could patrol daily without losing body condition. The number of territories established at any one time during the 5 years of study was only half the carrying capacity calculated on the basis of the current length of wooded banks within territories, in accordance with the prediction for sequential settlement in linear habitats. However, extensive no-man's-land was not present between territories, but early arrivals claimed larger territories than later ones. Social and thermoregulatory factors seem to play an important role in determining the costs of territory defense, and hence territory size. Overexploitation of the beaver's main food source, willow (Salix spp.), seems unlikely in this productive habitat.
Effect of undernutrition on haematological and serum biochemical characteristics in red deer (Cervus elaphus)
Authors: Wolkers Hans , Wensing Theo , Schonewille J. Thomas
Published: May 2008

The effect of induced long-term undernutrition on blood composition was studied in red deer. Food-restricted animals (n = 3) received 20% of the ration of control animals (n = 3) for a period of 13–23 weeks. An initial large mass loss and increased packed cell volume in the food-restricted animals suggested malnutrition-induced dehydration. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity decreased, suggesting an effect on hepatic and (or) intestinal excretion and (or) lowered osteoblast activity. Plasma creatinine and urea concentrations increased, suggesting reduced kidney function and decreased excretion. In addition, increased serum urea nitrogen concentration probably reflected increased endogenous protein catabolism and (or) haemoconcentration. Albumin concentrations decreased, suggesting decreased protein status. Contrary to what had been expected, free fatty acid and ketone body concentrations did not increase. This suggests that lipolysis occurs in accordance with the potency to metabolize lipids without inducing ketogenesis. Possibly, simultaneous catabolism of fat and protein occurred to prevent ketosis. Creatinine level, urea/creatinine ratio, and alkaline phosphatase level are most suitable for evaluating the condition of red deer.
KLEIN–GORDON AND DIRAC PARTICLES IN NONCONSTANT SCALAR-CURVATURE BACKGROUND
Authors: ALIMOHAMMADI M. , BAGHJARY A. A.
Published: May 2008

The Klein–Gordon and Dirac equations are considered in a semiinfinite laboratory (x > 0) in the presence of background metrics ds2 = u2(x)ημν dxμ dxν and ds2 = -dt2 + u2(x)ηij dxi dxj with u(x) = e±gx. These metrics have nonconstant scalar-curvatures. Various aspects of the solutions are studied. For the first metric with u(x) = egx, it is shown that the spectra are discrete, with the ground state energy [Formula: see text] for spin-0 particles. For u(x) = e-gx, the spectrums are found to be continuous. For the second metric with u(x) = e-gx, each particle, depends on its transverse-momentum, can have continuous or discrete spectrum. For Klein–Gordon particles, this threshold transverse-momentum is [Formula: see text], while for Dirac particles it is g/2. There is no solution for u(x) = egx case. Some geometrical properties of these metrics are also discussed.
BORN'S RECIPROCAL GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY AND COMPLEX NON-ABELIAN GRAVITY AS GAUGE THEORY OF THE QUAPLECTIC GROUP: A NOVEL PATH TO QUANTUM GRAVITY
Authors: CASTRO CARLOS
Published: May 2008

Born's reciprocal relativity in flat space–times is based on the principle of a maximal speed limit (speed of light) and a maximal proper force (which is also compatible with a maximal and minimal length duality) and where coordinates and momenta are unified on a single footing. We extend Born's theory to the case of curved space–times and construct a reciprocal general relativity theory (in curved space–times) as a local gauge theory of the quaplectic group and given by the semidirect product [Formula: see text], where the non-Abelian Weyl–Heisenberg group is H(1, 3). The gauge theory has the same structure as that of complex non-Abelian gravity. Actions are presented and it is argued why such actions based on Born's reciprocal relativity principle, involving a maximal speed limit and a maximal proper force, is a very promising avenue to quantize gravity that does not rely in breaking the Lorentz symmetry at the Planck scale, in contrast to other approaches based on deformations of the Poincaré algebra, quantum groups. It is discussed how one could embed the quaplectic gauge theory into one based on the U(1, 4), U(2, 3) groups where the observed cosmological constant emerges in a natural way. We conclude with a brief discussion of complex coordinates and Finsler spaces with symmetric and nonsymmetric metrics studied by Eisenhart as relevant closed-string target space backgrounds where Born's principle may be operating.
The crucial role of CS in systems and synthetic biology
Authors: Cohen Jacques
Published: May 2008

