Normal mode analysis for linear resistive magnetohydrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerner, W.; Lerbinger, K.; Gruber, R.; Tsunematsu, T.

1984-10-01

The compressible, resistive MHD equations are linearized around an equilibrium with cylindrical symmetry and solved numerically as a complex eigenvalue problem. This normal mode code allows to solve for very small resistivity eta proportional 10 -10 . The scaling of growthrates and layer width agrees very well with analytical theory. Especially, both the influence of current and pressure on the instabilities is studied in detail; the effect of resistivity on the ideally unstable internal kink is analyzed. (orig.)

Convex variational problems linear, nearly linear and anisotropic growth conditions

CERN Document Server

Bildhauer, Michael

2003-01-01

The author emphasizes a non-uniform ellipticity condition as the main approach to regularity theory for solutions of convex variational problems with different types of non-standard growth conditions. This volume first focuses on elliptic variational problems with linear growth conditions. Here the notion of a "solution" is not obvious and the point of view has to be changed several times in order to get some deeper insight. Then the smoothness properties of solutions to convex anisotropic variational problems with superlinear growth are studied. In spite of the fundamental differences, a non-uniform ellipticity condition serves as the main tool towards a unified view of the regularity theory for both kinds of problems.

Beneficial effect of physical activity on linear growth rate of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It is not known if nutritional and/or other interventions could improve linear growth in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of physical activity in promoting linear growth velocity of black adolescents in a low-income shanty town in South Africa. Two schools in a disadvantaged shanty town participated ...

Linear growth and final height characteristics in adolescent females with anorexia nervosa.

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Dalit Modan-Moses

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Growth retardation is an established complication of anorexia nervosa (AN. However, findings concerning final height of AN patients are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess these phenomena in female adolescent inpatients with AN. METHODS: We retrospectively studied all 211 female adolescent AN patients hospitalized in an inpatient eating disorders department from 1/1/1987 to 31/12/99. Height and weight were assessed at admission and thereafter routinely during hospitalization and follow-up. Final height was measured in 69 patients 2-10 years after discharge. Pre-morbid height data was available in 29 patients. RESULTS: Patients' height standard deviation scores (SDS on admission (-0.285±1.0 and discharge (-0.271±1.02 were significantly (p<0.001 lower than expected in normal adolescents. Patients admitted at age ≤13 years, or less than 1 year after menarche, were more severely growth-impaired than patients admitted at an older age, (p = 0.03. Final height SDS, available for 69 patients, was -0.258±1.04, significantly lower than expected in a normal population (p = 0.04, and was more severely compromised in patients who were admitted less than 1 year from their menarche. In a subgroup of 29 patients with complete growth data (pre-morbid, admission, discharge, and final adult height, the pre-morbid height SDS was not significantly different from the expected (-0.11±1.1, whereas heights at the other time points were significantly (p = 0.001 lower (-0.56±1.2, -0.52±1.2, and -0.6±1.2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that whereas the premorbid height of female adolescent AN patients is normal, linear growth retardation is a prominent feature of their illness. Weight restoration is associated with catch-up growth, but complete catch-up is often not achieved.

Computerized tomography and head growth curve infantile macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eda, Isematsu; Kitahara, Tadashi; Takashima, Sachio; Takeshita, Kenzo

1982-01-01

Macrocephaly was defined as a head measuring larger than 98th percentile. We have evaluated CT findings and head growth curves in 25 infants with large heads. Ten (40%) of 25 infants with large heads were normal developmentally and neurologically. Five (20%) of those were mentally retarded. The other 10 infants (40%) included hydrocephalus (4 cases), malformation syndrome (3 cases), brain tumor (1 case), metabolic disorder (1 case) and degenerative disorder (1 case). Their head growth curves were typed as (I), (II) and (III): Type (I) (excessive head growth curve to 2 SDs above normal); Type (II) (head growth curve gradually approached to 2 SDs above normal); Type (III) (head growth curve parallel to 2 SDs above normal). Ten of macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development were studied clinically and radiologically in details. They were all male. CT pictures of those showed normal or various abnormal findings: ventricular dilatations, wide frontal and temporal subdural spaces, wide interhemispheric fissures, wide cerebral sulci, and large sylvian fissures. CT findings in 2 of those, which because normal after repeated CT examinations, resembled benign subdural collection. CT findings in one of those were external hydrocephalus. Head growth curves were obtained from 8 of those. Six cases revealed type (II) and two cases did type (III). The remaining 2 cases could not be followed up. We consider that CT findings of infants showed macrocephaly with normal psychomotor development reveals normal or various abnormal (ventricular dilatations, benign subdural collection, external hydrocephalus) and their head growth curves are not at least excessive. Infants with mental retardation showed similar CT findings and head growth curves as those with normal psychomotor development. It was difficult to distinguish normal from mentally retarded infants by either CT findings or head growth curves. (author)

Immunolocalization of transforming growth factor alpha in normal human tissues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, M E; Poulsen, Steen Seier

1996-01-01

anchorage-independent growth of normal cells and was, therefore, considered as an "oncogenic" growth factor. Later, its immunohistochemical presence in normal human cells as well as its biological effects in normal human tissues have been demonstrated. The aim of the present investigation was to elucidate...... the distribution of the growth factor in a broad spectrum of normal human tissues. Indirect immunoenzymatic staining methods were used. The polypeptide was detected with a polyclonal as well as a monoclonal antibody. The polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies demonstrated almost identical immunoreactivity. TGF......-alpha was found to be widely distributed in cells of normal human tissues derived from all three germ layers, most often in differentiated cells. In epithelial cells, three different kinds of staining patterns were observed, either diffuse cytoplasmic, cytoplasmic in the basal parts of the cells, or distinctly...

The Non-Linear Effect of Corporate Taxes on Economic Growth

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Huňady Ján

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the problem of taxation and its potential impact on economic growth and presents some new empirical insights into this topic. The main aim of the paper is to verify an assumed nonlinear impact of corporate tax rates on economic growth. Based on the theory of public finance and taxation, we hypothesize that at relatively low tax rates it is possible that the impact of taxation on economic growth become slightly positive. On the other hand when the tax rates are higher a negative impact of taxation on economic growth could be expected. Despite the fact that the most of the existing studies find a negative linear relationship between these variables, we can also find strong support for a non-linear relationship from several theoretical models as well as some empirical studies. Based on panel data fixed-effects econometric models, we, as well, find empirical evidence for a non-linear relationship between nominal and effective corporate tax rates and economic growth. Our data consists of annual observations for the period 1999 to 2011 for EU Member States. Based on the results, we also estimated the optimal level of the corporate tax rate in terms of maximizing economic growth in the average of the EU countries.

The acrophysis: a unifying concept for enchondral bone growth and its disorders. I. Normal growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oestreich, Alan E.

2003-01-01

In order to discuss and illustrate the common effects on normal and abnormal enchondral bone at the physes and at all other growth plates of the developing child, the term ''acrophysis'' is proposed. Acrophyses include the growth plates of secondary growth centers including carpals and tarsals and apophyses, and the growth plates at the non-physeal ends of small tubular bones. The last layer of development of both physes and acrophysis is the cartilaginous zone of provisional calcification (ZPC). The enchondral bone abutting the ZPC shares similar properties at physes and acrophyses, including the relatively lucent metaphyseal bands of many normal infants at several weeks of age. The bone-in-bone pattern of the normal vertebral bodies and bands of demineralization of the tarsal bones just under the ZPC are the equivalent of those bands. The growth arrest/recovery lines of metaphyses similarly have equivalent lines in growth centers and other acrophyseal sites. Nearly the same effects can also be anticipated from the relatively similar growth plate at the cartilaginous cap of benign exostoses (''paraphysis''). The companion article will explore abnormalities at acrophyseal sites, including metabolic bone disease and dysplasias. (orig.)

A heteroscedastic generalized linear model with a non-normal speed factor for responses and response times.

Science.gov (United States)

Molenaar, Dylan; Bolsinova, Maria

2017-05-01

In generalized linear modelling of responses and response times, the observed response time variables are commonly transformed to make their distribution approximately normal. A normal distribution for the transformed response times is desirable as it justifies the linearity and homoscedasticity assumptions in the underlying linear model. Past research has, however, shown that the transformed response times are not always normal. Models have been developed to accommodate this violation. In the present study, we propose a modelling approach for responses and response times to test and model non-normality in the transformed response times. Most importantly, we distinguish between non-normality due to heteroscedastic residual variances, and non-normality due to a skewed speed factor. In a simulation study, we establish parameter recovery and the power to separate both effects. In addition, we apply the model to a real data set. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Mathematical and Statistical Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

Modelling growth curves of Nigerian indigenous normal feather ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to predict the growth curve parameters using Bayesian Gompertz and logistic models and also to compare the two growth function in describing the body weight changes across age in Nigerian indigenous normal feather chicken. Each chick was wing-tagged at day old and body weights were ...

Normality of raw data in general linear models: The most widespread myth in statistics

Science.gov (United States)

Kery, Marc; Hatfield, Jeff S.

2003-01-01

In years of statistical consulting for ecologists and wildlife biologists, by far the most common misconception we have come across has been the one about normality in general linear models. These comprise a very large part of the statistical models used in ecology and include t tests, simple and multiple linear regression, polynomial regression, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA). There is a widely held belief that the normality assumption pertains to the raw data rather than to the model residuals. We suspect that this error may also occur in countless published studies, whenever the normality assumption is tested prior to analysis. This may lead to the use of nonparametric alternatives (if there are any), when parametric tests would indeed be appropriate, or to use of transformations of raw data, which may introduce hidden assumptions such as multiplicative effects on the natural scale in the case of log-transformed data. Our aim here is to dispel this myth. We very briefly describe relevant theory for two cases of general linear models to show that the residuals need to be normally distributed if tests requiring normality are to be used, such as t and F tests. We then give two examples demonstrating that the distribution of the response variable may be nonnormal, and yet the residuals are well behaved. We do not go into the issue of how to test normality; instead we display the distributions of response variables and residuals graphically.

Influence of magnetic flutter on tearing growth in linear and nonlinear theory

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Kreifels, L.; Hornsby, W. A.; Weikl, A.; Peeters, A. G.

2018-06-01

Recent simulations of tearing modes in turbulent regimes show an unexpected enhancement in the growth rate. In this paper the effect is investigated analytically. The enhancement is linked to the influence of turbulent magnetic flutter, which is modelled by diffusion terms in magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) momentum balance and Ohm’s law. Expressions for the linear growth rate as well as the island width in nonlinear theory for small amplitudes are derived. The results indicate an enhanced linear growth rate and a larger linear layer width compared with resistive MHD. Also the island width in the nonlinear regime grows faster in the diffusive model. These observations correspond well to simulations in which the effect of turbulence on the magnetic island width and tearing mode growth is analyzed.

Periosteal PTHrP regulates cortical bone modeling during linear growth in mice.

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Wang, Meina; VanHouten, Joshua N; Nasiri, Ali R; Tommasini, Steven M; Broadus, Arthur E

2014-07-01

The modeling of long bone surfaces during linear growth is a key developmental process, but its regulation is poorly understood. We report here that parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) expressed in the fibrous layer of the periosteum (PO) drives the osteoclastic (OC) resorption that models the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction (MDJ) in the proximal tibia and fibula during linear growth. PTHrP was conditionally deleted (cKO) in the PO via Scleraxis gene targeting (Scx-Cre). In the lateral tibia, cKO of PTHrP led to a failure of modeling, such that the normal concave MDJ was replaced by a mound-like deformity. This was accompanied by a failure to induce receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) and a 75% reduction in OC number (P ≤ 0.001) on the cortical surface. The MDJ also displayed a curious threefold increase in endocortical osteoblast mineral apposition rate (P ≤ 0.001) and a thickened cortex, suggesting some form of coupling of endocortical bone formation to events on the PO surface. Because it fuses distally, the fibula is modeled only proximally and does so at an extraordinary rate, with an anteromedial cortex in CD-1 mice that was so moth-eaten that a clear PO surface could not be identified. The cKO fibula displayed a remarkable phenotype, with a misshapen club-like metaphysis and an enlargement in the 3D size of the entire bone, manifest as a 40-45% increase in the PO circumference at the MDJ (P ≤ 0.001) as well as the mid-diaphysis (P ≤ 0.001). These tibial and fibular phenotypes were reproduced in a Scx-Cre-driven RANKL cKO mouse. We conclude that PTHrP in the fibrous PO mediates the modeling of the MDJ of long bones during linear growth, and that in a highly susceptible system such as the fibula this surface modeling defines the size and shape of the entire bone. © 2014 Anatomical Society.

Non-linear self-reinforced growth of tearing modes with multiple rational surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maschke, E.K.; Persson, M.; Dewar, R.L.; Australian National Univ., Canberra, ACT

1993-06-01

The non-linear evolution of tearing modes with multiple rational surfaces is discussed. It is demonstrated that, in the presence of small differential rotation, the non-linear growth might be faster than exponential. This growth occurs as the rotation frequencies of the plasma at the different rational surfaces go into equilibrium

Linear Growth and Fat and Lean Tissue Gain during Childhood: Associations with Cardiometabolic and Cognitive Outcomes in Adolescent Indian Children.

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Krishnaveni, Ghattu V; Veena, Sargoor R; Srinivasan, Krishnamachari; Osmond, Clive; Fall, Caroline H D

2015-01-01

We aimed to determine how linear growth and fat and lean tissue gain during discrete age periods from birth to adolescence are related to adolescent cardiometabolic risk factors and cognitive ability. Adolescents born to mothers with normal glucose tolerance during pregnancy from an Indian birth cohort (N = 486, age 13.5 years) had detailed anthropometry and measurements of body fat (fat%), fasting plasma glucose, insulin and lipid concentrations, blood pressure and cognitive function. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. These outcomes were examined in relation to birth measurements and statistically independent measures (conditional SD scores) representing linear growth, and fat and lean tissue gain during birth-1, 1-2, 2-5, 5-9.5 and 9.5-13.5 years in 414 of the children with measurements at all these ages. Birth length and linear growth at all ages were positively associated with current height. Fat gain, particularly during 5-9.5 years was positively associated with fat% at 13.5 years (0.44 SD per SD [99.9% confidence interval: 0.29,0.58]). Greater fat gain during mid-late childhood was associated with higher systolic blood pressure (5-9.5 years: 0.23 SD per SD [0.07,0.40]) and HOMA-IR (5-9.5 years: 0.24 [0.08,0.40], 9.5-13.5 years: 0.22 [0.06,0.38]). Greater infant growth (up to age 2 years) in linear, fat or lean components was unrelated to cardiometabolic risk factors or cognitive function. This study suggests that factors that increase linear, fat and lean growth in infancy have no adverse cardiometabolic effects in this population. Factors that increase fat gain in mid-late childhood may increase cardiometabolic risk, without any benefit to cognitive abilities.

Linear Growth and Fat and Lean Tissue Gain during Childhood: Associations with Cardiometabolic and Cognitive Outcomes in Adolescent Indian Children.

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Ghattu V Krishnaveni

Full Text Available We aimed to determine how linear growth and fat and lean tissue gain during discrete age periods from birth to adolescence are related to adolescent cardiometabolic risk factors and cognitive ability.Adolescents born to mothers with normal glucose tolerance during pregnancy from an Indian birth cohort (N = 486, age 13.5 years had detailed anthropometry and measurements of body fat (fat%, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and lipid concentrations, blood pressure and cognitive function. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR was calculated. These outcomes were examined in relation to birth measurements and statistically independent measures (conditional SD scores representing linear growth, and fat and lean tissue gain during birth-1, 1-2, 2-5, 5-9.5 and 9.5-13.5 years in 414 of the children with measurements at all these ages.Birth length and linear growth at all ages were positively associated with current height. Fat gain, particularly during 5-9.5 years was positively associated with fat% at 13.5 years (0.44 SD per SD [99.9% confidence interval: 0.29,0.58]. Greater fat gain during mid-late childhood was associated with higher systolic blood pressure (5-9.5 years: 0.23 SD per SD [0.07,0.40] and HOMA-IR (5-9.5 years: 0.24 [0.08,0.40], 9.5-13.5 years: 0.22 [0.06,0.38]. Greater infant growth (up to age 2 years in linear, fat or lean components was unrelated to cardiometabolic risk factors or cognitive function.This study suggests that factors that increase linear, fat and lean growth in infancy have no adverse cardiometabolic effects in this population. Factors that increase fat gain in mid-late childhood may increase cardiometabolic risk, without any benefit to cognitive abilities.

Log-normal frailty models fitted as Poisson generalized linear mixed models.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsch, Katharina; Wienke, Andreas; Kuss, Oliver

2016-12-01

The equivalence of a survival model with a piecewise constant baseline hazard function and a Poisson regression model has been known since decades. As shown in recent studies, this equivalence carries over to clustered survival data: A frailty model with a log-normal frailty term can be interpreted and estimated as a generalized linear mixed model with a binary response, a Poisson likelihood, and a specific offset. Proceeding this way, statistical theory and software for generalized linear mixed models are readily available for fitting frailty models. This gain in flexibility comes at the small price of (1) having to fix the number of pieces for the baseline hazard in advance and (2) having to "explode" the data set by the number of pieces. In this paper we extend the simulations of former studies by using a more realistic baseline hazard (Gompertz) and by comparing the model under consideration with competing models. Furthermore, the SAS macro %PCFrailty is introduced to apply the Poisson generalized linear mixed approach to frailty models. The simulations show good results for the shared frailty model. Our new %PCFrailty macro provides proper estimates, especially in case of 4 events per piece. The suggested Poisson generalized linear mixed approach for log-normal frailty models based on the %PCFrailty macro provides several advantages in the analysis of clustered survival data with respect to more flexible modelling of fixed and random effects, exact (in the sense of non-approximate) maximum likelihood estimation, and standard errors and different types of confidence intervals for all variance parameters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical computation of the linear stability of the diffusion model for crystal growth simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, C.; Sorensen, D.C. [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Meiron, D.I.; Wedeman, B. [California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)

1996-12-31

We consider a computational scheme for determining the linear stability of a diffusion model arising from the simulation of crystal growth. The process of a needle crystal solidifying into some undercooled liquid can be described by the dual diffusion equations with appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Here U{sub t} and U{sub a} denote the temperature of the liquid and solid respectively, and {alpha} represents the thermal diffusivity. At the solid-liquid interface, the motion of the interface denoted by r and the temperature field are related by the conservation relation where n is the unit outward pointing normal to the interface. A basic stationary solution to this free boundary problem can be obtained by writing the equations of motion in a moving frame and transforming the problem to parabolic coordinates. This is known as the Ivantsov parabola solution. Linear stability theory applied to this stationary solution gives rise to an eigenvalue problem of the form.

Statistical Theory of Normal Grain Growth Revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gadomski, A.; Luczka, J.

2002-01-01

In this paper, we discuss three physically relevant problems concerning the normal grain growth process. These are: Infinite vs finite size of the system under study (a step towards more realistic modeling); conditions of fine-grained structure formation, with possible applications to thin films and biomembranes, and interesting relations to superplasticity of materials; approach to log-normality, an ubiquitous natural phenomenon, frequently reported in literature. It turns out that all three important points mentioned are possible to be included in a Mulheran-Harding type behavior of evolving grains-containing systems that we have studied previously. (author)

Linear growth of children on a ketogenic diet: does the protein-to-energy ratio matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Nation, Judy; Humphrey, Maureen; MacKay, Mark; Boneh, Avihu

2014-11-01

Ketogenic diet is a structured effective treatment for children with intractable epilepsy. Several reports have indicated poor linear growth in children on the diet but the mechanism of poor growth has not been elucidated. We aimed to explore whether the protein to energy ratio plays a role in linear growth of children on ketogenic diet. Data regarding growth and nutrition were, retrospectively, collected from the clinical histories of 35 children who were treated with ketogenic diet for at least 6 months between 2002 and 2010. Patients were stratified into groups according to periods of satisfactory or poor linear growth. Poor linear growth was associated with protein or caloric intake of <80% recommended daily intake, and with a protein-to-energy ratio consistently ≤1.4 g protein/100 kcal even when protein and caloric intakes were adequate. We recommend a protein-to-energy ratio of 1.5 g protein/100 kcal be prescribed to prevent growth retardation. © The Author(s) 2013.

Normal development and growth of the human neurocranium and cranial base.

Science.gov (United States)

Friede, H

1981-01-01

The literature on normal development and growth of certain areas of the human head is reviewed, starting with the early induction of the desmal neurocranium. the development of the brain capsule with its dural reinforcement bands and their connection with the basicranium is discussed, as is the primordial chondrocranium, including its bone replacement. Growth of the calvaria and the three cranial fossae is also analysed. Special interest is focused on the anterior fossa, as knowledge of the growth in this area is very important for an understanding of pathogenesis and possibilities of treating premature craniosynostosis. Finally it is stressed that close observation of the effects of treatment on this pathology may increase our knowledge of normal growth.

Delayed growth in two German shepherd dog littermates with normal serum concentrations of growth hormone, thyroxine, and cortisol.

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Randolph, J F; Miller, C L; Cummings, J F; Lothrop, C D

1990-01-01

Four German Shepherd Dogs from a litter of 10 were evaluated because of postnatal onset of proportionate growth stunting that clinically resembled well-documented hypopituitary dwarfism in that breed. Although 2 pups had histologic evidence of hypopituitarism, the remaining 2 pups had normal serum growth hormone concentration and adrenocorticotropin secretory capability, and normal adrenal function test and thyroid function study results. Furthermore, the initially stunted German Shepherd Dogs grew at a steady rate until at 1 year, body weight and shoulder height approximated normal measurements. Seemingly, delayed growth in these pups may represent one end of a clinical spectrum associated with hypopituitarism in German Shepherd Dogs.

Linear Stability of Binary Alloy Solidification for Unsteady Growth Rates

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Mazuruk, K.; Volz, M. P.

2010-01-01

An extension of the Mullins and Sekerka (MS) linear stability analysis to the unsteady growth rate case is considered for dilute binary alloys. In particular, the stability of the planar interface during the initial solidification transient is studied in detail numerically. The rapid solidification case, when the system is traversing through the unstable region defined by the MS criterion, has also been treated. It has been observed that the onset of instability is quite accurately defined by the "quasi-stationary MS criterion", when the growth rate and other process parameters are taken as constants at a particular time of the growth process. A singular behavior of the governing equations for the perturbed quantities at the constitutional supercooling demarcation line has been observed. However, when the solidification process, during its transient, crosses this demarcation line, a planar interface is stable according to the linear analysis performed.

On Associative Conformal Algebras of Linear Growth

OpenAIRE

Retakh, Alexander

2000-01-01

Lie conformal algebras appear in the theory of vertex algebras. Their relation is similar to that of Lie algebras and their universal enveloping algebras. Associative conformal algebras play a role in conformal representation theory. We introduce the notions of conformal identity and unital associative conformal algebras and classify finitely generated simple unital associative conformal algebras of linear growth. These are precisely the complete algebras of conformal endomorphisms of finite ...

Direct and Maternal Additive Effects on Rabbit Growth and Linear ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growth and linear body measurements of rabbits which consisted of 17 ew Zealand White (ZW), 19 Chinchilla (CH), 29 ZW x CH and 33 CH x ZW kittens were compared. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the crossbreeding effects (i.e direct and maternal additive effect) for growth (individual body weight, IBW) and ...

Wavelength dependence of the linear growth rate of the Es layer instability

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R. B. Cosgrove

2007-06-01

Full Text Available It has recently been shown, by computation of the linear growth rate, that midlatitude sporadic-E (Es layers are subject to a large scale electrodynamic instability. This instability is a logical candidate to explain certain frontal structuring events, and polarization electric fields, which have been observed in Es layers by ionosondes, by coherent scatter radars, and by rockets. However, the original growth rate derivation assumed an infinitely thin Es layer, and therefore did not address the short wavelength cutoff. Also, the same derivation ignored the effects of F region loading, which is a significant wavelength dependent effect. Herein is given a generalized derivation that remedies both these short comings, and thereby allows a computation of the wavelength dependence of the linear growth rate, as well as computations of various threshold conditions. The wavelength dependence of the linear growth rate is compared with observed periodicities, and the role of the zeroth order meridional wind is explored. A three-dimensional paper model is used to explain the instability geometry, which has been defined formally in previous works.

Software reliability growth models with normal failure time distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamura, Hiroyuki; Dohi, Tadashi; Osaki, Shunji

2013-01-01

This paper proposes software reliability growth models (SRGM) where the software failure time follows a normal distribution. The proposed model is mathematically tractable and has sufficient ability of fitting to the software failure data. In particular, we consider the parameter estimation algorithm for the SRGM with normal distribution. The developed algorithm is based on an EM (expectation-maximization) algorithm and is quite simple for implementation as software application. Numerical experiment is devoted to investigating the fitting ability of the SRGMs with normal distribution through 16 types of failure time data collected in real software projects

Role of Insulin-like growth factors in initiation of follicle growth in normal and polycystic human ovaries.

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Stubbs, Sharron A; Webber, Lisa J; Stark, Jaroslav; Rice, Suman; Margara, Raul; Lavery, Stuart; Trew, Geoffrey H; Hardy, Kate; Franks, Stephen

2013-08-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the commonest cause of anovulatory infertility, is characterized by disordered follicle development including increased activation and accelerated growth of preantral follicles. Data from experimental animals and preliminary results from studies of human ovarian tissue suggest that IGFs affect preantral follicle development. Our objectives were to investigate the expression of the type-1 IGF receptor (IGFR-1) in the human ovary and to determine whether IGFs are involved in stimulating the transition of follicles from primordial to primary stage in normal and polycystic ovaries. We used archived ovarian tissue for protein expression studies and small cortical biopsies for follicle isolation and for tissue culture. This was a laboratory-based study, using clinical tissue samples. A total of 54 women, 33 with normal ovaries and 21 with polycystic ovaries, were classified by reference to menstrual cycle history and ultrasonography. We evaluated expression of IGFR-1 mRNA in isolated preantral follicles and of IGFR-1 protein in archived ovarian tissue samples from normal and polycystic ovaries and effects of exogenous IGF-1 on preantral follicle development and survival in cultured fragments of normal and polycystic ovaries. IGFR-1 mRNA and protein was expressed in preantral follicles at all stages of development and enhanced expression was noted in PCOS follicles during early preantral development. IGF-1 stimulated initiation of follicle growth in normal tissue but had little effect on preantral follicle growth in polycystic ovaries in which, characteristically, there was a higher proportion of follicles that had entered the growing phase even before culture. IGFs are plausible candidates in regulation of initiation of human follicle growth, and accelerated preantral follicle growth in PCOS may be due to increased activity of endogenous IGFs.

Role of growth factors in the growth of normal and transformed cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lokeshwar, V.B.

1989-01-01

Growth factors play an important role in the growth of normal cells. However, their untimely and/or excess production leads to neoplastic transformation. The role of growth factors in the growth of normal cells was studied by investigating the mechanism of transmodulation of the cell surface EGF receptor number by protamine. Protamine increased the EGF stimulated mitogenic response in Swiss mouse 3T3 cells and A431 cells by increasing the number of functionally active EGF receptors. Protamine also increased EGF receptor number in plasma membranes and solubilized membranes. This was evidenced by an increase in both 125 I-EGF-EGF-receptor complex and EGF stimulated phosphorylation of the EGF receptor. The solubilized EGF receptor was retained on a protamine-agarose gel indicating that protamine might increase EGF receptor number by directly activating cryptic EGF receptors in the plasma membranes. The role of growth factors in neoplastic transformation was studied by investigating the role of the oncogene v-sis in the growth of Simian sarcoma virus (SSV) transformed cells. The product of the oncogene v-sis is 94% homologous to the B chain of PDGF. This study found that (i) v-sis gene product is synthesized as a 32 kDa unglycosylated monomer which is glycosylated, dimerized and proteolytically processed into p36, p72, p68, p58, p44 and p27 mol. wt. species respectively. (ii) p36, p72, p68 and p58 are very likely formed in the endoplasmic reticulum and/or Golgi complex. A fraction of newly synthesized p72, p68 and p58 is degraded intracellularly at a fast rate. (iii) p44 is a secretory product which remains tightly associated with the cell surface. p44 is recaptured by the cells through interaction with cell surface PDGF receptors and degraded into p27. (iv) During long term cultures p44 is extracellularly cleaved into a 27 kDa product

The relationships among iron supplement use, Hb concentration and linear growth in young children: Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Shimels Hussien; Esmaillzadeh, Ahmad

2017-11-01

Growth faltering and anaemia remain unacceptably high among infants and young children in Ethiopia. In this study, we investigated the relationships among Fe supplement use (ISU), Hb concentration and linear growth, hypothesising positive relationships between ISU and Hb, ISU and linear growth and Hb and linear growth. We used a nationally representative data of 2400 children aged 6-24 months from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2011, conducted following a stratified, two-stage cluster sampling. We examined the links by Pearson's correlation, bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses and reported adjusted estimates. We found that ISU was not significantly associated with either Hb (β=1·09; 95 % CI -2·73, 5·01, P=0·567) or linear growth (β=0·07; 95 % CI -0·06, 0·21, P=0·217). We found a positive, however, weak, correlation between Hb and linear growth (r 0·09; 95 % CI 0·06, 0·11, PHb predicted linear growth independent of a variety dietary and non-dietary factors (β=0·08; 95 % CI 0·04, 0·11, PHb; age, birth type, size at birth, sex, breast-feeding duration, dietary diversity and deworming were independently associated with linear growth, indicating that Hb and linear growth are multifactorial with both nutritional and non-nutritional factors implicated. Further studies, with better design and exposure assessment, are warranted on the relation of ISU with Hb or linear growth.

The effect of changes in sea surface temperature on linear growth of Porites coral in Ambon Bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corvianawatie, Corry; Putri, Mutiara R.; Cahyarini, Sri Y.

2015-01-01

Coral is one of the most important organisms in the coral reef ecosystem. There are several factors affecting coral growth, one of them is changes in sea surface temperature (SST). The purpose of this research is to understand the influence of SST variability on the annual linear growth of Porites coral taken from Ambon Bay. The annual coral linear growth was calculated and compared to the annual SST from the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature version 3b (ERSST v3b) model. Coral growth was calculated by using Coral X-radiograph Density System (CoralXDS) software. Coral sample X-radiographs were used as input data. Chronology was developed by calculating the coral’s annual growth bands. A pair of high and low density banding patterns observed in the coral’s X-radiograph represent one year of coral growth. The results of this study shows that Porites coral extents from 2001-2009 and had an average growth rate of 1.46 cm/year. Statistical analysis shows that the annual coral linear growth declined by 0.015 cm/year while the annual SST declined by 0.013°C/year. SST and the annual linear growth of Porites coral in the Ambon Bay is insignificantly correlated with r=0.304 (n=9, p>0.05). This indicates that annual SST variability does not significantly influence the linear growth of Porites coral from Ambon Bay. It is suggested that sedimentation load, salinity, pH or other environmental factors may affect annual linear coral growth

The effect of changes in sea surface temperature on linear growth of Porites coral in Ambon Bay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corvianawatie, Corry, E-mail: corvianawatie@students.itb.ac.id; Putri, Mutiara R., E-mail: mutiara.putri@fitb.itb.ac.id [Oceanography Study Program, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Jl. Ganesha 10 Bandung (Indonesia); Cahyarini, Sri Y., E-mail: yuda@geotek.lipi.go.id [Research Center for Geotechnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Bandung (Indonesia)

2015-09-30

Coral is one of the most important organisms in the coral reef ecosystem. There are several factors affecting coral growth, one of them is changes in sea surface temperature (SST). The purpose of this research is to understand the influence of SST variability on the annual linear growth of Porites coral taken from Ambon Bay. The annual coral linear growth was calculated and compared to the annual SST from the Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature version 3b (ERSST v3b) model. Coral growth was calculated by using Coral X-radiograph Density System (CoralXDS) software. Coral sample X-radiographs were used as input data. Chronology was developed by calculating the coral’s annual growth bands. A pair of high and low density banding patterns observed in the coral’s X-radiograph represent one year of coral growth. The results of this study shows that Porites coral extents from 2001-2009 and had an average growth rate of 1.46 cm/year. Statistical analysis shows that the annual coral linear growth declined by 0.015 cm/year while the annual SST declined by 0.013°C/year. SST and the annual linear growth of Porites coral in the Ambon Bay is insignificantly correlated with r=0.304 (n=9, p>0.05). This indicates that annual SST variability does not significantly influence the linear growth of Porites coral from Ambon Bay. It is suggested that sedimentation load, salinity, pH or other environmental factors may affect annual linear coral growth.

The effect of zinc supplementation on linear growth, body composition, and growth factors in preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Gómez, N Marta; Doménech, Eduardo; Barroso, Flora; Castells, Silvia; Cortabarria, Carmen; Jiménez, Alejandro

2003-05-01

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on linear growth, body composition, and growth factors in premature infants. Thirty-six preterm infants (gestational age: 32.0 +/- 2.1 weeks, birth weight: 1704 +/- 364 g) participated in a longitudinal double-blind, randomized clinical trial. They were randomly allocated either to the supplemental (S) group fed with a standard term formula supplemented with zinc (final content 10 mg/L) and a small quantity of copper (final content 0.6 mg/L), or to the placebo group fed with the same formula without supplementation (final content of zinc: 5 mg/L and copper: 0.4 mg/L), from 36 weeks postconceptional age until 6 months corrected postnatal age. At each evaluation, anthropometric variables and bioelectrical impedance were measured, a 3-day dietary record was collected, and a blood sample was taken. We analyzed serum levels of total alkaline phosphatase, skeletal alkaline phosphatase (sALP), insulin growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF binding protein-3, IGF binding protein-1, zinc and copper, and the concentrations of zinc in erythrocytes. The S group had significantly higher zinc levels in serum and erythrocytes and lower serum copper levels with respect to the placebo group. We found that the S group had a greater linear growth (from baseline to 3 months corrected age: Delta score deviation standard length: 1.32 +/-.8 vs.38 +/-.8). The increase in total body water and in serum levels of sALP was also significantly higher in the S group (total body water: 3 months; corrected age: 3.8 +/-.5 vs 3.5 +/-.4 kg, 6 months; corrected age: 4.5 +/-.5 vs 4.2 +/-.4 kg; sALP: 3 months; corrected age: 140.2 +/- 28.7 vs 118.7 +/- 18.8 micro g/L). Zinc supplementation has a positive effect on linear growth in premature infants.

Renal artery pulsatility index and renal volume: Normal fetuses versus growth-retarded fetuses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kyung Soon; Woo, Bock Hi

2001-01-01

To evaluate the blood flow velocity waveform of the renal artery and renal volume of growth-retarded fetuses and to compare them with those of normal fetuses. Pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography were obtained from seventy eight normal fetuses at the gestational age from twenty five to thirty nine weeks and eighteen intrauterine growth retarded fetuses whose weight was below ten percentile at birth. We studied changes of the pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume according to the gestational age and compared with those of growth-retarded fetuses. Pulsatility index (PI) of the fetal renal artery decreased throughout the gestational period (r=0.703, p<0.0001). In growth-retarded fetuses, despite of abnormal doppler velocity waveform of the middle cerebral artery, which was showing fetal hypoxia, the renal PI was not increased significantly. The fetal renal volume increased throughout the gestational period (r=0.834, p<0.0001) whereas in growth-retarded fetuses, all renal volume was below fifth percentile of normal fetuses. In growth-retarded fetuses, fetal renal volume was decreased significantly without change of the renal vascular flow. Therefore, the fetal renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography may be a helpful parameter in the diagnosis of growth-retarded fetuses.

Renal artery pulsatility index and renal volume: Normal fetuses versus growth-retarded fetuses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyung Soon; Woo, Bock Hi [Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2001-06-15

To evaluate the blood flow velocity waveform of the renal artery and renal volume of growth-retarded fetuses and to compare them with those of normal fetuses. Pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography were obtained from seventy eight normal fetuses at the gestational age from twenty five to thirty nine weeks and eighteen intrauterine growth retarded fetuses whose weight was below ten percentile at birth. We studied changes of the pulsatility index of the renal artery and renal volume according to the gestational age and compared with those of growth-retarded fetuses. Pulsatility index (PI) of the fetal renal artery decreased throughout the gestational period (r=0.703, p<0.0001). In growth-retarded fetuses, despite of abnormal doppler velocity waveform of the middle cerebral artery, which was showing fetal hypoxia, the renal PI was not increased significantly. The fetal renal volume increased throughout the gestational period (r=0.834, p<0.0001) whereas in growth-retarded fetuses, all renal volume was below fifth percentile of normal fetuses. In growth-retarded fetuses, fetal renal volume was decreased significantly without change of the renal vascular flow. Therefore, the fetal renal volume measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography may be a helpful parameter in the diagnosis of growth-retarded fetuses.

Modelling subject-specific childhood growth using linear mixed-effect models with cubic regression splines.

Science.gov (United States)

Grajeda, Laura M; Ivanescu, Andrada; Saito, Mayuko; Crainiceanu, Ciprian; Jaganath, Devan; Gilman, Robert H; Crabtree, Jean E; Kelleher, Dermott; Cabrera, Lilia; Cama, Vitaliano; Checkley, William

2016-01-01

Childhood growth is a cornerstone of pediatric research. Statistical models need to consider individual trajectories to adequately describe growth outcomes. Specifically, well-defined longitudinal models are essential to characterize both population and subject-specific growth. Linear mixed-effect models with cubic regression splines can account for the nonlinearity of growth curves and provide reasonable estimators of population and subject-specific growth, velocity and acceleration. We provide a stepwise approach that builds from simple to complex models, and account for the intrinsic complexity of the data. We start with standard cubic splines regression models and build up to a model that includes subject-specific random intercepts and slopes and residual autocorrelation. We then compared cubic regression splines vis-à-vis linear piecewise splines, and with varying number of knots and positions. Statistical code is provided to ensure reproducibility and improve dissemination of methods. Models are applied to longitudinal height measurements in a cohort of 215 Peruvian children followed from birth until their fourth year of life. Unexplained variability, as measured by the variance of the regression model, was reduced from 7.34 when using ordinary least squares to 0.81 (p linear mixed-effect models with random slopes and a first order continuous autoregressive error term. There was substantial heterogeneity in both the intercept (p modeled with a first order continuous autoregressive error term as evidenced by the variogram of the residuals and by a lack of association among residuals. The final model provides a parametric linear regression equation for both estimation and prediction of population- and individual-level growth in height. We show that cubic regression splines are superior to linear regression splines for the case of a small number of knots in both estimation and prediction with the full linear mixed effect model (AIC 19,352 vs. 19

Effect of milk proteins on linear growth and IGF variables in overweight adolescents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larnkjær, Anni; Arnberg, Karina; Michaelsen, Kim F

2014-01-01

Milk may stimulate growth acting via insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) secretion but the effect in adolescents is less examined. This study investigates the effect of milk proteins on linear growth, IGF-I, IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio in overweight adolescents....

