cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of α-Tocopherol on Antioxidants, Lipid Peroxidation, and the Incidence of Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome (Ascites) in Broilers

Abstract Research has demonstrated a compromised antioxidant capacity in broilers with pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS). Thus, the objective of the present study was to assess the effects of vitamin E on PHS-induced mortality, tissue antioxidants, and plasma lipid peroxides in male broilers. Control broilers were provided normal ventilation but others, maintained under low ventilation conditions to induce PHS, were randomly assigned to nonimplanted (NI), placebo (PL), or vitamin E (VE) implanted groups. The VE implant released a total of 15 mg of α-tocopherol from 0 to 3 wk of age. Tissues and blood samples were obtained at 3 and 5 wk of age from birds with (PHS+) and without (PHS-) PHS. Five-week PHS cumulative mortality was lowered by α -tocopherol with mortality rates of 3.6, 4.2, 11.9, and 11.8%, for Controls, VE, NI, and PL groups, respectively. The PHS+ birds exhibited lower body weights, higher hematocrit, right ventricular hypertrophy, lower α-tocopherol and glutathione (GSH) concentrations in liver and lung, as well as indicators of oxidative stress, including elevated plasma lipid peroxides and lower oxidized GSH in liver and erythrocytes, at 5 wk of age. All birds exhibited lower erythrocyte catalase activity at 5 than at 3 wk of age. An improved antioxidant capacity was observed in VE birds, including higher liver and lung α-tocopherol at 3 and 5 wk, higher liver GSH at 3 wk, and lower plasma lipid peroxide values at 5 wk of age. Direct correlations observed between body weight and plasma lipid peroxides at 3 wk (r = .45) and between right ventricular hypertrophy and plasma lipid peroxides at 5 wk (r = .48), suggests that lipid peroxidation plays a role in the etiology of PHS. The results indicate that the VE implant was effective in lowering PHS-induced mortality in broilers apparently by attenuating processes leading to lipid peroxidation.
Delay macromodels for the timing analysis of GaAs DCFL

A timing macromodel for gallium arsenide direct-coupled FET logic (GaAs DCFL) cells is derived. It calculates the delay of a cell as a function of such parameters as transistor sizes, capacitive loading, fanout, and input switching time. Calculations based on the derived macromodel show excellent agreement with circuit simulation at two to three orders of magnitude savings in computation time. >
Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in African-American Youths of Arkansas

Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) occurs more frequently in certain adult populations, including African-Americans. Recently an increase in the incidence of NIDDM has been observed among African-American youths in Arkansas. Clinical presentations among these youths vary from asymptomatic to severe diabetic ketoacidosis. From a chart review, data were examined to determine which physical, biochemical, and autoimmune characteristics were most helpful in appropriate classification of NIDDM vs insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). It is apparent that several diagnostic and treatment issues need to be addressed to improve the management of African-American youths with NIDDM.
Planning multistep error detection and recovery strategies

The author describes techniques for planning multistep error detection and recovery strategies for robots operating in the presence of uncertainty. He introduces two approaches for their synthesis: the push-forward algorithm and failure mode analysis. He has implemented the theory in the form of a planner, called LIMITED, in the domain of planar assemblies. >
A Review of the Neurological and Neurosurgical Implications of Down Syndrome in Children

Down syndrome is the most commonly encountered chromosomal translation and has been associated with significant congenital abnormalities in various organ systems. Along with classic facial findings, it may involve the gastroenterologic, cardiac, ophthalmologic, endocrine, immunologic, orthopedic, or neurologic systems. With respect to the neurological system, a higher incidence of moyamoya, seizure disorders, strokes, and spinal ligamentous laxity has been described in these children. We have summarized the current available literature with respect to children who have Down syndrome and the varying neurological pathologic entities associated to help health care providers better understand these patients.
Estimation of Error From Treating Travel Time as Additional Repair Time

We consider the unavailability of a two-unit parallel system with one traveling repair person, and common statistically independent exponential unit life lengths. The unavailability can be approximated by treating travel time as an additional repair time for each unit failure before returning to the duplex state, where the two units are functioning. This is an approximation because travel time extends the repair time only for the first unit failure before returning to the duplex state. We derive error bounds for this overestimation for arbitrary travel and repair time distributions. The error bounds show that the percent overestimation has a theoretical maximum of 27% (and can be as low as zero when the travel time distribution is degenerate at zero). Thus, this paper has important contributions for practice because it provides insight to the errors that occurred due to using an approximation.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exoenzyme S