Biological cells, coerced to function as hardware and driven by artificial DNA, can perform such nanoscale tasks as detecting toxic substances and manufacturing new drugs.
This menu has changed
Authors: Shannon Meg McGinity
Published: May 2008

Innovative interfaces will give wireless the golden touch.
Words from pictures for dual-channel processing
Authors: Dori Dov
Published: May 2008

Combining graphics and text representations of complex systems, Object-Process Methodology makes it easier to understand technical ideas, whether or not one is technically oriented by nature or training.
Emerging trends in M-government
Authors: Trimi Silvana , Sheng Hong
Published: May 2008

Considering the advantages and implications of increased usage of wireless connectivity for governmental information and services.
Technology-facilitated 'Give According to Your Abilities, Receive According to Your Needs'
Authors: Nov Oded , Rao Bharat
Published: May 2008

Software, hardware, computer networks, and online content all require mechanisms to prevent free riding, overuse of common resources, use of resources without consent, and blocking of resource access.
An environment for flexible advanced compensations of Web service transactions
Authors: Schäfer Michael , Dolog Peter , Nejdl Wolfgang
Published: May 2008

Business to business integration has recently been performed by employing Web service environments. Moreover, such environments are being provided by major players on the technology markets. Those environments are based on open specifications for transaction coordination. When a failure in such an environment occurs, a compensation can be initiated to recover from the failure. However, current environments have only limited capabilities for compensations, and are usually based on backward recovery. In this article, we introduce an environment to deal with advanced compensations based on forward recovery principles. We extend the existing Web service transaction coordination architecture and infrastructure in order to support flexible compensation operations. We use a contract-based approach, which allows the specification of permitted compensations at runtime. We introduce
abstract service
and
adapter
components, which allow us to separate the compensation logic from the coordination logic. In this way, we can easily plug in or plug out different compensation strategies based on a specification language defined on top of basic compensation activities and complex compensation types. Experiments with our approach and environment show that such an approach to compensation is feasible and beneficial. Additionally, we introduce a cost-benefit model to evaluate the proposed environment based on net value analysis. The evaluation shows in which circumstances the environment is economical.
A survey of linguistic structures for application-level fault tolerance
Authors: Florio Vincenzo De , Blondia Chris
Published: May 2008

Structures for the expression of fault-tolerance provisions in application software comprise the central topic of this article. Structuring techniques answer questions as to how to incorporate fault tolerance in the application layer of a computer program and how to manage the fault-tolerant code. As such, they provide the means to control complexity, the latter being a relevant factor for the introduction of design faults. This fact and the ever-increasing complexity of today's distributed software justify the need for simple, coherent, and effective structures for the expression of fault-tolerance in the application software. In this text we first define a “base” of structural attributes with which application-level fault-tolerance structures can be qualitatively assessed and compared with each other and with respect to the aforementioned needs. This result is then used to provide an elaborated survey of the state-of-the-art of application-level fault-tolerance structures.
DSD-Crasher
Authors: Csallner Christoph , Smaragdakis Yannis , Xie Tao
Published: May 2008

DSD-Crasher is a bug finding tool that follows a three-step approach to program analysis:

D. Capture the program's intended execution behavior with dynamic invariant detection. The derived invariants exclude many unwanted values from the program's input domain.

S. Statically analyze the program within the restricted input domain to explore many paths.

D. Automatically generate test cases that focus on reproducing the predictions of the static analysis. Thereby confirmed results are feasible.