Long-wave theory for a new convective instability with exponential growth normal to the wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Healey, J J

2005-05-15

A linear stability theory is presented for the boundary-layer flow produced by an infinite disc rotating at constant angular velocity in otherwise undisturbed fluid. The theory is developed in the limit of long waves and when the effects of viscosity on the waves can be neglected. This is the parameter regime recently identified by the author in a numerical stability investigation where a curious new type of instability was found in which disturbances propagate and grow exponentially in the direction normal to the disc, (i.e. the growth takes place in a region of zero mean shear). The theory describes the mechanisms controlling the instability, the role and location of critical points, and presents a saddle-point analysis describing the large-time evolution of a wave packet in frames of reference moving normal to the disc. The theory also shows that the previously obtained numerical solutions for numerically large wavelengths do indeed lie in the asymptotic long-wave regime, and so the behaviour and mechanisms described here may apply to a number of cross-flow instability problems.

On the fission gas release from oxide fuels during normal grain growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paraschiv, M.C.; Paraschiv, A.; Glodeanu, F.

1997-01-01

A mathematical formalism for calculating the fission gas release from oxide fuels considering an arbitrary distribution of fuel grain size with only zero boundary condition for gas diffusion at the grain boundary is proposed. It has also been proved that it becomes unnecessary to consider the grain volume distribution function for fission products diffusion when the grain boundary gas resolution is considered, if thermodynamic forces on grain boundaries are only time dependent. In order to highlight the effect of the normal grain growth on fission gas release from oxide fuels Hillert's and Lifshitz and Slyozov's theories have been selected. The last one was used to give an adequate treatment of normal grain growth for the diffusion-controlled grain boundary movement in oxide fuels. It has been shown that during the fuel irradiation, the asymptotic form of the grain volume distribution functions given by Hillert and Lifshitz and Slyozov models can be maintained but the grain growth rate constant becomes time dependent itself. Experimental results have been used to correlate the two theoretical models of normal grain growth to the fission gas release from oxide fuels. (orig.)

Radiation transmission of heavyweight and normal-weight concretes containing colemanite for 6 MV and 18 MV X-rays using linear accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demir, F.; Budak, G.; Sahin, R.; Karabulut, A.; Oltulu, M.; Serifoglu, K.; Un, A.

2010-01-01

Accurate measurements have been made to determine radiation transmission of concretes produced with barite, colemanite and normal aggregate by using beam transmission method for 6 and 18 MV X-rays with a linear accelerator (LINAC). Linear attenuation coefficients of thirteen heavy- and four normal-weight concretes were calculated. It was determined that linear attenuation coefficient (μ, cm -1 ) decreased with colemanite concentration and increased with barite concentration in both types of the concretes.

Model for predicting non-linear crack growth considering load sequence effects (LOSEQ)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuehring, H.

1982-01-01

A new analytical model for predicting non-linear crack growth is presented which takes into account the retardation as well as the acceleration effects due to irregular loading. It considers not only the maximum peak of a load sequence to effect crack growth but also all other loads of the history according to a generalised memory criterion. Comparisons between crack growth predicted by using the LOSEQ-programme and experimentally observed data are presented. (orig.) [de

Linear ubiquitin chain induces apoptosis and inhibits tumor growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Zhoushuai; Jiang, Wandong; Wang, Guifen; Sun, Ying; Xiao, Wei

2018-01-01

Ubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) plays an important role in DNA damage response. Ectopic expression of PCNA fused at either terminus with ubiquitin (Ub) lacking two C-terminal glycine residues induces translesion DNA synthesis which resembles synthesis mediated by PCNA monoubiquitination. PCNA fused with Ub containing the C-terminal Gly residues at the C-terminus can be further polyubiquitinated in a Gly-dependent manner, which inhibits cell proliferation and induces ATR-dependent replication checkpoint. In this study, we surprisingly found that PCNA fused to a head-to-tail linear Ub chain induces apoptosis in a Ub chain length-dependent manner. Further investigation revealed that the apoptotic effect is actually induced by the linear Ub chain independently from PCNA, as the Ub chain fused to GFP or an epitope tag still efficiently induces apoptosis. It is revealed that the artificial linear Ub chain differs from endogenously encoded linear Ub chains in that its Ubs contain a Ub-G76S substitution, making the Ub chain resistant to cleavage by deubiquitination enzymes. We demonstrated in this study that ectopic expression of the artificial Ub chain alone in cultured human cancer cells is sufficient to inhibit tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model, making the linear Ub chain a putative anti-cancer agent.

Non-compliance with growth hormone treatment in children is common and impairs linear growth.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wayne S Cutfield

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: GH therapy requires daily injections over many years and compliance can be difficult to sustain. As growth hormone (GH is expensive, non-compliance is likely to lead to suboptimal growth, at considerable cost. Thus, we aimed to assess the compliance rate of children and adolescents with GH treatment in New Zealand. METHODS: This was a national survey of GH compliance, in which all children receiving government-funded GH for a four-month interval were included. Compliance was defined as ≥ 85% adherence (no more than one missed dose a week on average to prescribed treatment. Compliance was determined based on two parameters: either the number of GH vials requested (GHreq by the family or the number of empty GH vials returned (GHret. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. FINDINGS: 177 patients were receiving GH in the study period, aged 12.1 ± 0.6 years. The rate of returned vials, but not number of vials requested, was positively associated with HVSDS (p < 0.05, such that patients with good compliance had significantly greater linear growth over the study period (p<0.05. GHret was therefore used for subsequent analyses. 66% of patients were non-compliant, and this outcome was not affected by sex, age or clinical diagnosis. However, Maori ethnicity was associated with a lower rate of compliance. INTERPRETATION: An objective assessment of compliance such as returned vials is much more reliable than compliance based on parental or patient based information. Non-compliance with GH treatment is common, and associated with reduced linear growth. Non-compliance should be considered in all patients with apparently suboptimal response to GH treatment.

Predicting Madura cattle growth curve using non-linear model

Science.gov (United States)

Widyas, N.; Prastowo, S.; Widi, T. S. M.; Baliarti, E.

2018-03-01

Madura cattle is Indonesian native. It is a composite breed that has undergone hundreds of years of selection and domestication to reach nowadays remarkable uniformity. Crossbreeding has reached the isle of Madura and the Madrasin, a cross between Madura cows and Limousine semen emerged. This paper aimed to compare the growth curve between Madrasin and one type of pure Madura cows, the common Madura cattle (Madura) using non-linear models. Madura cattles are kept traditionally thus reliable records are hardly available. Data were collected from small holder farmers in Madura. Cows from different age classes (5years) were observed, and body measurements (chest girth, body length and wither height) were taken. In total 63 Madura and 120 Madrasin records obtained. Linear model was built with cattle sub-populations and age as explanatory variables. Body weights were estimated based on the chest girth. Growth curves were built using logistic regression. Results showed that within the same age, Madrasin has significantly larger body compared to Madura (plogistic models fit better for Madura and Madrasin cattle data; with the estimated MSE for these models were 39.09 and 759.28 with prediction accuracy of 99 and 92% for Madura and Madrasin, respectively. Prediction of growth curve using logistic regression model performed well in both types of Madura cattle. However, attempts to administer accurate data on Madura cattle are necessary to better characterize and study these cattle.

Linear perturbation growth at the trailing edge of a rarefaction wave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wouchuk, J.G.; Carretero, R.

2003-01-01

An analytic model for the perturbation growth inside a rarefaction wave is presented. The objective of the work is to calculate the growth of the perturbations at the trailing edge of a simple expanding wave in planar geometry. Previous numerical and analytical works have shown that the ripples at the rarefaction tail exhibit linear growth asymptotically in time [Yang et al., Phys. Fluids 6, 1856 (1994), A. Velikovich and L. Phillips, ibid. 8, 1107 (1996)]. However, closed expressions for the asymptotic value of the perturbed velocity of the trailing edge have not been reported before, except for very weak rarefactions. Explicit analytic solutions for the perturbations growing at the rarefaction trailing edge as a function of time and also for the asymptotic perturbed velocity are given, for fluids with γ<3. The limits of weak and strong rarefactions are considered and the corresponding scaling laws are given. A semi-qualitative discussion of the late time linear growth at the trailing edge ripple is presented and it is seen that the lateral mass flow induced by the sound wave fluctuations is solely responsible for that behavior. Only the rarefactions generated after the interaction of a shock wave with a contact discontinuity are considered

[Linear growth retardation in children under five years of age: a baseline study].

Science.gov (United States)

Rissin, Anete; Figueiroa, José Natal; Benício, Maria Helena D'Aquino; Batista Filho, Malaquias

2011-10-01

The scope of this study was to describe the prevalence of, and analyze factors associated with, linear growth retardation in children. The baseline study analyzed 2040 children under the age of five, establishing a possible association between growth delay (height/age index non-binary variables, there was a positive association with roof type and number of inhabitants per room and a negative association with income per capita, mother's schooling and birth weight. The adjusted analysis also indicated water supply, visit from the community health agent, birth delivery location, internment for diarrhea, or for pneumonia and birth weight as significant variables. Several risk factors were identified for linear growth retardation pointing to the multi-causal aspects of the problem and highlighting the need for control measures by the various hierarchical government agents.

Data Normalization to Accelerate Training for Linear Neural Net to Predict Tropical Cyclone Tracks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Jin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available When pure linear neural network (PLNN is used to predict tropical cyclone tracks (TCTs in South China Sea, whether the data is normalized or not greatly affects the training process. In this paper, min.-max. method and normal distribution method, instead of standard normal distribution, are applied to TCT data before modeling. We propose the experimental schemes in which, with min.-max. method, the min.-max. value pair of each variable is mapped to (−1, 1 and (0, 1; with normal distribution method, each variable’s mean and standard deviation pair is set to (0, 1 and (100, 1. We present the following results: (1 data scaled to the similar intervals have similar effects, no matter the use of min.-max. or normal distribution method; (2 mapping data to around 0 gains much faster training speed than mapping them to the intervals far away from 0 or using unnormalized raw data, although all of them can approach the same lower level after certain steps from their training error curves. This could be useful to decide data normalization method when PLNN is used individually.

Fecal Markers of Intestinal Inflammation and Permeability Associated with the Subsequent Acquisition of Linear Growth Deficits in Infants

Science.gov (United States)

Kosek, Margaret; Haque, Rashidul; Lima, Aldo; Babji, Sudhir; Shrestha, Sanjaya; Qureshi, Shahida; Amidou, Samie; Mduma, Estomih; Lee, Gwenyth; Yori, Pablo Peñataro; Guerrant, Richard L.; Bhutta, Zulfiqar; Mason, Carl; Kang, Gagandeep; Kabir, Mamun; Amour, Caroline; Bessong, Pascal; Turab, Ali; Seidman, Jessica; Olortegui, Maribel Paredes; Quetz, Josiane; Lang, Dennis; Gratz, Jean; Miller, Mark; Gottlieb, Michael

2013-01-01

Enteric infections are associated with linear growth failure in children. To quantify the association between intestinal inflammation and linear growth failure three commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (neopterin [NEO], alpha-anti-trypsin [AAT], and myeloperoxidase [MPO]) were performed in a structured sampling of asymptomatic stool from children under longitudinal surveillance for diarrheal illness in eight countries. Samples from 537 children contributed 1,169 AAT, 916 MPO, and 954 NEO test results that were significantly associated with linear growth. When combined to form a disease activity score, children with the highest score grew 1.08 cm less than children with the lowest score over the 6-month period following the tests after controlling for the incidence of diarrheal disease. This set of affordable non-invasive tests delineates those at risk of linear growth failure and may be used for the improved assessments of interventions to optimize growth during a critical period of early childhood. PMID:23185075

Associations of infant feeding and timing of linear growth and relative weight gain during early life with childhood body composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Beer, M.; Vrijkotte, T. G. M.; Fall, C. H. D.; van Eijsden, M.; Osmond, C.; Gemke, R. J. B. J.

2015-01-01

Growth and feeding during infancy have been associated with later life body mass index. However, the associations of infant feeding, linear growth and weight gain relative to linear growth with separate components of body composition remain unclear. Of 5551 children with collected growth and

A meta-analysis of cambium phenology and growth: linear and non-linear patterns in conifers of the northern hemisphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Sergio; Anfodillo, Tommaso; Cufar, Katarina; Cuny, Henri E; Deslauriers, Annie; Fonti, Patrick; Frank, David; Gricar, Jozica; Gruber, Andreas; King, Gregory M; Krause, Cornelia; Morin, Hubert; Oberhuber, Walter; Prislan, Peter; Rathgeber, Cyrille B K

2013-12-01

Ongoing global warming has been implicated in shifting phenological patterns such as the timing and duration of the growing season across a wide variety of ecosystems. Linear models are routinely used to extrapolate these observed shifts in phenology into the future and to estimate changes in associated ecosystem properties such as net primary productivity. Yet, in nature, linear relationships may be special cases. Biological processes frequently follow more complex, non-linear patterns according to limiting factors that generate shifts and discontinuities, or contain thresholds beyond which responses change abruptly. This study investigates to what extent cambium phenology is associated with xylem growth and differentiation across conifer species of the northern hemisphere. Xylem cell production is compared with the periods of cambial activity and cell differentiation assessed on a weekly time scale on histological sections of cambium and wood tissue collected from the stems of nine species in Canada and Europe over 1-9 years per site from 1998 to 2011. The dynamics of xylogenesis were surprisingly homogeneous among conifer species, although dispersions from the average were obviously observed. Within the range analysed, the relationships between the phenological timings were linear, with several slopes showing values close to or not statistically different from 1. The relationships between the phenological timings and cell production were distinctly non-linear, and involved an exponential pattern. The trees adjust their phenological timings according to linear patterns. Thus, shifts of one phenological phase are associated with synchronous and comparable shifts of the successive phases. However, small increases in the duration of xylogenesis could correspond to a substantial increase in cell production. The findings suggest that the length of the growing season and the resulting amount of growth could respond differently to changes in environmental conditions.

Crack growth resistance for anisotropic plasticity with non-normality effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tvergaard, Viggo; Legarth, Brian Nyvang

2006-01-01

For a plastically anisotropic solid a plasticity model using a plastic flow rule with non-normality is applied to predict crack growth. The fracture process is modelled in terms of a traction–separation law specified on the crack plane. A phenomenological elastic–viscoplastic material model...... is applied, using one of two different anisotropic yield criteria to account for the plastic anisotropy, and in each case the effect of the normality flow rule is compared with the effect of non-normality. Conditions of small scale yielding are assumed, with mode I loading conditions far from the crack......-tip, and various directions of the crack plane relative to the principal axes of the anisotropy are considered. It is found that the steady-state fracture toughness is significantly reduced when the non-normality flow rule is used. Furthermore, it is shown that the predictions are quite sensitive to the value...

Linear Growth and Child Development in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Malawi.

Science.gov (United States)

Prado, Elizabeth L; Abbeddou, Souheila; Adu-Afarwuah, Seth; Arimond, Mary; Ashorn, Per; Ashorn, Ulla; Brown, Kenneth H; Hess, Sonja Y; Lartey, Anna; Maleta, Kenneth; Ocansey, Eugenia; Ouédraogo, Jean-Bosco; Phuka, John; Somé, Jérôme W; Vosti, Steve A; Yakes Jimenez, Elizabeth; Dewey, Kathryn G

2016-08-01

We aimed to produce quantitative estimates of the associations between 4 domains of child development and linear growth during 3 periods: before birth, early infancy, and later infancy. We also aimed to determine whether several factors attenuated these associations. In 3700 children in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Malawi, growth was measured several times from birth to age 18 months. At 18 months, language, motor, socioemotional, and executive function development were assessed. In Burkina Faso (n = 1111), personal-social development was assessed rather than the latter 2 domains. Linear growth was significantly associated with language, motor, and personal-social development but not socioemotional development or executive function. For language, the pooled adjusted estimate of the association with length-for-age z score (LAZ) at 6 months was 0.13 ± 0.02 SD, and with ΔLAZ from 6 to 18 months it was 0.11 ± 0.03 SD. For motor, these estimates were 0.16 ± 0.02 SD and 0.22 ± 0.03 SD, respectively. In 1412 children measured at birth, estimates of the association with LAZ at birth were similar (0.07-0.16 SD for language and 0.09-0.18 SD for motor development). These associations were weaker or absent in certain subsets of children with high levels of developmental stimulation or mothers who received nutritional supplementation. Growth faltering during any period from before birth to 18 months is associated with poor development of language and motor skills. Interventions to provide developmental stimulation or maternal supplementation may protect children who are faltering in growth from poor language and motor development. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Associations of infant feeding and timing of linear growth and relative weight gain during early life with childhood body composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Beer, M.; Vrijkotte, T.G.M.; Fall, C.H.D.; Eijsden, M.; Osmond, C.; Gemke, R.J.B.J.

2015-01-01

Background:Growth and feeding during infancy have been associated with later life body mass index. However, the associations of infant feeding, linear growth and weight gain relative to linear growth with separate components of body composition remain unclear.Methods:Of 5551 children with collected

Interface crack growth for anisotropic plasticity with non-normality effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tvergaard, Viggo; Legarth, Brian Nyvang

2007-01-01

A plasticity model with a non-normality plastic flow rule is used to analyze crack growth along an interface between a solid with plastic anisotropy and an elastic substrate. The fracture process is represented in terms of a traction-separation law specified on the crack plane. A phenomenological...... an oscillating stress singularity, and with conditions of small scale yielding this solution is applied as boundary conditions on the outer edge of the region analyzed. Crack growth resistance curves are calculated numerically, and the effect of the near-tip mode mixity on the steady-state fracture toughness...

Theory and praxis pf map analsys in CHEF part 1: Linear normal form

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michelotti, Leo; /Fermilab

2008-10-01

This memo begins a series which, put together, could comprise the 'CHEF Documentation Project' if there were such a thing. The first--and perhaps only--three will telegraphically describe theory, algorithms, implementation and usage of the normal form map analysis procedures encoded in CHEF's collection of libraries. [1] This one will begin the sequence by explaining the linear manipulations that connect the Jacobian matrix of a symplectic mapping to its normal form. It is a 'Reader's Digest' version of material I wrote in Intermediate Classical Dynamics (ICD) [2] and randomly scattered across technical memos, seminar viewgraphs, and lecture notes for the past quarter century. Much of its content is old, well known, and in some places borders on the trivial.1 Nevertheless, completeness requires their inclusion. The primary objective is the 'fundamental theorem' on normalization written on page 8. I plan to describe the nonlinear procedures in a subsequent memo and devote a third to laying out algorithms and lines of code, connecting them with equations written in the first two. Originally this was to be done in one short paper, but I jettisoned that approach after its first section exceeded a dozen pages. The organization of this document is as follows. A brief description of notation is followed by a section containing a general treatment of the linear problem. After the 'fundamental theorem' is proved, two further subsections discuss the generation of equilibrium distributions and issue of 'phase'. The final major section reviews parameterizations--that is, lattice functions--in two and four dimensions with a passing glance at the six-dimensional version. Appearances to the contrary, for the most part I have tried to restrict consideration to matters needed to understand the code in CHEF's libraries.

Human papilloma virus DNAs immortalize normal human mammary epithelial cells and reduce their growth factor requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Band, V.; Zajchowski, D.; Kulesa, V.; Sager, R.

1990-01-01

Human papilloma virus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are most commonly associated with cervical carcinoma in patients and induce immortalization of human keratinocytes in culture. HPV has not been associated with breast cancer. This report describes the immortalization of normal human mammary epithelial cells (76N) by plasmid pHPV18 or pHPV16, each containing the linearized viral genome. Transfectants were grown continuously for more than 60 passages, whereas 76N cells senesce after 18-20 passages. The transfectants also differ from 76N cells in cloning in a completely defined medium called D2 and growing a minimally supplemented defined medium (D3) containing epidermal growth factor. All transfectant tested contain integrated HPV DNA, express HPV RNA, and produce HPV E7 protein. HPV transfectants do not form tumors in a nude mouse assay. It is concluded that products of the HPV genome induce immortalization of human breast epithelial cells and reduce their growth factor requirements. This result raises the possibility that HPV might be involved in breast cancer. Furthermore, other tissue-specific primary epithelial cells that are presently difficult to grown and investigate may also be immortalized by HPV

Accretion of Fat-Free Mass Rather Than Fat Mass in Infancy Is Positively Associated with Linear Growth in Childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Admassu, Bitiya; Ritz, Christian; Wells, Jonathan C K; Girma, Tsinuel; Andersen, Gregers S; Belachew, Tefera; Owino, Victor; Michaelsen, Kim F; Abera, Mubarek; Wibaek, Rasmus; Friis, Henrik; Kæstel, Pernille

2018-04-01

We have previously shown that fat-free mass (FFM) at birth is associated with height at 2 y of age in Ethiopian children. However, to our knowledge, the relation between changes in body composition during early infancy and later linear growth has not been studied. This study examined the associations of early infancy fat mass (FM) and FFM accretion with linear growth from 1 to 5 y of age in Ethiopian children. In the infant Anthropometry and Body Composition (iABC) study, a prospective cohort study was carried out in children in Jimma, Ethiopia, followed from birth to 5 y of age. FM and FFM were measured ≤6 times from birth to 6 mo by using air-displacement plethysmography. Linear mixed-effects models were used to identify associations between standardized FM and FFM accretion rates during early infancy and linear growth from 1 to 5 y of age. Standardized accretion rates were obtained by dividing FM and FFM accretion by their respective SD. FFM accretion from 0 to 6 mo of age was positively associated with length at 1 y (β = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.19, 1.09; P = 0.005) and linear growth from 1 to 5 y (β = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.19, 1.07; P = 0.005). The strongest association with FFM accretion was observed at 1 y. The association with linear growth from 1 to 5 y was mainly engendered by the 1-y association. FM accretion from 0 to 4 mo was positively associated with linear growth from 1 to 5 y (β = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.88; P = 0.038) in the fully adjusted model. In Ethiopian children, FFM accretion was associated with linear growth at 1 y and no clear additional longitudinal effect from 1 to 5 y was observed. FM accretion showed a weak association from 1 to 5 y. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN46718296.

Multibunch emittance growth and its corrections in S-Band linear collider

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, J.

1994-11-01

Multibunch emittance growths caused by long range wake fields with the misalignments of accelerating structures and quadrupoles in S-Band linear collider are studied. Tolerances for the misalignment errors of accelerating structures and quadrupoles are given corresponding to different detuned+damped structures. At the end of main linac, emittance corrector (EC) is proposed to be used to reduce further the multibunch emittance. Numerical simulations show that the effect of EC is obvious (multibunch emittance can be reduced about one order of magnitude), and it is believed that this kind of EC will be necessary for future linear colliders. (author). 16 refs., 21 figs., 4 tabs

Using wavelength-normalized optical spectroscopy to improve the accuracy of bacteria growth rate quantification

Science.gov (United States)

McBirney, Samantha E.; Trinh, Kristy; Wong-Beringer, Annie; Armani, Andrea M.

2017-02-01

One of the fundamental analytical measurements performed in microbiology is monitoring and characterizing cell concentration in culture media. Measurement error will give rise to reproducibility problems in a wide range of applications, from biomanufacturing to basic research. Therefore, it is critical that the generated results are consistent. Single wavelength optical density (OD) measurements have become the preferred approach. Here, we compare the conventional OD600 technique with a multi-wavelength normalized scattering optical spectroscopy method to measure the growth rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, two of the leading nosocomial pathogens with proven abilities to develop resistance. The multi-wavelength normalization process minimizes the impact of bacteria byproducts and environmental noise on the signal, thereby accurately quantifying growth rates with high fidelity at low concentrations. In contrast, due to poor absorbance and scattering at 600 nm, the classic OD600 measurement method is able to detect bacteria but cannot quantify the growth rate reliably. Our wavelength-normalization protocol to detect bacteria growth rates can be readily and easily adopted by research labs, given that it only requires the use of a standard spectrophotometer and implementation of straightforward data analysis. Measuring and monitoring bacteria growth rates play a critical role in a wide range of settings, spanning from therapeutic design and development to diagnostics and disease prevention. Having a full understanding of the growth cycles of bacteria known to cause severe infections and diseases will lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of these illnesses, leading to better treatment and, ultimately, the development of a cure.

Inhibition of Tetrahymena pyriformis growth by Aliphatic Alcohols ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A Quantitative Structure- Activity Relationship (QSAR) study was undertaken to evaluate the relative toxicity of a mixed series of 21 (linear and branched-chain) alcohols and 9 normal aliphatic amines in term of the 50% inhibitory growth concentration (IGC50) of Tetrahymena pyriformis. The applied simple linear regression ...

Effects of socioeconomic position and social mobility on linear growth from early childhood until adolescence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paula Muraro

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Objective: To assess the effect of socioeconomic position (SEP in childhood and social mobility on linear growth through adolescence in a population-based cohort. Methods: Children born in Cuiabá-MT, central-western Brazil, were evaluated during 1994 - 1999. They were first assessed during 1999 - 2000 (0 - 5 years and again during 2009 - 2011 (10 - 17 years, and their height-for-age was evaluated during these two periods.Awealth index was used to classify the SEP of each child’s family as low, medium, or high. Social mobility was categorized as upward mobility or no upward mobility. Linear mixed models were used. Results: We evaluated 1,716 children (71.4% of baseline after 10 years, and 60.6% of the families showed upward mobility, with a higher percentage among the lowest economic classes. A higher height-for-age was also observed among those from families with a high SEP both in childhood (low SEP= -0.35 z-score; high SEP= 0.15 z-score, p < 0.01 and adolescence (low SEP= -0.01 z-score; high SEP= 0.45 z-score, p < 0.01, whereas upward mobility did not affect their linear growth. Conclusion: Expressive social mobility was observed, but SEP in childhood and social mobility did not greatly influence linear growth through childhood in this central-western Brazilian cohort.

Differential Effects of Tea Extracts on Growth and Cytokine Production by Normal and Leukemic Human Leukocytes

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Diana Bayer

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Tea is one of the world’s most highly consumed beverages, second only to water. It is affordable and abundant and thus has great potential for improving health of those in both developed and developing areas. Green, oolong, and black teas differ in the extent of fermentation and types of bioactive polyphenols produced. Green tea and its major polyphenol decrease growth of some cancer cells and effect production of immune system cytokines. This study compares the effects of different types of tea extracts on viability and cytokine production by normal and leukemic human T lymphocytes. Generation of the toxic reactive oxygen species H2O2 by extracts was also examined.Methods: The Jurkat T lymphoblastic leukemia cells and mitogen-stimulated normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were used in this study. Cell viability was determined by (3-4,5-dimethylthiamizol-2-yl-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and production of interleukin-2 by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay. Levels of H2O2 generated by tea extracts were determined using the xylenol-orange method.Results: We found that green, oolong, and black tea extracts differentially effect the growth and viability of T lymphoblastic leukemia cells and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells, substantially decreasing both growth and viability of leukemic T lymphocytes and having much lesser effects on their normal counterparts. Tea extracts also had differential effects on the production of the T lymphocyte growth factor interleukin-2, significantly decreasing production by leukemic cells while having only minor effects on normal cells. All three extracts induced H2O2 generation, with green and oolong tea extracts having the greatest effect. Leukemic cells were much more susceptible to growth inhibition and killing by H2O2 than normal lymphocytes.Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2012, 2(4:72-85 Conclusions: The three tea extracts studied altered leukemic T lymphocyte

The non-linear growth of the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Science.gov (United States)

Carlyle, Jack; Hillier, Andrew

2017-09-01

This work examines the effect of the embedded magnetic field strength on the non-linear development of the magnetic Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) (with a field-aligned interface) in an ideal gas close to the incompressible limit in three dimensions. Numerical experiments are conducted in a domain sufficiently large so as to allow the predicted critical modes to develop in a physically realistic manner. The ratio between gravity, which drives the instability in this case (as well as in several of the corresponding observations), and magnetic field strength is taken up to a ratio which accurately reflects that of observed astrophysical plasma, in order to allow comparison between the results of the simulations and the observational data which served as inspiration for this work. This study finds reduced non-linear growth of the rising bubbles of the RTI for stronger magnetic fields, and that this is directly due to the change in magnetic field strength, rather than the indirect effect of altering characteristic length scales with respect to domain size. By examining the growth of the falling spikes, the growth rate appears to be enhanced for the strongest magnetic field strengths, suggesting that rather than affecting the development of the system as a whole, increased magnetic field strengths in fact introduce an asymmetry to the system. Further investigation of this effect also revealed that the greater this asymmetry, the less efficiently the gravitational energy is released. By better understanding the under-studied regime of such a major phenomenon in astrophysics, deeper explanations for observations may be sought, and this work illustrates that the strength of magnetic fields in astrophysical plasmas influences observed RTI in subtle and complex ways.

Describing Growth Pattern of Bali Cows Using Non-linear Regression Models

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Mohd. Hafiz A.W

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the best fit non-linear regression model to describe the growth pattern of Bali cows. Estimates of asymptotic mature weight, rate of maturing and constant of integration were derived from Brody, von Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Logistic models which were fitted to cross-sectional data of body weight taken from 74 Bali cows raised in MARDI Research Station Muadzam Shah Pahang. Coefficient of determination (R2 and residual mean squares (MSE were used to determine the best fit model in describing the growth pattern of Bali cows. Von Bertalanffy model was the best model among the four growth functions evaluated to determine the mature weight of Bali cattle as shown by the highest R2 and lowest MSE values (0.973 and 601.9, respectively, followed by Gompertz (0.972 and 621.2, respectively, Logistic (0.971 and 648.4, respectively and Brody (0.932 and 660.5, respectively models. The correlation between rate of maturing and mature weight was found to be negative in the range of -0.170 to -0.929 for all models, indicating that animals of heavier mature weight had lower rate of maturing. The use of non-linear model could summarize the weight-age relationship into several biologically interpreted parameters compared to the entire lifespan weight-age data points that are difficult and time consuming to interpret.

Linear spline multilevel models for summarising childhood growth trajectories: A guide to their application using examples from five birth cohorts.

Science.gov (United States)

Howe, Laura D; Tilling, Kate; Matijasevich, Alicia; Petherick, Emily S; Santos, Ana Cristina; Fairley, Lesley; Wright, John; Santos, Iná S; Barros, Aluísio Jd; Martin, Richard M; Kramer, Michael S; Bogdanovich, Natalia; Matush, Lidia; Barros, Henrique; Lawlor, Debbie A

2016-10-01

Childhood growth is of interest in medical research concerned with determinants and consequences of variation from healthy growth and development. Linear spline multilevel modelling is a useful approach for deriving individual summary measures of growth, which overcomes several data issues (co-linearity of repeat measures, the requirement for all individuals to be measured at the same ages and bias due to missing data). Here, we outline the application of this methodology to model individual trajectories of length/height and weight, drawing on examples from five cohorts from different generations and different geographical regions with varying levels of economic development. We describe the unique features of the data within each cohort that have implications for the application of linear spline multilevel models, for example, differences in the density and inter-individual variation in measurement occasions, and multiple sources of measurement with varying measurement error. After providing example Stata syntax and a suggested workflow for the implementation of linear spline multilevel models, we conclude with a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the linear spline approach compared with other growth modelling methods such as fractional polynomials, more complex spline functions and other non-linear models. © The Author(s) 2013.

Linear and Nonlinear Causality between Energy Consumption and Economic Growth: The Case of Mexico 1965–2014

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Mario Gómez

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the causal link between aggregated and disaggregated levels of energy consumption and economic growth in Mexico between 1965 and 2014, with the presence of structural breaks stemming from the series. To that end, unit root with structural breaks, cointegration, and linear and nonlinear causality tests are employed. The results show that there is a long-run relationship between production, capital, labor, and energy, and linear causal links from total and disaggregated energy consumption to economic growth. A nonlinear causality also exists from energy consumption, the transport sector, capital, and labor to output. These results support the growth hypothesis, which maintains that energy is an important input factor for economic activity and that energy conservation policies impact the economic growth in Mexico.

Severe linear growth retardation in rural Zambian children: the influence of biological variables.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hautvast, J.L.A.; Tolboom, J.J.M.; Kaftwembe, E.M.; Musonda, R.M.; Mwanakasale, V.; Staveren, W.A. van; Hof, M.A. van 't; Sauerwein, R.W.; Willems, J.L.; Monnens, L.A.H.

2000-01-01

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of stunting in preschool children in Zambia is high; stunting has detrimental effects on concurrent psychomotor development and later working capacity. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate biological variables that may contribute to linear growth retardation in

Normal form analysis of linear beam dynamics in a coupled storage ring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolski, Andrzej; Woodley, Mark D.

2004-01-01

The techniques of normal form analysis, well known in the literature, can be used to provide a straightforward characterization of linear betatron dynamics in a coupled lattice. Here, we consider both the beam distribution and the betatron oscillations in a storage ring. We find that the beta functions for uncoupled motion generalize in a simple way to the coupled case. Defined in the way that we propose, the beta functions remain well behaved (positive and finite) under all circumstances, and have essentially the same physical significance for the beam size and betatron oscillation amplitude as in the uncoupled case. Application of this analysis to the online modeling of the PEP-II rings is also discussed

Low temperature diamond growth by linear antenna plasma CVD over large area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izak, Tibor; Babchenko, Oleg; Potocky, Stepan; Kromka, Alexander; Varga, Marian

2012-01-01

Recently, there is a great effort to increase the deposition area and decrease the process temperature for diamond growth which will enlarge its applications including use of temperature sensitive substrates. In this work, we report on the large area (20 x 30 cm 2 ) and low temperature (250 C) polycrystalline diamond growth by pulsed linear antenna microwave plasma system. The influence of substrate temperature varied from 250 to 680 C, as controlled by the table heater and/or by microwave power, is studied. It was found that the growth rate, film morphology and diamond to non-diamond phases (sp 3 /sp 2 carbon bonds) are influenced by the growth temperature, as confirmed by SEM and Raman measurements. The surface chemistry and growth processes were studied in terms of activation energies (E a ) calculated from Arrhenius plots. The activation energies of growth processes were very low (1.7 and 7.8 kcal mol -1 ) indicating an energetically favourable growth process from the CO 2 -CH 4 -H 2 gas mixture. In addition, from activation energies two different growth regimes were observed at low and high temperatures, indicating different growth mechanism. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The Relationship between Economic Growth and Money Laundering – a Linear Regression Model

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Daniel Rece

2009-09-01

Full Text Available This study provides an overview of the relationship between economic growth and money laundering modeled by a least squares function. The report analyzes statistically data collected from USA, Russia, Romania and other eleven European countries, rendering a linear regression model. The study illustrates that 23.7% of the total variance in the regressand (level of money laundering is “explained” by the linear regression model. In our opinion, this model will provide critical auxiliary judgment and decision support for anti-money laundering service systems.

Evaluating Non-Linear Regression Models in Analysis of Persian Walnut Fruit Growth

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I. Karamatlou

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Persian walnut (Juglans regia L. is a large, wind-pollinated, monoecious, dichogamous, long lived, perennial tree cultivated for its high quality wood and nuts throughout the temperate regions of the world. Growth model methodology has been widely used in the modeling of plant growth. Mathematical models are important tools to study the plant growth and agricultural systems. These models can be applied for decision-making anddesigning management procedures in horticulture. Through growth analysis, planning for planting systems, fertilization, pruning operations, harvest time as well as obtaining economical yield can be more accessible.Non-linear models are more difficult to specify and estimate than linear models. This research was aimed to studynon-linear regression models based on data obtained from fruit weight, length and width. Selecting the best models which explain that fruit inherent growth pattern of Persian walnut was a further goal of this study. Materials and Methods: The experimental material comprising 14 Persian walnut genotypes propagated by seed collected from a walnut orchard in Golestan province, Minoudasht region, Iran, at latitude 37◦04’N; longitude 55◦32’E; altitude 1060 m, in a silt loam soil type. These genotypes were selected as a representative sampling of the many walnut genotypes available throughout the Northeastern Iran. The age range of walnut trees was 30 to 50 years. The annual mean temperature at the location is16.3◦C, with annual mean rainfall of 690 mm.The data used here is the average of walnut fresh fruit and measured withgram/millimeter/day in2011.According to the data distribution pattern, several equations have been proposed to describesigmoidal growth patterns. Here, we used double-sigmoid and logistic–monomolecular models to evaluate fruit growth based on fruit weight and4different regression models in cluding Richards, Gompertz, Logistic and Exponential growth for evaluation

Influence of lead on normal and abnormal cell-growth and on certain organs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bell, W B

1924-02-09

The general poisonous effects of lead are described. Descriptions and discussions are presented concerning the toxic effects of lead preparations on heart, intestine, uterus, kidney, and blood. The influence of lead on normal growth is discussed, including effects on the development of hyacynth bulbs, the germination of seeds, the germination of frog's eggs, and the growth of tadpoles. The influences of lead on the cells concerned in the implantation of the ovum are also discussed. The effects of lead on abnormal cell growth are discussed. 17 references, 8 figures.

Markov and semi-Markov switching linear mixed models used to identify forest tree growth components.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaubert-Pereira, Florence; Guédon, Yann; Lavergne, Christian; Trottier, Catherine

2010-09-01

Tree growth is assumed to be mainly the result of three components: (i) an endogenous component assumed to be structured as a succession of roughly stationary phases separated by marked change points that are asynchronous among individuals, (ii) a time-varying environmental component assumed to take the form of synchronous fluctuations among individuals, and (iii) an individual component corresponding mainly to the local environment of each tree. To identify and characterize these three components, we propose to use semi-Markov switching linear mixed models, i.e., models that combine linear mixed models in a semi-Markovian manner. The underlying semi-Markov chain represents the succession of growth phases and their lengths (endogenous component) whereas the linear mixed models attached to each state of the underlying semi-Markov chain represent-in the corresponding growth phase-both the influence of time-varying climatic covariates (environmental component) as fixed effects, and interindividual heterogeneity (individual component) as random effects. In this article, we address the estimation of Markov and semi-Markov switching linear mixed models in a general framework. We propose a Monte Carlo expectation-maximization like algorithm whose iterations decompose into three steps: (i) sampling of state sequences given random effects, (ii) prediction of random effects given state sequences, and (iii) maximization. The proposed statistical modeling approach is illustrated by the analysis of successive annual shoots along Corsican pine trunks influenced by climatic covariates. © 2009, The International Biometric Society.

A frozen-thawed in vitro-matured bovine oocyte derived calf with normal growth and fertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Otoi, T; Yamamoto, K; Koyama, N; Tachikawa, S; Suzuki, T

1996-08-01

The growth and fertility of a female calf obtained from a frozen-thawed bovine oocyte was assessed. The birth weight of the calf was lower than the mean birth weight of calves from in vitro fertilized embryos (IVF-controls) and calves obtained by artificial insemination (AI-controls). The growth rate of the calf up to 6 months was slower than that of the IVF-controls, but similar to that of the AI-controls. When the calf developed into a heifer (200 kg), she was inseminated with frozen semen and 280 days later delivered a male calf. The chromosoms of this cow were normal. These findings suggest that the growth and fertility of the calf derived from the frozen oocyte are normal.

The dynamics of business investment following banking crises and normal recessions

OpenAIRE

Jannsen, Nils

2015-01-01

I empirically analyze the dynamics of business investment following normal recessions (declines in business investment that are not associated with banking crises) and banking crises. Using a panel of 16 advanced economies, I find evidence for significant non-linear trend reversion or bounce-back effects on the level of business investment following normal recessions, i.e., the deeper the previous recession was, the higher the growth rate of business investment will be. The trend reversion ef...