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that secretes a number of potential virulence factors. Two of these, exotoxin A and exoenzyme S, catalyze the transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety of NAD to proteins in eukaryotic cells. Exotoxin A catalyzes the ADP-ribosylation of elongation factor 2 (EF-2), leading to disruption of protein synthesis. It has been well characterized and is reviewed elsewhere in this volume. Exoenzyme S has been less thoroughly studied, but several lines of evidence suggest that it might play a role in pathogenesis. In preliminary experiments exoenzyme S appeared to be unselective in choice of substrate proteins, but recent work has shown that it preferentially ADP-ribosylates several of the low-molecular weight GTP-binding proteins. Furthermore, like cholera toxin, exoenzyme S requires a eukaryotic protein for enzymic activity.
Secondary Consolidation and Strength of a Clay

The undrained strength and stress path of a soft marine clay subjected to different periods of secondary consolidation under isotropic stress was examined. The phenomenon of buildup of pore-water pressure has been shown to be due to the arresting of secondary compression. The effect of this phenomenon on the undrained strength and stress path was also studied. The results have been explained using the Cam-clay model. It is concluded that secondary compression would cause increase in undrained strength and stiffening of the stress-strain characteristics of bay mud, while the effect of the pore-water pressure buildup was to produce steeper undrained stress paths at small strains only.
Will a new tenofovir prodrug for the treatment of HIV reduce the risk of nephrotoxicity

The widely used antiretroviral agent tenofovir disoproxil fumarate has been associated with proximal tubular injury and decreased glomerular filtration rate in HIV-infected individuals. Phase 3 trials of a new prodrug, tenofovir alafenamide, suggest a lower potential for kidney injury.
Sorted gene genealogies and species-specific nonsynonymous substitutions point to putative postmating prezygotic isolation genes in Allonemobius crickets

In the Allonemobius socius complex of crickets, reproductive isolation is primarily accomplished via postmating prezygotic barriers. We tested seven protein-coding genes expressed in the male ejaculate for patterns of evolution consistent with a putative role as postmating prezygotic isolation genes. Our recently diverged species generally lacked sequence variation. As a result, ω-based tests were only mildly successful. Some of our genes showed evidence of elevated ω values on the internal branches of gene trees. In a couple of genes, these internal branches coincided with both species branching events of the species tree, between A. fasciatus and the other two species, and between A. socius and A. sp. nov. Tex. In comparison, more successful approaches were those that took advantage of the varying degrees of lineage sorting and allele sharing among our young species. These approaches were particularly powerful within the contact zone. Among the genes we tested we found genes with genealogies that indicated relatively advanced degrees of lineage sorting across both allopatric and contact zone alleles. Within a contact zone between two members of the species complex, only a subset of genes maintained allelic segregation despite evidence of ongoing gene flow in other genes. The overlap in these analyses was arginine kinase (AK) and apolipoprotein A-1 binding protein (APBP). These genes represent two of the first examples of sperm maturation, capacitation, and motility proteins with fixed non-synonymous substitutions between species-specific alleles that may lead to postmating prezygotic isolation. Both genes express ejaculate proteins transferred to females during copulation and were previously identified through comparative proteomics. We discuss the potential function of these genes in the context of the specific postmating prezygotic isolation phenotype among our species, namely conspecific sperm precedence and the superior ability of conspecific males to induce oviposition in females.
Spirited encounters: Notes on the politics and poetics of representing the uncanny in anthropology

This essay returns to two foundational ethnographies in the anthropology of spirit phenomena by E.E. Evans-Pritchard and Vincent Crapanzano, as well as Jean Rouch’s controversial Les Maitres Fous, to problematize the ongoing and subtle ways in which cultural relativism and its subsequent critiques reproduce disengagement from and disavowal of the uncanny metaphysics of others, even while we anthropologists represent them. Arguing that the stakes of what gets to count as ‘real’ in anthropology have had and continue to have profound consequences for how we imagine sociality as well as practice encounter across ontological difference, I trace, with Marily Strathern, James Clifford, and Michel de Certeau's help primarily, how incommensurability with ‘uncanny’ phenomena is both created and sustained at three points in the anthropological project: fieldwork, the writing of ethnography, and the reception of ethnography. I close by advocating that we risk opening ourselves to the ontologies of others.
Reduced-Order Models of Zero-Net Mass-Flux Jets for Large-Scale Flow Control Simulations

Although computational tools are well suited for modeling the dynamics of zero-net mass-flux actuators, the computational costs involved in large-scale flow control simulations necessitate the use of reduced-order models for these devices. A new reduced-order model based on modeling only the slot of ZNMF jets in grazing flows is proposed. A parametric study of dimensionless parameters governing the characteristics of a ZNMF jet in grazing flow was conducted for the reduced-order model along with the commonly used sinusoidal plug flow boundary condition and full cavity simulations. Comparisons of the current model are presented in terms of the vortex dynamics and mean integral quantities, and the performance of the new reduced-order model is encouraging. In addition, the fidelity of the model has also been explored for a canonical separated flow. On the global scale of the flow, the reduced-order model is able to provide a more accurate representation of the full cavity simulation as compared to the conventional boundary condition.
From Apology to Pedagogy: Interpreting the Bible Past and Present in the Seminary Classroom