This three-step approach yields benefits compared to past two-step combinations in the literature. In our evaluation with third-party applications, we demonstrate higher precision over tools that lack a dynamic step and higher efficiency over tools that lack a static step.
Strategy-Based Instruction
Authors: Bhavnani Suresh K. , Peck Frederick A. , Reif Frederick
Published: May 2008

Numerous studies have shown that many users do not acquire the knowledge necessary for the effective and efficient use of computer applications such as spreadsheets and Web-authoring tools. While many cognitive, cultural, and social reasons have been offered to explain this phenomenon, there have been few systematic attempts to address it. This article describes how we identified a framework to organize effective and efficient strategies to use computer applications and used an approach called strategy-based instruction to teach those strategies over five years to almost 400 students. Controlled experiments demonstrated that the instructional approach (1) enables students to learn strategies without harming command knowledge, (2) benefits students from technical and nontechnical majors, and (3) is robust across different instructional contexts and new applications. Real-world classroom experience of teaching strategy-based instruction over several instantiations has enabled the approach to be disseminated to other universities. The lessons learned throughout the process of design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination should allow teaching a large number of users in many organizations to rapidly acquire the strategic knowledge to make more effective and efficient use of computer applications.
A New Framework for Theory-Based Interaction Design Applied to Serendipitous Information Retrieval
Authors: De Bruijn Oscar , Spence Robert
Published: May 2008

The activities of opportunistic and involuntary browsing offer the potential for many of a user's latent problems to be resolved serendipitously, with negligible cognitive effort. In this article, we demonstrate how the design of two novel artifacts to support such behavior was based on a set of Design Actions which were derived from a model of browsing behavior in combination with a cognitive model of human visual information processing. We propose the concept of Design Actions as a way of avoiding the need for an interaction designer associated with these and similar artifacts to understand the cognitive theories underlying them.
Free-form motion processing
Authors: Kircher Scott , Garland Michael
Published: May 2008

Motion is the center of attention in many applications of computer graphics. Skeletal motion for articulated characters can be processed and altered in a variety of ways to increase the versatility of each motion clip. However, analogous techniques have not yet been developed for free-form deforming surfaces like cloth and faces. Given the time-consuming nature of producing each free-form motion clip, the ability to alter and reuse free-form motion would be very desirable. We present a novel method for processing free-form motion that opens up a broad range of possible motion alterations including motion blending, keyframe insertion, and temporal signal processing. Our method is based on a simple yet powerful differential surface representation that is invariant under rotation and translation and which is well suited for surface editing in both space and time.
A precomputed polynomial representation for interactive BRDF editing with global illumination
Authors: Ben-Artzi Aner , Egan Kevin , Durand Frédo , Ramamoorthi Ravi
Published: May 2008

The ability to interactively edit BRDFs in their final placement within a computer graphics scene is vital to making informed choices for material properties. We significantly extend previous work on BRDF editing for static scenes (with fixed lighting and view) by developing a precomputed polynomial representation that enables interactive BRDF editing with global illumination. Unlike previous precomputation-based rendering techniques, the image is not linear in the BRDF when considering interreflections. We introduce a framework for precomputing a multibounce tensor of polynomial coefficients that encapsulates the nonlinear nature of the task. Significant reductions in complexity are achieved by leveraging the low-frequency nature of indirect light. We use a high-quality representation for the BRDFs at the first bounce from the eye and lower-frequency (often diffuse) versions for further bounces. This approximation correctly captures the general global illumination in a scene, including color-bleeding, near-field object reflections, and even caustics. We adapt Monte Carlo path tracing for precomputing the tensor of coefficients for BRDF basis functions. At runtime, the high-dimensional tensors can be reduced to a simple dot product at each pixel for rendering. We present a number of examples of editing BRDFs in complex scenes with interactive feedback rendered with global illumination.
Generic framework for design, modeling and simulation of cyber physical systems
Authors: Kim Ji Eun , Mosse Daniel
Published: May 2008

Wireless technologies have contributed to extensive development of many kinds of applications that enable cost-effective and intelligent monitoring and control of physical environments, objects, activities such as smart buildings, home or industry automation, and remote patient care. These kinds of applications often require support of heterogeneous physical environments and large-scale systems mixing several different types of monitoring and control. In addition to heterogeneity and scalability support, mobility support is crucial in the development of these software systems.