Accretion of fat-free mass rather than fat mass in infancy is positively associated with linear growth in childhood

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Admassu Wossen, Bitiya; Ritz, Christian; Wells, Jonathan C K

2018-01-01

Background: We have previously shown that fat-free mass (FFM) at birth is associated with height at 2 y of age in Ethiopian children. However, to our knowledge, the relation between changes in body composition during early infancy and later linear growth has not been studied. Objective: This study...... examined the associations of early infancy fat mass (FM) and FFM accretion with linear growth from 1 to 5 y of age in Ethiopian children. Methods: In the infant Anthropometry and Body Composition (iABC) study, a prospective cohort study was carried out in children in Jimma, Ethiopia, followed from birth...... to 5 y of age. FM and FFM were measured ≤6 times from birth to 6 mo by using air-displacement plethysmography. Linear mixed-effects models were used to identify associations between standardized FM and FFM accretion rates during early infancy and linear growth from 1 to 5 y of age. Standardized...

Untangling the causal relationship between tax burden distribution and economic growth in 23 OECD countries: Fresh evidence from linear and non-linear Granger causality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sami Saafi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to investigate the linear and nonlinear causality between a set of alternative tax burden ratios and economic growth in 23 OECD countries. To that end, the linear causality approach of Toda– Yamamoto (1995 and the nonparametric causality method of Kyrtsou and Labys (2006 are applied to annual data spanning from 1970 to 2014. Results obtained from the nonlinear causality test tend to reject the neutrality hypothesis for the tax structure–growth relationship in 19 of the 23 OECD countries. In the majority of the countries under investigation, the evidence is in line with the growth hypothesis where causality running from economic growth to tax burden ratios was detected in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Japan, New Zealand, and Norway. The opposite causality running from tax structure to economic growth was found in Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden. In contrast, the neutrality hypothesis was supported in Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, and the USA, whereas the feedback hypothesis was supported in Turkey and the UK. Additional robustness checks show that when the signs of variations are taken into account, there is an asymmetric causality running from positive tax burden shocks to positive per capita GDP shocks for Belgium, France, and Turkey. Overall, our findings suggest that policy implications of the tax structure-economic growth relationships should be interpreted with caution, taking into account the test-dependent and country-specific results.

Proteome Differences in Placenta and Endometrium between Normal and Intrauterine Growth Restricted Pig Fetuses.

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Fang Chen

Full Text Available Uteroplacental tissue plays a key role in substance exchanges between maternal and fetal circulation, and, therefore, in the growth and development of fetuses. In this study, proteomics and western blotting were applied to investigate the changes of proteome in the placenta and endometrium of normal and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR porcine fetuses during mid to late pregnancy (D60, 90, and 110 of gestation. Our results showed that proteins participating in cell structure, energy metabolism, stress response, cell turnover, as well as transport and metabolism of nutrients were differentially expressed in placenta and endometrium between normal and IUGR fetuses. Analysis of functions of these proteins suggests reductions in ATP production and nutrients transport, increases in oxidative stress and apoptosis, and impairment of cell metabolism in IUGR fetuses. Collectively, our findings aid in understanding of the mechanisms responsible for uteroplacental dysfunction in IUGR fetus, and are expected to provide new strategies to reduce fetal growth restriction in pigs and other mammals.

Kinetics of nickel silicide growth in silicon nanowires: From linear to square root growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaish, Y. E.; Beregovsky, M.; Katsman, A.; Cohen, G. M.

2011-01-01

The common practice for nickel silicide formation in silicon nanowires (SiNWs) relies on axial growth of silicide along the wire that is initiated from nickel reservoirs at the source and drain contacts. In the present work the silicide intrusions were studied for various parameters including wire diameter (25-50 nm), annealing time (15-120 s), annealing temperature (300-440 deg. C), and the quality of the initial Ni/Si interface. The silicide formation was investigated by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy. The main part of the intrusion formed at 420 deg. C consists of monosilicide NiSi, as was confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy STEM, selected area diffraction TEM, and electrical resistance measurements of fully silicided SiNWs. The kinetics of nickel silicide axial growth in the SiNWs was analyzed in the framework of a diffusion model through constrictions. The model calculates the time dependence of the intrusion length, L, and predicts crossover from linear to square root time dependency for different wire parameters, as confirmed by the experimental data.

Linear growth patterns in small for gestational age and preterm infants after zinc supplementation

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Caecilia Nancy Setiawan

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background Low birth weight (LBW infants are at risk for growth disturbances due to intrauterine zinc deficiency. Zinc supplementation is expected to improve the linear growth of LBW babies. Objective To assess the effect of zinc supplementation on linear growth in preterm and small for gestational age (SGA infants. Methods This quasi-experimental study had a pre- and post-test design. Subjects were LBW infants hospitalized in Kariadi Hospital during March-December 2011, consisted of SGA and preterm neonates. All subjects were given 5 mg of zinc syrup daily for 3 months. Subjects’ head circumference, weight, and length were measured monthly. Serum zinc levels were measured before and after supplementation. Data were analyzed with Chi-square test, independent T-test, and general linear model repeated measure. Results A total of 61 subjects were enrolled consisted of 31 preterm and 30 SGA neonates. Mean serum zinc levels in the preterm group were 168.2 (SD 54.5 μg/dL pre-supplementation and 163.6 (SD 50.7 μg/dL post-supplementation (P=0.049, while mean serum zinc levels in the SGA group were 174.8 (SD 46.6 μg/dL pre-supplementation and 167.4 (SD 49.4 μg/dL post-supplementation (P=0.271. Median percentage preterm weight and length increased from 87.3 to 102.4% in the third month (P<0.001 and from 95.8 to 103.9% in the third month (P<0.001, respectively. Median percentage SGA weight and length increased from 73.5 to 98.3% in the third month (P<0.001 and from 94.5 to 102.2% in the third month (P<0.001, respectively. Conclusion Both, the preterm and SGA infants exhibit catch-up growth after three months of zinc supplementation. [

Endothelial cells stimulate growth of normal and cancerous breast epithelial cells in 3D culture

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Magnusson Magnus K

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Epithelial-stromal interaction provides regulatory signals that maintain correct histoarchitecture and homeostasis in the normal breast and facilitates tumor progression in breast cancer. However, research on the regulatory role of the endothelial component in the normal and malignant breast gland has largely been neglected. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of endothelial cells on growth and differentiation of human breast epithelial cells in a three-dimensional (3D co-culture assay. Methods Breast luminal and myoepithelial cells and endothelial cells were isolated from reduction mammoplasties. Primary cells and established normal and malignant breast cell lines were embedded in reconstituted basement membrane in direct co-culture with endothelial cells and by separation of Transwell filters. Morphogenic and phenotypic profiles of co-cultures was evaluated by phase contrast microscopy, immunostaining and confocal microscopy. Results In co-culture, endothelial cells stimulate proliferation of both luminal- and myoepithelial cells. Furthermore, endothelial cells induce a subpopulation of luminal epithelial cells to form large acini/ducts with a large and clear lumen. Endothelial cells also stimulate growth and cloning efficiency of normal and malignant breast epithelial cell lines. Transwell and gradient co-culture studies show that endothelial derived effects are mediated - at least partially - by soluble factors. Conclusion Breast endothelial cells - beside their role in transporting nutrients and oxygen to tissues - are vital component of the epithelial microenvironment in the breast and provide proliferative signals to the normal and malignant breast epithelium. These growth promoting effects of endothelial cells should be taken into consideration in breast cancer biology.

Normalization Approaches for Removing Systematic Biases Associated with Mass Spectrometry and Label-Free Proteomics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callister, Stephen J.; Barry, Richard C.; Adkins, Joshua N.; Johnson, Ethan T.; Qian, Weijun; Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo M.; Smith, Richard D.; Lipton, Mary S.

2006-02-01

Central tendency, linear regression, locally weighted regression, and quantile techniques were investigated for normalization of peptide abundance measurements obtained from high-throughput liquid chromatography-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (LC-FTICR MS). Arbitrary abundances of peptides were obtained from three sample sets, including a standard protein sample, two Deinococcus radiodurans samples taken from different growth phases, and two mouse striatum samples from control and methamphetamine-stressed mice (strain C57BL/6). The selected normalization techniques were evaluated in both the absence and presence of biological variability by estimating extraneous variability prior to and following normalization. Prior to normalization, replicate runs from each sample set were observed to be statistically different, while following normalization replicate runs were no longer statistically different. Although all techniques reduced systematic bias, assigned ranks among the techniques revealed significant trends. For most LC-FTICR MS analyses, linear regression normalization ranked either first or second among the four techniques, suggesting that this technique was more generally suitable for reducing systematic biases.

Growth monitoring in children with low and normal birth weight up to two years: A retrospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mina Danaei

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study was conducted aimed to compare the growth indices in 2 years old children with a history of low birth weight with normal birth weight children.Methods: Current retrospective cohort study on all two-year children with low birth weight and three times the normal weight children covered by health centers of Kahnooj, was conducted in 2015. Cares at birth, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months of age were studied and, child growth indices (weight, height, head circumference, along with some demographic variables were studied. Information were entered SPSS version 20 and the analysis was performed.Results: There were significant differences in children's growth of both groups in all periods of care. Despite the same slope, growth pattern in children showed a significant difference. Young mother, girl sex of baby and preterm birth are predictor factors of low birth weight.Conclusion: Trends and growth patterns of weight, height and head circumference in underweight children have significant difference with normal children and, despite the same slope, these children can not compensate for the backwardness of its growth to the age of two. So you need to plot separate growth curves for these children and, possible preventive measures should be taken to prevent bearing underweight baby.

Kidney function and size in normal subjects before and during growth hormone administration for one week

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gammelgaard, Jens; Orskov, H; Andersen, A R

1981-01-01

Kidney function and size were studied in seven normal male subjects before and after administration of highly purified human growth hormone for 1 week. Glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow (steady-state infusion technique with urinary collections using 125I-iothalamate and 131I-hippuran)......Kidney function and size were studied in seven normal male subjects before and after administration of highly purified human growth hormone for 1 week. Glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow (steady-state infusion technique with urinary collections using 125I-iothalamate and 131I...

Effects of socioeconomic position and social mobility on linear growth from early childhood until adolescence.

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Muraro, Ana Paula; Souza, Rita Adriana Gomes de; Rodrigues, Paulo Rogério Melo; Ferreira, Márcia Gonçalves; Sichieri, Rosely

2017-01-01

To assess the effect of socioeconomic position (SEP) in childhood and social mobility on linear growth through adolescence in a population-based cohort. Children born in Cuiabá-MT, central-western Brazil, were evaluated during 1994 - 1999. They were first assessed during 1999 - 2000 (0 - 5 years) and again during 2009 - 2011 (10 - 17 years), and their height-for-age was evaluated during these two periods.Awealth index was used to classify the SEP of each child's family as low, medium, or high. Social mobility was categorized as upward mobility or no upward mobility. Linear mixed models were used. We evaluated 1,716 children (71.4% of baseline) after 10 years, and 60.6% of the families showed upward mobility, with a higher percentage among the lowest economic classes. A higher height-for-age was also observed among those from families with a high SEP both in childhood (low SEP= -0.35 z-score; high SEP= 0.15 z-score, p childhood and social mobility did not greatly influence linear growth through childhood in this central-western Brazilian cohort.

Newborn length predicts early infant linear growth retardation and disproportionately high weight gain in a low-income population.

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Berngard, Samuel Clark; Berngard, Jennifer Bishop; Krebs, Nancy F; Garcés, Ana; Miller, Leland V; Westcott, Jamie; Wright, Linda L; Kindem, Mark; Hambidge, K Michael

2013-12-01

Stunting is prevalent by the age of 6 months in the indigenous population of the Western Highlands of Guatemala. The objective of this study was to determine the time course and predictors of linear growth failure and weight-for-age in early infancy. One hundred and forty eight term newborns had measurements of length and weight in their homes, repeated at 3 and 6 months. Maternal measurements were also obtained. Mean ± SD length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) declined from newborn -1.0 ± 1.01 to -2.20 ± 1.05 and -2.26 ± 1.01 at 3 and 6 months respectively. Stunting rates for newborn, 3 and 6 months were 47%, 53% and 56% respectively. A multiple regression model (R(2) = 0.64) demonstrated that the major predictor of LAZ at 3 months was newborn LAZ with the other predictors being newborn weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), gender and maternal education∗maternal age interaction. Because WAZ remained essentially constant and LAZ declined during the same period, weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ) increased from -0.44 to +1.28 from birth to 3 months. The more severe the linear growth failure, the greater WAZ was in proportion to the LAZ. The primary conclusion is that impaired fetal linear growth is the major predictor of early infant linear growth failure indicating that prevention needs to start with maternal interventions. © 2013.

Growth Hormone Receptor Signaling Pathways and its Negative Regulation by SOCS2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernández Pérez, Leandro; Flores-Morales, Amilcar; Guerra, Borja

2016-01-01

Growth hormone (GH) is a critical regulator of linear body growth during childhood but continues to have important metabolic actions throughout life. The GH receptor (GHR) is ubiquitously expressed, and deficiency of GHR signaling causes a dramatic impact on normal physiology during somatic devel...

Normal function of the hypothalamic-pituitary growth axis in three dwarf Friesian foals.

Science.gov (United States)

de Graaf-Roelfsema, E; Back, W; Keizer, H A; Stout, T A E; van der Kolk, J H

2009-09-26

Serial blood samples were collected from three dwarf Friesian foals to examine their endogenous growth hormone (GH) profiles, and the integrity of the GH-insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis was tested in one of them by examining its responses to the administration of GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and to 10 days of treatment with recombinant equine GH. The basal serum concentrations of IGF-1 in the three dwarf foals were compared with those in nine age-matched normal foals. All the dwarf foals secreted endogenous GH. Stimulation with 7.0 microg/kg GHRH led to a 1400 per cent increase in plasma GH concentration in the dwarf foal tested, and 10 daily subcutaneous treatments with 20 microg/kg recombinant equine GH led to a 100 per cent increase in its serum IGF-1 concentration. The basal serum concentrations of IGF-1 in the dwarf foals were not significantly different from those of the normal foals.

Adaptive Linear and Normalized Combination of Radial Basis Function Networks for Function Approximation and Regression

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Yunfeng Wu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel adaptive linear and normalized combination (ALNC method that can be used to combine the component radial basis function networks (RBFNs to implement better function approximation and regression tasks. The optimization of the fusion weights is obtained by solving a constrained quadratic programming problem. According to the instantaneous errors generated by the component RBFNs, the ALNC is able to perform the selective ensemble of multiple leaners by adaptively adjusting the fusion weights from one instance to another. The results of the experiments on eight synthetic function approximation and six benchmark regression data sets show that the ALNC method can effectively help the ensemble system achieve a higher accuracy (measured in terms of mean-squared error and the better fidelity (characterized by normalized correlation coefficient of approximation, in relation to the popular simple average, weighted average, and the Bagging methods.

Linear growth and child development in low- and middle-income countries: a meta-analysis.

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Sudfeld, Christopher R; McCoy, Dana Charles; Danaei, Goodarz; Fink, Günther; Ezzati, Majid; Andrews, Kathryn G; Fawzi, Wafaie W

2015-05-01

The initial years of life are critical for physical growth and broader cognitive, motor, and socioemotional development, but the magnitude of the link between these processes remains unclear. Our objective was to produce quantitative estimates of the cross-sectional and prospective association of height-for-age z score (HAZ) with child development. Observational studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) presenting data on the relationship of linear growth with any measure of child development among children children ≤ 2 years old was +0.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-0.33; I(2) = 53%) and +0.09 for children > 2 years old (95% CI, 0.05-0.12; I(2) = 78%). Prospectively, each unit increase in HAZ for children ≤ 2 years old was associated with a +0.22-SD increase in cognition at 5 to 11 years after multivariate adjustment (95% CI, 0.17-0.27; I(2) = 0%). HAZ was also significantly associated with earlier walking age and better motor scores (P development. Effective interventions that reduce linear growth restriction may improve developmental outcomes; however, integration with environmental, educational, and stimulation interventions may produce larger positive effects. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Normalize the response of EPID in pursuit of linear accelerator dosimetry standardization.

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Cai, Bin; Goddu, S Murty; Yaddanapudi, Sridhar; Caruthers, Douglas; Wen, Jie; Noel, Camille; Mutic, Sasa; Sun, Baozhou

2018-01-01

Normalize the response of electronic portal imaging device (EPID) is the first step toward an EPID-based standardization of Linear Accelerator (linac) dosimetry quality assurance. In this study, we described an approach to generate two-dimensional (2D) pixel sensitivity maps (PSM) for EPIDs response normalization utilizing an alternative beam and dark-field (ABDF) image acquisition technique and large overlapping field irradiations. The automated image acquisition was performed by XML-controlled machine operation and the PSM was generated based on a recursive calculation algorithm for Varian linacs equipped with aS1000 and aS1200 imager panels. Cross-comparisons of normalized beam profiles and 1.5%/1.5 mm 1D Gamma analysis was adopted to quantify the improvement of beam profile matching before and after PSM corrections. PSMs were derived for both photon (6, 10, 15 MV) and electron (6, 20 MeV) beams via proposed method. The PSM-corrected images reproduced a horn-shaped profile for photon beams and a relative uniform profiles for electrons. For dosimetrically matched linacs equipped with aS1000 panels, PSM-corrected images showed increased 1D-Gamma passing rates for all energies, with an average 10.5% improvement for crossline and 37% for inline beam profiles. Similar improvements in the phantom study were observed with a maximum improvement of 32% for 15 MV and 22% for 20 MeV. The PSM value showed no significant change for all energies over a 3-month period. In conclusion, the proposed approach correct EPID response for both aS1000 and aS1200 panels. This strategy enables the possibility to standardize linac dosimetry QA and to benchmark linac performance utilizing EPID as the common detector. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Statistical mechanics of normal grain growth in one dimension: A partial integro-differential equation model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, Felix S.L.

2016-01-01

We develop a statistical-mechanical model of one-dimensional normal grain growth that does not require any drift-velocity parameterization for grain size, such as used in the continuity equation of traditional mean-field theories. The model tracks the population by considering grain sizes in neighbour pairs; the probability of a pair having neighbours of certain sizes is determined by the size-frequency distribution of all pairs. Accordingly, the evolution obeys a partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) over ‘grain size versus neighbour grain size’ space, so that the grain-size distribution is a projection of the PIDE's solution. This model, which is applicable before as well as after statistically self-similar grain growth has been reached, shows that the traditional continuity equation is invalid outside this state. During statistically self-similar growth, the PIDE correctly predicts the coarsening rate, invariant grain-size distribution and spatial grain size correlations observed in direct simulations. The PIDE is then reducible to the standard continuity equation, and we derive an explicit expression for the drift velocity. It should be possible to formulate similar parameterization-free models of normal grain growth in two and three dimensions.

Investigation of various growth mechanisms of solid tumour growth within the linear-quadratic model for radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McAneney, H; O'Rourke, S F C

2007-01-01

The standard linear-quadratic survival model for radiotherapy is used to investigate different schedules of radiation treatment planning to study how these may be affected by different tumour repopulation kinetics between treatments. The laws for tumour cell repopulation include the logistic and Gompertz models and this extends the work of Wheldon et al (1977 Br. J. Radiol. 50 681), which was concerned with the case of exponential re-growth between treatments. Here we also consider the restricted exponential model. This has been successfully used by Panetta and Adam (1995 Math. Comput. Modelling 22 67) in the case of chemotherapy treatment planning.Treatment schedules investigated include standard fractionation of daily treatments, weekday treatments, accelerated fractionation, optimized uniform schedules and variation of the dosage and α/β ratio, where α and β are radiobiological parameters for the tumour tissue concerned. Parameters for these treatment strategies are extracted from the literature on advanced head and neck cancer, prostate cancer, as well as radiosensitive parameters. Standardized treatment protocols are also considered. Calculations based on the present analysis indicate that even with growth laws scaled to mimic initial growth, such that growth mechanisms are comparable, variation in survival fraction to orders of magnitude emerged. Calculations show that the logistic and exponential models yield similar results in tumour eradication. By comparison the Gompertz model calculations indicate that tumours described by this law result in a significantly poorer prognosis for tumour eradication than either the exponential or logistic models. The present study also shows that the faster the tumour growth rate and the higher the repair capacity of the cell line, the greater the variation in outcome of the survival fraction. Gaps in treatment, planned or unplanned, also accentuate the differences of the survival fraction given alternative growth

Linear analysis on the growth of non-spherical perturbations in supersonic accretion flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, Kazuya; Yamada, Shoichi, E-mail: ktakahashi@heap.phys.waseda.ac.jp [Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku 169-8555 (Japan)

2014-10-20

We analyzed the growth of non-spherical perturbations in supersonic accretion flows. We have in mind an application to the post-bounce phase of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). Such non-spherical perturbations have been suggested by a series of papers by Arnett, who has numerically investigated violent convections in the outer layers of pre-collapse stars. Moreover, Couch and Ott demonstrated in their numerical simulations that such perturbations may lead to a successful supernova even for a progenitor that fails to explode without fluctuations. This study investigated the linear growth of perturbations during the infall onto a stalled shock wave. The linearized equations are solved as an initial and boundary value problem with the use of a Laplace transform. The background is a Bondi accretion flow whose parameters are chosen to mimic the 15 M {sub ☉} progenitor model by Woosley and Heger, which is supposed to be a typical progenitor of CCSNe. We found that the perturbations that are given at a large radius grow as they flow down to the shock radius; the density perturbations can be amplified by a factor of 30, for example. We analytically show that the growth rate is proportional to l, the index of the spherical harmonics. We also found that the perturbations oscillate in time with frequencies that are similar to those of the standing accretion shock instability. This may have an implication for shock revival in CCSNe, which will be investigated in our forthcoming paper in more detail.

Rate-Independent Processes with Linear Growth Energies and Time-Dependent Boundary Conditions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kružík, Martin; Zimmer, J.

2012-01-01

Roč. 5, č. 3 (2012), s. 591-604 ISSN 1937-1632 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GAP201/10/0357 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : concentrations * oscillations * time - dependent boundary conditions * rate-independent evolution Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2011/MTR/kruzik-rate-independent processes with linear growth energies and time - dependent boundary conditions.pdf

Epidermal growth factor receptor-induced activato protein 1 activity controls density-dependent growht inhibition in normal rat kidney fibroblasts.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hornberg, J.J.; Dekker, H.; Peters, P.H.J.; Langerak, P.; Westerhoff, H.V.; Lankelma, J.; Zoelen, E.J.J.

2006-01-01

Density-dependent growth inhibition secures tissue homeostasis. Dysfunction of the mechanisms, which regulate this type of growth control is a major cause of neoplasia. In confluent normal rat kidney (NRK) fibroblasts, epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor levels decline, ultimately rendering these

Interactions between the thyroid hormones and the hormones of the growth hormone axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Laron, Zvi

2003-12-01

The normal secretion and action of the thyroid hormones and the hormones of the GH/IGF-I (growth hormone/ insulin-like growth factor I) axis are interdependent. Their interactions often differ in man from animal studies in rodents and sheep. Thus neonates with congenital hypothyroidism are of normal length in humans but IUGR (intrauterine growth retardation) in sheep. Postnatally normal GH/IGF-I secretion and action depends on an euthyroid state. Present knowledge on the interactions between the two axes is reviewed in states of hypo- and hyperthyroidism, states of GH/IGF-I deprivation and hypersecretion, as well as the relationship between IGF-I and thyroid cancer. Emphasis is given to data in children and aspects of linear growth and skeletal maturation.

Growth of normal or irradiated vaginal epithelium in in vivo cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tileva, M.

1975-01-01

Growth of normal or irradiated vaginal epithelium was studied by the method of F.M.Lazarenko (1959). Pieces of vaginal mucosa from immature albino rats, normal or exposed to 1000 or 2000 R, were embedded in celloidin and implanted into the abdominal wall of female immature rats. Implants were recovered for histological examinations from day 1 to day 10 after surgery. At day 1 post implantation, vaginal epithelium was found to have dedifferentiated. Cells showed a high mitotic index (MI = 16.2%). Cell proliferation progressed further to attain a peak rate at 3 days (MI = 32.7%). At 5 days, newly formed structures began to differentiate, and concurrently manifested a gradual decrease in cell proliferative activity (at 10 days, MI = 15.6%). Following exposure to 1000 R, vaginal epithelium displayed a similar pattern of growth and differentiation, the only difference from non-irradiated epithelium being that there was a transient mitotic delay over the first 3 days; mitotic rates reached a peak at 5 days (MI = 47.0%), were still high at 7 days (MI = 31.3%), and fell to 19% at 10 days. With this longer proliferation period, newly formed structures appeared ''luxuriant''. After a dose of 2000 R, vaginal epithelium failed to show any signs of growth at all investigated time intervals. These data are in agreement with evidence obtained by K.M.Svetikova (1961) and L.I.Chekulaeva (1969, 1974) for a good restitutional ability of epithelia of epidermal origin following exposure to 1200 R X-rays. By Warren' rule (1944), i.e., that cells should be considered radiosensitive if severely damaged by less than 2500 R, vaginal epithelium cells may be designated as relatively susceptible to radiation. (author)

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1): a growth hormone

Science.gov (United States)

Laron, Z

2001-01-01

Aim—To contribute to the debate about whether growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) act independently on the growth process. Methods—To describe growth in human and animal models of isolated IGF-1 deficiency (IGHD), such as in Laron syndrome (LS; primary IGF-1 deficiency and GH resistance) and IGF-1 gene or GH receptor gene knockout (KO) mice. Results—Since the description of LS in 1966, 51 patients were followed, many since infancy. Newborns with LS are shorter (42–47 cm) than healthy babies (49–52 cm), suggesting that IGF-1 has some influence on intrauterine growth. Newborn mice with IGF-1 gene KO are 30% smaller. The postnatal growth rate of patients with LS is very slow, the distance from the lowest normal centile increasing progressively. If untreated, the final height is 100–136 cm for female and 109–138 cm for male patients. They have acromicia, organomicria including the brain, heart, gonads, genitalia, and retardation of skeletal maturation. The availability of biosynthetic IGF-1 since 1988 has enabled it to be administered to children with LS. It accelerated linear growth rates to 8–9 cm in the first year of treatment, compared with 10–12 cm/year during GH treatment of IGHD. The growth rate in following years was 5–6.5 cm/year. Conclusion—IGF-1 is an important growth hormone, mediating the protein anabolic and linear growth promoting effect of pituitary GH. It has a GH independent growth stimulating effect, which with respect to cartilage cells is possibly optimised by the synergistic action with GH. PMID:11577173

Quantiles for Finite Mixtures of Normal Distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Mezbahur; Rahman, Rumanur; Pearson, Larry M.

2006-01-01

Quantiles for finite mixtures of normal distributions are computed. The difference between a linear combination of independent normal random variables and a linear combination of independent normal densities is emphasized. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

Linear and nonlinear causality between sectoral electricity consumption and economic growth: Evidence from Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Cheng-Lang; Lin, Hung-Pin; Chang, Chih-Heng

2010-01-01

This study investigates the linear and nonlinear causality between the total electricity consumption (TEC) and real gross domestic production (RGDP). Unlike previous literature, we solve the undetermined relation between RGDP and electricity consumption by classifying TEC into industrial sector consumption (ISC) and residential sector consumption (RSC) as well as investigating how TEC, ISC, and RSC influence Taiwan's RGDP. By using the Granger's linear causality test, it is shown that (i) there is a bidirectional causality among TEC, ISC, and RGDP, but a neutrality between RSC and RGDP with regard to the linear causality and (ii) there is still a bidirectional causality between TEC and RGDP, but a unidirectional causality between RSC and RGDP with regard to the nonlinear causality. On the basis of (i) and (ii), we suggest that the electricity policy formulators loosen the restriction on ISC and limit RSC in order to achieve the goal of economic growth.

Defining the residual risk of adverse perinatal outcome in growth restricted fetuses with normal umbilical artery blood flow.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Dwyer, Vicky

2014-07-25

To determine the cause of adverse perinatal outcome in fetal growth restriction(FGR) where umbilical artery Doppler(UA) was normal, as identified from the Prospective Observational Trial to Optimize Pediatric Health(PORTO). We compared cases of adverse outcome where UA Doppler was normal and abnormal.

Computed tomography appearances in the linear sebaceous naevus syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, S.; Robinson, R.O.; Aicardi, J.; Hoare, R.D.

1984-01-01

The appearance of C.T. of the head in 11 cases of the linear sebaceous naevus syndrome are presented. From these it is argued that the pathology represents a disorder of neuronal migration and organisation rather than differentiation. Since three of the cases had evidence of CNS tumour in addition to two in the literature, it would appear that a further aspect of this disorder is a failure of growth constraint. This is paralleled by a similar tendency in the skin lesion which should be considered premalignant. Normal intelligence is rare in this condition and co-exists only with a normal C.T. scan. The early onset of fits is not necessarily associated with subsequent mental handicap. (orig.)

Inhibitor production by normal rat tracheal epithelial cells influences the frequency of spontaneous and X-ray-induced enhanced growth variants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terzaghi-Howe, M.

1989-01-01

A cell culture model was used to assay for the induction of cell populations with enhanced growth capacity in culture in irradiated normal rat tracheal epithelial cells (NTEC). Some growth conditions appear to favor the proliferation of both normal and carcinogen-exposed populations, while others appear to select for populations previously exposed to carcinogen. In the present report we focus on what growth conditions are critical for controlling the emergence of spontaneous and X-ray induced proliferating epithelial foci (PEF) and what factor(s) directly influences the relative frequency of PEF in irradiated and control NTEC cultures. (author)

Acromegaly with Normal Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels and Congestive Heart Failure as the First Clinical Manifestation

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Hyae Min Lee

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acromegaly is cardiovascular complications. Myocardial exposure to excessive growth hormone can cause ventricular hypertrophy, hypertension, arrhythmia, and diastolic dysfunction. However, congestive heart failure as a result of systolic dysfunction is observed only rarely in patients with acromegaly. Most cases of acromegaly exhibit high levels of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1. Acromegaly with normal IGF-1 levels is rare and difficult to diagnose. Here, we report a rare case of an acromegalic patient whose first clinical manifestation was severe congestive heart failure, despite normal IGF-1 levels. We diagnosed acromegaly using a glucose-loading growth hormone suppression test. Cardiac function and myocardial hypertrophy improved 6 months after transsphenoidal resection of a pituitary adenoma.

Introduction to generalized linear models

CERN Document Server

Dobson, Annette J

2008-01-01

Introduction Background Scope Notation Distributions Related to the Normal Distribution Quadratic Forms Estimation Model Fitting Introduction Examples Some Principles of Statistical Modeling Notation and Coding for Explanatory Variables Exponential Family and Generalized Linear Models Introduction Exponential Family of Distributions Properties of Distributions in the Exponential Family Generalized Linear Models Examples Estimation Introduction Example: Failure Times for Pressure Vessels Maximum Likelihood Estimation Poisson Regression Example Inference Introduction Sampling Distribution for Score Statistics Taylor Series Approximations Sampling Distribution for MLEs Log-Likelihood Ratio Statistic Sampling Distribution for the Deviance Hypothesis Testing Normal Linear Models Introduction Basic Results Multiple Linear Regression Analysis of Variance Analysis of Covariance General Linear Models Binary Variables and Logistic Regression Probability Distributions ...

Neonatal Diagnostics: Towards Dynamic Growth Charts of Neuro-motor control

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Elizabeth B Torres

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Current rise of neurodevelopmental disorders, poses a critical need to detect risk early in order to rapidly intervene. One of the tools Pediatricians use to track development is the standard Growth Chart. The Growth Charts are somewhat limited in predicting possible neurodevelopmental issues. They rely on linear models and assumptions of normality for physical growth data —obscuring key statistical information about possible neurodevelopmental risk in growth data that actually has accelerated, non-linear rates-of-change and variability encompassing skewed distributions. Here we use new analytics to profile growth data from 36 newborn babies that were tracked longitudinally for 5 months. By switching to incremental (velocity-based growth charts and combining these dynamic changes with underlying fluctuations in motor performance—as they transition from spontaneous random noise to a systematic signal— we demonstrate a method to detect very early stunting in the development of voluntary neuro-motor control and to flag risk of neurodevelopmental derail.

Survival, growth and sexual maturation in Atlantic salmon exposed to infectious pancreatic necrosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lillehammer, Marie; Ødegård, Jørgen; Madsen, Per

2013-01-01

tested on data consisting of 10 972 fish that died and 3959 survivors with recorded growth data. The most complex models (4 and 5) were multivariate normal-binary mixture models including growth, sexual maturity and field survival traits. Growth rate and liability of sexual maturation were treated as two...... identification of runts. Mixture models are commonly used to identify the underlying structures in such data, and the aim of this study was to develop Bayesian mixture models for the genetic analysis of health status (runt/healthy) of surviving fish from an IPN outbreak. Methods Five statistical models were......-component normal mixtures, assuming phenotypes originated from two potentially overlapping distributions, (runt/normal). Runt status was an unobserved binary trait. These models were compared to mixture models with fewer traits (Models 2 and 3) and a classical linear animal model for growth (Model 1). Results...

Stunted at 10 Years. Linear Growth Trajectories and Stunting from Birth to Pre-Adolescence in a Rural Bangladeshi Cohort.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pernilla Svefors

Full Text Available Few studies in low-income settings analyse linear growth trajectories from foetal life to pre-adolescence. The aim of this study is to describe linear growth and stunting from birth to 10 years in rural Bangladesh and to analyse whether maternal and environmental determinants at conception are associated with linear growth throughout childhood and stunting at 10 years.Pregnant women participating in the MINIMat trial were identified in early pregnancy and a birth cohort (n = 1054 was followed with 19 growth measurements from birth to 10 years. Analyses of baseline predictors and mean height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ over time were modelled using GLMM. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the associations between baseline predictors and stunting (HAZ<-2 at 10 years. HAZ decreased to 2 years, followed by an increase up to 10 years, while the average height-for-age difference in cm (HAD to the WHO reference median continued to increase up to 10 years. Prevalence of stunting was highest at 2 years (50% decreasing to 29% at 10 years. Maternal height, maternal educational level and season of conception were all independent predictors of HAZ from birth to pre-adolescence (p<0.001 and stunting at 10 years. The highest probability to be stunted at 10 years was for children born by short mothers (<147.5 cm (ORadj 2.93, 95% CI: 2.06-4.20, mothers with no education (ORadj 1.74, 95% CI 1.17-2.81 or those conceived in the pre-monsoon season (ORadj 1.94, 95% CI 1.37-2.77.Height growth trajectories and prevalence of stunting in pre-adolescence showed strong intergenerational associations, social differentials, and environmental influence from foetal life. Targeting women before and during pregnancy is needed for the prevention of impaired child growth.

Automatic Assessment of Craniofacial Growth in a Mouse Model of Crouzon Syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorup, Signe Strann; Larsen, Rasmus; Darvann, Tron Andre

2009-01-01

for each mouse-type; growth models were created using linear interpolation and visualized as 3D animations. Spatial regions of significantly different growth were identified using the local False Discovery Rate method, estimating the expected percentage of false predictions in a set of predictions. For all......-rigid volumetric image registration was applied to micro-CT scans of ten 4-week and twenty 6-week euthanized mice for growth modeling. Each age group consisted of 50% normal and 50% Crouzon mice. Four 3D mean shapes, one for each mouse-type and age group were created. Extracting a dense field of growth vectors...... a tool for spatially detailed automatic phenotyping. MAIN OBJECTIVES OF PRESENTATION: We will present a 3D growth model of normal and Crouzon mice, and differences will be statistically and visually compared....

Neuronal M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors are essential for somatotroph proliferation and normal somatic growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Gautam, Dinesh; Jeon, Jongrye; Starost, Matthew F; Han, Sung-Jun; Hamdan, Fadi F; Cui, Yinghong; Parlow, Albert F; Gavrilova, Oksana; Szalayova, Ildiko; Mezey, Eva; Wess, Jürgen

2009-04-14

The molecular pathways that promote the proliferation and maintenance of pituitary somatotrophs and other cell types of the anterior pituitary gland are not well understood at present. However, such knowledge is likely to lead to the development of novel drugs useful for the treatment of various human growth disorders. Although muscarinic cholinergic pathways have been implicated in regulating somatotroph function, the physiological relevance of this effect and the localization and nature of the receptor subtypes involved in this activity remain unclear. We report the surprising observation that mutant mice that selectively lack the M(3) muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype in the brain (neurons and glial cells; Br-M3-KO mice) showed a dwarf phenotype associated with a pronounced hypoplasia of the anterior pituitary gland and a marked decrease in pituitary and serum growth hormone (GH) and prolactin. Remarkably, treatment of Br-M3-KO mice with CJC-1295, a synthetic GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) analog, rescued the growth deficit displayed by Br-M3-KO mice by restoring normal pituitary size and normal serum GH and IGF-1 levels. These findings, together with results from M(3) receptor/GHRH colocalization studies and hypothalamic hormone measurements, support a model in which central (hypothalamic) M(3) receptors are required for the proper function of hypothalamic GHRH neurons. Our data reveal an unexpected and critical role for central M(3) receptors in regulating longitudinal growth by promoting the proliferation of pituitary somatotroph cells.

Biomechanical Analysis of Normal Brain Development during the First Year of Life Using Finite Strain Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jeong Chul; Wang, Li; Shen, Dinggang; Lin, Weili

2016-12-02

The first year of life is the most critical time period for structural and functional development of the human brain. Combining longitudinal MR imaging and finite strain theory, this study aimed to provide new insights into normal brain development through a biomechanical framework. Thirty-three normal infants were longitudinally imaged using MRI from 2 weeks to 1 year of age. Voxel-wise Jacobian determinant was estimated to elucidate volumetric changes while Lagrange strains (both normal and shear strains) were measured to reveal directional growth information every 3 months during the first year of life. Directional normal strain maps revealed that, during the first 6 months, the growth pattern of gray matter is anisotropic and spatially inhomogeneous with higher left-right stretch around the temporal lobe and interhemispheric fissure, anterior-posterior stretch in the frontal and occipital lobes, and superior-inferior stretch in right inferior occipital and right inferior temporal gyri. In contrast, anterior lateral ventricles and insula showed an isotropic stretch pattern. Volumetric and directional growth rates were linearly decreased with age for most of the cortical regions. Our results revealed anisotropic and inhomogeneous brain growth patterns of the human brain during the first year of life using longitudinal MRI and a biomechanical framework.

Effects of Ligustilide on Tumor Growth and Immune Function in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: LIG significantly increased thymus and spleen index, macrophage phagocytosis, serum hemolysin concentration, spleen lymphocyte proliferation and CTL and NK cell activities in normal ICR mice, but inhibited the growth of transplantable H22 hepatoma. The effect was dose-related but not in a linear fashion.

Growth of contact area between rough surfaces under normal stress

Science.gov (United States)

Stesky, R. M.; Hannan, S. S.

1987-05-01

The contact area between deforming rough surfaces in marble, alabaster, and quartz was measured from thin sections of surfaces bonded under load with low viscosity resin epoxy. The marble and alabaster samples had contact areas that increased with stress at an accelerating rate. This result suggests that the strength of the asperity contacts decreased progressively during the deformation, following some form of strain weakening relationship. This conclusion is supported by petrographic observation of the thin sections that indicate that much of the deformation was cataclastic, with minor twinning of calcite and kinking of gypsum. In the case of the quartz, the observed contact area was small and increased approximately linearly with normal stress. Only the irreversible cataclastic deformation was observed; however strain-induced birefringence and cracking of the epoxy, not observed with the other rocks, suggests that significant elastic deformation occurred, but recovered during unloading.