This essay offers a snapshot of the some of the challenges facing seminary education, specifically teaching the Bible, in the late 19th century that have proved to be fruitful opportunities to reca...
The Impact of Chocolate Goat's and Cow's Milk on Postresistance Exercise Endocrine Responses and Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull Performance

The present investigation examined the effects of chocolate cow's and goat's milk on endocrine responses and isometric mid-thigh pull performance post back squat exercise. Twelve college-aged males volunteered to participate and reported to the lab on four occasions. The first visit included anthropometric measurement, one-repetition back squat (1RM), and familiarization with the isometric mid-thigh pull assessment (IMTP). During the subsequent three visits, five sets of eight repetitions of the back squat exercise at 80% of 1RM were performed. For these trials, the participants performed an IMTP and gave a saliva sample prior to, immediately after, 1 hr and 2 hr post exercise. After exercise, a treatment of low-fat chocolate goat's milk (355 ml, 225 kcal), low-fat chocolate cow's milk (355 ml, 225 kcal), or control (water 355 ml, 0 kcal) was given in a counterbalanced order. Saliva samples were analyzed for testosterone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Cortisol and DHEA hormone were unaffected by exercise; however, testosterone values did increase significantly post exercise. For IMTP, there was a significant main effect for time (F = 8.41, p = .007) but no treatment or interactions effects. N changes were noted post supplementation for cortisol or DHEA, but testosterone was found to be significantly reduced in both diary treatments compared to control (F = 4.27, p = .022). Based upon these data, it appears that a single treatment of chocolate goat's or cow's milk results in similar endocrine alterations but both fail to enhance postexercise isometric strength following resistance exercise.
Ratification as accommodation? Domestic dissent and human rights treaties

Sage Green Route: Once the article has been accepted for publication, you may post the accepted version (version 2) of the article on your own personal website, your department’s website or the repository of your institution without any restrictions.
Value of color Doppler ultrasonography for diagnosing single umbilical artery associated with congenital structure anomalies

Objective To assess the value of color Doppler ultrasonography for diagnosing single umbilical artery(SUA) associated with congenital structure anomalies.Methods Ultrasonic findings of 297 SUA fetuses and 91 fetuses of SUA associated with congenital structure anomalies,as well as the chromosome results through amniocentesising were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the specific check-results of neonates or pathologic findings after induction.Results Totally 297 fetuses among 43572 pregnant women were diagnosed SUA,the incidence of SUA was 0.68%(297/43572).Ninety-one fetuses(91/297,30.64%) were diagnosed SUA associated with congenital structure anomalies,of which 8 fetuses(28/297,30.77%) with chromosome abnormalities.The first three of congenital structure anomalies included cardiovascular system anomalies,urinary system anomalies and central nervous system anomalies.SUA associated with multi-congenital structure anomalies were more than SUA associated with single-congenital structure anomalies,and the more congenital structure anomalies,the higher abnormal chromosome.Conclusion SUA may lead to high incidence of congenital structure anomalies.Color Doppler ultrsonography can accurately diagnose SUA associated with congenital structure malformations.
Additional diagnostic procedures.

This article reviews recent diagnostic procedures that have arisen over the last 10 years. Videoendoscopy of horses on a high-speed treadmill allows observation of some of the changes that take place in a horse’s airway during exercise. Measurements of upper airway airflows and transupper airway pressure, the use of an esophageal balloon and a Ventigraph to measure changes in pleural pressure, and pulmonary function testing are new techniques that aid the researcher in understanding the mechanics and pathologic characteristics of airway diseases and help the practitioner in assessing the severity of a problem, measuring response to therapy, and accurately determining a prognosis.
Vertical stratification in the distribution of demersal fishes along the walls of the La Jolla and Scripps submarine canyons, California, USA

Abstract The geographic distributions of many coastal marine fish assemblages are strongly driven by habitat features, particularly among demersal fishes that live along the seafloor. Ecologists have long recognized the importance of characterizing fish habitat associations, especially where spatial management is under consideration. However, little is known about fish distributions and habitat suitability in unique demersal habitats such as submarine canyons. The active continental margin of the California coast is cut by eight submarine canyons, several of which extend from the shore to the deep abyssal plain. We sampled the demersal fish assemblages in two of those canyons: (1) the Scripps submarine canyon in the San-Diego-Scripps State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) and (2) the La Jolla canyon in the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve (SMR) to gain insight into both the distributions and habitat associations of demersal fishes in canyons. A remotely operated vehicle was used to conduct 21 vertically oriented transects along the canyon walls in depths ranging from 20 to 300 m. Species composition was assessed in three depth-stratified zones (100 m per zone) along the canyon walls. Species richness, abundance, and attributes of the surrounding canyon habitat structure (slope and benthic terrain ruggedness) were quantified. Three distinct assemblage groupings were identified, which comprised 35 species of demersal fishes from 17 families. Among all factors analyzed in this study, depth, slope, and ruggedness were strong explanatory variables of patterns of species richness and abundance; however, the relationship between depth and assemblage structure was non-linear. The greatest number of species was observed in the mid depth-stratified zone. These trends suggest that variation in canyon dynamics across depth strata may facilitate distinct assemblage groupings of demersal fishes, which can in turn be used to better manage these unique habitats.
A 16 Bit Monolithic CMOS D/A Converter