Although much research has addressed design, modeling and simulation of such systems, most solutions usually do not cover all requirements from different domains. Rather, these solutions restrict the development environment and reduce flexibility of design by enforcing the use of a specific software platform and tightly-coupled tools.

This paper presents problems and challenges of Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) like the aforementioned applications, and discusses features and benefits of a generic framework to enable design, modeling and simulation of large-scale, heterogeneous CPS systems in an integrated manner.
Design suite for deeply embedded cyber physical systems
Authors: Prasad Vibha , Son Sang H.
Published: May 2008

Many emerging applications are deployed in harsh environments and must operate dependably, efficiently and in real-time. This makes it essential to develop robust system designs before deployment. Thus, there is a tremendous need for a complete design suite for deeply embedded cyber physical systems that will enable the designers to model these systems to the desired level of abstraction, analyze the models and validate them. The main challenges involved in the design process are due to the complex interactions between communication, computing and the physical components in cyber physical systems. We discuss the problems faced in developing such a design suite and possible solutions to overcome them.
The design of an open data service architecture for cyber-physical systems
Authors: Kang Woochul , Son Sang H.
Published: May 2008

In this paper, we discuss the data management issues in cyber-physical systems, and propose an open data service architecture to address the problem.
Towards verifiable deeply embedded systems
Authors: Tidwell Terry , Gill Christopher
Published: May 2008

An important class of deeply embedded systems (DES) involves interlocking cyber-physical control loops, each with its own dynamics and correctness constraints. For instance, in medical systems which monitor a patient's vital signs and control drug infusion rates, multiple sensing and control systems may be implicitly coupled. These systems present new challenges for control theory, scheduling and verification. What is needed are platforms capable of precise monitoring and enforcement of diverse execution constraints, and techniques to verify system correctness.
Real-time analysis of resource-constrained distributed systems by simulation-guided model checking
Authors: Madl Gabor , Dutt Nikil
Published: May 2008

This research proposes a model-based design flow for the dynamic real-time analysis of resource-constrained distributed systems. We propose an analysis framework that combines simulations and model checking for performance evaluation and real-time verification. Our results show that the proposed method can provide better coverage for dynamic analysis than alternative methods, and can improve the accuracy of static analysis methods for performance estimation.
Impact of RTOS parameters on end-to-end timing performance
Authors: Kim Antino , Shin Kang G.
Published: May 2008

For accurate end-to-end (e2e) analysis of a real-time embedded system (RTES), we need a method to precisely reflect the effects of the underlying real-time operating system (RTOS). In timing analysis, RTOS can be viewed as a matrix of parameters that could affect the timing of the RTES. In this paper, we consider various RTOS parameters that may affect the temporal behavior of the RTES, and propose RTOS modeling as a viable approach to account for the impact of RTOS on e2e timing.
Challenges in transformation of existing real-time embedded systems to cyber-physical systems
Authors: Bonakdarpour Borzoo
Published: May 2008

Most research directions in the context of cyber-physical systems have focused on developing computing foundations for designing, analyzing, and reasoning about systems being constructed from scratch. However, an equally important issue is to develop sound methods for transforming existing real-time embedded systems to ones that conform with standards of modern cyber-physical systems. This essay proposes several research directions for achieving such transformation techniques.
Structural integrity
Authors: Hoover Greg , Brewer Forrest , Sherwood Timothy
Published: May 2008

Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMS) sensing and actuation devices are poised to reinvent the cyber-physical world by providing environmental connectivity in unprecedented ways. MEMS accelerometers and transducers open the door to sensor networks embedded in physical structures, armed with the ability to monitor structural integrity. Such applications are the hallmark of deeply embedded systems, where autonomy, communication, and cyber-physical interaction play pivotal roles in system effectiveness. Realization of these next-generation embedded systems will require expertise spanning a variety of domains, further exacerbating the already significant integration effort of modern design. To this end, we propose a system-level design methodology that promotes functional correctness through specification of latency-insensitive (or event-based) behavior.
The smart phones of tomorrow
Authors: Ai Niwaer , Lu Ying , Deogun Jitender
Published: May 2008

The handheld devices are not only becoming smaller and more powerful, but also offer newer functionalities. One cannot even imagine what to expect from smartphones of next generation. In this position paper, our objective is to look into the future and see what challenges and opportunities are offered by smartphones.
Physicalnet
Authors: Vicaire Pascal A. , Stankovic John A.
Published: May 2008

Processors keep increasing the speed at which they can execute program instructions. The bandwidth available for both wired and wireless communications keeps growing. Specialized hardware such as sensors, actuators, and hand-held devices keep improving their power efficiency and size factor. Consequently, we can expect that computers, communication infrastructures, and specialized hardware will interact more and more to form complex Cyber-physical Systems (CPSs). CPSs will revolutionize the way humans interact with the physical world. CPSs will allow the programming of applications involving globally accessible sensors and actuators, applications that are not only efficient but also robust and secure. In this essay, we focus on describing a system satisfying a possible set of CPS requirements that we motivate in the first section. As a running example, we consider an application named FireAlarm that monitors the temperature in buildings and raises the alarm in case of abnormally high temperatures.
Programming framework for sensor-data driven context-aware applications
Authors: Kulkarni Devdatta
Published: May 2008

Context-awareness is one of the central characteristics of pervasive computing applications. We have built a programming framework for constructing context-aware applications from their high-level specifications. This framework automatically constructs the runtime environment for an application to enforce application defined policies for dynamic composition of resources and services based on context events derived from ambient sensors.
CPS-IP
Authors: Lin Shan , He Tian , Stankovic John A.
Published: May 2008

As sensing, wireless communication, and embedded computing technologies evolve, more and more special-purpose cyber physical systems are emerging in our daily lives, such as mobile tracking and health care system, emplaced environmental monitoring systems, and building maintenance control systems. In these systems, heterogeneity is a fundamental research issue. To enable standard communication between these systems, we propose a new communication construct: CPS-IP and a framework combined with it. The goal is to facilitate the creation of systems of systems where there is an integration of myriads of physical data sources, actuators, and computing elements. Different from the Internet Protocol which is designed for a large scale, general-purpose systems, CPS-IP is designed for special- purpose CPS systems built on critical infrastructure which requires global regulation and performance assurance for cyber physical interaction. The novelty of our design is that we address heterogeneity of CPS systems at three different levels: function interoperability, policy regulation, and performance assurance.
Market-based coordination strategies for physical multi-agent systems
Authors: Ham MyungJoo , Agha Gul
Published: May 2008

Market-based mechanisms for real-time dynamic coordinated task assignment of physical multi-agent systems are studied. Specifically, a number of auction mechanisms and bidding strategies, as well as swapping, are considered. The physical robot experiments require addressing real-time and fault-tolerance issues in a dynamic environment. We provide a small scale validation for work with software simulations.
xTune
Authors: Kim Minyoung
Published: May 2008