Inflammation and linear bone growth: the inhibitory role of SOCS2 on GH/IGF-1 signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Farquharson, Colin; Ahmed, S Faisal

2013-04-01

Linear bone growth is widely recognized to be adversely affected in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other chronic inflammatory disorders. The growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathway is anabolic to the skeleton and inflammatory cytokines compromise bone growth through a number of different mechanisms, which include interference with the systemic as well as the tissue-level GH/IGF-1 axis. Despite attempts to promote growth and control disease, there are an increasing number of reports of the persistence of poor growth in a substantial proportion of patients receiving rhGH and/or drugs that block cytokine action. Thus, there is an urgent need to consider better and alternative forms of therapy that are directed specifically at the mechanism of the insult which leads to abnormal bone health. Suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2) expression is increased in inflammatory conditions including CKD, and is a recognized inhibitor of GH signaling. Therefore, in this review, we will focus on the premise that SOCS2 signaling represents a critical pathway in growth plate chondrocytes through which pro-inflammatory cytokines alter both GH/IGF-1 signaling and cellular function.

Complete adrenocorticotropin deficiency after radiation therapy for brain tumor with a normal growth hormone reserve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakai, Haruna; Yoshioka, Katsunobu; Yamagami, Keiko [Osaka City General Hospital (Japan)] (and others)

2002-06-01

A 34-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type 1, who had received radiation therapy after the excision of a brain tumor 5 years earlier, was admitted to our hospital with vomiting and weight loss. Cortisol and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) were undetectable before and after administration of 100 {mu}g corticotropin releasing hormone. The level of growth hormone without stimulation was 24.7 ng/ml. We diagnosed him to have complete ACTH deficiency attributable to radiation therapy. This is the first known case of a patient with complete ACTH deficiency after radiation therapy and a growth hormone reserve that remained normal. (author)

Complete adrenocorticotropin deficiency after radiation therapy for brain tumor with a normal growth hormone reserve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Haruna; Yoshioka, Katsunobu; Yamagami, Keiko

2002-01-01

A 34-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type 1, who had received radiation therapy after the excision of a brain tumor 5 years earlier, was admitted to our hospital with vomiting and weight loss. Cortisol and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) were undetectable before and after administration of 100 μg corticotropin releasing hormone. The level of growth hormone without stimulation was 24.7 ng/ml. We diagnosed him to have complete ACTH deficiency attributable to radiation therapy. This is the first known case of a patient with complete ACTH deficiency after radiation therapy and a growth hormone reserve that remained normal. (author)

Guaranteed and computable bounds of the limit load for variational problems with linear growth energy functionals

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Haslinger, Jaroslav; Repin, S.; Sysala, Stanislav

2016-01-01

Roč. 61, č. 5 (2016), s. 527-564 ISSN 0862-7940 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LQ1602 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : functionals with linear growth * limit load * truncation method * perfect plasticity Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.618, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10492-016-0146-6

Dopamine induces growth inhibition and vascular normalization through reprogramming M2-polarized macrophages in rat C6 glioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin, Tian; Wang, Chenlong; Chen, Xuewei; Duan, Chenfan; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Jing; Chai, Hongyan; Tang, Tian; Chen, Honglei; Yue, Jiang; Li, Ying; Yang, Jing

2015-01-01

Dopamine (DA), a monoamine catecholamine neurotransmitter with antiangiogenic activity, stabilizes tumor vessels in colon, prostate and ovarian cancers, thus increases chemotherapeutic efficacy. Here, in the rat C6 glioma models, we investigated the vascular normalization effects of DA and its mechanisms of action. DA (25, 50 mg/kg) inhibited tumor growth, while a precursor of DA (levodopa) prolonged the survival time of rats bearing orthotopic C6 glioma. DA improved tumor perfusion, with significant effects from day 3, and a higher level at days 5 to 7. In addition, DA decreased microvessel density and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression in tumor tissues, while increasing the coverage of pericyte. Conversely, an antagonist of dopamine receptor 2 (DR2) (eticlopride) but not DR1 (butaclamol) abrogated DA-induced tumor regression and vascular normalization. Furthermore, DA improved the delivery and efficacy of temozolomide therapy. Importantly, DA increased representative M1 markers (iNOS, CXCL9, etc.), while decreasing M2 markers (CD206, arginase-1, etc.). Depletion of macrophages by clodronate or zoledronic acid attenuated the effects of DA. Notably, DA treatment induced M2-to-M1 polarization in RAW264.7 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages, and enhanced the migration of pericyte-like cells (10T1/2), which was reversed by eticlopride or DR2-siRNA. Such changes were accompanied by the downregulation of VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling. In summary, DA induces growth inhibition and vascular normalization through reprogramming M2-polarized macrophages. Thus, targeting the tumor microvasculature by DA represents a promising strategy for human glioma therapy. - Highlights: • Dopamine induces tumor growth inhibition and vascular normalization in rat C6 glioma. • Dopamine switches macrophage phenotype from M2 to M1. • Dopamine-induced vascular normalization is mediated by macrophage polarization. • Dopamine is a promising agent targeting the microvasculature in tumor

Dopamine induces growth inhibition and vascular normalization through reprogramming M2-polarized macrophages in rat C6 glioma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin, Tian; Wang, Chenlong; Chen, Xuewei; Duan, Chenfan; Zhang, Xiaoyan [Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Zhang, Jing [Animal Experimental Center of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Chai, Hongyan [Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Tang, Tian [Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060 (China); Chen, Honglei [Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Yue, Jiang [Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Li, Ying, E-mail: lyying0@163.com [Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China); Yang, Jing, E-mail: yangjingliu2013@163.com [Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071 (China)

2015-07-15

Dopamine (DA), a monoamine catecholamine neurotransmitter with antiangiogenic activity, stabilizes tumor vessels in colon, prostate and ovarian cancers, thus increases chemotherapeutic efficacy. Here, in the rat C6 glioma models, we investigated the vascular normalization effects of DA and its mechanisms of action. DA (25, 50 mg/kg) inhibited tumor growth, while a precursor of DA (levodopa) prolonged the survival time of rats bearing orthotopic C6 glioma. DA improved tumor perfusion, with significant effects from day 3, and a higher level at days 5 to 7. In addition, DA decreased microvessel density and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression in tumor tissues, while increasing the coverage of pericyte. Conversely, an antagonist of dopamine receptor 2 (DR2) (eticlopride) but not DR1 (butaclamol) abrogated DA-induced tumor regression and vascular normalization. Furthermore, DA improved the delivery and efficacy of temozolomide therapy. Importantly, DA increased representative M1 markers (iNOS, CXCL9, etc.), while decreasing M2 markers (CD206, arginase-1, etc.). Depletion of macrophages by clodronate or zoledronic acid attenuated the effects of DA. Notably, DA treatment induced M2-to-M1 polarization in RAW264.7 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages, and enhanced the migration of pericyte-like cells (10T1/2), which was reversed by eticlopride or DR2-siRNA. Such changes were accompanied by the downregulation of VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling. In summary, DA induces growth inhibition and vascular normalization through reprogramming M2-polarized macrophages. Thus, targeting the tumor microvasculature by DA represents a promising strategy for human glioma therapy. - Highlights: • Dopamine induces tumor growth inhibition and vascular normalization in rat C6 glioma. • Dopamine switches macrophage phenotype from M2 to M1. • Dopamine-induced vascular normalization is mediated by macrophage polarization. • Dopamine is a promising agent targeting the microvasculature in tumor

Large-scale grain growth in the solid-state process: From "Abnormal" to "Normal"

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Minhong; Han, Shengnan; Zhang, Jingwei; Song, Jiageng; Hao, Chongyan; Deng, Manjiao; Ge, Lingjing; Gu, Zhengfei; Liu, Xinyu

2018-02-01

Abnormal grain growth (AGG) has been a common phenomenon during the ceramic or metallurgy processing since prehistoric times. However, usually it had been very difficult to grow big single crystal (centimeter scale over) by using the AGG method due to its so-called occasionality. Based on the AGG, a solid-state crystal growth (SSCG) method was developed. The greatest advantages of the SSCG technology are the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the technique. But the traditional SSCG technology is still uncontrollable. This article first summarizes the history and current status of AGG, and then reports recent technical developments from AGG to SSCG, and further introduces a new seed-free, solid-state crystal growth (SFSSCG) technology. This SFSSCG method allows us to repeatedly and controllably fabricate large-scale single crystals with appreciable high quality and relatively stable chemical composition at a relatively low temperature, at least in (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3(KNN) and Cu-Al-Mn systems. In this sense, the exaggerated grain growth is no longer 'Abnormal' but 'Normal' since it is able to be artificially controllable and repeated now. This article also provides a crystal growth model to qualitatively explain the mechanism of SFSSCG for KNN system. Compared with the traditional melt and high temperature solution growth methods, the SFSSCG method has the advantages of low energy consumption, low investment, simple technique, composition homogeneity overcoming the issues with incongruent melting and high volatility. This SFSSCG could be helpful for improving the mechanical and physical properties of single crystals, which should be promising for industrial applications.

Plasma endotoxin core antibody concentration and linear growth are unrelated in rural Malawian children aged 2-5 years

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental enteropathy is subclinical inflammation of the upper gastrointestinal tract associated with reduced linear growth in developing countries. Usually investigators have used biopsy or a dual sugar absorption test to assess environmental enteropathy. Such tests are time and resource intens...

KERNEL MAD ALGORITHM FOR RELATIVE RADIOMETRIC NORMALIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Bai

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The multivariate alteration detection (MAD algorithm is commonly used in relative radiometric normalization. This algorithm is based on linear canonical correlation analysis (CCA which can analyze only linear relationships among bands. Therefore, we first introduce a new version of MAD in this study based on the established method known as kernel canonical correlation analysis (KCCA. The proposed method effectively extracts the non-linear and complex relationships among variables. We then conduct relative radiometric normalization experiments on both the linear CCA and KCCA version of the MAD algorithm with the use of Landsat-8 data of Beijing, China, and Gaofen-1(GF-1 data derived from South China. Finally, we analyze the difference between the two methods. Results show that the KCCA-based MAD can be satisfactorily applied to relative radiometric normalization, this algorithm can well describe the nonlinear relationship between multi-temporal images. This work is the first attempt to apply a KCCA-based MAD algorithm to relative radiometric normalization.

Non-Linear Relationship between Economic Growth and CO₂ Emissions in China: An Empirical Study Based on Panel Smooth Transition Regression Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zheng-Xin; Hao, Peng; Yao, Pei-Yi

2017-12-13

The non-linear relationship between provincial economic growth and carbon emissions is investigated by using panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) models. The research indicates that, on the condition of separately taking Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDPpc), energy structure (Es), and urbanisation level (Ul) as transition variables, three models all reject the null hypothesis of a linear relationship, i.e., a non-linear relationship exists. The results show that the three models all contain only one transition function but different numbers of location parameters. The model taking GDPpc as the transition variable has two location parameters, while the other two models separately considering Es and Ul as the transition variables both contain one location parameter. The three models applied in the study all favourably describe the non-linear relationship between economic growth and CO₂ emissions in China. It also can be seen that the conversion rate of the influence of Ul on per capita CO₂ emissions is significantly higher than those of GDPpc and Es on per capita CO₂ emissions.

Using hierarchical linear growth models to evaluate protective mechanisms that mediate science achievement

Science.gov (United States)

von Secker, Clare Elaine

The study of students at risk is a major topic of science education policy and discussion. Much research has focused on describing conditions and problems associated with the statistical risk of low science achievement among individuals who are members of groups characterized by problems such as poverty and social disadvantage. But outcomes attributed to these factors do not explain the nature and extent of mechanisms that account for differences in performance among individuals at risk. There is ample theoretical and empirical evidence that demographic differences should be conceptualized as social contexts, or collections of variables, that alter the psychological significance and social demands of life events, and affect subsequent relationships between risk and resilience. The hierarchical linear growth models used in this dissertation provide greater specification of the role of social context and the protective effects of attitude, expectations, parenting practices, peer influences, and learning opportunities on science achievement. While the individual influences of these protective factors on science achievement were small, their cumulative effect was substantial. Meta-analysis conducted on the effects associated with psychological and environmental processes that mediate risk mechanisms in sixteen social contexts revealed twenty-two significant differences between groups of students. Positive attitudes, high expectations, and more intense science course-taking had positive effects on achievement of all students, although these factors were not equally protective in all social contexts. In general, effects associated with authoritative parenting and peer influences were negative, regardless of social context. An evaluation comparing the performance and stability of hierarchical linear growth models with traditional repeated measures models is included as well.

Linear growth rates of resistive tearing modes with sub-Alfvénic streaming flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, L. N.; Ma, Z. W.

2014-01-01

The tearing instability with sub-Alfvénic streaming flow along the external magnetic field is investigated using resistive MHD simulation. It is found that the growth rate of the tearing mode instability is larger than that without the streaming flow. With the streaming flow, there exist two Alfvén resonance layers near the central current sheet. The larger perturbation of the magnetic field in two closer Alfvén resonance layers could lead to formation of the observed cone structure and can largely enhance the development of the tearing mode for a narrower streaming flow. For a broader streaming flow, a larger separation of Alfvén resonance layers reduces the magnetic reconnection. The linear growth rate decreases with increase of the streaming flow thickness. The growth rate of the tearing instability also depends on the plasma beta (β). When the streaming flow is embedded in the current sheet, the growth rate increases with β if β  s , but decreases if β > β s . The existence of the specific value β s can be attributed to competition between the suppressing effect of β and the enhancing effect of the streaming flow on the magnetic reconnection. The critical value β s increases with increase of the streaming flow strength

Endurance exercise and growth hormone improve bone formation in young and growth-retarded chronic kidney disease rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Troib, Ariel; Guterman, Mayan; Rabkin, Ralph; Landau, Daniel; Segev, Yael

2016-08-01

Childhood chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with both short stature and abnormal bone mineralization. Normal longitudinal growth depends on proper maturation of epiphyseal growth plate (EGP) chondrocytes, leading to the formation of trabecular bone in the primary ossification centre. We have recently shown that linear growth impairment in CKD is associated with impaired EGP growth hormone (GH) receptor signalling and that exercise improved insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) signalling in CKD-related muscle atrophy. In this study, 20-day-old rats underwent 5/6 nephrectomy (CKD) or sham surgery (C) and were exercised with treadmill, with or without GH supplementation. CKD-related growth retardation was associated with a widened EGP hypertrophic zone. This was not fully corrected by exercise (except for tibial length). Exercise in CKD improved the expression of EGP key factors of endochondral ossification such as IGF-I, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) and osteocalcin. Combining GH treatment with treadmill exercise for 2 weeks improved the decreased trabecular bone volume in CKD, as well as the expression of growth plate runt-related transcription factor 2, RANKL, metalloproteinase 13 and VEGF, while GH treatment alone could not do that. Treadmill exercise improves tibial bone linear growth, as well as growth plate local IGF-I. When combined with GH treatment, running exercise shows beneficial effects on trabecular bone formation, suggesting the potential benefit of this combination for CKD-related short stature and bone disease. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Libraries for spectrum identification: Method of normalized coordinates versus linear correlation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrero, A.; Lucena, P.; Herrera, R.G.; Dona, A.; Fernandez-Reyes, R.; Laserna, J.J.

2008-01-01

In this work it is proposed that an easy solution based directly on linear algebra in order to obtain the relation between a spectrum and a spectrum base. This solution is based on the algebraic determination of an unknown spectrum coordinates with respect to a spectral library base. The identification capacity comparison between this algebraic method and the linear correlation method has been shown using experimental spectra of polymers. Unlike the linear correlation (where the presence of impurities may decrease the discrimination capacity), this method allows to detect quantitatively the existence of a mixture of several substances in a sample and, consequently, to beer in mind impurities for improving the identification

Rac1 Dosage Is Crucial for Normal Endochondral Bone Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Dai; Bush, Jason R; Bryce, Dawn-Marie; Kamijo, Ryutaro; Beier, Frank

2017-10-01

Rac1, a member of the small Rho GTPase family, plays multiple cellular roles. Studies of mice conditionally lacking Rac1 have revealed essential roles for Rac1 in various tissues, including cartilage and limb mesenchyme, where Rac1 loss produces dwarfism and long bone shortening. To gain further insight into the role of Rac1 in skeletal development, we have used transgenic mouse lines to express a constitutively active (ca) Rac1 mutant protein in a Cre recombinase-dependent manner. Overexpression of caRac1 in limb bud mesenchyme or chondrocytes leads to reduced body weight and shorter bones compared with control mice. Histological analysis of growth plates showed that caRac1;Col2-Cre mice displayed ectopic hypertrophic chondrocytes in the proliferative zone and enlarged hypertrophic zones. These mice also displayed a reduced proportion of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells in the proliferative zone and nuclear β-catenin localization in the ectopic hypertrophic chondrocytes. Importantly, overexpression of caRac1 partially rescued the phenotypes of Rac1fl/fl;Col2-Cre and Rac1fl/fl;Prx1-Cre conditional knockout mice, including body weight, bone length, and growth plate disorganization. These results suggest that tight regulation of Rac1 activity is necessary for normal cartilage development. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society.

Stunting at birth: recognition of early-life linear growth failure in the western highlands of Guatemala.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomons, Noel W; Vossenaar, Marieke; Chomat, Anne-Marie; Doak, Colleen M; Koski, Kristine G; Scott, Marilyn E

2015-07-01

Measurements of length at birth, or in the neonatal period, are challenging to obtain and often discounted for lack of validity. Hence, classical 'under-5' stunting rates have been derived from surveys on children from 6 to 59 months of age. Guatemala has a high prevalence of stunting (49.8%), but the age of onset of growth failure is not clearly defined. The objective of the study was to assess length-for-age within the first 1.5 months of life among Guatemalan infants. As part of a cross-sectional observational study, supine length was measured in young infants. Mothers' height was measured. Length-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) were generated and stunting was defined as HAZ Guatemala. Three hundred and six newborns with a median age of 19 d. The median rural HAZ was -1.56 and prevalence of stunting was 38%; the respective urban values were -1.41 and 25%. Linear regression revealed no relationship between infant age and HAZ (r = 0.101, r(2) = 0.010, P = 0.077). Maternal height explained 3% of the variability in HAZ (r = 0.171, r(2) = 0.029, P = 0.003). Stunting must be carried over from in utero growth retardation in short-stature Guatemalan mothers. As linear growth failure in this setting begins in utero, its prevention must be linked to maternal care strategies during gestation, or even before. A focus on maternal nutrition and health in an intergenerational dimension is needed to reduce its prevalence.

Linear Plasma Oscillation Described by Superposition of Normal Modes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pécseli, Hans

1974-01-01

The existence of steady‐state solutions to the linearized ion and electron Vlasov equation is demonstrated for longitudinal waves in an initially stable plasma. The evolution of an arbitrary initial perturbation can be described by superposition of these solutions. Some common approximations...

A newly recognized syndrome of severe growth deficiency, microcephaly, intellectual disability, and characteristic facial features.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinkler, Chana; Leshinsky-Silver, Esther; Michelson, Marina; Haas, Dorothea; Lerman-Sagie, Tally; Lev, Dorit

2014-01-01

Genetic syndromes with proportionate severe short stature are rare. We describe two sisters born to nonconsanguineous parents with severe linear growth retardation, poor weight gain, microcephaly, characteristic facial features, cutaneous syndactyly of the toes, high myopia, and severe intellectual disability. During infancy and early childhood, the girls had transient hepatosplenomegaly and low blood cholesterol levels that normalized later. A thorough evaluation including metabolic studies, radiological, and genetic investigations were all normal. Cholesterol metabolism and transport were studied and no definitive abnormality was found. No clinical deterioration was observed and no metabolic crises were reported. After due consideration of other known hereditary causes of post-natal severe linear growth retardation, microcephaly, and intellectual disability, we propose that this condition represents a newly recognized autosomal recessive multiple congenital anomaly-intellectual disability syndrome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Catch-up growth in Malawian babies, a longitudinal study of normal and low birthweight babies born in a malarious endemic area

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kalanda, B.F.; Buuren, S. van; Verhoeff, F.H.; Brabin, B.J.

2005-01-01

Introduction: Infant growth has not been studied in developing countries in relation to maternal factors related to malaria in pregnancy and maternal illiteracy. Objective: To describe growth patterns in infants with low and normal birthweight and determine maternal risk factors for infant

Homogeneous shear turbulence – bypass concept via interplay of linear transient growth and nonlinear transverse cascade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamatsashvili, George; Dong, Siwei; Jiménez, Javier; Khujadze, George; Chagelishvili, George; Foysi, Holger

2016-01-01

We performed direct numerical simulations of homogeneous shear turbulence to study the mechanism of the self-sustenance of subcritical turbulence in spectrally stable (constant) shear flows. For this purpose, we analyzed the turbulence dynamics in Fourier/wavenumber/spectral space based on the simulation data for the domain aspect ratio 1 : 1 : 1. Specifically, we examined the interplay of linear transient growth of Fourier harmonics and nonlinear processes. The transient growth of harmonics is strongly anisotropic in spectral space. This, in turn, leads to anisotropy of nonlinear processes in spectral space and, as a result, the main nonlinear process appears to be not a direct/inverse, but rather a transverse/angular redistribution of harmonics in Fourier space referred to as the nonlinear transverse cascade. It is demonstrated that the turbulence is sustained by the interplay of the linear transient, or nonmodal growth and the transverse cascade. This course of events reliably exemplifies the wellknown bypass scenario of subcritical turbulence in spectrally stable shear flows. These processes mainly operate at large length scales, comparable to the box size. Consequently, the central, small wavenumber area of Fourier space (the size of which is determined below) is crucial in the self-sustenance and is labeled the vital area. Outside the vital area, the transient growth and the transverse cascade are of secondary importance - Fourier harmonics are transferred to dissipative scales by the nonlinear direct cascade. The number of harmonics actively participating in the self-sustaining process (i.e., the harmonics whose energies grow more than 10% of the maximum spectral energy at least once during evolution) is quite large - it is equal to 36 for the considered box aspect ratio - and obviously cannot be described by low-order models. (paper)

PV System Performance Evaluation by Clustering Production Data to Normal and Non-Normal Operation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tsafarakis, O.; Sinapis, K.; van Sark, W.G.J.H.M.

2018-01-01

The most common method for assessment of a photovoltaic (PV) system performance is by comparing its energy production to reference data (irradiance or neighboring PV system). Ideally, at normal operation, the compared sets of data tend to show a linear relationship. Deviations from this linearity

Growth and Zeros of Meromorphic Solutions to Second-Order Linear Differential Equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maamar Andasmas

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this article is to investigate the growth of meromorphic solutions to homogeneous and non-homogeneous second order linear differential equations f00+Af0+Bf = F, where A(z, B (z and F (z are meromorphic functions with finite order having only finitely many poles. We show that, if there exist a positive constants σ > 0, α > 0 such that |A(z| ≥ eα|z|σ as |z| → +∞, z ∈ H, where dens{|z| : z ∈ H} > 0 and ρ = max{ρ(B, ρ(F} < σ, then every transcendental meromorphic solution f has an infinite order. Further, we give some estimates of their hyper-order, exponent and hyper-exponent of convergence of distinct zeros.

Additional Common Bean in the Diet of Malawian Children Does Not Affect Linear Growth, but Reduces Intestinal Permeability.

Science.gov (United States)

Agapova, Sophia E; Stephenson, Kevin B; Divala, Oscar; Kaimila, Yankho; Maleta, Kenneth M; Thakwalakwa, Chrissie; Ordiz, M Isabel; Trehan, Indi; Manary, Mark J

2018-02-01

Chronic malnutrition, as manifested by linear growth faltering, is pervasive among rural African children. Improvements in complementary feeding may decrease the burden of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) and thus improve growth in children during the critical first 1000 d of development. We tested the hypothesis that systematically including common bean or cowpea into complementary feeding would reduce EED and growth faltering among children in rural Malawi. This was a double-blind clinical trial in which children 12-23 mo of age were randomly assigned to receive complementary feeding with 1 of 3 foods: roasted cowpea or common bean flour, or an isoenergetic amount of corn-soy blend as a control food for 48 wk. Children aged 12-23 mo received 155 kcal/d and thereafter until 35 mo received 200 kcal/d. The primary outcomes were change in length-for-age z score (LAZ) and improvements in a biomarker of EED, the percentage of lactulose (%L) excreted as part of the lactulose:mannitol dual-sugar absorption test. Anthropometric measurements and urinary %L excretion were compared between the 2 intervention groups and the control group separately with the use of linear mixed model analyses for repeated measures. A total of 331 children completed the clinical trial. Compliance with the study interventions was excellent, with >90% of the intervention flour consumed as intended. No significant effects on LAZ, change in LAZ, or weight-for-length z score were observed due to either intervention legume, compared to the control. %L was reduced with common bean consumption (effect estimate was -0.07 percentage points of lactulose, P = 0.0007). The lactulose:mannitol test was not affected by the legume intervention. The addition of common bean to complementary feeding of rural Malawian children during the second year of life led to an improvement in a biomarker of gut health, although this did not directly translate into improved linear growth. This trial was registered at

A primer on linear models

CERN Document Server

Monahan, John F

2008-01-01

Preface Examples of the General Linear Model Introduction One-Sample Problem Simple Linear Regression Multiple Regression One-Way ANOVA First Discussion The Two-Way Nested Model Two-Way Crossed Model Analysis of Covariance Autoregression Discussion The Linear Least Squares Problem The Normal Equations The Geometry of Least Squares Reparameterization Gram-Schmidt Orthonormalization Estimability and Least Squares Estimators Assumptions for the Linear Mean Model Confounding, Identifiability, and Estimability Estimability and Least Squares Estimators F

Association between intake of dietary protein and 3-year-change in body growth among normal and overweight 6-year-old boys and girls (CoSCIS)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Vught, Anneke J A H; Heitmann, Berit L; Nieuwenhuizen, Arie G

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Growth hormone (GH) affects linear growth and body composition, by increasing the secretion of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), muscle protein synthesis and lipolysis. The intake of protein (PROT) as well as the specific amino acids arginine (ARG) and lysine (LYS) stimulates GH/IG...

The Effects of Imatinib Mesylate on Cellular Viability, Platelet Derived Growth Factor and Stem Cell Factor in Mouse Testicular Normal Leydig Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kheradmand, Fatemeh; Hashemnia, Seyyed Mohammad Reza; Valizadeh, Nasim; Roshan-Milani, Shiva

2016-01-01

Growth factors play an essential role in the development of tumor and normal cells like testicular leydig cells. Treatment of cancer with anti-cancer agents like imatinib mesylate may interfere with normal leydig cell activity, growth and fertility through failure in growth factors' production or their signaling pathways. The purpose of the study was to determine cellular viability and the levels of, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and stem cell factor (SCF) in normal mouse leydig cells exposed to imatinib, and addressing the effect of imatinib on fertility potential. The mouse TM3 leydig cells were treated with 0 (control), 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 μM imatinib for 2, 4 and 6 days. Each experiment was repeated three times (15 experiments in each day).The cellular viability and growth factors levels were assessed by MTT and ELISA methods, respectively. For statistical analysis, one-way ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. With increasing drug concentration, cellular viability decreased significantly (pcellular viability, PDGF and SCF levels. Imatinib may reduce fertility potential especially at higher concentrations in patients treated with this drug by decreasing cellular viability. The effect of imatinib on leydig cells is associated with PDGF stimulation. Of course future studies can be helpful in exploring the long term effects of this drug.

Growth hormone positive effects on craniofacial complex in Turner syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Juloski, Jovana; Dumančić, Jelena; Šćepan, Ivana; Lauc, Tomislav; Milašin, Jelena; Kaić, Zvonimir; Dumić, Miroslav; Babić, Marko

2016-11-01

Turner syndrome occurs in phenotypic females with complete or partial absence of X chromosome. The leading symptom is short stature, while numerous but mild stigmata manifest in the craniofacial region. These patients are commonly treated with growth hormone to improve their final height. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of long-term growth hormone therapy on craniofacial morphology in Turner syndrome patients. In this cross-sectional study cephalometric analysis was performed on 13 lateral cephalograms of patients with 45,X karyotype and the average age of 17.3 years, who have received growth hormone for at least two years. The control group consisted of 13 Turner syndrome patients naive to growth hormone treatment, matched to study group by age and karyotype. Sixteen linear and angular measurements were obtained from standard lateral cephalograms. Standard deviation scores were calculated in order to evaluate influence of growth hormone therapy on craniofacial components. In Turner syndrome patients treated with growth hormone most of linear measurements were significantly larger compared to untreated patients. Growth hormone therapy mainly influenced posterior face height, mandibular ramus height, total mandibular length, anterior face height and maxillary length. While the increase in linear measurements was evident, angular measurements and facial height ratio did not show statistically significant difference. Acromegalic features were not found. Long-term growth hormone therapy has positive influence on craniofacial development in Turner syndrome patients, with the greatest impact on posterior facial height and mandibular ramus. However, it could not compensate X chromosome deficiency and normalize craniofacial features. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparative numerical analysis of linear and nonlinear aerodynamic sound generation by vortex disturbances in homentropic constant shear flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hau, Jan-Niklas; Oberlack, Martin; Chagelishvili, George; Khujadze, George; Tevzadze, Alexander

2015-01-01

Aerodynamic sound generation in shear flows is investigated in the light of the breakthrough in hydrodynamics stability theory in the 1990s, where generic phenomena of non-normal shear flow systems were understood. By applying the thereby emerged short-time/non-modal approach, the sole linear mechanism of wave generation by vortices in shear flows was captured [G. D. Chagelishvili, A. Tevzadze, G. Bodo, and S. S. Moiseev, “Linear mechanism of wave emergence from vortices in smooth shear flows,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 3178-3181 (1997); B. F. Farrell and P. J. Ioannou, “Transient and asymptotic growth of two-dimensional perturbations in viscous compressible shear flow,” Phys. Fluids 12, 3021-3028 (2000); N. A. Bakas, “Mechanism underlying transient growth of planar perturbations in unbounded compressible shear flow,” J. Fluid Mech. 639, 479-507 (2009); and G. Favraud and V. Pagneux, “Superadiabatic evolution of acoustic and vorticity perturbations in Couette flow,” Phys. Rev. E 89, 033012 (2014)]. Its source is the non-normality induced linear mode-coupling, which becomes efficient at moderate Mach numbers that is defined for each perturbation harmonic as the ratio of the shear rate to its characteristic frequency. Based on the results by the non-modal approach, we investigate a two-dimensional homentropic constant shear flow and focus on the dynamical characteristics in the wavenumber plane. This allows to separate from each other the participants of the dynamical processes — vortex and wave modes — and to estimate the efficacy of the process of linear wave-generation. This process is analyzed and visualized on the example of a packet of vortex modes, localized in both, spectral and physical, planes. Further, by employing direct numerical simulations, the wave generation by chaotically distributed vortex modes is analyzed and the involved linear and nonlinear processes are identified. The generated acoustic field is anisotropic in the wavenumber

Non-linear learning in online tutorial to enhance students’ knowledge on normal distribution application topic

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Kartono; Suryadi, D.; Herman, T.

2018-01-01

This study aimed to analyze the enhancement of non-linear learning (NLL) in the online tutorial (OT) content to students’ knowledge of normal distribution application (KONDA). KONDA is a competence expected to be achieved after students studied the topic of normal distribution application in the course named Education Statistics. The analysis was performed by quasi-experiment study design. The subject of the study was divided into an experimental class that was given OT content in NLL model and a control class which was given OT content in conventional learning (CL) model. Data used in this study were the results of online objective tests to measure students’ statistical prior knowledge (SPK) and students’ pre- and post-test of KONDA. The statistical analysis test of a gain score of KONDA of students who had low and moderate SPK’s scores showed students’ KONDA who learn OT content with NLL model was better than students’ KONDA who learn OT content with CL model. Meanwhile, for students who had high SPK’s scores, the gain score of students who learn OT content with NLL model had relatively similar with the gain score of students who learn OT content with CL model. Based on those findings it could be concluded that the NLL model applied to OT content could enhance KONDA of students in low and moderate SPK’s levels. Extra and more challenging didactical situation was needed for students in high SPK’s level to achieve the significant gain score.

Two Aspects of the Simplex Model: Goodness of Fit to Linear Growth Curve Structures and the Analysis of Mean Trends.

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Mandys, Frantisek; Dolan, Conor V.; Molenaar, Peter C. M.

1994-01-01

Studied the conditions under which the quasi-Markov simplex model fits a linear growth curve covariance structure and determined when the model is rejected. Presents a quasi-Markov simplex model with structured means and gives an example. (SLD)

Age-related changes in spatiotemporal characteristics of gait accompany ongoing lower limb linear growth in late childhood and early adolescence.

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Froehle, Andrew W; Nahhas, Ramzi W; Sherwood, Richard J; Duren, Dana L

2013-05-01

Walking gait is generally held to reach maturity, including walking at adult-like velocities, by 7-8 years of age. Lower limb length, however, is a major determinant of gait, and continues to increase until 13-15 years of age. This study used a sample from the Fels Longitudinal Study (ages 8-30 years) to test the hypothesis that walking with adult-like velocity on immature lower limbs results in the retention of immature gait characteristics during late childhood and early adolescence. There was no relationship between walking velocity and age in this sample, whereas the lower limb continued to grow, reaching maturity at 13.2 years in females and 15.6 years in males. Piecewise linear mixed models regression analysis revealed significant age-related trends in normalized cadence, initial double support time, single support time, base of support, and normalized step length in both sexes. Each trend reached its own, variable-specific age at maturity, after which the gait variables' relationships with age reached plateaus and did not differ significantly from zero. Offsets in ages at maturity occurred among the gait variables, and between the gait variables and lower limb length. The sexes also differed in their patterns of maturation. Generally, however, immature walkers of both sexes took more frequent and relatively longer steps than did mature walkers. These results support the hypothesis that maturational changes in gait accompany ongoing lower limb growth, with implications for diagnosing, preventing, and treating movement-related disorders and injuries during late childhood and early adolescence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kidney function in normal man during short-term growth hormone infusion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parving, H H; Noer, I; Mogensen, C E

1978-01-01

Kidney function was studied in 9 normal males before and during a 2 h growth hormone (GH) infusion of 50 ng/kg/min. The following variables were measured during each 20 min clearance period: glomerular filtration rate, GFR, effective renal plasma flow, RPF (steady state infusion technique...... with urinary collections using [125I]iothalamate and [131I]iodohippurate), and urinary albumin and beta2-microglobulin excretion rates (radioimmunoassays). The GH infusion resulted in a 10-fold increase in plasma GH concentration. All the above mentioned variables remained practically unchanged during...... the infusion except for a small (-5%) but significant decrease in renal plasma flow (P less than 0.01). Our negative results contrast to the findings of increased GFR and RPF during prolonged GH administration and suggest that GH requires several hours or days for its renal effects to become manifest....

Immunohistochemical profile of cytokines and growth factors expressed in vestibular schwannoma and in normal vestibular nerve tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Taurone, Samanta; Bianchi, Enrica; Attanasio, Giuseppe; Di Gioia, Cira; Ierinó, Rocco; Carubbi, Cecilia; Galli, Daniela; Pastore, Francesco Saverio; Giangaspero, Felice; Filipo, Roberto; Zanza, Christian; Artico, Marco

2015-07-01

Vestibular schwannomas, also known as acoustic neuromas, are benign tumors, which originate from myelin-forming Schwann cells. They develop in the vestibular branch of the eighth cranial nerve in the internal auditory canal or cerebellopontine angle. The clinical progression of the condition involves slow and progressive growth, eventually resulting in brainstem compression. The objective of the present study was to investigate the expression level and the localization of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as well as the adhesion molecules, intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in order to determine whether these factors are involved in the transformation and development of human vestibular schwannoma. The present study investigated whether changes in inflammation are involved in tumor growth and if so, the mechanisms underlying this process. The results of the current study demonstrated that pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TGF-β1, IL-1β and IL-6 exhibited increased expression in human vestibular schwannoma tissue compared with normal vestibular nerve samples. TNF-α was weakly expressed in Schwann cells, confirming that a lower level of this cytokine is involved in the proliferation of Schwann cells. Neoplastic Schwann cells produce pro-inflammatory cytokines that may act in an autocrine manner, stimulating cellular proliferation. In addition, the increased expression of VEGF in vestibular schwannoma compared with that in normal vestibular nerve tissue, suggests that this factor may induce neoplastic growth via the promotion of angiogenesis. The present findings suggest that inflammation may promote angiogenesis and consequently contribute to tumor progression. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that VEGF and pro-inflammatory cytokines may be potential therapeutic targets in vestibular

Basic linear algebra

CERN Document Server

Blyth, T S

2002-01-01

Basic Linear Algebra is a text for first year students leading from concrete examples to abstract theorems, via tutorial-type exercises. More exercises (of the kind a student may expect in examination papers) are grouped at the end of each section. The book covers the most important basics of any first course on linear algebra, explaining the algebra of matrices with applications to analytic geometry, systems of linear equations, difference equations and complex numbers. Linear equations are treated via Hermite normal forms which provides a successful and concrete explanation of the notion of linear independence. Another important highlight is the connection between linear mappings and matrices leading to the change of basis theorem which opens the door to the notion of similarity. This new and revised edition features additional exercises and coverage of Cramer's rule (omitted from the first edition). However, it is the new, extra chapter on computer assistance that will be of particular interest to readers:...

Evaluation of the transforming growth factor-beta activity in normal and dry eye human tears by CCL-185 cell bioassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Xiaofen; De Paiva, Cintia S; Rao, Kavita; Li, De-Quan; Farley, William J; Stern, Michael; Pflugfelder, Stephen C

2010-09-01

To develop a new bioassay method using human lung epithelial cells (CCL-185) to assess activity of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) in human tear fluid from normal subjects and patients with dry eye. Two epithelial cell lines, mink lung cells (CCL-64) and human lung cells (CCL-185), were compared to detect the active form of TGF-beta by BrdU incorporation (quantitation of cell DNA synthesis) and WST assay (metabolic activity of viable cells). The effect of TGF-beta on the growth of CCL-185 cells was observed microscopically. Human tears from normal control subjects and patients with dry eye (DE) with and without Sjögren syndrome were evaluated for TGF-beta concentration by Luminex microbead assay, and TGF-beta activity by the CCL-185 cell growth inhibition bioassay. The metabolic activity of viable CCL-185 cells, measured by WST, was shown to be proportional to the TGF-beta1 concentration (R = 0.919) and confirmed by BrdU assay (R = 0.969). Compared with CCL-185, metabolic activity of viable cells and DNA synthesis, measured by WST and BrdU incorporation assays, were shown to be less proportional to the TGF-beta1 concentration in the CCL-64 line (R = 0.42 and 0.17, respectively). Coincubation with human anti-TGF-beta1 antibody (MAB-240) yielded a dose-dependent inhibition of TGF-beta1 (0.3 ng/mL) activity. CCL-185 cell growth observed microscopically was noted to decrease in response to increasing TGF-beta1 concentrations. Levels of immuodetectable TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 were similar in normal and DE tears. TGF-beta bioactivity in DE human tears measured by the CCL-185 cells assay was found to be higher (9777.5 +/- 10481.9 pg/mL) than those in normal controls (4129.3 +/- 1342.9 pg/mL) (P tears and 37.6% TGF-beta in normal tears were found to be biologically active. The CCL-185 cell assay was found to be a suitable tool for assessing TGF-beta activity in human tears. Tear TGF-beta bioactivity increases in DE, particularly in Sjögren syndrome, where

MR guided spatial normalization of SPECT scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crouch, B.; Barnden, L.R.; Kwiatek, R.