A 16 bit monolithic D/A converter is described. The device is fabricated with a thin film on CMOS process and uses laser wafer trimming (LWT) to obtain the required performance. The paper briefly discusses design techniques for high resolution D/A converters which have been investigated and describes the circuit finally used.
Academic competence perceptions moderate the effects of peer support following academic success disclosures

Academic successes are a common part of children's daily lives. Prior research indicates that children frequently attempt to capitalize on these events by sharing the good news with peers. This short-term longitudinal study of third- through seventh-grade students (N = 359) provides evidence that, for children with low academic competence perceptions, peer academic support in the form of enthusiastic responses to academic success disclosures can be a double-edged sword. Regardless of their self-views, perceptions of enthusiastic responses to academic success disclosures were associated with a greater willingness to disclose academic successes to friends and higher perceptions of peer academic support over time. For children with low academic competence perceptions, however, perceptions of enthusiastic responses to academic success disclosures also predicted heightened academic worry which, in turn, predicted greater endorsement of performance–avoidance goals over time. Future research will be critical in developing interventions that can assist children with low academic competence perceptions in more fully enjoying the benefits that can accrue from capitalization attempts.
A Comparison of Math Cover, Copy, Compare Intervention Procedures for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cover, Copy, Compare (CCC) and Copy, Cover, Compare (MCCC) procedures are effective interventions for improving math fluency. However, there is a gap in literature exploring the use of these interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of the current study was to compare the use of CCC and MCCC for children with ASD using a multi-component single-case experimental design. The results showed no notable difference between the interventions. Implications and limitations, particularly surrounding experimental control, are discussed in detail.
Platelets and Platelet-Inspired Biomaterials Technologies in Wound Healing Applications

Wound healing is a complex biological process involving distinct phases of hemostasis, immune response, and inflammatory events, regulated cellular proliferation, and matrix remodeling. While immune and inflammatory cellular phenotypes (e.g., neutrophils and monocyte/macrophages) are often the focus of wound healing studies, the initial hemostatic and sustained secretory role of platelets to modulate the various mechanistic phases of wound healing via clot promotion, clot stabilization and retraction, release of various growth factors and cytokines from active platelet granules, and release of matrix remodeling enzymes is becoming exceedingly appreciated in preclinical and clinical settings. This has led to extensive studies using platelet-based products like platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) suspensions and gels as topical and injectable technologies to augment wound healing in both soft and hard tissues. In parallel, a robust volume of research is currently being directed at mimicking and leveraging the hemost...
Rubrics as a Foundation for Assessing Student Competencies: One Public Administration Program’s Creative Exercise

Since implementation of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) standards for accreditation in 2009, public administration programs have been developing programmatic competencies that reflect NASPAA’s universal standards. Likewise, myriad efforts have analyzed data related to student and program progress toward achievement of these competencies. This article adds to that conversation by recounting the approach to assessing competencies used in the Department of Public Administration at Portland State University. There, newly developed rubrics reflect each of the department’s 10 competencies to examine whether students are acquiring the desired knowledge and skills. This article discusses the development and design of the rubrics as well as elements of gaining faculty and student input in the process.
Dissolved oxygen electrodes

Recent advances in theory, construction, operation, and application of dissolved oxygen (DO) electrodes are reviewed to assist those who use or intend to use them in such areas as biochemical engineering, microbiology, and environmental engineering. Basic operating principles of membrane-covered DO electrodes and oxygen microelectrodes are presented together with methods of construction, electrode component selection, and general design considerations. Methods of calibration and effects of temperature and liquid film on electrode performance are also discussed. Sources of measurement errors due to probe characteristics and the reaction in the liquid are discussed to illustrate some of the limitations of DO electrodes. The spacial resolution of oxygen microelectrodes in local concentration measurements is also discussed. Finally, the application of DO electrodes in measuring aeration capacity and oxygen solubility is reviewed.
Integrated Nucleic Acid Analysis in Parallel Matrix Architecture

With the advent of the postgenomic era, accurate and fast nucleic analyses are becoming more important with reasonable running costs. Nucleic acids carry precious information important for the understanding of many complex biological processes critical for diagnosis and therapy of a wide range of diseases. This information is also instrumental in the classification of organisms. Recent developments in microfluidics provide a new methodology with unprecedented sensitivity for mRNA isolation from single mammalian cells and genomic DNA processing of multiple bacterial cells. In this chapter, nucleic acid analyses on microfluidic chips with particular emphasis on parallel matrix architecture, which will soon play an important role in applications of microfluidics on the development of proteomics and functional genomics, will be discussed.
Predicting Corticosteroid-Free Biologic Remission with Vedolizumab in Crohn's Disease.