Adaptive resource management is critical to ensuring the quality of real-time multimedia communication, particularly for energy-constrained mobile handheld devices. In this context, a holistic cross-layer optimization considering multiple layers (e.g., application, middleware, operating system) needs to be developed for continuous adaptation of system parameters. This thesis proposes a unified framework that employs iterative policy/parameter tuning by combining light-weight, on-the-fly formal verification with feedback for dynamic adaptation. The integration of formal analysis with dynamic behavior from system execution will result in a feedback loop that enables model refinement and further optimization of policies and parameters. Our unified framework tunes the parameters in a compositional manner allowing coordinated interaction among sub-layer optimizers that enables holistic cross-layer optimization.
Computing cryptographic pairing in sensors
Authors: Zhou Zhibin , Huang Dijiang
Published: May 2008

In this paper, we present a methodology and preliminary result of computing the Tate Pairing on a supersingular curve over a prime field in the wireless sensors (MICAz Mote). The aim of this work is to study the feasibility of pairing based protocols and applications in sensors with limited computational resources. Tate pairing is the most computationally intensive computation in most pairing-based cryptographic algorithms. Our preliminary results showed that without hardware upgrades (esp. memory) or further optimization of algorithms and parameters, sensors not yet ready for computing pairing-based cryptographic algorithms.
Thermal effects on real-time systems
Authors: Ahn Youngwoo , Bettati Riccardo
Published: May 2008

In our research, we study how real-time systems are affected by thermal management to satisfy the temperature constraint. In temperature-constrained real-time systems, deadline guarantees must be met without exceeding safe temperature level of the processor. While processor speed control is the most popular method of thermal management of systems, it eventually makes the task delays longer. In our study, we describe how to find the worst case execution considering speed control in temperature-constrained environment. With the worst case execution scenario, we study how the simple reactive speed scaling scheme can improve the processor utilization compared with any constant-speed scheme. For aperiodic tasks, it is briefly reviewed how the naive application of slack stealing leads to missed deadlines and the design-time slack allocation is proposed. A queueing model is presented to analyze the response time provided to aperiodic jobs and validated with results from a discrete-event simulator.
World solar challenge
Authors: de Geus Vincent
Published: May 2008

In the summer of 2006 a new team consisting of students from the Delft University of Technology was formed to continue the unprecedented success of the Nuon Solar Team. The team's members represent the largest faculties of the TU Delft, these include: Aerospace, Mechanical, Maritime and Electrical Engineering as well as the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. Besides technical prowess, the team's members also display organizational, creative, entrepreneurial, and practical skills that built on the unparalleled successes already achieved. The new team began work in September 2006 on a completely new design for a solar vehicle able to compete in the new "Challenge" class of the Panasonic World Solar Challenge, the premier solar car race in the world. Besides competing in this event, the team attend events around the European Union to promote innovation and continue the drive towards sustainability. On October 25th 2007, they crossed the finishline first in Adelaide, Australia, and became winners of the Panasonic World Solar Challenge. This was the fourth time in a row the Nuon Solar Team from Delft University of Technology won this prestigious race through the Australian continent.
Buildable evolution
Authors: Funes Pablo José
Published: May 2008

The most interesting results in Artificial Life come about when some aspect of reality is captured. In the mid-1990s, Karl Sims energized the AL community with his ground-breaking work on evolved moving creatures [28, 29]. The life-like behavior of Sims' creatures resulted from combining evolved morphology with a physics simulation based on Featherstone's earlier work [9].

The question that begged asking was: can a similar thing be done in the physical world? Can we make creatures that walk out of the computer screen and into the room?

Two components were required: a language to evolve morphologies that have real-world counterparts, and a way to build them --- either in simulation or by automated building and testing. We set out to demonstrate that buildable evolution was possible using a readily available, cheap building system --- Lego bricks --- and an ad-hoc physics simulation that allowed us to study the interaction of the object with the physical world in silico; with respect to gravitational forces at least. The result [10, 14, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 23, 26, 24, 27] is a system that can evolve a variety of different shapes and is very easy to use, set up and replicate.