2010-01-01

Full text: In SPECT population studies where magnetic resonance (MR) scans are also available, the higher resolution of the MR scans allows for an improved spatial normalization of the SPECT scans. In this approach, the SPECT images are first coregistered to their corresponding MR images by a linear (affine) transformation which is calculated using SPM's mutual information maximization algorithm. Non-linear spatial normalization maps are then computed either directly from the MR scans using SPM's built in spatial normalization algorithm, or, from segmented TI MR images using DARTEL, an advanced diffeomorphism based spatial normalization algorithm. We compare these MR based methods to standard SPECT based spatial normalization for a population of 27 fibromyalgia patients and 25 healthy controls with spin echo T 1 scans. We identify significant perfusion deficits in prefrontal white matter in FM patients, with the DARTEL based spatial normalization procedure yielding stronger statistics than the standard SPECT based spatial normalization. (author)

Circulating levels of IGF-1 directly regulate bone growth and density

Science.gov (United States)

Yakar, Shoshana; Rosen, Clifford J.; Beamer, Wesley G.; Ackert-Bicknell, Cheryl L.; Wu, Yiping; Liu, Jun-Li; Ooi, Guck T.; Setser, Jennifer; Frystyk, Jan; Boisclair, Yves R.; LeRoith, Derek

2002-01-01

IGF-1 is a growth-promoting polypeptide that is essential for normal growth and development. In serum, the majority of the IGFs exist in a 150-kDa complex including the IGF molecule, IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and the acid labile subunit (ALS). This complex prolongs the half-life of serum IGFs and facilitates their endocrine actions. Liver IGF-1–deficient (LID) mice and ALS knockout (ALSKO) mice exhibited relatively normal growth and development, despite having 75% and 65% reductions in serum IGF-1 levels, respectively. Double gene disrupted mice were generated by crossing LID+ALSKO mice. These mice exhibited further reductions in serum IGF-1 levels and a significant reduction in linear growth. The proximal growth plates of the tibiae of LID+ALSKO mice were smaller in total height as well as in the height of the proliferative and hypertrophic zones of chondrocytes. There was also a 10% decrease in bone mineral density and a greater than 35% decrease in periosteal circumference and cortical thickness in these mice. IGF-1 treatment for 4 weeks restored the total height of the proximal growth plate of the tibia. Thus, the double gene disruption LID+ALSKO mouse model demonstrates that a threshold concentration of circulating IGF-1 is necessary for normal bone growth and suggests that IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and ALS play a prominent role in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis. PMID:12235108

Insulin-like growth factor 1: common mediator of multiple enterotrophic hormones and growth factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bortvedt, Sarah F; Lund, P Kay

2012-03-01

To summarize the recent evidence that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) mediates growth effects of multiple trophic factors and discuss clinical relevance. Recent reviews and original reports indicate benefits of growth hormone (GH) and long-acting glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP2) analogs in short bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease. This review highlights the evidence that biomarkers of sustained small intestinal growth or mucosal healing and evaluation of intestinal epithelial stem cell biomarkers may improve clinical measures of intestinal growth or response to trophic hormones. Compelling evidence that IGF1 mediates growth effects of GH and GLP2 on intestine or linear growth in preclinical models of resection or Crohn's disease is presented, along with a concept that these hormones or IGF1 may enhance sustained growth if given early after bowel resection. Evidence that suppressor of cytokine signaling protein induction by GH or GLP2 in normal or inflamed intestine may limit IGF1-induced growth, but protect against risk of dysplasia or fibrosis, is reviewed. Whether IGF1 receptor mediates IGF1 action and potential roles of insulin receptors are addressed. IGF1 has a central role in mediating trophic hormone action in small intestine. Better understanding of benefits and risks of IGF1, receptors that mediate IGF1 action, and factors that limit undesirable growth are needed.

Advanced analysis technique for the evaluation of linear alternators and linear motors

Science.gov (United States)

Holliday, Jeffrey C.

1995-01-01

A method for the mathematical analysis of linear alternator and linear motor devices and designs is described, and an example of its use is included. The technique seeks to surpass other methods of analysis by including more rigorous treatment of phenomena normally omitted or coarsely approximated such as eddy braking, non-linear material properties, and power losses generated within structures surrounding the device. The technique is broadly applicable to linear alternators and linear motors involving iron yoke structures and moving permanent magnets. The technique involves the application of Amperian current equivalents to the modeling of the moving permanent magnet components within a finite element formulation. The resulting steady state and transient mode field solutions can simultaneously account for the moving and static field sources within and around the device.

Cut elimination in multifocused linear logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guenot, Nicolas; Brock-Nannestad, Taus

2015-01-01

We study cut elimination for a multifocused variant of full linear logic in the sequent calculus. The multifocused normal form of proofs yields problems that do not appear in a standard focused system, related to the constraints in grouping rule instances in focusing phases. We show that cut...... elimination can be performed in a sensible way even though the proof requires some specific lemmas to deal with multifocusing phases, and discuss the difficulties arising with cut elimination when considering normal forms of proofs in linear logic....

The Addition of Manganese Porphyrins during Radiation Inhibits Prostate Cancer Growth and Simultaneously Protects Normal Prostate Tissue from Radiation Damage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arpita Chatterjee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Radiation therapy is commonly used for prostate cancer treatment; however, normal tissues can be damaged from the reactive oxygen species (ROS produced by radiation. In separate reports, we and others have shown that manganese porphyrins (MnPs, ROS scavengers, protect normal cells from radiation-induced damage but inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. However, there have been no studies demonstrating that MnPs protect normal tissues, while inhibiting tumor growth in the same model. LNCaP or PC3 cells were orthotopically implanted into athymic mice and treated with radiation (2 Gy, for 5 consecutive days in the presence or absence of MnPs. With radiation, MnPs enhanced overall life expectancy and significantly decreased the average tumor volume, as compared to the radiated alone group. MnPs enhanced lipid oxidation in tumor cells but reduced oxidative damage to normal prostate tissue adjacent to the prostate tumor in combination with radiation. Mechanistically, MnPs behave as pro-oxidants or antioxidants depending on the level of oxidative stress inside the treated cell. We found that MnPs act as pro-oxidants in prostate cancer cells, while in normal cells and tissues the MnPs act as antioxidants. For the first time, in the same in vivo model, this study reveals that MnPs enhance the tumoricidal effect of radiation and reduce oxidative damage to normal prostate tissue adjacent to the prostate tumor in the presence of radiation. This study suggests that MnPs are effective radio-protectors for radiation-mediated prostate cancer treatment.

Supra-salt normal fault growth during the rise and fall of a diapir: Perspectives from 3D seismic reflection data, Norwegian North Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Tvedt, Anette B. M.; Rotevatn, Atle; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.

2016-10-01

Normal faulting and the deep subsurface flow of salt are key processes controlling the structural development of many salt-bearing sedimentary basins. However, our detailed understanding of the spatial and temporal relationship between normal faulting and salt movement is poor due to a lack of natural examples constraining their geometric and kinematic relationship in three-dimensions. To improve our understanding of these processes, we here use 3D seismic reflection and borehole data from the Egersund Basin, offshore Norway, to determine the structure and growth of a normal fault array formed during the birth, growth and decay of an array of salt structures. We show that the fault array and salt structures developed in response to: (i) Late Triassic-to-Middle Jurassic extension, which involved thick-skinned, sub-salt and thin-skinned supra-salt faulting with the latter driving reactive diapirism; (ii) Early Cretaceous extensional collapse of the walls; and (iii) Jurassic-to-Neogene, active and passive diapirism, which was at least partly coeval with and occurred along-strike from areas of reactive diapirism and wall collapse. Our study supports physical model predictions, showcasing a three-dimensional example of how protracted, multiphase salt diapirism can influence the structure and growth of normal fault arrays.

Preterm infant linear growth and adiposity gain: trade-offs for later weight status and intelligence quotient.

Science.gov (United States)

Belfort, Mandy B; Gillman, Matthew W; Buka, Stephen L; Casey, Patrick H; McCormick, Marie C

2013-12-01

To examine trade-offs between cognitive outcome and overweight/obesity in preterm-born infants at school age and young adulthood in relation to weight gain and linear growth during infancy. We studied 945 participants in the Infant Health and Development Program, an 8-center study of preterm (≤37 weeks gestational age), low birth weight (≤2500 g) infants from birth to age 18 years. Adjusting for maternal and child factors in logistic regression, we estimated the odds of overweight/obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥85th percentile at age 8 or ≥25 kg/m(2) at age 18) and in separate models, low IQ (growth from term to 4 months was associated with lower odds of IQ growth soon after term was associated with better cognition, but also with a greater risk of overweight/obesity at age 8 years and 18 years. BMI gain over the entire 18 months after term was associated with later risk of overweight/obesity, with less evidence of a benefit for IQ. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Growing into obesity: patterns of height growth in those who become normal weight, overweight, or obese as young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Stovitz, Steven D; Demerath, Ellen W; Hannan, Peter J; Lytle, Leslie A; Himes, John H

2011-01-01

To study whether patterns of height growth differ by adult obesity status, and determine the contribution of subcutaneous fatness as an explanatory variable for any differences. A multicenter, prospective longitudinal cohort assessed in 3rd grade (8.8 years), 5th grade (11.1 years), 8th grade (14.1 years), and 12th grade (18.3 years). Exposures were young adult obesity status classified by CDC adult BMI categories at 12th grade. Skinfolds were measured in third, fifth, and eighth grades. Outcome was mean height (cm) at the four measurements using repeated-measures ANCOVA for young adult obesity status, and height increments between grades by adult obesity status in sequential models including initial height and, secondarily, initial skinfolds. Adjusted for age, and race/ethnicity, young adult obesity status explained a small, but statistically significant amount of height growth among both females and males within each of the three intervals. Compared with normal weight young adults, overweight or obese young adults stood taller in childhood, but had relatively less growth in height throughout the teenage years. There was no association between adult height and weight status. Skinfolds explained only a small amount of the height patterns in the three weight groups. Childhood and adolescent height growth patterns differ between those who become young adults who are normal weight and those who become overweight or obese. Since differences in fatness explain only a small amount of these height growth patterns, research is needed to identify other determinants. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Follicular localization of growth differentiation factor 8 and its receptors in normal and polycystic ovary syndrome ovaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ting-Ting; Chang, Hsun-Ming; Hu, Xiao-Ling; Leung, Peter C K; Zhu, Yi-Min

2018-05-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age and its etiology has not been characterized. Growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF8) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily that plays a critical role in the regulation of ovarian functions. However, the expression pattern of GDF8 in the human ovary is not yet clear. This study examined the cellular distribution of GDF8 and its putative cellular receptors (ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5) in a series of normal (n = 34) and PCOS ovaries (n = 14). The immunostaining of GDF8, ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5 was detected in the oocytes regardless of the developmental stage. All these proteins were localized in antral follicles in normal and PCOS ovaries, and the expression of these proteins increased with increasing follicle diameter. A significantly higher expression of GDF8 was detected in the granulosa cells than in the matched theca cells (TCs). These proteins were also localized in the luteal cells of the corpus luteum. Granulosa cells and TCs of large antral follicles in PCOS ovaries display a higher expression of these proteins. The higher expression levels of GDF8 and its functional receptors (ACVR2A, ACVR2B, and ALK5) in antral follicles of PCOS ovaries than those in normal ovaries suggest the possible involvement of dysregulated GDF8 in the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Growth hormone and bone health.

Science.gov (United States)

Bex, Marie; Bouillon, Roger

2003-01-01

Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I have major effects on growth plate chondrocytes and all bone cells. Untreated childhood-onset GH deficiency (GHD) markedly impairs linear growth as well as three-dimensional bone size. Adult peak bone mass is therefore about 50% that of adults with normal height. This is mainly an effect on bone volume, whereas true bone mineral density (BMD; g/cm(3)) is virtually normal, as demonstrated in a large cohort of untreated Russian adults with childhood-onset GHD. The prevalence of fractures in these untreated childhood-onset GHD adults was, however, markedly and significantly increased in comparison with normal Russian adults. This clearly indicates that bone mass and bone size matter more than true bone density. Adequate treatment with GH can largely correct bone size and in several studies also bone mass, but it usually requires more than 5 years of continuous treatment. Adult-onset GHD decreases bone turnover and results in a mild deficit, generally between -0.5 and -1.0 z-score, in bone mineral content and BMD of the lumbar spine, radius and femoral neck. Cross-sectional surveys and the KIMS data suggest an increased incidence of fractures. GH replacement therapy increases bone turnover. The three controlled studies with follow-up periods of 18 and 24 months demonstrated a modest increase in BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck in male adults with adult-onset GHD, whereas no significant changes in BMD were observed in women. GHD, whether childhood- or adult-onset, impairs bone mass and strength. Appropriate substitution therapy can largely correct these deficiencies if given over a prolonged period. GH therapy for other bone disorders not associated with primary GHD needs further study but may well be beneficial because of its positive effects on the bone remodelling cycle. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

9-AAA inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in human melanoma A375 and rat prostate adenocarcinoma AT-2 and Mat-LyLu cell lines but does not affect the growth and viability of normal fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Korohoda, Włodzimierz; Hapek, Anna; Pietrzak, Monika; Ryszawy, Damian; Madeja, Zbigniew

2016-11-01

The present study found that, similarly to 5-fluorouracil, low concentrations (1-10 µM) of 9-aminoacridine (9-AAA) inhibited the growth of the two rat prostate cancer AT-2 and Mat-LyLu cell lines and the human melanoma A375 cell line. However, at the same concentrations, 9-AAA had no effect on the growth and apoptosis of normal human skin fibroblasts (HSFs). The differences between the cellular responses of the AT-2 and Mat-LyLu cell lines, which differ in malignancy, were found to be relatively small compared with the differences between normal HSFs and the cancer cell lines. Visible effects on the cell growth and survival of tumor cell lines were observed after 24-48 h of treatment with 9-AAA, and increased over time. The inhibition of cancer cell growth was found to be due to the gradually increasing number of cells dying by apoptosis, which was observed using two methods, direct counting and FlowSight analysis. Simultaneously, cell motile activity decreased to the same degree in cancer and normal cells within the first 8 h of incubation in the presence of 9-AAA. The results presented in the current study suggest that short-lasting tests for potential anticancer substances can be insufficient; which may result in cell type-dependent differences in the responses of cells to tested compounds that act with a delay being overlooked. The observed differences in responses between normal human fibroblasts and cancer cells to 9-AAA show the requirement for additional studies to be performed simultaneously on differently reacting cancer and normal cells, to determine the molecular mechanisms responsible for these differences.

Linear and non-linear amplification of high-mode perturbations at the ablation front in HiPER targets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olazabal-Loume, M; Breil, J; Hallo, L; Ribeyre, X [CELIA, UMR 5107 Universite Bordeaux 1-CNRS-CEA, 351 cours de la Liberation, 33405 Talence (France); Sanz, J, E-mail: olazabal@celia.u-bordeaux1.f [ETSI Aeronauticos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040 (Spain)

2011-01-15

The linear and non-linear sensitivity of the 180 kJ baseline HiPER target to high-mode perturbations, i.e. surface roughness, is addressed using two-dimensional simulations and a complementary analysis by linear and non-linear ablative Rayleigh-Taylor models. Simulations provide an assessment of an early non-linear stage leading to a significant deformation of the ablation surface for modes of maximum linear growth factor. A design using a picket prepulse evidences an improvement in the target stability inducing a delay of the non-linear behavior. Perturbation evolution and shape, evidenced by simulations of the non-linear stage, are analyzed with existing self-consistent non-linear theory.

Child feeding style is associated with food intake and linear growth in rural Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Abebe, Zeweter; Haki, Gulelat Desse; Baye, Kaleab

2017-09-01

Little is known about mother-child feeding interactions and how this is associated with food intake and linear growth. To characterize mother-child feeding styles and investigate their associations with accepted mouthful and linear growth in west Gojam, rural Ethiopia. Two, in-home, meal observations of children aged 12-23 months (n = 100) were video-taped. The number of mouthful accepted was counted and the caregiver/child feeding styles were coded into positive/negative categories of self-feeding, responsive-feeding, active-feeding, social-behavior and distraction. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, child feeding practices, perception about child's overall appetite, and strategies adopted to overcome food refusal were collected through questionnaire-based interviews. Child and mothers' anthropometric measurements were also taken. Stunting was highly prevalent (48%) and the number of mouthful accepted was very low. Offering breastmilk and threatening to harm were the main strategies adopted to overcome food refusal. Although all forms of feeding style were present, active positive feeding style was dominant (90%) and was positively associated with mouthful accepted. Talking with non-feeding partner (64%), and domestic animals (24%) surrounding the feeding place were common distractions of feeding. Feeding was mostly terminated by caregivers (75%), often prematurely. Overall, caregivers of stunted children had poorer complementary- and breast-feeding practices and were less responsive to child's hunger and satiation cues (P responsive feeding behaviors were associated with child's number of mouthful accepted (r = 0.27; P = 0.007) and stunting (r = 0.4; P feeding style and stunting. Nutrition interventions that reinforce messages of optimal infant and young child feeding and integrate the promotion of responsive feeding behaviors are needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linear growth of the entanglement entropy and the Kolmogorov-Sinai rate

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Eugenio; Hackl, Lucas; Yokomizo, Nelson

2018-03-01

The rate of entropy production in a classical dynamical system is characterized by the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy rate h KS given by the sum of all positive Lyapunov exponents of the system. We prove a quantum version of this result valid for bosonic systems with unstable quadratic Hamiltonian. The derivation takes into account the case of time-dependent Hamiltonians with Floquet instabilities. We show that the entanglement entropy S A of a Gaussian state grows linearly for large times in unstable systems, with a rate Λ A ≤ h KS determined by the Lyapunov exponents and the choice of the subsystem A. We apply our results to the analysis of entanglement production in unstable quadratic potentials and due to periodic quantum quenches in many-body quantum systems. Our results are relevant for quantum field theory, for which we present three applications: a scalar field in a symmetry-breaking potential, parametric resonance during post-inflationary reheating and cosmological perturbations during inflation. Finally, we conjecture that the same rate Λ A appears in the entanglement growth of chaotic quantum systems prepared in a semiclassical state.

Studying the formation of non-linear bursts in fully turbulent channel flows

Science.gov (United States)

Encinar, Miguel P.; Jimenez, Javier

2017-11-01

Linear transient growth has been suggested as a possible explanation for the intermittent behaviour, or `bursting', in shear flows with a stable mean velocity profile. Analysing fully non-linear DNS databases yields a similar Orr+lift-up mechanism, but acting on spatially localised wave packets rather than on monochromatic infinite wavetrains. The Orr mechanism requires the presence of backwards-leaning wall-normal velocity perturbations as initial condition, but the linear theory fails to clarify how these perturbations are formed. We investigate the latter in a time-resolved wavelet-filtered turbulent channel database, which allows us to assign an amplitude and an inclination angle to a flow region of selected size. This yields regions that match the dynamics of linear Orr for short times. We find that a short streamwise velocity (u) perturbation (i.e. a streak meander) consistently appears before the burst, but disappears before the burst reaches its maximum amplitude. Lift-up then generates a longer streamwise velocity perturbation. The initial streamwise velocity is also found to be backwards-leaning, contrary to the averaged energy-containing scales, which are known to be tilted forward. Funded by the ERC COTURB project.

Parameter spaces for linear and nonlinear whistler-mode waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, Danny; Tang, Rongxin; Omura, Yoshiharu; Lee, Dong-Hun

2013-01-01

We examine the growth of magnetospheric whistler-mode waves which comprises a linear growth phase followed by a nonlinear growth phase. We construct time-profiles for the wave amplitude that smoothly match at the transition between linear and nonlinear wave growth. This matching procedure can only take place over a limited “matching region” in (N h /N 0 ,A T )-space, where A T is the electron thermal anisotropy, N h is the hot (energetic) electron number density, and N 0 is the cold (background) electron number density. We construct this matching region and determine how the matching wave amplitude varies throughout the region. Further, we specify a boundary in (N h /N 0 ,A T )-space that separates a region where only linear chorus wave growth can occur from the region in which fully nonlinear chorus growth is possible. We expect that this boundary should prove of practical use in performing computationally expensive full-scale particle simulations, and in interpreting experimental wave data

Cell biological effects of total body irradiation on growth and differentiation of acute myelogenous leukemia cells compared to normal bone marrow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greenberger, J S; Weichselbaum, R R; Botnick, L E; Sakakeeny, M; Moloney, W C

1979-01-01

Radiation therapy is used as total body treatment in preparation of the acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patient for bone marrow transplantation. Many AML patients will have residual leukemia cells at the time of total body irradiation (TBI). In the present study, the effect of TBI on leukemic myeloid cells was compared to the effect on normal marrow granulocytic stem cells (CFUc) in vitro. Little difference from that of normal CFUc was found in the radiosensitivity of two mouse myeloid leukemia cell lines. The effect of TBI on growth of WEHI-3 or J774 cells in millipore diffusion chambers was stimulatory. These AML cell lines as well as others derived from Friend or Abelson virus infected in vitro long term mouse marrow cultures showed some morphologic differentiation by 7 days growth in diffusion chambers in irradiated heterologous rat hosts, but immature cells predominated by day 21. Thus, evidence in murine models of AML indicates that residual AML cells surviving chemotherapy will show no greater susceptibility to radiation killing compared to normal stem cells and will rapidly repopulate the irradiated host.

Does priming with sex steroids improve the diagnosis of normal growth hormone secretion in short children?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashraf Soliman

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: There is still controversy for priming with sex steroid before growth hormone (GH testing. Objective: We studied GH response to stimulation in 92 children >9 years with idiopathic short stature (height standard deviation score [HtSDS]-2. They were divided randomly into two groups. Children in Group 1 (n = 50 were primed with premarin in girls and testosterone in boys and those in Group 2 were not primed (n = 42. All children were tested using standard clonidine test and their serum insulin-like growth factor-I concentration (IGF-I. Additionally the growth and GH-IGF-I data of the two groups of children were compared with those for 32 short children (HtSDS 9 years. The peak GH response to clonidine provocation test did not differ before (n = 42 versus after 9 years (n = 32 of age. Conclusions: In this randomized study priming with sex steroids before GH testing did not significantly increase the yield of diagnosing short patients with normal GH secretion. In addition, GH response to provocation did not vary significantly between young (9 years short children.

Normalized modes at selected points without normalization

Science.gov (United States)

Kausel, Eduardo

2018-04-01

As every textbook on linear algebra demonstrates, the eigenvectors for the general eigenvalue problem | K - λM | = 0 involving two real, symmetric, positive definite matrices K , M satisfy some well-defined orthogonality conditions. Equally well-known is the fact that those eigenvectors can be normalized so that their modal mass μ =ϕT Mϕ is unity: it suffices to divide each unscaled mode by the square root of the modal mass. Thus, the normalization is the result of an explicit calculation applied to the modes after they were obtained by some means. However, we show herein that the normalized modes are not merely convenient forms of scaling, but that they are actually intrinsic properties of the pair of matrices K , M, that is, the matrices already "know" about normalization even before the modes have been obtained. This means that we can obtain individual components of the normalized modes directly from the eigenvalue problem, and without needing to obtain either all of the modes or for that matter, any one complete mode. These results are achieved by means of the residue theorem of operational calculus, a finding that is rather remarkable inasmuch as the residues themselves do not make use of any orthogonality conditions or normalization in the first place. It appears that this obscure property connecting the general eigenvalue problem of modal analysis with the residue theorem of operational calculus may have been overlooked up until now, but which has in turn interesting theoretical implications.Á

Fatty acid profile of maternal and fetal erythrocytes and placental expression of fatty acid transport proteins in normal and intrauterine growth restriction pregnancies.

Science.gov (United States)

Assumpção, Renata P; Mucci, Daniela B; Fonseca, Fernanda C P; Marcondes, Henrique; Sardinha, Fátima L C; Citelli, Marta; Tavares do Carmo, Maria G

2017-10-01

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), mainly docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic acids (AA), are critical for adequate fetal growth and development. We investigated mRNA expression of proteins involved in hydrolysis, uptake and/or transport of fatty acids in placenta of fifteen full term normal pregnancies and eleven pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with normal umbilical blood flows. The mRNA expression of LPL, FATPs (-1, -2 and -4) and FABPs (-1 and -3) was increased in IUGR placentas, however, tissue profile of LC-PUFA was not different between groups. Erythrocytes from both mothers and fetuses of the IUGR group showed lower concentrations of AA and DHA and inferior DHA/ALA ratio compared to normal pregnancies (P < 0.05). We hypothesize that reduced circulating levels of AA and DHA could up-regulate mRNA expression of placental fatty acids transporters, as a compensatory mechanism, however this failed to sustain normal LC-PUFA supply to the fetus in IUGR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth and development of male "little" mice assessed with Parks' theory of feeding and growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Puche, Rodolfo C; Alloatti, Rosa; Chapo, Gustavo

2002-01-01

This work was designed to characterize the appetite kinetics and growth of male C57BL/6J (lit) mice. Those variables were assessed with Parks' function of ad libitum feeding and growth. Heterozygous mice (lit/+) attained their mature weight at 12-15 weeks of age, peak growth rate (3.5 g/week) at 5 weeks and displayed the normal decay of food conversion efficiency as a function of age. The homozygous genotype has a chronic defect in the synthesis and secretion of growth hormone (GH). Homozygous mice could not be assessed with Park's function. From the 4th to the 15th week of age, body weight increased linearly and exhibited constant food conversion efficiency. Food intake of both genotypes was commensurate with their body weights. Lit/lit mice became progressively obese. At 40 weeks of age, body fat of lit/lit mice was fivefold that of lit/+ and their body weight was similar to their heterozygous controls. The chronic deficiency of growth hormone produced a lower bone mass (compared to heterozygous controls). Bone mass of both genotypes attained maturity at 12-15 weeks with a maximum growth rate at 5 weeks. Body weight and bone mass grow harmoniously in lit/+ but not in lit/lit mice.

EG-VEGF controls placental growth and survival in normal and pathological pregnancies: case of fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Science.gov (United States)

Brouillet, S; Murthi, P; Hoffmann, P; Salomon, A; Sergent, F; De Mazancourt, P; Dakouane-Giudicelli, M; Dieudonné, M N; Rozenberg, P; Vaiman, D; Barbaux, S; Benharouga, M; Feige, J-J; Alfaidy, N

2013-02-01

Identifiable causes of fetal growth restriction (FGR) account for 30 % of cases, but the remainders are idiopathic and are frequently associated with placental dysfunction. We have shown that the angiogenic factor endocrine gland-derived VEGF (EG-VEGF) and its receptors, prokineticin receptor 1 (PROKR1) and 2, (1) are abundantly expressed in human placenta, (2) are up-regulated by hypoxia, (3) control trophoblast invasion, and that EG-VEGF circulating levels are the highest during the first trimester of pregnancy, the period of important placental growth. These findings suggest that EG-VEGF/PROKR1 and 2 might be involved in normal and FGR placental development. To test this hypothesis, we used placental explants, primary trophoblast cultures, and placental and serum samples collected from FGR and age-matched control women. Our results show that (1) EG-VEGF increases trophoblast proliferation ([(3)H]-thymidine incorporation and Ki67-staining) via the homeobox-gene, HLX (2) the proliferative effect involves PROKR1 but not PROKR2, (3) EG-VEGF does not affect syncytium formation (measurement of syncytin 1 and 2 and β hCG production) (4) EG-VEGF increases the vascularization of the placental villi and insures their survival, (5) EG-VEGF, PROKR1, and PROKR2 mRNA and protein levels are significantly elevated in FGR placentas, and (6) EG-VEGF circulating levels are significantly higher in FGR patients. Altogether, our results identify EG-VEGF as a new placental growth factor acting during the first trimester of pregnancy, established its mechanism of action, and provide evidence for its deregulation in FGR. We propose that EG-VEGF/PROKR1 and 2 increases occur in FGR as a compensatory mechanism to insure proper pregnancy progress.

Galectin-1 Inhibitor OTX008 Induces Tumor Vessel Normalization and Tumor Growth Inhibition in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Koonce, Nathan A; Griffin, Robert J; Dings, Ruud P M

2017-12-09

Galectin-1 is a hypoxia-regulated protein and a prognostic marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Here we assessed the ability of non-peptidic galectin-1 inhibitor OTX008 to improve tumor oxygenation levels via tumor vessel normalization as well as tumor growth inhibition in two human HNSCC tumor models, the human laryngeal squamous carcinoma SQ20B and the human epithelial type 2 HEp-2. Tumor-bearing mice were treated with OTX008, Anginex, or Avastin and oxygen levels were determined by fiber-optics and molecular marker pimonidazole binding. Immuno-fluorescence was used to determine vessel normalization status. Continued OTX008 treatment caused a transient reoxygenation in SQ20B tumors peaking on day 14, while a steady increase in tumor oxygenation was observed over 21 days in the HEp-2 model. A >50% decrease in immunohistochemical staining for tumor hypoxia verified the oxygenation data measured using a partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) probe. Additionally, OTX008 induced tumor vessel normalization as tumor pericyte coverage increased by approximately 40% without inducing any toxicity. Moreover, OTX008 inhibited tumor growth as effectively as Anginex and Avastin, except in the HEp-2 model where Avastin was found to suspend tumor growth. Galectin-1 inhibitor OTX008 transiently increased overall tumor oxygenation via vessel normalization to various degrees in both HNSCC models. These findings suggest that targeting galectin-1-e.g., by OTX008-may be an effective approach to treat cancer patients as stand-alone therapy or in combination with other standards of care.

Analysing the mechanical performance and growth adaptation of Norway spruce using a non-linear finite-element model and experimental data.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundström, T; Jonas, T; Volkwein, A

2008-01-01

Thirteen Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] trees of different size, age, and social status, and grown under varying conditions, were investigated to see how they react to complex natural static loading under summer and winter conditions, and how they have adapted their growth to such combinations of load and tree state. For this purpose a non-linear finite-element model and an extensive experimental data set were used, as well as a new formulation describing the degree to which the exploitation of the bending stress capacity is uniform. The three main findings were: material and geometric non-linearities play important roles when analysing tree deflections and critical loads; the strengths of the stem and the anchorage mutually adapt to the local wind acting on the tree crown in the forest canopy; and the radial stem growth follows a mechanically high-performance path because it adapts to prevailing as well as acute seasonal combinations of the tree state (e.g. frozen or unfrozen stem and anchorage) and load (e.g. wind and vertical and lateral snow pressure). Young trees appeared to adapt to such combinations in a more differentiated way than older trees. In conclusion, the mechanical performance of the Norway spruce studied was mostly very high, indicating that their overall growth had been clearly influenced by the external site- and tree-specific mechanical stress.

Intergenerational influences on child growth and undernutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Martorell, Reynaldo; Zongrone, Amanda

2012-07-01

Intergenerational effects on linear growth are well documented. Several generations are necessary in animal models to 'wash out' effects of undernutrition, consistent with the unfolding of the secular trend in height in Europe and North America. Birthweight is correlated across generations and short maternal stature, which reflects intrauterine and infant growth failure, is associated with low birthweight, child stunting, delivery complications and increased child mortality, even after adjusting for socio-economic status. A nutrition intervention in Guatemala reduced childhood stunting; it also improved growth of the next generation, but only in the offspring of girls. Possible mechanisms explaining intergenerational effects on linear growth are not mutually exclusive and include, among others, shared genetic characteristics, epigenetic effects, programming of metabolic changes, and the mechanics of a reduced space for the fetus to grow. There are also socio-cultural factors at play that are important such as the intergenerational transmission of poverty and the fear of birthing a large baby, which leads to 'eating down' during pregnancy. It is not clear whether there is an upper limit for impact on intrauterine and infant linear growth that programmes in developing countries could achieve that is set by early childhood malnutrition in the mother. Substantial improvements in linear growth can be achieved through adoption and migration, and in a few selected countries, following rapid economic and social development. It would seem, despite clear documentation of intergenerational effects, that nearly normal lengths can be achieved in children born to mothers who were malnourished in childhood when profound improvements in health, nutrition and the environment take place before conception. To achieve similar levels of impact through public health programmes alone in poor countries is highly unlikely. The reality in poor countries limits the scope, quality and

Apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukaemia: normal responses by progenitor cells to growth factor deprivation, X-irradiation and glucocorticoids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amos, T.A.S.; Lewis, J.L.; Grand, F.H.; Gooding, R.P.; Goldman, J.M.; Gordon, M.Y. [Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London (United Kingdom)

1995-10-01

Inhibition of apoptosis (genetically programmed active cell death) by p210 BCR-ABL expression is a mechanism that might contribute to clonal expansion in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Since cell death following exposure to ionizing radiation and many chemotherapeutic agents can occur by the apoptotic pathway, inhibition of apoptosis would be expected to confer a relative resistance to these treatments. Similarly, cells deprived of growth factors in vitro die by apoptosis, and inhibition of apoptosis would therefore be expected to allow cells to survive better in growth factor-deprived conditions. We found that the survival of normal and CML myeloid progenitors was the same after in vitro incubation in deprived conditions and after treatment with X-irradiation or glucocorticoids. We also found that mature cells in colonies produced by CML progenitors (CFU-GM) did not survive better than those produced by normal progenitor cells. Flow cytometric analysis of propidium iodide-stained cells provided a direct indication that the degree of apoptosis may correspond to the degree of deprivation. These results suggest that inhibition of apoptosis may not be the primary mechanism whereby BCR-ABL influences the expansion of the malignant clone in CML. (Author).

Apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukaemia: normal responses by progenitor cells to growth factor deprivation, X-irradiation and glucocorticoids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amos, T.A.S.; Lewis, J.L.; Grand, F.H.; Gooding, R.P.; Goldman, J.M.; Gordon, M.Y.

1995-01-01

Inhibition of apoptosis (genetically programmed active cell death) by p210 BCR-ABL expression is a mechanism that might contribute to clonal expansion in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Since cell death following exposure to ionizing radiation and many chemotherapeutic agents can occur by the apoptotic pathway, inhibition of apoptosis would be expected to confer a relative resistance to these treatments. Similarly, cells deprived of growth factors in vitro die by apoptosis, and inhibition of apoptosis would therefore be expected to allow cells to survive better in growth factor-deprived conditions. We found that the survival of normal and CML myeloid progenitors was the same after in vitro incubation in deprived conditions and after treatment with X-irradiation or glucocorticoids. We also found that mature cells in colonies produced by CML progenitors (CFU-GM) did not survive better than those produced by normal progenitor cells. Flow cytometric analysis of propidium iodide-stained cells provided a direct indication that the degree of apoptosis may correspond to the degree of deprivation. These results suggest that inhibition of apoptosis may not be the primary mechanism whereby BCR-ABL influences the expansion of the malignant clone in CML. (Author)

Obese adults with primary growth hormone resistance (Laron Syndrome) have normal endothelial function.

Science.gov (United States)

Shechter, M; Ginsberg, S; Scheinowitz, M; Feinberg, M S; Laron, Z

2007-04-01

Classic Laron Syndrome (LS) is a recessive disease of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) deficiency and primary growth hormone insensitivity, clinically characterized by dwarfism and marked obesity. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of long-term IGF-I deficiency on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in 11 non-IGF-I-treated LS adults with long-term IGF-I deficiency who on stress echocardiography were found to have reduced cardiac dimensions and output, but normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction at rest and LV contractile reserve following stress. Following an overnight fast we assessed percent improvement in endothelium-dependent FMD (%FMD) and endothelium-independent nitroglycerin (%NTG)-mediated vasodilation non-invasively in the brachial artery, using high resolution ultrasound in 11 non-treated adult patients with LS without known coronary artery disease, and compared them to 11 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All subjects underwent symptom-limited exercise testing (Bruce protocol). LS patients had a significantly higher body mass index (29+/-6 vs. 25+/-2 kg/m(2), p=0.04), lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (142+/-28 vs. 176+/-12 mg/dl, p=0.03) and a smaller mean brachial artery diameter (4.63+/-0.72 vs. 5.70+/-1.06 mm, p=0.01) compared to controls. However, brachial artery %FMD and %NTG were not significantly different between the LS patients and controls (13.1+/-6.2% vs. 15.4+/-5.2%, p=0.28 and 22.3+/-6.0% vs. 18.9+/-6.2%, p=0.30; respectively). Cardiac performance, assessed by exercise duration time and metabolic equivalents (METs), was significantly greater in control subjects than in LS patients (10.3+/-2.0 vs. 6.0+/-1.4 min, p<0.01 and 10.2+/-2.0 vs. 7.2+/-1.4 METs, p<0.01; respectively). FMD was found to be within normal limits in non-IGF-I-treated adult patients with LS, despite congenital absence of IGF-I and obesity.

Delayed growth

Science.gov (United States)

... Slow rate of growth; Retarded growth and development; Growth delay Images Toddler development References Cooke DW, Divall SA, Radovick S. Normal and aberrant growth in children. In: Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, ...

An H-module linear actuator for medical equipment applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Xiao; Wu, Keyuan; ye, yunyue

2012-01-01

An H-module linear actuator (HMLA) is proposed in this paper for medical equipment applications. Compared to the existing linear actuators used in medical equipment, the proposed H-module linear actuator has much lower normal force, which makes use of an additional air-suspension system unnecessary...

The Theory of Linear Prediction

CERN Document Server

Vaidyanathan, PP

2007-01-01

Linear prediction theory has had a profound impact in the field of digital signal processing. Although the theory dates back to the early 1940s, its influence can still be seen in applications today. The theory is based on very elegant mathematics and leads to many beautiful insights into statistical signal processing. Although prediction is only a part of the more general topics of linear estimation, filtering, and smoothing, this book focuses on linear prediction. This has enabled detailed discussion of a number of issues that are normally not found in texts. For example, the theory of vecto

Assessing non-linear variation of temperature and precipitation for different growth periods of maize and their impacts on phenology in the Midwest of Jilin Province, China

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Enliang; Zhang, Jiquan; Wang, Yongfang; Alu, Si; Wang, Rui; Li, Danjun; Ha, Si

2018-05-01

In the past two decades, the regional climate in China has undergone significant change, resulting in crop yield reduction and complete failure. The goal of this study is to detect the variation of temperature and precipitation for different growth periods of maize and assess their impact on phenology. The daily meteorological data in the Midwest of Jilin Province during 1960-2014 were used in the study. The ensemble empirical mode decomposition method was adopted to analyze the non-linear trend and fluctuation in temperature and precipitation, and the sensitivity of the length of the maize growth period to temperature and precipitation was analyzed by the wavelet cross-transformation method. The results show that the trends of temperature and precipitation change are non-linear for different growth periods of maize, and the average temperature in the sowing-jointing stage was different from that in the other growth stages, showing a slight decrease trend, while the variation amplitude of maximum temperature is smaller than that of the minimum temperature. This indicates that the temperature difference between day and night shows a gradually decreasing trend. Precipitation in the growth period also showed a decreasing non-linear trend, while the inter-annual variability with period of quasi-3-year and quasi-6-year dominated the variation of temperature and precipitation. The whole growth period was shortened by 10.7 days, and the sowing date was advanced by approximately 11 days. We also found that there was a significant resonance period among temperature, precipitation, and phenology. Overall, a negative correlation between phenology and temperature is evident, while a positive correlation with precipitation is exhibited. The results illustrate that the climate suitability for maize has reduced over the past decades.