Background and aims Vedolizumab (VDZ) is effective for Crohn's disease (CD) but costly and is slow to produce remission. Early knowledge of whether vedolizumab is likely to succeed is valuable for physicians, patients, and insurers. Methods Phase 3 clinical trial data on VZD for CD were used to predict outcomes. Random forest modeling on the training cohort was used to predict the outcome of corticosteroid-free biologic remission at week 52 on the testing cohort. Models were constructed using baseline data, or data through week 6 of VDZ therapy. Results The clinical trial included 594 subjects who received VDZ with baseline active inflammation [elevated C-reactive protein (>5 mg/L)]. Subjects with missing predictor variables (N = 120) or missing outcome data (N = 2) were excluded to produce a modeling dataset of 472 subjects. The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AuROC) for corticosteroid-free biologic remission at week 52 using baseline data was only 0.65 (95% CI: 0.53 - 0.77), but was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.64 - 0.86) with data through week 6 of VDZ . Patients predicted to be in corticosteroid-free biologic remission at week 52 by the model achieved this endpoint 35.8% of the time, whereas patients predicted to fail only succeeded 6.7% of the time. Conclusions An algorithm using laboratory data through week 6 of VDZ therapy was able to identify which CD patients with baseline inflammation would achieve corticosteroid-free biologic remission on VDZ at week 52. A majority of patients can be identified by week 6 as very unlikely to achieve remission.
Role of integrin alpha8 in murine model of lung fibrosis

Background Integrin α8 (ITGA8) heterodimerizes with integrin β1 and is highly expressed in stromal cells of the lung. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ+) cells constitute a major population of contractile myofibroblasts in the lung following bleomycin-induced fibrosis. Integrin α8β1 is upregulated in fibrotic foci in bleomycin-induced lung injury. However, the functional role of ITGA8 in fibrogenesis has not been characterized. In this study, we examined whether genetic deletion of ITGA8 from PDGFRβ+ cells in the lung altered fibrosis. Methods Pdgfrb-Cre/+;Itga8flox/- or Pdgfrb-Cre/+;Itga8flox/flox (Cre+) and control mice (Cre-) were used for in vitro and in vivo studies. Primary cultures of PDGFRβ+ cells were exposed to TGFβ, followed by RNA isolation for qPCR. For in vivo studies, Cre+ and Cre- mice were characterized at baseline and after bleomycin-induced fibrosis. Results PDGFRβ-selected cells from Cre+ animals showed higher levels of Col1a1 expression after treatment with TGFβ. However, Cre- and Cre+ animals showed no significant difference in measures of acute lung injury or fibrosis following bleomycin challenge. Conclusion While ITGA8 deletion in lung PDGFRβ+ stromal cells showed evidence of greater Col1a1 mRNA expression after TGFβ treatment in vitro, no functional difference was detected in vivo.
One Size Fits All: Implications for Assessing Dietary Behavior

Abstract Accurate assessment of dietary behavior is central to the design, implementation, and evaluation of intervention programs aimed at behavior change, and use of an Eating Behaviors Questionnaire (EBQ) has been suggested for measuring dimensions of dietary fat behavior. The EBQ has proven useful in characterizing fat-related dietary patterns among middle-class, highly educated, highly motivated white women. To investigate the generalizability of the instrument, we provide findings from a community-based sample of 235 African-Americans in Maywood, Illinois, a middle-class working community outside Chicago. The sample consisted of 159 women and 76 men with an average age of 47.4±13.8 years for women and 48.1 ±12.1 years for men (mean ± standard deviation; range, 18 to 87 years). The EBQ is based on four broad behavioral domains (ie, avoidance, modification, substitution, and replacement) associated with fat-related eating patterns. These behavioral domains are composed of specific dietary behaviors (factors). Using a scoring system that allowed all participants to be included in all analyses, we identified a set of factors characterizing eating patterns in our sample that differed from those reported previously When the factors were converted to scales using unit scoring, the average value suggested a tendency toward a higher fat eating pattern. Results indicate that although behavioral domains appear to be constant across populations, fat-related eating patterns are not. These observations have implications for understanding the diversity of fat-related dietary patterns across groups and for planning appropriate behavior change strategies. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997;97(suppl):S70-S72 .
Socially Withdrawn and Isolated Children