Here I present an overview of the evolvable Lego structures project. Coinciding with the publication of this article, the source code is being released to the community (demo.cs.brandeis.edu/pr/buildable/source).
Stimulation of muscle protein synthesis by somatotropin in pigs is independent of the somatotropin-induced increase in circulating insulin
Authors: Wilson Fiona A. , Orellana Renán A. , Suryawan Agus , Nguyen Hanh V. , Jeyapalan Asumthia S. , Frank Jason , Davis Teresa A.
Published: May 2008

Chronic treatment of growing pigs with porcine somatotropin (pST) promotes protein synthesis and doubles postprandial levels of insulin, a hormone that stimulates translation initiation. This study aimed to determine whether the pST-induced increase in skeletal muscle protein synthesis was mediated through an insulin-induced stimulation of translation initiation. After 7–10 days of pST (150 μg·kg−1·day−1) or control saline treatment, pancreatic glucose-amino acid clamps were performed in overnight-fasted pigs to reproduce 1) fasted (5 μU/ml), 2) fed control (25 μU/ml), and 3) fed pST-treated (50 μU/ml) insulin levels while glucose and amino acids were maintained at baseline fasting levels. Fractional protein synthesis rates and indexes of translation initiation were examined in skeletal muscle. Effectiveness of pST treatment was confirmed by reduced urea nitrogen and elevated insulin-like growth factor I levels in plasma. Skeletal muscle protein synthesis was independently increased by both insulin and pST. Insulin increased the phosphorylation of protein kinase B and the downstream effectors of the mammalian target of rapamycin, ribosomal protein S6 kinase, and eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4E-binding protein-1 (4E-BP1). Furthermore, insulin reduced inactive 4E-BP1·eIF4E complex association and increased active eIF4E·eIF4G complex formation, indicating enhanced eIF4F complex assembly. However, pST treatment did not alter translation initiation factor activation. We conclude that the pST-induced stimulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis in growing pigs is independent of the insulin-associated activation of translation initiation.
Regional Variations of Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidizability in Hemodialysis Patients May Explain Discrepancies in Interventional Therapy on Oxidative Profile
Authors: Morena Marion , Gausson Valérie , Mothu Nadya , Bouchet Jean-Louis , Chanas Monique , Grandvuillemin Mireille , Robert Alain , Vela Carlos , Canaud Bernard , Cristol Jean-Paul , Olmer Michel
Published: May 2008

Background/Aims: This study aimed at evaluating oxidative stress (OS) markers (i) in a cross-sectional study of hemodialysis (HD) patients to investigate potential regional effects of these markers and (ii) in a prospective crossover study to evaluate vitamin E-coated membrane (VE) effects. Methods: At baseline, OS parameters including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidizability were measured in HD patients from five dialysis facilities. Patients were then randomly assigned to two treatment groups: group I patients (n = 33) switching to VE, and group II patients (n = 29) still using reference polysulfone (PS) membrane. After 3 months, patients were switched from VE to PS and vice versa for 6 months. The same OS parameters were measured after each period. Results: At baseline, the cross-sectional analysis of LDL oxidizability showed a regional effect. By contrast, the crossover study did not show beneficial effects of VE on this parameter. Conclusion: Regional variations of LDL oxidizability in HD patients exist and may explain discrepancies in interventional therapy on OS.
Association Study between Antipsychotics- Induced Restless Legs Syndrome and Polymorphisms of Dopamine D1, D2, D3, and D4 Receptor Genes in Schizophrenia
Authors: Kang Seung-Gul , Lee Heon-Jeong , Choi Jung-Eun , Park Young-Min , Park Jeong-Hyun , Han Changsu , Kim Yong-Ku , Kim Seung-Hyun , Lee Min-Soo , Joe Sook-Haeng , Jung In-Kwa , Kim Leen
Published: May 2008