Developmental axon stretch stimulates neuron growth while maintaining normal electrical activity, intracellular calcium flux, and somatic morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Loverde, Joseph R; Pfister, Bryan J

2015-01-01

Elongation of nerve fibers intuitively occurs throughout mammalian development, and is synchronized with expansion of the growing body. While most tissue systems enlarge through mitosis and differentiation, elongation of nerve fibers is remarkably unique. The emerging paradigm suggests that axons undergo stretch as contiguous tissues enlarge between the proximal and distal segments of spanning nerve fibers. While stretch is distinct from growth, tension is a known stimulus which regulates the growth of axons. Here, we hypothesized that the axon stretch-growth process may be a natural form of injury, whereby regenerative processes fortify elongating axons in order to prevent disconnection. Harnessing the live imaging capability of our axon stretch-growth bioreactors, we assessed neurons both during and following stretch for biomarkers associated with injury. Utilizing whole-cell patch clamp recording, we found no evidence of changes in spontaneous action potential activity or degradation of elicited action potentials during real-time axon stretch at strains of up to 18% applied over 5 min. Unlike traumatic axonal injury, functional calcium imaging of the soma revealed no shifts in free intracellular calcium during axon stretch. Finally, the cross-sectional areas of nuclei and cytoplasms were normal, with no evidence of chromatolysis following week-long stretch-growth limited to the lower of 25% strain or 3 mm total daily stretch. The neuronal growth cascade coupled to stretch was concluded to be independent of the changes in membrane potential, action potential generation, or calcium flux associated with traumatic injury. While axon stretch-growth is likely to share overlap with regenerative processes, we conclude that developmental stretch is a distinct stimulus from traumatic axon injury.

Developmental Axon Stretch Stimulates Neuron Growth While Maintaining Normal Electrical Activity, Intracellular Calcium Flux, and Somatic Morphology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph R Loverde

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Elongation of nerve fibers intuitively occurs throughout mammalian development, and is synchronized with expansion of the growing body. While most tissue systems enlarge through mitosis and differentiation, elongation of nerve fibers is remarkably unique. The emerging paradigm suggests that axons undergo stretch as contiguous tissues enlarge between the proximal and distal segments of spanning nerve fibers. While stretch is distinct from growth, tension is a known stimulus which regulates the growth of axons. Here, we hypothesized that the axon stretch-growth process may be a natural form of injury, whereby regenerative processes fortify elongating axons in order to prevent disconnection. Harnessing the live imaging capability of our axon stretch-growth bioreactors, we assessed neurons both during and following stretch for biomarkers associated with injury. Utilizing whole-cell patch clamp recording, we found no evidence of changes in spontaneous action potential activity or degradation of elicited action potentials during real-time axon stretch at strains of up to 18 % applied over 5 minutes. Unlike traumatic axonal injury, functional calcium imaging of the soma revealed no shifts in free intracellular calcium during axon stretch. Finally, the cross-sectional areas of nuclei and cytoplasms were normal, with no evidence of chromatolysis following week-long stretch-growth limited to the lower of 25 % strain or 3 mm total daily stretch. The neuronal growth cascade coupled to stretch was concluded to be independent of the changes in membrane potential, action potential generation, or calcium flux associated with traumatic injury. While axon stretch-growth is likely to share overlap with regenerative processes, we conclude that developmental stretch is a distinct stimulus from traumatic axon injury.

Electric field stimulated growth of Zn whiskers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niraula, D.; McCulloch, J.; Irving, R.; Karpov, V. G. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Warrell, G. R.; Shvydka, Diana, E-mail: diana.shvydka@utoledo.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Toledo, Ohio 43614 (United States)

2016-07-15

We have investigated the impact of strong (∼10{sup 4} V/cm) electric fields on the development of Zn whiskers. The original samples, with considerable whisker infestation were cut from Zn-coated steel floors and then exposed to electric fields stresses for 10-20 hours at room temperature. We used various electric field sources, from charges accumulated in samples irradiated by: (1) the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope (SEM), (2) the electron beam of a medical linear accelerator, and (3) the ion beam of a linear accelerator; we also used (4) the electric field produced by a Van der Graaf generator. In all cases, the exposed samples exhibited a considerable (tens of percent) increase in whiskers concentration compared to the control sample. The acceleration factor defined as the ratio of the measured whisker growth rate over that in zero field, was estimated to approach several hundred. The statistics of lengths of e-beam induced whiskers was found to follow the log-normal distribution known previously for metal whiskers. The observed accelerated whisker growth is attributed to electrostatic effects. These results offer promise for establishing whisker-related accelerated life testing protocols.

Electric field stimulated growth of Zn whiskers

Science.gov (United States)

Niraula, D.; McCulloch, J.; Warrell, G. R.; Irving, R.; Karpov, V. G.; Shvydka, Diana

2016-07-01

We have investigated the impact of strong (˜104 V/cm) electric fields on the development of Zn whiskers. The original samples, with considerable whisker infestation were cut from Zn-coated steel floors and then exposed to electric fields stresses for 10-20 hours at room temperature. We used various electric field sources, from charges accumulated in samples irradiated by: (1) the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope (SEM), (2) the electron beam of a medical linear accelerator, and (3) the ion beam of a linear accelerator; we also used (4) the electric field produced by a Van der Graaf generator. In all cases, the exposed samples exhibited a considerable (tens of percent) increase in whiskers concentration compared to the control sample. The acceleration factor defined as the ratio of the measured whisker growth rate over that in zero field, was estimated to approach several hundred. The statistics of lengths of e-beam induced whiskers was found to follow the log-normal distribution known previously for metal whiskers. The observed accelerated whisker growth is attributed to electrostatic effects. These results offer promise for establishing whisker-related accelerated life testing protocols.

Linear and nonlinear causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in China: New evidence based on wavelet analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

The energy-growth nexus has important policy implications for economic development. The results from many past studies that investigated the causality direction of this nexus can lead to misleading policy guidance. Using data on China from 1953 to 2013, this study shows that an application of causality test on the time series of energy consumption and national output has masked a lot of information. The Toda-Yamamoto test with bootstrapped critical values and the newly proposed non-linear causality test reveal no causal relationship. However, a further application of these tests using series in different time-frequency domain obtained from wavelet decomposition indicates that while energy consumption Granger causes economic growth in the short run, the reverse is true in the medium term. A bidirectional causal relationship is found for the long run. This approach has proven to be superior in unveiling information on the energy-growth nexus that are useful for policy planning over different time horizons. PMID:29782534

[Peculiarities of linear growth of the melanin-containing fungi Cladosporium sphaerospermum Penz. and Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler].

Science.gov (United States)

Vember, V V; Zhdanova, N N

2001-01-01

Results on determination of radial (linear) growth rate of melanin-containing fungi Cladosporium sphaerospermum Penz. and Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler concerning place of their isolation and ecologic peculiarities are presented in the paper. Essential differences, as to all studied indices of the strains of C. sphaerospermum strains, isolated from premices of the ChNPP 4th unit from the control strains of this species have been established. Only strain 34 of C. sphaerospermum, isolated from the cable driving region of the "Shelter" object, which did not differ from the control strains as to all the studied indices, made the exception. The radial growth rate was 2-4 times as low and variability amplitude 10-30 times as high in strains 60 and 5-1 of C. sphaerospermum, (which suffered high radiation load), as in the control strains of this species. The radial growth rate of C. sphaerospermum studied strains was an order lower as a whole than that of A. alternata strains. All the above said evidence for implementation of K-type vital strategy by C. sphaerospermum species and in this connection one can suppose its active growth on the surface of walls and ferroconcrete structures of the ChNPP 4th unit. Absence of differences, as to the studied radial growth indices, between A. alternata strains isolated from the ChNPP 4th unit premices and control strains of the species can evidence for the existence of A. alternata species under the conditions of high radioactivity in the surviving state.

Type I error rates of rare single nucleotide variants are inflated in tests of association with non-normally distributed traits using simple linear regression methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwantes-An, Tae-Hwi; Sung, Heejong; Sabourin, Jeremy A; Justice, Cristina M; Sorant, Alexa J M; Wilson, Alexander F

2016-01-01

In this study, the effects of (a) the minor allele frequency of the single nucleotide variant (SNV), (b) the degree of departure from normality of the trait, and (c) the position of the SNVs on type I error rates were investigated in the Genetic Analysis Workshop (GAW) 19 whole exome sequence data. To test the distribution of the type I error rate, 5 simulated traits were considered: standard normal and gamma distributed traits; 2 transformed versions of the gamma trait (log 10 and rank-based inverse normal transformations); and trait Q1 provided by GAW 19. Each trait was tested with 313,340 SNVs. Tests of association were performed with simple linear regression and average type I error rates were determined for minor allele frequency classes. Rare SNVs (minor allele frequency < 0.05) showed inflated type I error rates for non-normally distributed traits that increased as the minor allele frequency decreased. The inflation of average type I error rates increased as the significance threshold decreased. Normally distributed traits did not show inflated type I error rates with respect to the minor allele frequency for rare SNVs. There was no consistent effect of transformation on the uniformity of the distribution of the location of SNVs with a type I error.

Cephalometric study of facial growth in children after combined pushback and pharyngeal flap operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearl, R M; Kaplan, E N

1976-04-01

Linear and angular cephalometric measurements of children who had had combined palatal pushbacks and superiorly-based pharyngeal flaps do not show later growth retardation of the face. There was an inherent tendency for children with overt clefts of the secondary palate, classic submucous clefts, or occult submucous clefts to demonstrate pre-operatively a narrow SNA and SNB--but the difference between these angles (ANB) was normal.

Acoustic emission linear pulse holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collins, H.D.; Busse, L.J.; Lemon, D.K.

1983-01-01

This paper describes the emission linear pulse holography which produces a chronological linear holographic image of a flaw by utilizing the acoustic energy emitted during crack growth. A thirty two point sampling array is used to construct phase-only linear holograms of simulated acoustic emission sources on large metal plates. The concept behind the AE linear pulse holography is illustrated, and a block diagram of a data acquisition system to implement the concept is given. Array element spacing, synthetic frequency criteria, and lateral depth resolution are specified. A reference timing transducer positioned between the array and the inspection zone and which inititates the time-of-flight measurements is described. The results graphically illustrate the technique using a one-dimensional FFT computer algorithm (ie. linear backward wave) for an AE image reconstruction

Ignition-and-Growth Modeling of NASA Standard Detonator and a Linear Shaped Charge

Science.gov (United States)

Oguz, Sirri

2010-01-01

The main objective of this study is to quantitatively investigate the ignition and shock sensitivity of NASA Standard Detonator (NSD) and the shock wave propagation of a linear shaped charge (LSC) after being shocked by NSD flyer plate. This combined explosive train was modeled as a coupled Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) model with LS-DYNA hydro code. An ignition-and-growth (I&G) reactive model based on unreacted and reacted Jones-Wilkins-Lee (JWL) equations of state was used to simulate the shock initiation. Various NSD-to-LSC stand-off distances were analyzed to calculate the shock initiation (or failure to initiate) and detonation wave propagation along the shaped charge. Simulation results were verified by experimental data which included VISAR tests for NSD flyer plate velocity measurement and an aluminum target severance test for LSC performance verification. Parameters used for the analysis were obtained from various published data or by using CHEETAH thermo-chemical code.

Formalized Linear Algebra over Elementary Divisor Rings in Coq

OpenAIRE

Cano , Guillaume; Cohen , Cyril; Dénès , Maxime; Mörtberg , Anders; Siles , Vincent

2016-01-01

International audience; This paper presents a Coq formalization of linear algebra over elementary divisor rings, that is, rings where every matrix is equivalent to a matrix in Smith normal form. The main results are the formalization that these rings support essential operations of linear algebra, the classification theorem of finitely pre-sented modules over such rings and the uniqueness of the Smith normal form up to multiplication by units. We present formally verified algorithms comput-in...

Linear regression crash prediction models : issues and proposed solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-01

The paper develops a linear regression model approach that can be applied to : crash data to predict vehicle crashes. The proposed approach involves novice data aggregation : to satisfy linear regression assumptions; namely error structure normality ...

Metabolic alterations due to caloric restriction and every other day feeding in normal and growth hormone receptor knockout mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Westbrook, Reyhan; Bonkowski, Michael S; Arum, Oge; Strader, April D; Bartke, Andrzej

2014-01-01

Mutations causing decreased somatotrophic signaling are known to increase insulin sensitivity and extend life span in mammals. Caloric restriction and every other day (EOD) dietary regimens are associated with similar improvements to insulin signaling and longevity in normal mice; however, these interventions fail to increase insulin sensitivity or life span in growth hormone receptor knockout (GHRKO) mice. To investigate the interactions of the GHRKO mutation with caloric restriction and EOD dietary interventions, we measured changes in the metabolic parameters oxygen consumption (VO2) and respiratory quotient produced by either long-term caloric restriction or EOD in male GHRKO and normal mice. GHRKO mice had increased VO2, which was unaltered by diet. In normal mice, EOD diet caused a significant reduction in VO2 compared with ad libitum (AL) mice during fed and fasted conditions. In normal mice, caloric restriction increased both the range of VO2 and the difference in minimum VO2 between fed and fasted states, whereas EOD diet caused a relatively static VO2 pattern under fed and fasted states. No diet significantly altered the range of VO2 of GHRKO mice under fed conditions. This provides further evidence that longevity-conferring diets cause major metabolic changes in normal mice, but not in GHRKO mice.

A Non-Gaussian Spatial Generalized Linear Latent Variable Model

KAUST Repository

Irincheeva, Irina; Cantoni, Eva; Genton, Marc G.

2012-01-01

We consider a spatial generalized linear latent variable model with and without normality distributional assumption on the latent variables. When the latent variables are assumed to be multivariate normal, we apply a Laplace approximation. To relax the assumption of marginal normality in favor of a mixture of normals, we construct a multivariate density with Gaussian spatial dependence and given multivariate margins. We use the pairwise likelihood to estimate the corresponding spatial generalized linear latent variable model. The properties of the resulting estimators are explored by simulations. In the analysis of an air pollution data set the proposed methodology uncovers weather conditions to be a more important source of variability than air pollution in explaining all the causes of non-accidental mortality excluding accidents. © 2012 International Biometric Society.

A Non-Gaussian Spatial Generalized Linear Latent Variable Model

KAUST Repository

Irincheeva, Irina

2012-08-03

We consider a spatial generalized linear latent variable model with and without normality distributional assumption on the latent variables. When the latent variables are assumed to be multivariate normal, we apply a Laplace approximation. To relax the assumption of marginal normality in favor of a mixture of normals, we construct a multivariate density with Gaussian spatial dependence and given multivariate margins. We use the pairwise likelihood to estimate the corresponding spatial generalized linear latent variable model. The properties of the resulting estimators are explored by simulations. In the analysis of an air pollution data set the proposed methodology uncovers weather conditions to be a more important source of variability than air pollution in explaining all the causes of non-accidental mortality excluding accidents. © 2012 International Biometric Society.

Radiotherapy treatment planning linear-quadratic radiobiology

CERN Document Server

Chapman, J Donald

2015-01-01

Understand Quantitative Radiobiology from a Radiation Biophysics PerspectiveIn the field of radiobiology, the linear-quadratic (LQ) equation has become the standard for defining radiation-induced cell killing. Radiotherapy Treatment Planning: Linear-Quadratic Radiobiology describes tumor cell inactivation from a radiation physics perspective and offers appropriate LQ parameters for modeling tumor and normal tissue responses.Explore the Latest Cell Killing Numbers for Defining Iso-Effective Cancer TreatmentsThe book compil

Single Particle Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Y

2004-01-01

I will give a comprehensive review of existing particle tracking tools to assess long-term particle stability for small and large accelerators in the presence of realistic magnetic imperfections and machine misalignments. The emphasis will be on the tracking and analysis tools based upon the differential algebra, Lie operator, and ''polymorphism''. Using these tools, a uniform linear and non-linear analysis will be outlined as an application of the normal form

Acoustic emission linear pulse holography

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, H.D.; Busse, L.J.; Lemon, D.K.

1983-10-25

This device relates to the concept of and means for performing Acoustic Emission Linear Pulse Holography, which combines the advantages of linear holographic imaging and Acoustic Emission into a single non-destructive inspection system. This unique system produces a chronological, linear holographic image of a flaw by utilizing the acoustic energy emitted during crack growth. The innovation is the concept of utilizing the crack-generated acoustic emission energy to generate a chronological series of images of a growing crack by applying linear, pulse holographic processing to the acoustic emission data. The process is implemented by placing on a structure an array of piezoelectric sensors (typically 16 or 32 of them) near the defect location. A reference sensor is placed between the defect and the array.

Force Characteristics of the H-module Linear Actuator with Varying Tooth-shift-distance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Xiao; Chen, Zhe; Lu, Kaiyuan

2013-01-01

The large normal force of a single-sided linear actuator may cause vibration, noise and reduce the positioning accuracy. To overcome these disadvantages, a new H-module linear actuator (HMLA) is proposed to reduce effectively the normal force without using expensive air suspension system...

The application of the piecewise linear approximation to the spectral neighborhood of soil line for the analysis of the quality of normalization of remote sensing materials

Science.gov (United States)

Kulyanitsa, A. L.; Rukhovich, A. D.; Rukhovich, D. D.; Koroleva, P. V.; Rukhovich, D. I.; Simakova, M. S.

2017-04-01

The concept of soil line can be to describe the temporal distribution of spectral characteristics of the bare soil surface. In this case, the soil line can be referred to as the multi-temporal soil line, or simply temporal soil line (TSL). In order to create TSL for 8000 regular lattice points for the territory of three regions of Tula oblast, we used 34 Landsat images obtained in the period from 1985 to 2014 after their certain transformation. As Landsat images are the matrices of the values of spectral brightness, this transformation is the normalization of matrices. There are several methods of normalization that move, rotate, and scale the spectral plane. In our study, we applied the method of piecewise linear approximation to the spectral neighborhood of soil line in order to assess the quality of normalization mathematically. This approach allowed us to range normalization methods according to their quality as follows: classic normalization > successive application of the turn and shift > successive application of the atmospheric correction and shift > atmospheric correction > shift > turn > raw data. The normalized data allowed us to create the maps of the distribution of a and b coefficients of the TSL. The map of b coefficient is characterized by the high correlation with the ground-truth data obtained from 1899 soil pits described during the soil surveys performed by the local institute for land management (GIPROZEM).

Growth of meromorphic solutions of higher-order linear differential equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjuan Chen

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate the higher-order linear differential equations with meromorphic coefficients. We improve and extend a result of M.S. Liu and C.L. Yuan, by using the estimates for the logarithmic derivative of a transcendental meromorphic function due to Gundersen, and the extended Winman-Valiron theory which proved by J. Wang and H.X. Yi. In addition, we also consider the nonhomogeneous linear differential equations.

Goertler vortices in growing boundary layers: The leading edge receptivity problem, linear growth and the nonlinear breakdown stage

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Philip

1989-01-01

Goertler vortices are thought to be the cause of transition in many fluid flows of practical importance. A review of the different stages of vortex growth is given. In the linear regime, nonparallel effects completely govern this growth, and parallel flow theories do not capture the essential features of the development of the vortices. A detailed comparison between the parallel and nonparallel theories is given and it is shown that at small vortex wavelengths, the parallel flow theories have some validity; otherwise nonparallel effects are dominant. New results for the receptivity problem for Goertler vortices are given; in particular vortices induced by free stream perturbations impinging on the leading edge of the walls are considered. It is found that the most dangerous mode of this type can be isolated and it's neutral curve is determined. This curve agrees very closely with the available experimental data. A discussion of the different regimes of growth of nonlinear vortices is also given. Again it is shown that, unless the vortex wavelength is small, nonparallel effects are dominant. Some new results for nonlinear vortices of 0(1) wavelengths are given and compared to experimental observations.

Stochastic process corrosion growth models for pipeline reliability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazán, Felipe Alexander Vargas; Beck, André Teófilo

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Novel non-linear stochastic process corrosion growth model is proposed. •Corrosion rate modeled as random Poisson pulses. •Time to corrosion initiation and inherent time-variability properly represented. •Continuous corrosion growth histories obtained. •Model is shown to precisely fit actual corrosion data at two time points. -- Abstract: Linear random variable corrosion models are extensively employed in reliability analysis of pipelines. However, linear models grossly neglect well-known characteristics of the corrosion process. Herein, a non-linear model is proposed, where corrosion rate is represented as a Poisson square wave process. The resulting model represents inherent time-variability of corrosion growth, produces continuous growth and leads to mean growth at less-than-one power of time. Different corrosion models are adjusted to the same set of actual corrosion data for two inspections. The proposed non-linear random process corrosion growth model leads to the best fit to the data, while better representing problem physics

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) as a marker of cognitive decline in normal ageing: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Frater, Julanne; Lie, David; Bartlett, Perry; McGrath, John J

2018-03-01

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and its signaling pathway play a primary role in normal growth and ageing, however serum IGF-1 is known to reduce with advancing age. Recent findings suggest IGF-1 is essential for neurogenesis in the adult brain, and this reduction of IGF-1 with ageing may contribute to age-related cognitive decline. Experimental studies have shown manipulation of the GH/GF-1 axis can slow rates of cognitive decline in animals, making IGF-1 a potential biomarker of cognition, and/or its signaling pathway a possible therapeutic target to prevent or slow age-related cognitive decline. A systematic literature review and qualitative narrative summary of current evidence for IGF-1 as a biomarker of cognitive decline in the ageing brain was undertaken. Results indicate IGF-1 concentrations do not confer additional diagnostic information for those with cognitive decline, and routine clinical measurement of IGF-1 is not currently justified. In cases of established cognitive impairment, it remains unclear whether increasing circulating or brain IGF-1 may reverse or slow down the rate of further decline. Advances in neuroimaging, genetics, neuroscience and the availability of large well characterized biobanks will facilitate research exploring the role of IGF-1 in both normal ageing and age-related cognitive decline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single Particle Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cai, Y

2004-06-25

I will give a comprehensive review of existing particle tracking tools to assess long-term particle stability for small and large accelerators in the presence of realistic magnetic imperfections and machine misalignments. The emphasis will be on the tracking and analysis tools based upon the differential algebra, Lie operator, and ''polymorphism''. Using these tools, a uniform linear and non-linear analysis will be outlined as an application of the normal form.

Associations of linear growth and relative weight gain during early life with adult health and human capital in countries of low and middle income: findings from five birth cohort studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Adair, Linda S; Fall, Caroline H D; Osmond, Clive; Stein, Aryeh D; Martorell, Reynaldo; Ramirez-Zea, Manuel; Sachdev, Harshpal Singh; Dahly, Darren L; Bas, Isabelita; Norris, Shane A; Micklesfield, Lisa; Hallal, Pedro; Victora, Cesar G

2013-08-10

Fast weight gain and linear growth in children in low-income and middle-income countries are associated with enhanced survival and improved cognitive development, but might increase risk of obesity and related adult cardiometabolic diseases. We investigated how linear growth and relative weight gain during infancy and childhood are related to health and human capital outcomes in young adults. We used data from five prospective birth cohort studies from Brazil, Guatemala, India, the Philippines, and South Africa. We investigated body-mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma glucose concentration, height, years of attained schooling, and related categorical indicators of adverse outcomes in young adults. With linear and logistic regression models, we assessed how these outcomes relate to birthweight and to statistically independent measures representing linear growth and weight gain independent of linear growth (relative weight gain) in three age periods: 0-2 years, 2 years to mid-childhood, and mid-childhood to adulthood. We obtained data for 8362 participants who had at least one adult outcome of interest. A higher birthweight was consistently associated with an adult body-mass index of greater than 25 kg/m(2) (odds ratio 1·28, 95% CI 1·21-1·35) and a reduced likelihood of short adult stature (0·49, 0·44-0·54) and of not completing secondary school (0·82, 0·78-0·87). Faster linear growth was strongly associated with a reduced risk of short adult stature (age 2 years: 0·23, 0·20-0·52; mid-childhood: 0·39, 0·36-0·43) and of not completing secondary school (age 2 years: 0·74, 0·67-0·78; mid-childhood: 0·87, 0·83-0·92), but did raise the likelihood of overweight (age 2 years: 1·24, 1·17-1·31; mid-childhood: 1·12, 1·06-1·18) and elevated blood pressure (age 2 years: 1·12, 1·06-1·19; mid-childhood: 1·07, 1·01-1·13). Faster relative weight gain was associated with an increased risk of adult overweight (age 2 years: 1·51

Linear relations between leaf mass per area (LMA) and seasonal climate discovered through Linear Manifold Clustering (LMC)

Science.gov (United States)

Kiang, N. Y.; Haralick, R. M.; Diky, A.; Kattge, J.; Su, X.

2016-12-01

Leaf mass per area (LMA) is a critical variable in plant carbon allocation, correlates with leaf activity traits (photosynthetic activity, respiration), and is a controller of litterfall mass and hence carbon substrate for soil biogeochemistry. Recent advances in understanding the leaf economics spectrum (LES) show that LMA has a strong correlation with leaf life span, a trait that reflects ecological strategy, whereas physiological traits that control leaf activity scale with each other when mass-normalized (Osnas et al., 2013). These functional relations help reduce the number of independent variables in quantifying leaf traits. However, LMA is an independent variable that remains a challenge to specify in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs), when vegetation types are classified into a limited number of plant functional types (PFTs) without clear mechanistic drivers for LMA. LMA can range orders of magnitude across plant species, as well as vary within a single plant, both vertically and seasonally. As climate relations in combination with alternative ecological strategies have yet to be well identified for LMA, we have assembled 22,000 records of LMA spanning 0.004 - 33 mg/m2 from the numerous contributors to the TRY database (Kattge et al., 2011), with observations distributed over several climate zones and plant functional categories (growth form, leaf type, phenology). We present linear relations between LMA and climate variables, including seasonal temperature, precipitation, and radiation, as derived through Linear Manifold Clustering (LMC). LMC is a stochastic search technique for identifying linear dependencies between variables in high dimensional space. We identify a set of parsimonious classes of LMA-climate groups based on a metric of minimum description to identify structure in the data set, akin to data compression. The relations in each group are compared to Köppen-Geiger climate classes, with some groups revealing continuous linear relations

Quasi-linear evolution of tearing modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellat, R.; Frey, M.; Tagger, M.

1983-07-01

The growth of a Tearing instability in Rutherford's nonlinear regime is investigated. Using a singular perturbation technique, lowest order Rutherford's result is recovered. To the following order it is shown that the mode generates a quasi-linear deformation of the equilibrium flux profile, whose resistive diffusion slows down the growth and shows the possibility of a saturation of the instability

Perinatal Changes of Cardiac Troponin-I in Normal and Intrauterine Growth-Restricted Pregnancies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicoletta Iacovidou

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR implies fetal hypoxia, resulting in blood flow redistribution and sparing of vital organs (brain, heart. Serum cardiac Troponin-I (cTnI, a well-established marker of myocardial ischaemia, was measured in 40 mothers prior to delivery, the doubly clamped umbilical cords (representing fetal state, and their 20 IUGR and 20 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA neonates on day 1 and 4 postpartum. At all time points, no differences in cTnI levels were observed between the AGA and IUGR groups. Strong positive correlations were documented between maternal and fetal/neonatal values (r≥.498, P≤.025 in all cases in the AGA and r≥.615, P≤.009 in all cases in the IUGR group. These results may indicate (a normal heart function, due to heart sparing, in the IUGR group (b potential crossing of the placental barrier by cTnI in both groups

Linearly polarized emission from an embedded quantum dot using nanowire morphology control.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Andrew P; Bradley, John P; Gardner, Kirsty; Krysa, Andrey B; Royall, Ben; Skolnick, Maurice S; Wilson, Luke R

2015-03-11

GaAs nanowires with elongated cross sections are formed using a catalyst-free growth technique. This is achieved by patterning elongated nanoscale openings within a silicon dioxide growth mask on a (111)B GaAs substrate. It is observed that MOVPE-grown vertical nanowires with cross section elongated in the [21̅1̅] and [1̅12] directions remain faithful to the geometry of the openings. An InGaAs quantum dot with weak radial confinement is realized within each nanowire by briefly introducing indium into the reactor during nanowire growth. Photoluminescence emission from an embedded nanowire quantum dot is strongly linearly polarized (typically >90%) with the polarization direction coincident with the axis of elongation. Linearly polarized PL emission is a result of embedding the quantum dot in an anisotropic nanowire structure that supports a single strongly confined, linearly polarized optical mode. This research provides a route to the bottom-up growth of linearly polarized single photon sources of interest for quantum information applications.

Normal forms in Poisson geometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcut, I.T.

2013-01-01

The structure of Poisson manifolds is highly nontrivial even locally. The first important result in this direction is Conn's linearization theorem around fixed points. One of the main results of this thesis (Theorem 2) is a normal form theorem in Poisson geometry, which is the Poisson-geometric

Growth and Growth hormone - Insulin Like Growth Factor -I (GH-IGF-I) Axis in Chronic Anemias.

Science.gov (United States)

Soliman, Ashraf T; De Sanctis, Vincenzo; Yassin, Mohamed; Adel, Ashraf

2017-04-28

Anaemia is a global public health problem affecting both developing and developed countries with major consequences for human health as well as social and economic development. It occurs at all stages of the life cycle, but is more prevalent in pregnant women and young children. Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) was considered to be among the most important contributing factors to the global burden of disease. Prolonged and/or chronic anemia has a negative effect on linear growth especially during the rapid phases (infancy and puberty). Additionally infants with chronic IDA have delayed cognitive, motor, and affective development that may be long-lasting. In view of the significant impact of chronic anemias on growth, pediatricians endocrinologists and hematologists should advocate primary prevention and screening for growth disturbance in these forms of anemias. The extent of the negative effect of different forms of chronic anemias on linear growth and its possible reversibilty is addressed in this review. The possible mechanisms that may impair growth in the different forms of anemias are addressed with special attention to their effect on the growth hormone (GH) - insulin like growth factor -I (IGF-I).

Non-linear trends and fluctuations in temperature during different growth stages of summer maize in the North China Plain from 1960 to 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cailin; Wu, Jidong; Wang, Xu; He, Xin; Li, Ning

2017-12-01

North China Plain has undergone severe warming trends since the 1950s, but whether this trend is the same during different growth phases for crops remains unknown. Thus, we analyzed the non-linear changes in the minimum temperature (T min ), mean temperature (T mean ) and maximum temperature (T max ) using the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition method during each growth stage of summer maize based on daily temperature data from 1960 to 2014. Our results strongly suggest that the trends and fluctuations in temperature change are non-linear. These changes can be categorized into four types of trend change according to the combinations of decreasing and increasing trends, and 8 fluctuation modes dominated by the fluctuations of expansion and shrinkage. The amplitude of the fluctuation is primarily expansion in the sowing-jointing stage and shrinkage in the jointing-maturity stage. Moreover, the temperature changes are inconsistent within each growth stage and are not consistent with the overall warming trend observed over the last 55 years. A transition period occurred in both the 1980s and the 1990s for temperatures during the sowing-tasseling stage. Furthermore, the cooling trend of the T max was significant in the sowing-emergence stage, while this cooling trend was not obvious for both T mean and T min in the jointing-tasseling stage. These results showed that temperature change was significantly different in different stages of the maize growth season. The results can serve as a scientific basis for a better understanding of the actual changes in the regional surface air temperature and agronomic heat resources.

An optimally weighted estimator of the linear power spectrum disentangling the growth of density perturbations across galaxy surveys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorini, D.

2017-01-01

Measuring the clustering of galaxies from surveys allows us to estimate the power spectrum of matter density fluctuations, thus constraining cosmological models. This requires careful modelling of observational effects to avoid misinterpretation of data. In particular, signals coming from different distances encode information from different epochs. This is known as ''light-cone effect'' and is going to have a higher impact as upcoming galaxy surveys probe larger redshift ranges. Generalising the method by Feldman, Kaiser and Peacock (1994) [1], I define a minimum-variance estimator of the linear power spectrum at a fixed time, properly taking into account the light-cone effect. An analytic expression for the estimator is provided, and that is consistent with the findings of previous works in the literature. I test the method within the context of the Halofit model, assuming Planck 2014 cosmological parameters [2]. I show that the estimator presented recovers the fiducial linear power spectrum at present time within 5% accuracy up to k ∼ 0.80 h Mpc −1 and within 10% up to k ∼ 0.94 h Mpc −1 , well into the non-linear regime of the growth of density perturbations. As such, the method could be useful in the analysis of the data from future large-scale surveys, like Euclid.

A Comparison of Alternative Estimators of Linearly Aggregated Macro Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fikri Akdeniz

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false TR X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language:TR; mso-fareast-language:TR;} This paper deals with the linear aggregation problem. For the true underlying micro relations, which explain the micro behavior of the individuals, no restrictive rank conditions are assumed. Thus the analysis is presented in a framework utilizing generalized inverses of singular matrices. We investigate several estimators for certain linear transformations of the systematic part of the corresponding macro relations. Homogeneity of micro parameters is discussed. Best linear unbiased estimation for micro parameters is described.

Retardo estatural em menores de cinco anos: um estudo "baseline" Linear growth retardation in children under five years of age: a baseline study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anete Rissin

2011-10-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Descrever a prevalência e analisar fatores associados ao retardo estatural em menores de cinco anos. MÉTODOS: Estudo "baseline", que analisou 2.040 crianças, verificando possíveis associações entre o retardo estatural (índice altura/idade The scope of this study was to describe the prevalence of, and analyze factors associated with, linear growth retardation in children. The baseline study analyzed 2040 children under the age of five, establishing a possible association between growth delay (height/age index < 2 scores Z and variables in six hierarchical blocks: socio-economic, residence, sanitary, maternal, biological and healthcare access. Multivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression with the robust standard error option, obtaining adjusted prevalence ratios with a CI of 95% and the respective significant probability values. Among non-binary variables, there was a positive association with roof type and number of inhabitants per room and a negative association with income per capita, mother's schooling and birth weight. The adjusted analysis also indicated water supply, visit from the community health agent, birth delivery location, internment for diarrhea, or for pneumonia and birth weight as significant variables. Several risk factors were identified for linear growth retardation pointing to the multi-causal aspects of the problem and highlighting the need for control measures by the various hierarchical government agents.

Hydromagnetic thin film flow: Linear stability

KAUST Repository

Amaouche, Mustapha; Ait Abderrahmane, Hamid; Bourdache, Lamia

2013-01-01

. The linear stability of the problem is investigated, and the influence of electromagnetic field on the flow stability is analyzed. Two cases are considered: the applied magnetic field is either normal or parallel to the fluid flow direction, while

Why care about linear hair growth rates (LHGR)? a study using in vivo imaging and computer assisted image analysis after manual processing (CAIAMP) in unaffected male controls and men with male pattern hair loss (MPHL).

Science.gov (United States)

Van Neste, Dominique

2014-01-01

The words "hair growth" frequently encompass many aspects other than just growth. Report on a validation method for precise non-invasive measurement of thickness together with linear hair growth rates of individual hair fibres. To verify the possible correlation between thickness and linear growth rate of scalp hair in male pattern hair loss as compared with healthy male controls. To document the process of validation of hair growth measurement from in vivo image capturing and manual processing, followed by computer assisted image analysis. We analysed 179 paired images obtained with the contrast-enhanced-phototrichogram method with exogen collection (CE-PTG-EC) in 13 healthy male controls and in 87 men with male pattern hair loss (MPHL). There was a global positive correlation between thickness and growth rate (ANOVA; phairs from controls. Finally, the growth rate recorded in the more severe patterns was significantly (ANOVA; P ≤ 0.001) reduced compared with equally thick hair from less severely affected MPHL or controls subjects. Reduced growth rate, together with thinning and shortening of the anagen phase duration in MPHL might contribute together to the global impression of decreased hair volume on the top of the head. Amongst other structural and functional parameters characterizing hair follicle regression, linear hair growth rate warrants further investigation, as it may be relevant in terms of self-perception of hair coverage, quantitative diagnosis and prognostic factor of the therapeutic response.

Measurements of Rayleigh-Taylor-Induced Magnetic Fields in the Linear and Non-linear Regimes

Science.gov (United States)

Manuel, Mario

2012-10-01

Magnetic fields are generated in plasmas by the Biermann-battery, or thermoelectric, source driven by non-collinear temperature and density gradients. The ablation front in laser-irradiated targets is susceptible to Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) growth that produces gradients capable of generating magnetic fields. Measurements of these RT-induced magnetic fields in planar foils have been made using a combination of x-ray and monoenergetic-proton radiography techniques. At a perturbation wavelength of 120 μm, proton radiographs indicate an increase of the magnetic-field strength from ˜1 to ˜10 Tesla during the linear growth phase. A characteristic change in field structure was observed later in time for irradiated foils of different initial surface perturbations. Proton radiographs show a regular cellular configuration initiated at the same time during the drive, independent of the initial foil conditions. This non-linear behavior has been experimentally investigated and the source of these characteristic features will be discussed.

Comparison of blood lead levels of mothers and cord blood in intrauterine growth retarded neonates and normal term neonates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iranpour, R.; Besharati, Amir A.; Nasseri, F.; Hashemipour, M.; Kelishadi, R.; Balali-Mood, M.