The term social withdrawal can be found frequently in the clinical literature on adults and children over several decades. Social withdrawal, as a symptom or a condition, denotes either a disruption to social relations or failure to interact with others. Applied to children, social withdrawal has multiple connotations that include avoidance of children’s play activities, low interaction rate across settings, exclusion by peers, poor social skills, unpopularity, shyness, loneliness, and feelings of alienation or rejection. However, most children who might be considered socially withdrawn or isolated do not fit all of these descriptors, nor are all these dimensions highly correlated in the general child population. It is this diversity of conceptualization that plagues the definitional, assessment, etiological, and treatment research on childhood social withdrawal and isolation.
Cyber-Physical Systems: The Next Generation of Evolvable Hardware Research and Applications

Since the late 1990s the sales of processors targeted for embedded systems has exceeded sales for the PC market. Some embedded systems tightly link the computing resources to the physical world. Such systems are called cyber-physical systems. Autonomous cyber-physical systems often have safety-critical missions, which means they must be fault tolerant. Unfortunately fault recovery options are limited; adapting the physical system behavior may be the only viable option. Consequently, autonomous cyber-physical systems are a class of adaptive systems. The evolvable hardware field has developed a number of techniques that should prove to be useful for designing cyber-physical systems although work along those lines has only recently begun. In this paper we provide an overview of cyber-physical systems and then describe how two evolvable hardware techniques can be used to adapt the physical system behavior in real-time. The goal is to introduce cyber-physical systems to the evolvable hardware community and encourage those researchers to begin working in this emerging field.
Nature and Human Nature in Literary Contexts

Why, as he contemplates the title of this essay, do the first lines of a poem long forgotten swim back into the author’s ken? The image is hauntingly beautiful. The “flower” appears at the end of the line like its intentional correlate, driven through the syntactical construction of the poem’s expressive movement. The speaker of the poem, in contradistinction to the speaking poet, feels the force, has done so since his youth; both the fuse of the flower and his age are green. The poet, you might say, has translated into a vivid, kinetic, and visual image how nature makes its appearance to anyone capable of both hearing and imagining the event. Let us enter into the dialogue as philosophers responding to the poet’s gesture.
Should Cannabinoids Be Added to Multimodal Pain Regimens After Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract Background This study investigated the effects of dronabinol on pain, nausea, and length of stay following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Methods We retrospectively compared 81 consecutive primary TJA patients who received 5 mg of dronabinol twice daily in addition to a standard multimodal pain regimen with a matched cohort of 162 TJA patients who received only the standard regimen. A single surgeon performed all surgeries. Patient demographics, length of stay, opioid morphine equivalents (MEs) consumed, reports of nausea/vomiting, discharge destination, distance walked in physical therapy, and visual analog scale pain scores were collected for both groups. Student’s t-tests as well as chi-square or Mann-Whitney U-tests were used for statistical comparisons. Results There were no significant differences between the 2 groups for age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, anesthesia type, visual analog scale scores, distance walked with physical therapy, discharge disposition, or episodes of nausea/vomiting. The mean length of stay in the dronabinol group was significantly shorter at 2.3 ± 0.9 days versus 3.0 ± 1.2 days in the control group (P = .02). In the context of a shorter stay, the dronabinol group consumed significantly fewer total MEs (252.5 ± 131.5 vs 313.3 ± 185.4 mg, P = .0088). Although the dronabinol group consumed fewer MEs per day and per length of stay on average, neither of these achieved statistical significance. No side effects of dronabinol were reported. Conclusion These findings suggest that further investigation into the role of cannabinoid medications for non-opioid pain control in the post-arthroplasty patient may hold merit.
Involvement of Akt in mitomycin C and its analog triggered cytotoxicity in MCF-7 and K562 cancer cells.

Mitomycin C (MC) is a well-known DNA alkylating agent. MC analog, 10-decarbamoyl mitomycin C (DMC), unlike MC, has stronger effects on cancer with p53 mutation. We previously demonstrated that MC/DMC could activate p21WAF 1/ CIP 1 in MCF-7 (p53-proficient) and K562 (p53-deficient) cells in a p53-independent mode. This study aimed to elucidate the upstream signaling pathway of p21WAF 1/ CIP 1 activation triggered by MC/DMC. Besides p53, Akt plays an important role on deactivating p21WAF 1/ CIP 1 . The results showed that MC/DMC inhibited Akt in MCF-7 cells, but not in K562 cells. By knocking down p53, the Akt inhibition in MCF-7 cells was alleviated. This implied that the deactivated Akt caused by MC/DMC was p53-dependent. With Akt activator (SC79), p21WAF 1/ CIP 1 activation triggered by MC/DMC in MCF-7 cells was not reduced. This indicated that Akt inhibition triggered by MC/DMC was not associated with MC/DMC-induced p21WAF 1/ CIP 1 activation. Label-free quantitative proteomic profiling analysis revealed that DMC has a stronger effect on down-regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in MCF-7 cells as compared to MC. No significant effect of MC/DMC on PI3K/Akt in K562 cells was observed. In summary, MC/DMC regulate Akt activation in a p53-dependent manner. This Akt deactivation is not associated with p21WAF 1/ CIP 1 activation in response to MC/DMC.
Energy Efficient and Side-Channel Secure Cryptographic Hardware for IoT-Edge Nodes