Objective: The cause of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is not yet clear, but more promising theories involve dopaminergic deficiency and genetic causes. This study investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes of dopamine receptors DRD1, DRD2, DRD3 and DRD4 are associated with antipsychotics-induced RLS in schizophrenia. Methods: We evaluated 190 Korean schizophrenic patients using the diagnostic criteria of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group and its rating scale for RLS. Genotyping was performed for the DRD1 gene –48A/G, DRD2 gene TaqI A, DRD3 gene Ser9Gly and DRD4 gene –521C/T single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The method of multifactor dimensionality reduction was used to analyze gene-gene interactions. Results: We classified the schizophrenic patients into 96 with and 94 without RLS symptoms. The genotype frequencies of all polymorphisms investigated did not differ significantly between these 2 groups. MDR analysis did not show a significant effect of the 4 dopamine receptor gene variants on susceptibility to antipsychotic-induced RLS symptoms (p > 0.05). Conclusions: These genetics data suggest that the analyzed polymorphisms of the dopamine genes may not be associated with RLS symptoms in schizophrenia. Confirming the results reported here requires a larger-scale study involving patients taking specific antipsychotics.
Schizotypal Traits in Healthy Women Predict Prefrontal Activation Patterns during a Verbal Fluency Task: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Hori Hiroaki , Nagamine Mitsue , Soshi Takahiro , Okabe Shigeo , Kim Yoshiharu , Kunugi Hiroshi
Published: May 2008

Background/Aims: Previous functional neuroimaging studies have reported that patients with schizophrenia show reduced prefrontal activation during cognitive tasks whereas patients with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) show preserved or even increased right prefrontal activation, compared to healthy controls; on the other hand, reduced hemispheric laterality is considered to be common to these two disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the possible association between schizotypal traits at a nonclinical level and prefrontal activation patterns during a letter version of the verbal fluency task (VFT). Methods: We examined the relationships of schizotypal traits as measured by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) in a nonclinical female population with prefrontal activation patterns during the VFT, using near-infrared spectroscopy. Twenty-seven healthy participants were divided into high (n = 14) and low (n = 13) SPQ groups by the median split of the total SPQ score. Results: Compared to the low SPQ group, the high SPQ group showed significantly larger right prefrontal activation during the performance of the VFT, leading to more bilateral activation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that schizotypal traits at a nonclinical level may be related to relative right prefrontal laterality with overall prefrontal activation being preserved, consistent with previous findings obtained by studies of patients with SPD.
α-Adducin
Gly
460
Trp
Variant Increases the Risk of Stroke in Hypertensive Dutch Women
Authors: Zafarmand Mohammad Hadi , van der Schouw Yvonne T. , Grobbee Diederick E. , de Leeuw Peter W. , Bots Michiel L.
Published: May 2008

The
Gly
460
Trp
variant of the α-adducin gene has been associated with renal sodium retention and salt-sensitive hypertension. Independent of blood pressure, salt sensitivity has been related to cerebrovascular events. We studied the risk of stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), and myocardial infarction (MI) associated with the α-adducin variant and examined the extent to which this risk is modified by the presence of hypertension. We performed a case-cohort study in a prospective cohort of 15 236 initially healthy Dutch women. We applied a Cox proportional hazards model with an estimation procedure adapted for case-cohort designs to study the relation of the polymorphism and CHD (n=210), MI (n=71), any stroke (n=74), and ischemic stroke (n=49). Subjects with the
Gly
460
Trp
variant had a 2.8 times higher risk of stroke (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.3 to 5.8) under the dominant genetic model, which did not attenuate after adjustment. The same pattern was found under per-allele comparison. Risk of ischemic stroke in the variant allele carriers was 3.9 times higher than in subjects with the common genotype (95% CI 1.7 to 8.6) using dominant inheritance model. The same patterns were found under per-allele comparison. CHD and MI were not related to the variant. The risk of ischemic stroke was more pronounced among women with systolic hypertension (10.9; 95% CI 3.6 to 31.5). The findings in this prospective study in a population based cohort of Dutch women strongly suggest that presence of the α-adducin
Gly
460
Trp
polymorphism increases the risk of stroke. This risk is particularly elevated in the presence of systolic hypertension.