2007-01-01

Objective was to compare the blood lead levels of mothers and cord blood in intrauterine growth retarded (IUGR) neonates and normal term neonates. From April 2005, we carried out a cross-sectional, prospective study in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Blood lead levels were measured in the umbilical cord and maternal venous blood samples in the 32 mother-infant pairs with IUGR full term neonates and 34 mother-infant pairs with normal full term neonates. Blood-lead levels were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The mean lead concentration in neonates of IUGR and normal groups was not significantly different (107.47+- 16.75 versus 113.08+-19.08 ug/L, p=0.2). The mean lead concentration in mothers of IUGR group was lower than normal groups, but this difference was not significant (124.56+-19.71 versus 135.26+-26.91 ug/L, p=0.07). Maternal lead levels were strongly related with related with cord blood in both IUGR and normal groups (r=0.8, p 100ug/L by the centers for disease control; however, this was not statistically different between the groups. Our results indicate that the mean lead level was not higher in IUGR neonates, and the whole blood lead was not related to the birth weight. In addition, maternal and cord blood lead levels were strongly correlated, and there were remarkable lead burdens on both the mothers and their neonates in this industrial area. (author)

The least weighted squares I. The asymptotic linearity of normal equations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Víšek, Jan Ámos

2002-01-01

Roč. 9, č. 15 (2002), s. 31-58 ISSN 1212-074X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KSK1019101 Grant - others:GA UK(CZ) 255/2002/A EK /FSV Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1075907 Keywords : the least weighted squares * robust regression * asymptotic normality and representation Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics

Linear Analyses of Magnetohydrodynamic Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability in Cylindrical Geometry

KAUST Repository

Bakhsh, Abeer

2018-05-13

We investigate the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) that occurs when an incident shock impulsively accelerates the interface between two different fluids. RMI is important in many technological applications such as Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and astrophysical phenomena such as supernovae. We consider RMI in the presence of the magnetic field in converging geometry through both simulations and analytical means in the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). In this thesis, we perform linear stability analyses via simulations in the cylindrical geometry, which is of relevance to ICF. In converging geometry, RMI is usually followed by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI). We show that the presence of a magnetic field suppresses the instabilities. We study the influence of the strength of the magnetic field, perturbation wavenumbers and other relevant parameters on the evolution of the RM and RT instabilities. First, we perform linear stability simulations for a single interface between two different fluids in which the magnetic field is normal to the direction of the average motion of the density interface. The suppression of the instabilities is most evident for large wavenumbers and relatively strong magnetic fields strengths. The mechanism of suppression is the transport of vorticity away from the density interface by two Alfv ́en fronts. Second, we examine the case of an azimuthal magnetic field at the density interface. The most evident suppression of the instability at the interface is for large wavenumbers and relatively strong magnetic fields strengths. After the shock interacts with the interface, the emerging vorticity breaks up into waves traveling parallel and anti-parallel to the magnetic field. The interference as these waves propagate with alternating phase causing the perturbation growth rate of the interface to oscillate in time. Finally, we propose incompressible models for MHD RMI in the presence of normal or azimuthal magnetic

Growth without growth hormone in combined pituitary hormone deficiency caused by pituitary stalk interruption syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Soo Lee

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Growth hormone (GH is an essential element for normal growth. However, reports of normal growth without GH have been made in patients who have undergone brain surgery for craniopharyngioma. Normal growth without GH can be explained by hyperinsulinemia, hyperprolactinemia, elevated leptin levels, and GH variants; however, its exact mechanism has not been elucidated yet. We diagnosed a female patient aged 13 with combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD caused by pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS. The patient has experienced recurrent hypoglycemic seizures since birth, but reached the height of 160 cm at the age of 13, showing normal growth. She grew another 8 cm for 3 years after the diagnosis, and she reached her final adult height of 168 cm which was greater than the midparental height, at the age of 16. The patient's blood GH and insulin-like growth factor-I levels were consistently subnormal, although her insulin levels were normal. Her physical examination conducted at the age of 15 showed truncal obesity, dyslipidemia, and osteoporosis, which are metabolic features of GH deficiency (GHD. Herein, we report a case in which a PSIS-induced CPHD patient attained her final height above mid parental height despite a severe GHD.

Lithographic linear motor, lithographic apparatus, and device manufacturing method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2006-01-01

A linear motor having a high driving force, high efficiency and low normal force comprises two opposed magnet tracks and an armature comprising three open coil sets. The linear motor may be used to drive a stage, such as, for example, a mask or wafer stage, in a lithographic apparatus.

Predominant role of water in regulating the tree-growth response to diurnal asymmetric warmin

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Z.; Xia, J.; Cui, E.

2017-12-01

Growth of the Northern Hemisphere trees is affected by diurnal asymmetric warming, which is generally considered to touch off carbon assimilation and increment of carbon storage. Asymmetric effects of diurnal warming on vegetation greenness were validated in previous researches, however, the effect of diurnal warming on wood tissue which stores most carbon of a whole plant is still unknown. Here, we combined ring-width index (RWI), remote sensing-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and climate datasets to detect the effects of daytime and night-time warming on vegetation growth, respectively. Our results indicate that daytime warming enhances NDVI but has neutral effect on tree woody growth over the Northern Hemisphere. Response of wood growth to daytime warming is linearly regulated by soil water availability. The underlying mechanism of different response of canopy and wood growth to daytime warming may attribute to the biomass change, that is, allocation to foliage tissues increased at the expense of wood tissue under warming and water-limited conditions. Night-time warming show neutral effects on NDVI and RWI over the Northern Hemisphere, and the neutral Tmin-NDVI correlations result from the non-linear mediation of soil water availability. Our results highlight the current greening trend under daytime warming does not mean higher carbon sink capacity, the warming-drying climate may impair the large carbon sink of global forests.

Normal Cerebellar Growth by Using Three-dimensional US in the Preterm Infant from Birth to Term-corrected Age.

Science.gov (United States)

Benavente-Fernández, Isabel; Rodríguez-Zafra, Enrique; León-Martínez, Jesús; Jiménez-Gómez, Gema; Ruiz-González, Estefanía; Fernández-Colina, Rosalía Campuzano; Lechuga-Sancho, Alfonso M; Lubián-López, Simón P

2018-04-03

Purpose To establish cross-sectional and longitudinal reference values for cerebellar size in preterm infants with normal neuroimaging findings and normal 2-year neurodevelopmental outcome by using cranial ultrasonography (US). Materials and Methods This prospective study consecutively enrolled preterm infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit from June 2011 to June 2014 with a birth weight of less than or equal to 1500 g and/or gestational age (GA) of less than or equal to 32 weeks. They underwent weekly cranial US from birth to term-equivalent age and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at term-equivalent age. The infants underwent neurodevelopmental assessments at age 2 years with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (BSID-III). Patients with adverse outcomes (death or abnormal neuroimaging findings and/or BSID-III score of growth in preterm infants, which may be included in routine cranial US. © RSNA, 2018 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Non-linear growth in tree ferns, Dicksonia antarctica and Cyathea australis.

Science.gov (United States)

Blair, David P; Blanchard, Wade; Banks, Sam C; Lindenmayer, David B

2017-01-01

Tree ferns are an important structural component of forests in many countries. However, because their regeneration is often unrelated to major disturbances, their age is often difficult to determine. In addition, rates of growth may not be uniform, which further complicates attempts to determine their age. In this study, we measured 5 years of growth of Cyathea australis and Dicksonia antarctica after a large wildfire in 2009 in south-eastern Australia. We found growth rates of these two species were unaffected by aspect and elevation but slope had a minor effect with D. antarctica growing 0.3mm faster for each additional degree of slope. Geographic location influenced growth in both species by up to 12 - 14mm/yr. The most consistent factor influencing growth rate, however, was initial height at the time of the 2009 fire; a finding consistent in both species and all geographic locations. For both tree fern species, individuals that were taller at the commencement of the study had greater overall growth for the duration of the study. This effect did not decrease even among the tallest tree ferns in our study (up to 6 metres tall). Overall, Cyathea australis averaged 73 (± 22)mm/year of growth (± 1SD), with the rate increasing 5mm/yr per metre of additional height. Dicksonia antarctica averaged 33 (± 13)mm/year, increasing by 6mm/yr/m. Growth rates dependent on initial height were unexpected and we discuss possible reasons for this finding. Variable growth rates also suggest that common age estimation methods of dividing height by average growth rate are likely to underestimate the age of short tree ferns, while overestimating the age of tall tree ferns, particularly if they have been subject to a fire.

Non-linear growth in tree ferns, Dicksonia antarctica and Cyathea australis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David P Blair

Full Text Available Tree ferns are an important structural component of forests in many countries. However, because their regeneration is often unrelated to major disturbances, their age is often difficult to determine. In addition, rates of growth may not be uniform, which further complicates attempts to determine their age. In this study, we measured 5 years of growth of Cyathea australis and Dicksonia antarctica after a large wildfire in 2009 in south-eastern Australia. We found growth rates of these two species were unaffected by aspect and elevation but slope had a minor effect with D. antarctica growing 0.3mm faster for each additional degree of slope. Geographic location influenced growth in both species by up to 12 - 14mm/yr. The most consistent factor influencing growth rate, however, was initial height at the time of the 2009 fire; a finding consistent in both species and all geographic locations. For both tree fern species, individuals that were taller at the commencement of the study had greater overall growth for the duration of the study. This effect did not decrease even among the tallest tree ferns in our study (up to 6 metres tall. Overall, Cyathea australis averaged 73 (± 22mm/year of growth (± 1SD, with the rate increasing 5mm/yr per metre of additional height. Dicksonia antarctica averaged 33 (± 13mm/year, increasing by 6mm/yr/m. Growth rates dependent on initial height were unexpected and we discuss possible reasons for this finding. Variable growth rates also suggest that common age estimation methods of dividing height by average growth rate are likely to underestimate the age of short tree ferns, while overestimating the age of tall tree ferns, particularly if they have been subject to a fire.

Homologous radioimmunoassay for human epidermal growth factor (urogastrone)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dailey, G.E.; Kraus, J.W.; Orth, D.N.

1978-01-01

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a polypeptide hormone originally discovered in the mouse submaxillary gland, stimulates growth in a variety of tissues in several species. This hormone has recently been identified in human urine. A homologous RIA for human EGF (RIA-hEGF) has been developed. In general, levels were similar to those recently reported using a heterologous RIA system. Twenty-four-hour urinary excretion of RIA-hEGF by normal adult males and females was 63.0 +- 3.0 and 52.0 +- 3.5 (mean +- SE) μg/total vol, or 29.7 +- 1.1 and 39.8 +- 1.7 μg/g creatinine, respectively. Excretion by females taking oral contraceptives was significantly greater (60.1 +- 2.7 μg/g creatinine; P 0.05). Several of those with very low values had histories of alcohol abuse. Excretion by patients with Cushing's syndrome was normal. Patients with psoriasis or recovering from major burns excreted both abnormally high and abnormally low levels of RIA-hEGF, with no obvious correlation to their clinical condition. There was no apparent diurnal or postprandial variation in urinary RIA-hEGF excretion by normal subjects. An excellent linear correlation was observed between RIA-hEGF and creatinine concentrations in each urine sample for each subject, suggesting that RIA-hEGF concentration in a random urine sample provides a valid index of 24-h RIA-hEGF excretion

On the approximative normal values of multivalued operators in topological vector space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Minh Chuong; Khuat van Ninh

1989-09-01

In this paper the problem of approximation of normal values of multivalued linear closed operators from topological vector Mackey space into E-space is considered. Existence of normal value and convergence of approximative values to normal value are proved. (author). 4 refs

Normalization of cell responses in cat striate cortex

Science.gov (United States)

Heeger, D. J.

1992-01-01

Simple cells in the striate cortex have been depicted as half-wave-rectified linear operators. Complex cells have been depicted as energy mechanisms, constructed from the squared sum of the outputs of quadrature pairs of linear operators. However, the linear/energy model falls short of a complete explanation of striate cell responses. In this paper, a modified version of the linear/energy model is presented in which striate cells mutually inhibit one another, effectively normalizing their responses with respect to stimulus contrast. This paper reviews experimental measurements of striate cell responses, and shows that the new model explains a significantly larger body of physiological data.

Common Nearly Best Linear Estimates of Location and Scale ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Common nearly best linear estimates of location and scale parameters of normal and logistic distributions, which are based on complete samples, are considered. Here, the population from which the samples are drawn is either normal or logistic population or a fusion of both distributions and the estimates are computed ...

The effects of oestrogens on linear bone growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, A

2001-01-01

boys, and non-aromatizable androgens [oxandrolone or dihydrotestosterone (DHT)] have no effect on GH secretion. Treatment with aromatase inhibitors reduces circulating IGF-I concentrations in healthy males, and reduces growth in boys with testotoxicosis. Taken together, these findings suggest...

Proteolytic processing of connective tissue growth factor in normal ocular tissues and during corneal wound healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Paulette M; Smith, Tyler S; Patel, Dilan; Dave, Meera; Lewin, Alfred S; Pi, Liya; Scott, Edward W; Tuli, Sonal S; Schultz, Gregory S

2012-12-13

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a fibrogenic cytokine that is up-regulated by TGF-β and mediates most key fibrotic actions of TGF-β, including stimulation of synthesis of extracellular matrix and differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. This study addresses the role of proteolytic processing of CTGF in human corneal fibroblasts (HCF) stimulated with TGF-β, normal ocular tissues and wounded corneas. Proteolytic processing of CTGF in HCF cultures, normal animal eyes, and excimer laser wounded rat corneas were examined by Western blot. The identity of a 21-kDa band was determined by tandem mass spectrometry, and possible alternative splice variants of CTGF were assessed by 5' Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE). HCF stimulated by TGF-β contained full length 38-kDa CTGF and fragments of 25, 21, 18, and 13 kDa, while conditioned medium contained full length 38- and a 21-kDa fragment of CTGF that contained the middle "hinge" region of CTGF. Fragmentation of recombinant CTGF incubated in HCF extracts was blocked by the aspartate protease inhibitor, pepstatin. Normal mouse, rat, and rabbit whole eyes and rabbit ocular tissues contained abundant amounts of C-terminal 25- and 21-kDa fragments and trace amounts of 38-kDa CTGF, although no alternative transcripts were detected. All forms of CTGF (38, 25, and 21 kDa) were detected during healing of excimer ablated rat corneas, peaking on day 11. Proteolytic processing of 38-kDa CTGF occurs during corneal wound healing, which may have important implications in regulation of corneal scar formation.

Early dietary treated patients with phenylketonuria can achieve normal growth and body composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocha, Júlio C; van Spronsen, Francjan J; Almeida, Manuela F; Ramos, Elisabete; Guimarães, João T; Borges, Nuno

2013-01-01

In the past, overtreatment may have resulted in growth impairment in patients with phenylketonuria. The paper aims to investigate height and body composition in early treated patients with phenylketonuria who were diagnosed between 1981 and 2008. A cross-sectional study of 89 patients with phenylketonuria and 78 controls aged (mean ± SD, in years) 14.4 ± 6.6 and 15.9 ± 7.1, respectively, was undertaken, including anthropometric and body composition evaluation using bioelectrical impedance. Median Phe concentrations in the last year before study enrollment were used as a measure of metabolic control. Natural protein and amino acid mixture intakes were recorded in patients. No statistically significant differences were found on height z-scores between patients and controls aged less than 19 years (p=0.301), although all patients with classical phenylketonuria revealed negative height z-scores, resulting in a mean ± SD of -0.65 ± 0.41. Among participants aged 19 years or more, median (p25-p75) of height was significantly higher in controls [168.0 cm (159.2-174.8)] than in patients [160.5 cm (151.9-167.5)] (p=0.017). No significant differences were found between patients and controls regarding fat mass, fat free mass, muscular mass, body cell mass index and phase angle. Our results suggest that early and continuously treated patients with phenylketonuria born after 1992 can achieve normal growth and body composition, although the negative height z-score in patients with classical phenylketonuria strengthens the continuous need to optimize the quality of their protein intake. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Small amplitude waves and linear firehose and mirror instabilities in rotating polytropic quantum plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Bhakta, S.; Prajapati, R. P.; Dolai, B.

2017-08-01

The small amplitude quantum magnetohydrodynamic (QMHD) waves and linear firehose and mirror instabilities in uniformly rotating dense quantum plasma have been investigated using generalized polytropic pressure laws. The QMHD model and Chew-Goldberger-Low (CGL) set of equations are used to formulate the basic equations of the problem. The general dispersion relation is derived using normal mode analysis which is discussed in parallel, transverse, and oblique wave propagations. The fast, slow, and intermediate QMHD wave modes and linear firehose and mirror instabilities are analyzed for isotropic MHD and CGL quantum fluid plasmas. The firehose instability remains unaffected while the mirror instability is modified by polytropic exponents and quantum diffraction parameter. The graphical illustrations show that quantum corrections have a stabilizing influence on the mirror instability. The presence of uniform rotation stabilizes while quantum corrections destabilize the growth rate of the system. It is also observed that the growth rate stabilizes much faster in parallel wave propagation in comparison to the transverse mode of propagation. The quantum corrections and polytropic exponents also modify the pseudo-MHD and reverse-MHD modes in dense quantum plasma. The phase speed (Friedrichs) diagrams of slow, fast, and intermediate wave modes are illustrated for isotropic MHD and double adiabatic MHD or CGL quantum plasmas, where the significant role of magnetic field and quantum diffraction parameters on the phase speed is observed.

First-order systems of linear partial differential equations: normal forms, canonical systems, transform methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heinz Toparkus

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper we consider first-order systems with constant coefficients for two real-valued functions of two real variables. This is both a problem in itself, as well as an alternative view of the classical linear partial differential equations of second order with constant coefficients. The classification of the systems is done using elementary methods of linear algebra. Each type presents its special canonical form in the associated characteristic coordinate system. Then you can formulate initial value problems in appropriate basic areas, and you can try to achieve a solution of these problems by means of transform methods.

The effects of environmental deuterium on normal and neoplastic cultured cell development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bild, W.; Schuller, T.; Zhihai, Qin; Blankenstein, T.; Nastasa, V.; Haulica, I.

2000-01-01

The powdered culture media (RPMI - 1640) were reconstituted either with normal distilled water (150 ppm deuterium) either with deuterium - depleted water (DDW) in various concentrations (30, 60, 90 ppm) and sterilized by filtration with 0.2 μm filters. The cell lines used were NIH (normal mouse fibroblasts), RAG (mouse renal carcinoma) and TS/A (mouse mammary adenocarcinoma). In auxiliary tests, BAIBC mouse splenocytes in direct culture were used, stimulated for growth with concanavalin A or LPS (bacterial lipopolysaccharide). The estimation of the growth was made using the MTT assay or direct counting with trypan blue exclusion. The following results were obtained: Deuterium - depleted water had a stimulating effect on cell growth, the most important stimulating action being from the 90 ppm deuterium-water. The growth curves show, in a first phase, a stimulation of the rapid -growing neoplastic cells, followed by a slower growth of the normal cells. Amiloride 100 mM blocking of the Na + /K + membrane pump did not affect the cell growth curves, while the lansoprazole 100 mM blocking of the K + /H + ATP-ase brought the growth curves at the level of those with normal water. This might show an eventual involvement of the K + /H + antiport in the stimulating effects of the DDW. (authors)

Univariate normalization of bispectrum using Hölder's inequality.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahbazi, Forooz; Ewald, Arne; Nolte, Guido

2014-08-15

Considering that many biological systems including the brain are complex non-linear systems, suitable methods capable of detecting these non-linearities are required to study the dynamical properties of these systems. One of these tools is the third order cummulant or cross-bispectrum, which is a measure of interfrequency interactions between three signals. For convenient interpretation, interaction measures are most commonly normalized to be independent of constant scales of the signals such that its absolute values are bounded by one, with this limit reflecting perfect coupling. Although many different normalization factors for cross-bispectra were suggested in the literature these either do not lead to bounded measures or are themselves dependent on the coupling and not only on the scale of the signals. In this paper we suggest a normalization factor which is univariate, i.e., dependent only on the amplitude of each signal and not on the interactions between signals. Using a generalization of Hölder's inequality it is proven that the absolute value of this univariate bicoherence is bounded by zero and one. We compared three widely used normalizations to the univariate normalization concerning the significance of bicoherence values gained from resampling tests. Bicoherence values are calculated from real EEG data recorded in an eyes closed experiment from 10 subjects. The results show slightly more significant values for the univariate normalization but in general, the differences are very small or even vanishing in some subjects. Therefore, we conclude that the normalization factor does not play an important role in the bicoherence values with regard to statistical power, although a univariate normalization is the only normalization factor which fulfills all the required conditions of a proper normalization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unilateral Enophthalmos in Linear Scleroderma: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, So hyun; Hwang, Hee Young; Choi, Hye Young; Kim, Hyung Sik [Gachon University, Gil Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-04-15

Linear scleroderma is an uncommon subtype of localized scleroderma, which is characterized by a linear streak that crosses dermatomes and is associated with the tracking of fibrosis from the skin into deeper tissues, including muscle and fascia. A severe form of this condition sometimes causes growth atrophy of bone and supporting tissue in the affected area. Enophthalmos as a manifestation of linear scleroderma is very rare and occurs due to the replacement of orbital fat and muscle with collagen, which finally leads to atrophy of the affected orbit. This report introduces imaging findings of two cases of enophthalmos caused by linear scleroderma

Unilateral Enophthalmos in Linear Scleroderma: A Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, So hyun; Hwang, Hee Young; Choi, Hye Young; Kim, Hyung Sik

2010-01-01

Linear scleroderma is an uncommon subtype of localized scleroderma, which is characterized by a linear streak that crosses dermatomes and is associated with the tracking of fibrosis from the skin into deeper tissues, including muscle and fascia. A severe form of this condition sometimes causes growth atrophy of bone and supporting tissue in the affected area. Enophthalmos as a manifestation of linear scleroderma is very rare and occurs due to the replacement of orbital fat and muscle with collagen, which finally leads to atrophy of the affected orbit. This report introduces imaging findings of two cases of enophthalmos caused by linear scleroderma

Non normal modal analysis of oscillations in boiling water reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suarez-Antola, Roberto, E-mail: roberto.suarez@miem.gub.uy [Ministerio de Industria, Energia y Mineria (MIEM), Montevideo (Uruguay); Flores-Godoy, Jose-Job, E-mail: job.flores@ibero.mx [Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA), Mexico, DF (Mexico). Dept. de Fisica Y Matematicas

2013-07-01

The first objective of the present work is to construct a simple reduced order model for BWR stability analysis, combining a two nodes nodal model of the thermal hydraulics with a two modes modal model of the neutronics. Two coupled non-linear integral-differential equations are obtained, in terms of one global (in phase) and one local (out of phase) power amplitude, with direct and cross feedback reactivities given as functions of thermal hydraulics core variables (void fractions and temperatures). The second objective is to apply the effective life time approximation to further simplify the nonlinear equations. Linear approximations for the equations of the amplitudes of the global and regional modes are derived. The linearized equation for the amplitude of the global mode corresponds to a decoupled and damped harmonic oscillator. An analytical closed form formula for the damping coefficient, as a function of the parameters space of the BWR, is obtained. The coefficient changes its sign (with the corresponding modification in the decay ratio) when a stability boundary is crossed. This produces a supercritical Hopf bifurcation, with the steady state power of the reactor as the bifurcation parameter. However, the linearized equation for the amplitude of the regional mode corresponds always to an over-damped and always coupled (with the amplitude of the global mode) harmonic oscillator, for every set of possible values of core parameters (including the steady state power of the reactor) in the framework of the present mathematical model. The equation for the above mentioned over damped linear oscillator is closely connected with a non-normal operator. Due to this connection, there could be a significant transient growth of some solutions of the linear equation. This behavior allows a significant shrinking of the basin of attraction of the equilibrium state. The third objective is to apply the above approach to partially study the stability of the regional mode and

Prostaglandin E2 stimulates normal bronchial epithelial cell growth through induction of c-Jun and PDK1, a kinase implicated in oncogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yu; Wang, Ye; Wang, Ke

2015-12-18

Cyclooxygenase-2-derived prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a bioactive eicosanoid, has been implicated in many biological processes including reproduction, inflammation and tumor growth. We previously showed that PGE2 stimulated lung cancer cell growth and progression through PGE2 receptor EP2/EP4-mediated kinase signaling pathways. However, the role of PGE2 in controlling lung airway epithelial cell phenotype remains unknown. We evaluated the effects of c-Jun and 3-phosphoinositede dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1) in mediating epithelial cell hyperplasia induced by PGE2. The bronchial epithelial cell lines BEAS-2B and HBEc14-KT were cultured and then treated with PGE2. PDK1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and a PDK1 inhibitor, an antagonist of the PGE2 receptor subtype EP4 and EP4 siRNA, c-Jun siRNA, and overexpressions of c-Jun and PDK1 have been used to evaluate the effects on cell proliferation. We demonstrated that PGE2 increased normal bronchial epithelial cell proliferation through induction of PDK1, an ankyrin repeat-containing Ser/Thr kinase implicated in the induction of apoptosis and the suppression of tumor growth. PDK1 siRNA and a PDK1 inhibitor blocked the effects of PGE2 on normal cell growth. The PGE2-induced PDK1 expression was blocked by an antagonist of the PGE2 receptor subtype EP4 and by EP4 siRNA. In addition, we showed that induction of PDK1 by PGE2 was associated with induction of the transcription factor, c-Jun protein. Silencing of c-Jun using siRNA and point mutations of c-Jun sites in the PDK1 gene promoter resulted in blockade of PDK1 expression and promoter activity induced by PGE2. In contrast, overexpression of c-Jun induced PDK1 gene promoter activity and expression followed increased cell proliferation. PGE2 increases normal bronchial epithelial cell proliferation through increased PDK1 gene expression that is dependent on EP4 and induction of c-Jun. Therewith, our data suggest a new role of c-Jun and PDK1 in mediating epithelial cell

Normal equivariant forms of vector fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Bringas, F.

1992-07-01

We prove a theorem of linearization of type Siegel and a theorem of normal forms of type Poincare-Dulac for germs of holomorphic vector fields in the origin of C 2 , Γ -equivariants, where Γ is a finite subgroup of GL (2,C). (author). 5 refs

SLAC linear collider conceptual design report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-06-01

The linear collider system is described in detail, including the transport system, the collider lattice, final focusing system, positron production, beam damping and compression, high current electron source, instrumentation and control, and the beam luminosity. The experimental facilities and the experimental uses are discussed along with the construction schedule and estimated costs. Appendices include a discussion of space charge effects in the linear accelerator, emittance growth in the collider, the final focus system, beam-beam instabilities and pinch effects, and detector backgrounds. (GHT)

SLAC linear collider conceptual design report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-06-01

The linear collider system is described in detail, including the transport system, the collider lattice, final focusing system, positron production, beam damping and compression, high current electron source, instrumentation and control, and the beam luminosity. The experimental facilities and the experimental uses are discussed along with the construction schedule and estimated costs. Appendices include a discussion of space charge effects in the linear accelerator, emittance growth in the collider, the final focus system, beam-beam instabilities and pinch effects, and detector backgrounds

Enhanced vegetation growth peak and its key mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, K.; Xia, J.; Wang, Y.; Ahlström, A.; Schwalm, C.; Huntzinger, D. N.; Chen, J.; Cook, R. B.; Fang, Y.; Fisher, J. B.; Jacobson, A. R.; Michalak, A.; Schaefer, K. M.; Wei, Y.; Yan, L.; Luo, Y.

2017-12-01

It remains unclear that whether and how the vegetation growth peak has been shifted globally during the past three decades. Here we used two global datasets of gross primary productivity (GPP) and a satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to characterize recent changes in seasonal peak vegetation growth. The attribution of changes in peak growth to their driving factors was examined with several datasets. We demonstrated that the growth peak of global vegetation has been linearly increasing during the past three decades. About 65% of this trend is evenly explained by the expanding croplands (21%), rising atmospheric [CO2] (22%), and intensifying nitrogen deposition (22%). The contribution of expanding croplands to the peak growth trend was substantiated by measurements from eddy-flux towers, sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and a global database of plant traits, all of which demonstrated that croplands have a higher photosynthetic capacity than other vegetation types. The contribution of rising atmospheric [CO2] and nitrogen deposition are consistent with the positive response of leaf growth to elevated [CO2] (25%) and nitrogen addition (8%) from 346 manipulated experiments. The positive effect of rising atmospheric [CO2] was also well captured by 15 terrestrial biosphere models. However, most models underestimated the contributions of land-cover change and nitrogen deposition, but overestimated the positive effect of climate change.

Non-linear growth: The road ahead for Indian IT outsourcing companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.L.R. Moorthi

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Indian IT outsourcing companies (major among them being the SWITCH companies -- Satyam, Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant and HCL grew rapidly for more than a decade on low cost business process and IT outsourcing. With the bigger companies already reaching a high of 100,000 employees, they are now turning their attention to non-linear revenue (i.e. revenue less dependent on numbers or greater revenue earned per employee. For this they need to pursue ‘disruptive’ strategies which are distinctly different from the ‘incremental’ initiatives they adopted in the past to maintain linear revenue. This paper first outlines the disruptive and the incremental initiatives of the SWITCH companies and the road ahead for them. This is followed by an interview with S Gopalakrishnan, CEO and MD, Infosys Technologies who discusses the non-linear initiatives of the company and the challenges it faces in the field.

Linear Malignant Melanoma In Situ: Reports and Review of Cutaneous Malignancies Presenting as Linear Skin Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Philip R

2017-09-18

Melanomas usually present as oval lesions in which the borders may be irregular. Other morphological features of melanoma include clinical asymmetry, variable color, diameter greater than 6 mm and evolving lesions. Two males whose melanoma in situ presented as linear skin lesions are described and cutaneous malignancies that may appear linear in morphology are summarized in this report. A medical literature search engine, PubMed, was used to search the following terms: cancer, cutaneous, in situ, linear, malignant, malignant melanoma, melanoma in situ, neoplasm, and skin. The 25 papers that were generated by the search and their references, were reviewed; 10 papers were selected for inclusion. The cancer of the skin typically presents as round lesions. However, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma may arise from primary skin conditions or benign skin neoplasms such as linear epidermal nevus and linear porokeratosis. In addition, linear tumors such as basal cell carcinoma can occur. The development of linear cutaneous neoplasms may occur secondary to skin tension line or embryonal growth patterns (as reflected by the lines of Langer and lines of Blaschko) or exogenous factors such as prior radiation therapy. Cutaneous neoplasms and specifically melanoma in situ can be added to the list of linear skin lesions.

A new algebraic growth of nonlinear tearing mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, D.

1995-01-01

It is found that the quasilinear modification of magnetic field produces a nonlinear Lorentz force opposing the linear driving force and slowing down the vortex flow. A new algebraic growth appears due to this damping mechanism to oppose the linear growth of the tearing mode. This effect was eliminated in Rutherford's model [Phys. Fluids 16, 1903 (1973)] under the flux average operation and the assumption ∂/∂t much-lt η/δ 2 (here η is the resistivity, δ is the resistive layer width). A unified analytical model is developed by using standard perturbation theory for the linear and nonlinear growth of the tearing mode. The inertia effect and quasilinear effects of both the current density and the magnetic field have been included. A nonlinear evolution equation is analytically derived for the tearing mode to describe the linear growth, Rutherford's behavior, and the new behavior. The classical linear result is exactly recovered as the quasilinear effects are negligible. It is shown that a more slowly algebraic growth like Ψ 1 ∝t can become dominant in the nonlinear phase instead of Rutherford behavior like Ψ 1 ∝t 2 , provided the tearing mode in the linear phase is strongly unstable. Here Ψ 1 is the magnetic flux perturbation. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Who Will Win?: Predicting the Presidential Election Using Linear Regression

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, John H.

2007-01-01

This article outlines a linear regression activity that engages learners, uses technology, and fosters cooperation. Students generated least-squares linear regression equations using TI-83 Plus[TM] graphing calculators, Microsoft[C] Excel, and paper-and-pencil calculations using derived normal equations to predict the 2004 presidential election.…

Linear neoclassical tearing mode in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaing, K. C.

2007-01-01

The growth rate of linear tearing modes in tokamaks is calculated including the neoclassical dissipation mechanism. It is found that when the growth rate is much smaller than the ion-ion collision frequency, the growth rate is reduced approximately by a factor of (B p /B) 2/5 from its standard value, and when the growth rate is much larger than the ion-ion collision frequency, the growth rate is reduced by a factor [√(ε)/(1.6q 2 )] 1/5 . Here, B p is the poloidal magnetic field strength, B is the magnetic field strength, ε is the inverse aspect ratio, and q is the safety factor. The width of the resistive layer is broadened when compared to that of the standard theory. In both limits, the growth rate and the resistive layer width only depend on B p and are independent of B. The growth rates in the plateau regime and for the inertia dominant modes are also presented

Force analysis of linear induction motor for magnetic levitation system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijpers, A.A.; Nemlioglu, C.; Sahin, F.; Verdel, A.J.D.; Compter, J.C.; Lomonova, E.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the analyses of thrust and normal forces of linear induction motor (LIM) segments which are implemented in a rotating ring system. To obtain magnetic levitation in a cost effective and sustainable way, decoupled control of thrust and normal forces is required. This study includes

Diagonalization and Jordan Normal Form--Motivation through "Maple"[R

Science.gov (United States)

Glaister, P.

2009-01-01

Following an introduction to the diagonalization of matrices, one of the more difficult topics for students to grasp in linear algebra is the concept of Jordan normal form. In this note, we show how the important notions of diagonalization and Jordan normal form can be introduced and developed through the use of the computer algebra package…

Comparison between linear quadratic and early time dose models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chougule, A.A.; Supe, S.J.

1993-01-01

During the 70s, much interest was focused on fractionation in radiotherapy with the aim of improving tumor control rate without producing unacceptable normal tissue damage. To compare the radiobiological effectiveness of various fractionation schedules, empirical formulae such as Nominal Standard Dose, Time Dose Factor, Cumulative Radiation Effect and Tumour Significant Dose, were introduced and were used despite many shortcomings. It has been claimed that a recent linear quadratic model is able to predict the radiobiological responses of tumours as well as normal tissues more accurately. We compared Time Dose Factor and Tumour Significant Dose models with the linear quadratic model for tumour regression in patients with carcinomas of the cervix. It was observed that the prediction of tumour regression estimated by the Tumour Significant Dose and Time Dose factor concepts varied by 1.6% from that of the linear quadratic model prediction. In view of the lack of knowledge of the precise values of the parameters of the linear quadratic model, it should be applied with caution. One can continue to use the Time Dose Factor concept which has been in use for more than a decade as its results are within ±2% as compared to that predicted by the linear quadratic model. (author). 11 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs

Extracting real-crack properties from non-linear elastic behaviour of rocks: abundance of cracks with dominating normal compliance and rocks with negative Poisson ratios

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Y. Zaitsev

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Results of examination of experimental data on non-linear elasticity of rocks using experimentally determined pressure dependences of P- and S-wave velocities from various literature sources are presented. Overall, over 90 rock samples are considered. Interpretation of the data is performed using an effective-medium description in which cracks are considered as compliant defects with explicitly introduced shear and normal compliances without specifying a particular crack model with an a priori given ratio of the compliances. Comparison with the experimental data indicated abundance (∼ 80 % of cracks with the normal-to-shear compliance ratios that significantly exceed the values typical of conventionally used crack models (such as penny-shaped cuts or thin ellipsoidal cracks. Correspondingly, rocks with such cracks demonstrate a strongly decreased Poisson ratio including a significant (∼ 45 % portion of rocks exhibiting negative Poisson ratios at lower pressures, for which the concentration of not yet closed cracks is maximal. The obtained results indicate the necessity for further development of crack models to account for the revealed numerous examples of cracks with strong domination of normal compliance. Discovering such a significant number of naturally auxetic rocks is in contrast to the conventional viewpoint that occurrence of a negative Poisson ratio is an exotic fact that is mostly discussed for artificial structures.

A meta-analysis of cambium phenology and growth: linear and non-linear patterns in conifers of the northern hemisphere

OpenAIRE

Rossi, Sergio; Anfodillo, Tommaso; Čufar, Katarina; Cuny, Henri E.; Deslauriers, Annie; Fonti, Patrick; Frank, David; Gričar, Jožica; Gruber, Andreas; King, Gregory M.; Krause, Cornelia; Morin, Hubert; Oberhuber, Walter; Prislan, Peter; Rathgeber, Cyrille B. K.

2017-01-01

Background and Aims Ongoing global warming has been implicated in shifting phenological patterns such as the timing and duration of the growing season across a wide variety of ecosystems. Linear models are routinely used to extrapolate these observed shifts in phenology into the future and to estimate changes in associated ecosystem properties such as net primary productivity. Yet, in nature, linear relationships may be special cases. Biological processes frequently follow more complex, non-l...

Normal people working in normal organizations with normal equipment: system safety and cognition in a mid-air collision.

Science.gov (United States)

de Carvalho, Paulo Victor Rodrigues; Gomes, José Orlando; Huber, Gilbert Jacob; Vidal, Mario Cesar

2009-05-01

A fundamental challenge in improving the safety of complex systems is to understand how accidents emerge in normal working situations, with equipment functioning normally in normally structured organizations. We present a field study of the en route mid-air collision between a commercial carrier and an executive jet, in the clear afternoon Amazon sky in which 154 people lost their lives, that illustrates one response to this challenge. Our focus was on how and why the several safety barriers of a well structured air traffic system melted down enabling the occurrence of this tragedy, without any catastrophic component failure, and in a situation where everything was functioning normally. We identify strong consistencies and feedbacks regarding factors of system day-to-day functioning that made monitoring and awareness difficult, and the cognitive strategies that operators have developed to deal with overall system behavior. These findings emphasize the active problem-solving behavior needed in air traffic control work, and highlight how the day-to-day functioning of the system can jeopardize such behavior. An immediate consequence is that safety managers and engineers should review their traditional safety approach and accident models based on equipment failure probability, linear combinations of failures, rules and procedures, and human errors, to deal with complex patterns of coincidence possibilities, unexpected links, resonance among system functions and activities, and system cognition.

Drosophila larvae synthesize the putative oncometabolite L-2-hydroxyglutarate during normal developmental growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hongde; Chawla, Geetanjali; Hurlburt, Alexander J; Sterrett, Maria C; Zaslaver, Olga; Cox, James; Karty, Jonathan A; Rosebrock, Adam P; Caudy, Amy A; Tennessen, Jason M

2017-02-07

L-2-hydroxyglutarate (L-2HG) has emerged as a putative oncometabolite that is capable of inhibiting enzymes involved in metabolism, chromatin modification, and cell differentiation. However, despite the ability of L-2HG to interfere with a broad range of cellular processes, this molecule is often characterized as a metabolic waste product. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila larvae use the metabolic conditions established by aerobic glycolysis to both synthesize and accumulate high concentrations of L-2HG during normal developmental growth. A majority of the larval L-2HG pool is derived from glucose and dependent on the Drosophila estrogen-related receptor (dERR), which promotes L-2HG synthesis by up-regulating expression of the Drosophila homolog of lactate dehydrogenase (dLdh). We also show that dLDH is both necessary and sufficient for directly synthesizing L-2HG and the Drosophila homolog of L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (dL2HGDH), which encodes the enzyme that breaks down L-2HG, is required for stage-specific degradation of the L-2HG pool. In addition, dLDH also indirectly promotes L-2HG accumulation via synthesis of lactate, which activates a metabolic feed-forward mechanism that inhibits dL2HGDH activity and stabilizes L-2HG levels. Finally, we use a genetic approach to demonstrate that dLDH and L-2HG influence position effect variegation and DNA methylation, suggesting that this compound serves to coordinate glycolytic flux with epigenetic modifications. Overall, our studies demonstrate that growing animal tissues synthesize L-2HG in a controlled manner, reveal a mechanism that coordinates glucose catabolism with L-2HG synthesis, and establish the fly as a unique model system for studying the endogenous functions of L-2HG during cell growth and proliferation.

Drosophila larvae synthesize the putative oncometabolite L-2-hydroxyglutarate during normal developmental growth

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hongde; Chawla, Geetanjali; Hurlburt, Alexander J.; Sterrett, Maria C.; Zaslaver, Olga; Cox, James; Karty, Jonathan A.; Rosebrock, Adam P.; Caudy, Amy A.