Design of ultralightweight but secure encryption engine is a key challenge for Internet-of-Things edge devices. This paper explores the system level design space for an ultralow power image sensor node for secure communication and proposes an optimized datapath architecture for 128-bit SIMON (SIMON128), a lightweight block cipher, for minimal performance, power, and area overheads with increased level of side-channel security. Various datapath architectures for SIMON are explored for simultaneously increasing energy-efficiency and resistance to power-based side-channel analysis (PSCA) attacks. Alternative datapath architectures are implemented on ASIC (15 nm CMOS) and field programmable gate array (FPGA) (Spartan-6, 45 nm) to perform power, performance, and area analysis. We show that, although a bitserial datapath minimizes area and power, a round unrolled datapath provides $80{\times }$ higher energy-efficiency and $143{\times }$ higher performance, compared to the baseline bitserial design. Moreover, the PSCA measurements performed using Sakura-G board with Spartan-6 FPGA, demonstrate that a 6-round unrolled datapath improves minimum-traces-to-disclosure for correlation power analysis (CPA) by at least $384{\times }$ over baseline bitserial design with no successful CPA even with 500 000 measurements. Finally, application to the image-sensor node demonstrates that optimized unrolled SIMON128 can provide equivalent performance to AES128 at lower area, higher energy efficiency, and improved side channel security.
Novel Metal Only, Low Profile, High Gain Stepped Reflector Antennas for Future 5G mmWave and CubeSat Applications

Several emerging technologies such as next generation CubeSats and 5G mm Wave networks require antennas capable of providing high data rates while maintaining a small form factor. This paper describes a systematic approach for synthesizing high gain stepped reflector antennas with profile heights of the order of a wavelength, resulting in a very small form factor for mmWave bands. The reflector aperture is comprised of confocal parabolic sections which scatter in phase, resulting in a focused far field beam. Both symmetric and offset configurations are discussed. In particular, two distinct methods of synthesizing low profile offset reflectors are presented in this work, which makes it possible to meet application specific design constraints.
State-of-Charge Uncertainty of Lithium-Ion Battery Packs Considering the Cell-to-Cell Variability

Accurate state-of-charge (SOC) estimation of lithium-ion battery packs is technically challenging because of the cell-to-cell variability due to the manufacturing tolerance. In addition, there is n...
Information Technology and Entrepreneurship: Factors that Shape Investment Support for Innovation

The constant evolution of new technologies has led to an interest in how information technology impacts entrepreneurship, for both the development of new technology and support for funding mechanisms, such as new platforms for investment. Rapid innovation and the overlap of information technology and entrepreneurship have been the subject of much research, including how they impact each other. Information Technology and Entrepreneurship reviews research on investment funding to extract and classify the factors that have traditionally impacted investment decisions, and to identify emerging investment issues. The result is a set of six factors, each of which has multiple dimensions and characteristics that are described. Suggestions are provided for future work to investigate funding opportunities for supporting entrepreneurs who wish to advance their innovative information technology products. After an introduction, Section 2 examines the role that information technology plays in entrepreneurship and provides an overview of the method used to perform the literature search and extract the main factors. Section 3 describes each factor and its general characteristics to progress our understanding of the factors themselves and their impact on investment decisions and technological innovations. Section 4 proposes areas of future research. Section 5 summarizes and concludes the paper.
Hand heating lowers postprandial blood glucose concentrations: A double-blind randomized controlled crossover trial.

Abstract Objectives Examine effect of single hand heating with and without negative pressure on fasting blood glucose (FBG) and postprandial blood glucose (PBG). Design Double-blind randomized controlled trial with crossover design. Subjects FBG experiment: 17 healthy subjects (4 males). PBG experiment: 13 healthy subjects (1 males). Interventions Devices included one providing heat only, one heat and negative pressure, and one acting as a sham. For the FBG experiment the devices were used for 30 min. For the PBG experiment the devices were used for one hour during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Outcome Measures Blood glucose measurements were used to determine change in FBG, peak PBG, area under the curve (AUC), and incremental AUC (iAUC). Results Temperature: Change in tympanic temperature was ≤ 0.15 °C for all trials. FBG: There was no effect on FBG. PBG: Compared to the sham device the heat plus vacuum and heat only device lowered peak blood glucose by 16(31)mg/dL, p = 0.092 and 18(28)mg/dL, p = 0.039, respectively. AUC and iAUC: Compared to the sham device, the heat plus vacuum device and heat only device lowered the AUC by 5.1(15.0)%, p = 0.234 and 7.9(11.1)%, p = 0.024 respectively and iAUC by 17.2(43.4)%, p = 0.178 and 20.5(34.5)%, p = 0.054, respectively. Conclusions Heating a single hand lowers postprandial blood glucose in healthy subjects.
Vacua with Small Flux Superpotential

We describe a method for finding flux vacua of type IIB string theory in which the Gukov-Vafa-Witten superpotential is exponentially small. We present an example with ${W}_{0}\ensuremath{\approx}2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ on an orientifold of a Calabi-Yau hypersurface with $({h}^{1,1},{h}^{2,1})=(2,272)$, at large complex structure and weak string coupling.
IRAK1 promotes fetal membrane inflammation in preterm birth

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Intrauterine inflammation (IUI) or chorioamnionitis is considered to promote PTB. There is no effective therapy for treating IUI or PTB. Moreover, clinically relevant mechanisms that initiate and propagate IUI remain a fundamental knowledge gap to develop better therapies. Thus, there is a clear need for defining the mechanism for IUI. Activation of IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) is central in engaging immune signaling pathways, including NFkB and MAP …
Demonstration of GaN Impact Ionization Avalanche Transit-Time (IMPATT) Diode

Wide bandgap semiconductors, such as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC), have bandgap energies larger than 3 eV with high breakdown electric fields, showing the advantage on powerful IMPATT diodes. SiC IMPATT diodes have been successfully demonstrated and shown excellent performances in X-band applications [1] , [2] . Although a few theoretical studies have shown the great potential of GaN for powerful IMPATT diodes [3] , [4] , no experimental study has been reported so far. Taking advantage of the single crystalline GaN substrates enabling high quality GaN films, avalanche capability has been demonstrated [5] – [9] . In this study, we demonstrated a GaN-based IMPATT diode experimentally by using a n-i-p epitaxial structure grown on a bulk GaN substrate.
Gay- and Straight-Sounding Auditory Cues Elicit Stereotyping About Teaching Effectiveness:

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a “gay-sounding” voice on heterosexual music teachers’ perceptions of music teaching effectiveness. Music teachers across the United States (...
A Soft Robotic Model to Study the Effects of Stiffness on Fish-Like Undulatory Swimming

Fish swim using a combination of active and passive movements. Active swimming is generated by muscles that produce an undulatory wave passing down the body of fish. The undulating body imparts momentum to the water and the fish moves forward. Passive movement, in contrast, occurs when fluid pushes on the body, resulting in undulatory motion without muscular involvement. Animals may simultaneously generate active movement while also experiencing the consequences of morphological characteristics such as fins that generate passive movement. Passive models of fish are easily manufactured, but not sufficiently complex to realistically model fish swimming. Hard robotic models can be active and complex, but they are difficult to design and manufacture. We have designed two soft robotic fish models (pneufish) using pneumatic actuators, or pneunets, that produce active swimming by deforming a central plastic backbone. This apparatus can have either a single pair of actuators (the duo model) on each side, or two pairs of pneumatic actuators per side forming a quad configuration. Using these active pneumatic models, we demonstrate an important interaction between activation frequency and stiffness, and that variable longitudinal stiffness between anterior and posterior pneunets can lead to an increase in thrust without simultaneously increasing lateral forces. Lateral forces are an unavoidable consequence of undulatory body motion, but can be reduced by appropriate phasing of body and fin motion.
The Disciplinary Differences in the Characteristics And Effects of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Using data with detailed instructor employment information from a state college system, this study examines disciplinary variations in the characteristics and effects of non-tenure-track faculty hi...
Trans)forming the Colony

Review of Raquel Salas Rivera, X/EX/EXIS: poemas para la nacion/poems for the nation. Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingue, 2020. 97 pages.
Milestones in Software Engineering

Computer software development is a discipline that is difficult to describe in terms familiar to other forms of science and engineering. Software is a unique mind product that serves as a constant challenge to its makers. It depends on, yet transcends, the hardware that it can both control and exploit. On one hand, it is embodied in the form of abstract algorithms formed in the science of computation theory. On the other hand, it is a pragmatic means of controlling computers and other devices attached to them. Many believe that to use the term engineering coupled with software is premature or even misleading. The word art or craft of software development seems more appropriate to current methods and their resultant products. This article to understand software and its development practices through an analysis of the nature and impact of outstanding developments in the field. Keywords: nature of software engineering; lady ada; big calculators; software emergence; programming origins; NATO; paradigms; standards; profession; software engineers