2017-01-01

L-2-hydroxyglutarate (L-2HG) has emerged as a putative oncometabolite that is capable of inhibiting enzymes involved in metabolism, chromatin modification, and cell differentiation. However, despite the ability of L-2HG to interfere with a broad range of cellular processes, this molecule is often characterized as a metabolic waste product. Here, we demonstrate that Drosophila larvae use the metabolic conditions established by aerobic glycolysis to both synthesize and accumulate high concentrations of L-2HG during normal developmental growth. A majority of the larval L-2HG pool is derived from glucose and dependent on the Drosophila estrogen-related receptor (dERR), which promotes L-2HG synthesis by up-regulating expression of the Drosophila homolog of lactate dehydrogenase (dLdh). We also show that dLDH is both necessary and sufficient for directly synthesizing L-2HG and the Drosophila homolog of L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (dL2HGDH), which encodes the enzyme that breaks down L-2HG, is required for stage-specific degradation of the L-2HG pool. In addition, dLDH also indirectly promotes L-2HG accumulation via synthesis of lactate, which activates a metabolic feed-forward mechanism that inhibits dL2HGDH activity and stabilizes L-2HG levels. Finally, we use a genetic approach to demonstrate that dLDH and L-2HG influence position effect variegation and DNA methylation, suggesting that this compound serves to coordinate glycolytic flux with epigenetic modifications. Overall, our studies demonstrate that growing animal tissues synthesize L-2HG in a controlled manner, reveal a mechanism that coordinates glucose catabolism with L-2HG synthesis, and establish the fly as a unique model system for studying the endogenous functions of L-2HG during cell growth and proliferation. PMID:28115720

Linear study of the precessional fishbone instability

Science.gov (United States)

Idouakass, M.; Faganello, M.; Berk, H. L.; Garbet, X.; Benkadda, S.

2016-10-01

The precessional fishbone instability is an m = n = 1 internal kink mode destabilized by a population of trapped energetic particles. The linear phase of this instability is studied here, analytically and numerically, with a simplified model. This model uses the reduced magneto-hydrodynamics equations for the bulk plasma and the Vlasov equation for a population of energetic particles with a radially decreasing density. A threshold condition for the instability is found, as well as a linear growth rate and frequency. It is shown that the mode frequency is given by the precession frequency of the deeply trapped energetic particles at the position of strongest radial gradient. The growth rate is shown to scale with the energetic particle density and particle energy while it is decreased by continuum damping.

Generating log-normal mock catalog of galaxies in redshift space

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agrawal, Aniket; Makiya, Ryu; Saito, Shun; Komatsu, Eiichiro [Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, 85741 Garching (Germany); Chiang, Chi-Ting [C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 (United States); Jeong, Donghui, E-mail: aniket@mpa-garching.mpg.de, E-mail: makiya@mpa-garching.mpg.de, E-mail: chi-ting.chiang@stonybrook.edu, E-mail: djeong@psu.edu, E-mail: ssaito@mpa-garching.mpg.de, E-mail: komatsu@mpa-garching.mpg.de [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2017-10-01

We present a public code to generate a mock galaxy catalog in redshift space assuming a log-normal probability density function (PDF) of galaxy and matter density fields. We draw galaxies by Poisson-sampling the log-normal field, and calculate the velocity field from the linearised continuity equation of matter fields, assuming zero vorticity. This procedure yields a PDF of the pairwise velocity fields that is qualitatively similar to that of N-body simulations. We check fidelity of the catalog, showing that the measured two-point correlation function and power spectrum in real space agree with the input precisely. We find that a linear bias relation in the power spectrum does not guarantee a linear bias relation in the density contrasts, leading to a cross-correlation coefficient of matter and galaxies deviating from unity on small scales. We also find that linearising the Jacobian of the real-to-redshift space mapping provides a poor model for the two-point statistics in redshift space. That is, non-linear redshift-space distortion is dominated by non-linearity in the Jacobian. The power spectrum in redshift space shows a damping on small scales that is qualitatively similar to that of the well-known Fingers-of-God (FoG) effect due to random velocities, except that the log-normal mock does not include random velocities. This damping is a consequence of non-linearity in the Jacobian, and thus attributing the damping of the power spectrum solely to FoG, as commonly done in the literature, is misleading.

Linear growth increased in young children in an urban slum of Haiti: a randomized controlled trial of a lipid-based nutrient supplement.

Science.gov (United States)

Iannotti, Lora L; Dulience, Sherlie Jean Louis; Green, Jamie; Joseph, Saminetha; François, Judith; Anténor, Marie-Lucie; Lesorogol, Carolyn; Mounce, Jacqueline; Nickerson, Nathan M

2014-01-01

Haiti has experienced rapid urbanization that has exacerbated poverty and undernutrition in large slum areas. Stunting affects 1 in 5 young children. We aimed to test the efficacy of a daily lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) for increased linear growth in young children. Healthy, singleton infants aged 6-11 mo (n = 589) were recruited from an urban slum of Cap Haitien and randomly assigned to receive: 1) a control; 2) a 3-mo LNS; or 3) a 6-mo LNS. The LNS provided 108 kcal and other nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin B-12, iron, and zinc at ≥80% of the recommended amounts. Infants were followed monthly on growth, morbidity, and developmental outcomes over a 6-mo intervention period and at one additional time point 6 mo postintervention to assess sustained effects. The Bonferroni multiple comparisons test was applied, and generalized least-squares (GLS) regressions with mixed effects was used to examine impacts longitudinally. Baseline characteristics did not differ by trial arm except for a higher mean age in the 6-mo LNS group. GLS modeling showed LNS supplementation for 6 mo significantly increased the length-for-age z score (±SE) by 0.13 ± 0.05 and the weight-for-age z score by 0.12 ± 0.02 compared with in the control group after adjustment for child age (P < 0.001). The effects were sustained 6 mo postintervention. Morbidity and developmental outcomes did not differ by trial arm. A low-energy, fortified product improved the linear growth of young children in this urban setting. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01552512.

Interrelationship between growth and development in low and middle income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Martorell, Reynaldo; Nguyen, Phuong

2010-01-01

Early childhood growth failure is a significant public health problem in developing countries. We examine relationships between low birthweight and stunting with child development. Compared to children born with normal birthweight, low birth-weight children have substantially poorer cognitive and schooling outcomes later in life. Linear growth failure leading to stunting mostly occurs before age 2 years, with stunting in older children reflecting growth failure in early life. Many studies show that stunting is associated with poor mental and motor development in infants and with low scores in cognitive tests, increased frequency of behavioral problems and poor school achievement in older children. Very few studies have assessed the relative importance for development of prenatal vs. postnatal growth failure and even fewer have done so using appropriate statistical techniques. The limited evidence to date suggests growth during the first 2 years of life is more important than growth at any other time, including the prenatal period, for predicting later cognitive development, schooling and educational achievement. In conclusion, children in settings of poverty who experience growth failure prior to age 2 years have reduced potential to succeed in school and to be productive members of society. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Sildenafil Citrate Increases Fetal Weight in a Mouse Model of Fetal Growth Restriction with a Normal Vascular Phenotype

Science.gov (United States)

Dilworth, Mark Robert; Andersson, Irene; Renshall, Lewis James; Cowley, Elizabeth; Baker, Philip; Greenwood, Susan; Sibley, Colin Peter; Wareing, Mark

2013-01-01

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is defined as the inability of a fetus to achieve its genetic growth potential and is associated with a significantly increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Clinically, FGR is diagnosed as a fetus falling below the 5th centile of customised growth charts. Sildenafil citrate (SC, Viagra™), a potent and selective phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, corrects ex vivo placental vascular dysfunction in FGR, demonstrating potential as a therapy for this condition. However, many FGR cases present without an abnormal vascular phenotype, as assessed by Doppler measures of uterine/umbilical artery blood flow velocity. Thus, we hypothesized that SC would not increase fetal growth in a mouse model of FGR, the placental-specific Igf2 knockout mouse, which has altered placental exchange capacity but normal placental blood flow. Fetal weights were increased (by 8%) in P0 mice following maternal SC treatment (0.4 mg/ml) via drinking water. There was also a trend towards increased placental weight in treated P0 mice (P = 0.056). Additionally, 75% of the P0 fetal weights were below the 5th centile, the criterion used to define human FGR, of the non-treated WT fetal weights; this was reduced to 51% when dams were treated with SC. Umbilical artery and vein blood flow velocity measures confirmed the lack of an abnormal vascular phenotype in the P0 mouse; and were unaffected by SC treatment. 14C-methylaminoisobutyric acid transfer (measured to assess effects on placental nutrient transporter activity) per g placenta was unaffected by SC, versus untreated, though total transfer was increased, commensurate with the trend towards larger placentas in this group. These data suggest that SC may improve fetal growth even in the absence of an abnormal placental blood flow, potentially affording use in multiple sub-populations of individuals presenting with FGR. PMID:24204949

Sildenafil citrate increases fetal weight in a mouse model of fetal growth restriction with a normal vascular phenotype.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Robert Dilworth

Full Text Available Fetal growth restriction (FGR is defined as the inability of a fetus to achieve its genetic growth potential and is associated with a significantly increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Clinically, FGR is diagnosed as a fetus falling below the 5(th centile of customised growth charts. Sildenafil citrate (SC, Viagra™, a potent and selective phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, corrects ex vivo placental vascular dysfunction in FGR, demonstrating potential as a therapy for this condition. However, many FGR cases present without an abnormal vascular phenotype, as assessed by Doppler measures of uterine/umbilical artery blood flow velocity. Thus, we hypothesized that SC would not increase fetal growth in a mouse model of FGR, the placental-specific Igf2 knockout mouse, which has altered placental exchange capacity but normal placental blood flow. Fetal weights were increased (by 8% in P0 mice following maternal SC treatment (0.4 mg/ml via drinking water. There was also a trend towards increased placental weight in treated P0 mice (P = 0.056. Additionally, 75% of the P0 fetal weights were below the 5(th centile, the criterion used to define human FGR, of the non-treated WT fetal weights; this was reduced to 51% when dams were treated with SC. Umbilical artery and vein blood flow velocity measures confirmed the lack of an abnormal vascular phenotype in the P0 mouse; and were unaffected by SC treatment. (14C-methylaminoisobutyric acid transfer (measured to assess effects on placental nutrient transporter activity per g placenta was unaffected by SC, versus untreated, though total transfer was increased, commensurate with the trend towards larger placentas in this group. These data suggest that SC may improve fetal growth even in the absence of an abnormal placental blood flow, potentially affording use in multiple sub-populations of individuals presenting with FGR.

Gender differences in scalp hair growth rates are maintained but reduced in pattern hair loss compared to controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Neste, D J J; Rushton, D H

2016-08-01

Hair loss is related to follicular density, programmed regrowth and hair productivity. The dissatisfaction with hair growth in patients experiencing hair loss might be due to slower linear hair growth rate (LHGR). LHGR and hair diameter was evaluated in Caucasian controls and patients with patterned hair loss employing the validated non-invasive, contrast-enhanced-phototrichogram with exogen collection. We evaluated 59,765 anagen hairs (controls 24,609, patients 35,156) and found thinner hairs grew slower than thicker hairs. LHGR in normal women was generally higher than in normal men. LHGR correlates with hair diameter (P hair of equal thickness in controls, subjects affected with patterned hair loss showed reduced hair growth rates, an observation found in both male and female patients. Males with pattern hair loss showed further reduction in growth rates as clinical severity worsened. However, sample size limitations prevented statistical evaluation of LHGR in severely affected females. Caucasian ethnicity. In pattern hair loss, LHGR significantly contributes to the apparent decrease in hair volume in affected areas. In early onset, LHRG might have a prognostic value in females but not in males. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of Growth Temperature on Bamboo-shaped Carbon–Nitrogen (C–N Nanotubes Synthesized Using Ferrocene Acetonitrile Precursor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dobal PramodSingh

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This investigation deals with the effect of growth temperature on the microstructure, nitrogen content, and crystallinity of C–N nanotubes. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS study reveals that the atomic percentage of nitrogen content in nanotubes decreases with an increase in growth temperature. Transmission electron microscopic investigations indicate that the bamboo compartment distance increases with an increase in growth temperature. The diameter of the nanotubes also increases with increasing growth temperature. Raman modes sharpen while the normalized intensity of the defect mode decreases almost linearly with increasing growth temperature. These changes are attributed to the reduction of defect concentration due to an increase in crystal planar domain sizes in graphite sheets with increasing temperature. Both XPS and Raman spectral observations indicate that the C–N nanotubes grown at lower temperatures possess higher degree of disorder and higher N incorporation.

Complementary Feeding Interventions Have a Small but Significant Impact on Linear and Ponderal Growth of Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Panjwani, Anita; Heidkamp, Rebecca

2017-11-01

Background: World Health Assembly member states have committed to ambitious global targets for reductions in stunting and wasting by 2025. Improving complementary diets of children aged 6-23 mo is a recommended approach for reducing stunting in children impact of complementary feeding interventions on linear [length-for-age z score (LAZ)] and ponderal [weight-for-length z score (WLZ)] growth of children aged 6-23 mo, with the specific goal of updating intervention-outcome linkages in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Methods: We started our review with studies included in the previous LiST review and searched for articles published since January 2012. We identified longitudinal trials that compared children aged 6-23 mo who received 1 of 2 types of complementary feeding interventions (nutrition education or counseling alone or complementary food supplementation with or without nutrition education or counseling) with a no-intervention control. We assessed study quality and generated pooled estimates of LAZ and WLZ change, as well as length and weight gain, for each category of intervention. Results: Interventions that provided nutrition education or counseling had a small but significant impact on linear growth in food-secure populations [LAZ standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.11; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.22] but not on ponderal growth. Complementary food supplementation interventions with or without nutrition education also had a small, significant effect in food-insecure settings on both LAZ (SMD: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.13) and WLZ (SMD: 0.05; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.08). Conclusions: Nutrition education and complementary feeding interventions both had a small but significant impact on linear growth, and complementary feeding interventions also had an impact on ponderal growth of children aged 6-23 mo in low- and middle-income countries. The updated LiST model will support nutrition program planning and evaluation efforts by allowing users to model changes in intervention coverage on

Non-linear growth in tree ferns, Dicksonia antarctica and Cyathea australis

OpenAIRE

Blair, David P.; Blanchard, Wade; Banks, Sam C.; Lindenmayer, David B.

2017-01-01

Tree ferns are an important structural component of forests in many countries. However, because their regeneration is often unrelated to major disturbances, their age is often difficult to determine. In addition, rates of growth may not be uniform, which further complicates attempts to determine their age. In this study, we measured 5 years of growth of Cyathea australis and Dicksonia antarctica after a large wildfire in 2009 in south-eastern Australia. We found growth rates of these two spec...

Fast Solvers for Dense Linear Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kauers, Manuel [Research Institute for Symbolic Computation (RISC), Altenbergerstrasse 69, A4040 Linz (Austria)

2008-10-15

It appears that large scale calculations in particle physics often require to solve systems of linear equations with rational number coefficients exactly. If classical Gaussian elimination is applied to a dense system, the time needed to solve such a system grows exponentially in the size of the system. In this tutorial paper, we present a standard technique from computer algebra that avoids this exponential growth: homomorphic images. Using this technique, big dense linear systems can be solved in a much more reasonable time than using Gaussian elimination over the rationals.

Proteoglycans in Leiomyoma and Normal Myometrium

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Nichole M.; Carrino, David A.; Caplan, Arnold I.; Hurd, William W.; Liu, James H.; Tan, Huiqing; Mesiano, Sam

2015-01-01

Uterine leiomyoma are a common benign pelvic tumors composed of modified smooth muscle cells and a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM). The proteoglycan composition of the leiomyoma ECM is thought to affect pathophysiology of the disease. To test this hypothesis, we examined the abundance (by immunoblotting) and expression (by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) of the proteoglycans biglycan, decorin, and versican in leiomyoma and normal myometrium and determined whether expression is affected by steroid hormones and menstrual phase. Leiomyoma and normal myometrium were collected from women (n = 17) undergoing hysterectomy or myomectomy. In vitro studies were performed on immortalized leiomyoma (UtLM) and normal myometrial (hTERT-HM) cells with and without exposure to estradiol and progesterone. In leiomyoma tissue, abundance of decorin messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein were 2.6-fold and 1.4-fold lower, respectively, compared with normal myometrium. Abundance of versican mRNA was not different between matched samples, whereas versican protein was increased 1.8-fold in leiomyoma compared with myometrium. Decorin mRNA was 2.4-fold lower in secretory phase leiomyoma compared with proliferative phase tissue. In UtLM cells, progesterone decreased the abundance of decorin mRNA by 1.3-fold. Lower decorin expression in leiomyoma compared with myometrium may contribute to disease growth and progression. As decorin inhibits the activity of specific growth factors, its reduced level in the leiomyoma cell microenvironment may promote cell proliferation and ECM deposition. Our data suggest that decorin expression in leiomyoma is inhibited by progesterone, which may be a mechanism by which the ovarian steroids affect leiomyoma growth and disease progression. PMID:26423601

Numerical studies of the linear theta pinch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brackbill, J.U.; Menzel, M.T.; Barnes, D.C.

1975-01-01

Aspects of several physical problems associated with linear theta pinches were studied using recently developed numerical methods for the solution of the nonlinear equations for time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic flow in two- and three-dimensions. The problems studied include the propagation of end-loss produced rarefaction waves, the flow produced in a proposed injection experiment geometry, and the linear growth and nonlinear saturation of instabilities in rotating plasmas, all in linear geometries. The studies illustrate how numerical computations aid in flow visualization, and how the small amplitude behavior and nonlinear fate of plasmas in unstable equilibria can be connected through the numerical solution of the dynamical equations. (auth)

Hemoglobin is essential for normal growth of Arabidopsis organs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hebelstrup, Kim Henrik; Hunt, Peter; Dennis, Elizabeth

2006-01-01

In Arabidopsis thaliana, the class I hemoglobin AHb1 is transiently expressed in the hydathodes of leaves and in floral buds from young inflorescences. Nitric oxide (NO) accumulates to high levels in these organs when AHb1 is silenced, indicating an important role in metabolizing NO. AHb1-silenced...... lines are viable but show a mutant phenotype affecting the regions where AHb1 is expressed. Arabidopsis lines with an insertional knockout or overexpression of AHb2, a class II 3-on-3 hemoglobin, were generated. Seedlings overexpressing AHb2 show enhanced survival of hypoxic stress. The AHb2 knockout...... lines develop normally. However, when AHb2 knockout is combined with AHb1 silencing, seedlings die at an early vegetative stage suggesting that the two 3-on-3 hemoglobins, AHb1 and AHb2, together play an essential role for normal development of Arabidopsis seedlings. In conclusion, these results...

Biostatistics Series Module 6: Correlation and Linear Regression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazra, Avijit; Gogtay, Nithya

2016-01-01

Correlation and linear regression are the most commonly used techniques for quantifying the association between two numeric variables. Correlation quantifies the strength of the linear relationship between paired variables, expressing this as a correlation coefficient. If both variables x and y are normally distributed, we calculate Pearson's correlation coefficient ( r ). If normality assumption is not met for one or both variables in a correlation analysis, a rank correlation coefficient, such as Spearman's rho (ρ) may be calculated. A hypothesis test of correlation tests whether the linear relationship between the two variables holds in the underlying population, in which case it returns a P correlation coefficient can also be calculated for an idea of the correlation in the population. The value r 2 denotes the proportion of the variability of the dependent variable y that can be attributed to its linear relation with the independent variable x and is called the coefficient of determination. Linear regression is a technique that attempts to link two correlated variables x and y in the form of a mathematical equation ( y = a + bx ), such that given the value of one variable the other may be predicted. In general, the method of least squares is applied to obtain the equation of the regression line. Correlation and linear regression analysis are based on certain assumptions pertaining to the data sets. If these assumptions are not met, misleading conclusions may be drawn. The first assumption is that of linear relationship between the two variables. A scatter plot is essential before embarking on any correlation-regression analysis to show that this is indeed the case. Outliers or clustering within data sets can distort the correlation coefficient value. Finally, it is vital to remember that though strong correlation can be a pointer toward causation, the two are not synonymous.

Incomplete linear tibial fractures in two horses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, P.J.; Allhands, R.V.; Baker, G.J.; Boero, M.J.; Foreman, J.H.; Hyyppa, T.; Huhn, J.C.

1988-01-01

Incomplete linear tibial fractures were identified in two horses with the aid of scintigraphy. Both horses were treated successfully by strict stall confinement, and both returned to normal athletic activity. Scintigraphy can be used to facilitate the generally difficult diagnosis of incomplete tibial fractures

Age-related changes in Serum Growth Hormone, Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 and Somatostatin in System Lupus Erythematosus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malemud Charles J

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Systemic lupus erythematosus is an age- and gender-associated autoimmune disorder. Previous studies suggested that defects in the hypothalamic/pituitary axis contributed to systemic lupus erythematosus disease progression which could also involve growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and somatostatin function. This study was designed to compare basal serum growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and somatostatin levels in female systemic lupus erythematosus patients to a group of normal female subjects. Methods Basal serum growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and somatostatin levels were measured by standard radioimmunoassay. Results Serum growth hormone levels failed to correlate with age (r2 = 3.03 in the entire group of normal subjects (i.e. 20 – 80 years. In contrast, serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels were inversely correlated with age (adjusted r2 = 0.092. Of note, serum growth hormone was positively correlated with age (adjusted r2 = 0.269 in the 20 – 46 year range which overlapped with the age range of patients in the systemic lupus erythematosus group. In that regard, serum growth hormone levels were not significantly higher compared to either the entire group of normal subjects (20 – 80 yrs or to normal subjects age-matched to the systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels were significantly elevated (p 55 yrs systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Conclusions These results indicated that systemic lupus erythematosus was not characterized by a modulation of the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 paracrine axis when serum samples from systemic lupus erythematosus patients were compared to age- matched normal female subjects. These results in systemic lupus erythematosus differ from those previously reported in other musculoskeletal disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, diffuse idiopathic skeletal

Dynamic imperfections and optimized feedback design in the Compact Linear Collider main linac

CERN Document Server

Eliasson, Peder

2008-01-01

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) main linac is sensitive to dynamic imperfections such as element jitter, injected beam jitter, and ground motion. These effects cause emittance growth that, in case of ground motion, has to be counteracted by a trajectory feedback system. The feedback system itself will, due to jitter effects and imperfect beam position monitors (BPMs), indirectly cause emittance growth. Fast and accurate simulations of both the direct and indirect effects are desirable, but due to the many elements of the CLIC main linac, simulations may become very time consuming. In this paper, an efficient way of simulating linear (or nearly linear) dynamic effects is described. The method is also shown to facilitate the analytic determination of emittance growth caused by the different dynamic imperfections while using a trajectory feedback system. Emittance growth expressions are derived for quadrupole, accelerating structure, and beam jitter, for ground motion, and for noise in the feedback BPMs. Fina...

High-brightness negative-hydrogen linear accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadlinger, E.A.; Farrell, J.A.; Dogliani, H.O.

1982-01-01

We have designed a linear accelerator to accelerate negative hydrogen ions to 50 MeV with an instantaneous output current of 100 mA and a normalized rms emittance in both transverse planes of 0.02 π cm mrad. The design and results obtained to date with a 2-MeV prototype are presented

Variations in growth pattern and predictablity of liveweight growth of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The prediction equations results for rate of liveweight growth showed that of the four models used, the quadratic function was the best predictor of liveweight growth, as indicated by the highest and significant R2 value of 90.7 %. This was closely followed by the linear function which had a significant R2 value of 88.1 %.

Numerical computation of linear instability of detonations

Science.gov (United States)

Kabanov, Dmitry; Kasimov, Aslan

2017-11-01

We propose a method to study linear stability of detonations by direct numerical computation. The linearized governing equations together with the shock-evolution equation are solved in the shock-attached frame using a high-resolution numerical algorithm. The computed results are processed by the Dynamic Mode Decomposition technique to generate dispersion relations. The method is applied to the reactive Euler equations with simple-depletion chemistry as well as more complex multistep chemistry. The results are compared with those known from normal-mode analysis. We acknowledge financial support from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Continuous glucose profiles in obese and normal-weight pregnant women on a controlled diet: metabolic determinants of fetal growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Harmon, Kristin A; Gerard, Lori; Jensen, Dalan R; Kealey, Elizabeth H; Hernandez, Teri L; Reece, Melanie S; Barbour, Linda A; Bessesen, Daniel H

2011-10-01

We sought to define 24-h glycemia in normal-weight and obese pregnant women using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) while they consumed a habitual and controlled diet both early and late in pregnancy. Glycemia was prospectively measured in early (15.7 ± 2.0 weeks' gestation) and late (27.7 ± 1.7 weeks' gestation) pregnancy in normal-weight (n = 22) and obese (n = 16) pregnant women on an ad libitum and controlled diet. Fasting glucose, triglycerides (early pregnancy only), nonesterified fatty acids (FFAs), and insulin also were measured. The 24-h glucose area under the curve was higher in obese women than in normal-weight women both early and late in pregnancy despite controlled diets. Nearly all fasting and postprandial glycemic parameters were higher in the obese women later in pregnancy, as were fasting insulin, triglycerides, and FFAs. Infants born to obese mothers had greater adiposity. Maternal BMI (r = 0.54, P = 0.01), late average daytime glucose (r = 0.48, P fasting insulin (r = 0.49, P fasting triglycerides (r = 0.67, P fasting FFAs (r = 0.54, P obese women without diabetes have higher daytime and nocturnal glucose profiles than normal-weight women despite a controlled diet both early and late in gestation. Body fat in infants, not birth weight, was related to maternal BMI, glucose, insulin, and FFAs, but triglycerides were the strongest predictor. These metabolic findings may explain higher rates of infant macrosomia in obese women, which might be targeted in trials to prevent excess fetal growth.

Groups, matrices, and vector spaces a group theoretic approach to linear algebra

CERN Document Server

Carrell, James B

2017-01-01

This unique text provides a geometric approach to group theory and linear algebra, bringing to light the interesting ways in which these subjects interact. Requiring few prerequisites beyond understanding the notion of a proof, the text aims to give students a strong foundation in both geometry and algebra. Starting with preliminaries (relations, elementary combinatorics, and induction), the book then proceeds to the core topics: the elements of the theory of groups and fields (Lagrange's Theorem, cosets, the complex numbers and the prime fields), matrix theory and matrix groups, determinants, vector spaces, linear mappings, eigentheory and diagonalization, Jordan decomposition and normal form, normal matrices, and quadratic forms. The final two chapters consist of a more intensive look at group theory, emphasizing orbit stabilizer methods, and an introduction to linear algebraic groups, which enriches the notion of a matrix group. Applications involving symm etry groups, determinants, linear coding theory ...

Physical Development: What's Normal? What's Not?

Science.gov (United States)

... Stages Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Physical Development: What’s Normal? What’s Not? Page Content Article ... growth . The timing and speed of a child's physical development can vary a lot, because it is ...

A pseudospectra-based approach to non-normal stability of embedded boundary methods

Science.gov (United States)

Rapaka, Narsimha; Samtaney, Ravi

2017-11-01

We present non-normal linear stability of embedded boundary (EB) methods employing pseudospectra and resolvent norms. Stability of the discrete linear wave equation is characterized in terms of the normalized distance of the EB to the nearest ghost node (α) in one and two dimensions. An important objective is that the CFL condition based on the Cartesian grid spacing remains unaffected by the EB. We consider various discretization methods including both central and upwind-biased schemes. Stability is guaranteed when α Funds under Award No. URF/1/1394-01.

Successive 1-Month Weight Increments in Infancy Can Be Used to Screen for Faltering Linear Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Onyango, Adelheid W; Borghi, Elaine; de Onis, Mercedes; Frongillo, Edward A; Victora, Cesar G; Dewey, Kathryn G; Lartey, Anna; Bhandari, Nita; Baerug, Anne; Garza, Cutberto

2015-12-01

Linear growth faltering in the first 2 y contributes greatly to a high stunting burden, and prevention is hampered by the limited capacity in primary health care for timely screening and intervention. This study aimed to determine an approach to predicting long-term stunting from consecutive 1-mo weight increments in the first year of life. By using the reference sample of the WHO velocity standards, the analysis explored patterns of consecutive monthly weight increments among healthy infants. Four candidate screening thresholds of successive increments that could predict stunting were considered, and one was selected for further testing. The selected threshold was applied in a cohort of Bangladeshi infants to assess its predictive value for stunting at ages 12 and 24 mo. Between birth and age 12 mo, 72.6% of infants in the WHO sample tracked within 1 SD of their weight and length. The selected screening criterion ("event") was 2 consecutive monthly increments below the 15th percentile. Bangladeshi infants were born relatively small and, on average, tracked downward from approximately age 6 to strategy is effective, the estimated preventable proportion in the group who experienced the event would be 34% at 12 mo and 24% at 24 mo. This analysis offers an approach for frontline workers to identify children at risk of stunting, allowing for timely initiation of preventive measures. It opens avenues for further investigation into evidence-informed application of the WHO growth velocity standards. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Evaluation of growth hormone release and human growth hormone treatment in children with cranial irradiation-associated short stature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romshe, C.A.; Zipf, W.B.; Miser, A.; Miser, J.; Sotos, J.F.; Newton, W.A.

1984-01-01

We studied nine children who had received cranial irradiation for various malignancies and subsequently experienced decreased growth velocity. Their response to standard growth hormone stimulation and release tests were compared with that in seven children with classic GH deficiency and in 24 short normal control subjects. With arginine and L-dopa stimulation, six of nine patients who received radiation had a normal GH response (greater than 7 ng/ml), whereas by design none of the GH deficient and all of the normal children had a positive response. Only two of nine patients had a normal response to insulin hypoglycemia, with no significant differences in the mean maximal response of the radiation and the GH-deficient groups. Pulsatile secretion was not significantly different in the radiation and GH-deficient groups, but was different in the radiation and normal groups. All subjects in the GH-deficient and radiation groups were given human growth hormone for 1 year. Growth velocity increased in all, with no significant difference in the response of the two groups when comparing the z scores for growth velocity of each subject's bone age. We recommend a 6-month trial of hGH in children who have had cranial radiation and are in prolonged remission with a decreased growth velocity, as there is no completely reliable combination of GH stimulation or release tests to determine their response

CSR-induced emittance growth in achromats: Linear formalism revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venturini, M.

2015-09-11

We review the R-matrix formalism used to describe Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR)-induced projected emittance growth in electron beam transport lines and establish the connection with a description in terms of the dispersion-invariant function.

Association of Tumor Growth Factor-β and Interferon-γ Serum Levels With Insulin Resistance in Normal Pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sotoodeh Jahromi, Abdolreza; Sanie, Mohammad Sadegh; Yusefi, Alireza; Zabetian, Hassan; Zareian, Parvin; Hakimelahi, Hossein; Madani, Abdolhossien; Hojjat-Farsangi, Mohammad

2015-09-28

Pregnancy is related to change in glucose metabolism and insulin production. The aim of our study was to determine the association of serum IFN-γ and TGF- β levels with insulin resistance during normal pregnancy. This cross sectional study was carried out on 97 healthy pregnant (in different trimesters) and 28 healthy non-pregnant women. Serum TGF-β and IFN- γ level were measured by ELISA method. Pregnant women had high level TGF-β and low level IFN-γ as compared non-pregnant women. Maternal serum TGF-β concentration significantly increased in third trimester as compared first and second trimester of pregnancy. Maternal serum IFN-γ concentration significantly decreased in third trimester as compared first and second trimester of pregnancy. Pregnant women exhibited higher score of HOMA IR as compared non-pregnant women. There were association between gestational age with body mass index (r=0.28, P=0.005), TGF-β (r=0.45, PInsulin resistance and TGF-β (r=0.17, p=0.05). Our findings suggest that changes in maternal cytokine level in healthy pregnant women were anti-inflammatory. Furthermore, Tumor Growth Factor-β appears has a role in induction insulin resistance in healthy pregnant women. However, further studies needed to evaluate role of different cytokines on insulin resistance in normal pregnancy.

Fetal growth in relation to gestational weight gain in women with Type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parellada, C B; Asbjörnsdóttir, Björg; Ringholm, Lene

2014-01-01

AIMS: To evaluate fetal growth in relation to gestational weight gain in women with Type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 142 consecutive pregnancies in 28 women of normal weight, 39 overweight women and 75 obese women with Type 2 diabetes (pre-pregnancy BMI .../week, respectively. In multiple linear regression analysis, gestational weight gain was associated with a higher infant birth weight z-score independent of pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking, HbA1c and insulin dose at last visit, ethnicity and parity [β=0.1 (95% CI 0.06-0.14), P

Vertex Normals and Face Curvatures of Triangle Meshes

KAUST Repository

Sun, Xiang

2016-08-12

This study contributes to the discrete differential geometry of triangle meshes, in combination with discrete line congruences associated with such meshes. In particular we discuss when a congruence defined by linear interpolation of vertex normals deserves to be called a ʼnormal’ congruence. Our main results are a discussion of various definitions of normality, a detailed study of the geometry of such congruences, and a concept of curvatures and shape operators associated with the faces of a triangle mesh. These curvatures are compatible with both normal congruences and the Steiner formula.

Introduction to linear systems of differential equations

CERN Document Server

Adrianova, L Ya

1995-01-01

The theory of linear systems of differential equations is one of the cornerstones of the whole theory of differential equations. At its root is the concept of the Lyapunov characteristic exponent. In this book, Adrianova presents introductory material and further detailed discussions of Lyapunov exponents. She also discusses the structure of the space of solutions of linear systems. Classes of linear systems examined are from the narrowest to widest: 1)�autonomous, 2)�periodic, 3)�reducible to autonomous, 4)�nearly reducible to autonomous, 5)�regular. In addition, Adrianova considers the following: stability of linear systems and the influence of perturbations of the coefficients on the stability the criteria of uniform stability and of uniform asymptotic stability in terms of properties of the solutions several estimates of the growth rate of solutions of a linear system in terms of its coefficients How perturbations of the coefficients change all the elements of the spectrum of the system is defin...

Comparative ultrasound measurement of normal thyroid gland ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-08-31

Aug 31, 2011 ... the normal thyroid gland has a homogenous increased medium level echo texture. The childhood thyroid gland dimension correlates linearly with age and body surface unlike adults. [14] Iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) are thyroid hormones which function to control the basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Growth of KNN thin films for non-linear optical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Shweta; Gupta, Reema; Gupta, Vinay; Tomar, Monika

2018-01-01

Two-wave mixing is a remarkable area of research in the field of non-linear optics, finding various applications in the development of opto-electronic devices, photorefractive waveguides, real time holography, etc. Non-linear optical properties of ferroelectric potassium sodium niobate (KNN) thin films have been interrogated using two-wave mixing phenomenon. Regarding this, a-axis oriented K 0.35 Na (1-0.35) NbO 3 thin films were successfully grown on epitaxial matched (100) SrTiO 3 substrate using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The uniformly distributed Au micro-discs of 200 μm diameter were integrated with KNN/STO thin film to study the plasmonic enhancement in the optical response. Beam amplification has been observed as a result of the two-wave mixing. This is due to the alignment of ferroelectric domains in KNN films and the excitement of plasmons at the metal-dielectric (Au-KNN) interface. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Growth of KNN thin films for non-linear optical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Shweta; Gupta, Reema; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi (India); Tomar, Monika [Department of Physics, Miranda House University of Delhi (India)

2018-02-15

Two-wave mixing is a remarkable area of research in the field of non-linear optics, finding various applications in the development of opto-electronic devices, photorefractive waveguides, real time holography, etc. Non-linear optical properties of ferroelectric potassium sodium niobate (KNN) thin films have been interrogated using two-wave mixing phenomenon. Regarding this, a-axis oriented K{sub 0.35}Na{sub (1-0.35)}NbO{sub 3} thin films were successfully grown on epitaxial matched (100) SrTiO{sub 3} substrate using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The uniformly distributed Au micro-discs of 200 μm diameter were integrated with KNN/STO thin film to study the plasmonic enhancement in the optical response. Beam amplification has been observed as a result of the two-wave mixing. This is due to the alignment of ferroelectric domains in KNN films and the excitement of plasmons at the metal-dielectric (Au-KNN) interface. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Non-linear development of secular gravitational instability in protoplanetary disks

Science.gov (United States)

Tominaga, Ryosuke T.; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro; Takahashi, Sanemichi Z.

2018-01-01

We perform non-linear simulation of secular gravitational instability (GI) in protoplanetary disks, which has been proposed as a mechanism of planetesimal and multiple ring formation. Since the timescale of the growth of the secular GI is much longer than the Keplerian rotation period, we develop a new numerical scheme for a long-term calculation utilizing the concept of symplectic integration. With our new scheme, we first investigate the non-linear development of the secular GI in a disk without a pressure gradient in the initial state. We find that the surface density of dust increases by more than a factor of 100 while that of gas does not increase even by a factor of 2, which results in the formation of dust-dominated rings. A line mass of the dust ring tends to be very close to the critical line mass of a self-gravitating isothermal filament. Our results indicate that the non-linear growth of the secular GI provides a powerful mechanism to concentrate the dust. We also find that the dust ring formed via the non-linear growth of the secular GI migrates inward with a low velocity, which is driven by the self-gravity of the ring. We give a semi-analytical expression for the inward migration speed of the dusty ring.

Multivariate covariance generalized linear models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonat, W. H.; Jørgensen, Bent

2016-01-01

are fitted by using an efficient Newton scoring algorithm based on quasi-likelihood and Pearson estimating functions, using only second-moment assumptions. This provides a unified approach to a wide variety of types of response variables and covariance structures, including multivariate extensions......We propose a general framework for non-normal multivariate data analysis called multivariate covariance generalized linear models, designed to handle multivariate response variables, along with a wide range of temporal and spatial correlation structures defined in terms of a covariance link...... function combined with a matrix linear predictor involving known matrices. The method is motivated by three data examples that are not easily handled by existing methods. The first example concerns multivariate count data, the second involves response variables of mixed types, combined with repeated...

Growth hormone deficiency in cleft lip and palate patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahin AbdollahiFakhim

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Failure to thrive (FTT is relatively common among cleft patients, most commonly attributed to feeding problems during the first months of life. Close association between midline clefts and pituitary gland abnormalities prompted us to determine the frequency of growth hormone deficiency in cleft patients, which is easily treated. Methods: Any cleft patient with FTT was studied and when the patient’s height was under the 3rd percentile of normal, growth hormone was checked after clonidine administration. Growth hormone was checked before and 30, 60 and 90 minutes after clonidine use. Results: Of 670 patients with cleft lip or palate, 31 patients (4% had some kind of growth retardation according to weight, height or head circumstance. Eighteen patients were under the 3rd percentile of normal height. Growth hormone deficiency was detected in 8 patients out of 18 patients and overall frequency of growth hormone deficiency among cleft patients with growth retardation was 25.8% (8 out of 31. Seven patients of 8 were male whereas one was female and half of the patients were syndromic. Conclusion: Cleft patients have many problems with normal feeding and all kind of support should be provided to achieve near-normal feeding and they should be monitored for normal growth. Any patient with growth retardation, especially height decrease, should be assessed for growth hormone deficiency.

Longitudinal mathematics development of students with learning disabilities and students without disabilities: a comparison of linear, quadratic, and piecewise linear mixed effects models.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohli, Nidhi; Sullivan, Amanda L; Sadeh, Shanna; Zopluoglu, Cengiz

2015-04-01

Effective instructional planning and intervening rely heavily on accurate understanding of students' growth, but relatively few researchers have examined mathematics achievement trajectories, particularly for students with special needs. We applied linear, quadratic, and piecewise linear mixed-effects models to identify the best-fitting model for mathematics development over elementary and middle school and to ascertain differences in growth trajectories of children with learning disabilities relative to their typically developing peers. The analytic sample of 2150 students was drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort, a nationally representative sample of United States children who entered kindergarten in 1998. We first modeled students' mathematics growth via multiple mixed-effects models to determine the best fitting model of 9-year growth and then compared the trajectories of students with and without learning disabilities. Results indicate that the piecewise linear mixed-effects model captured best the functional form of students' mathematics trajectories. In addition, there were substantial achievement gaps between students with learning disabilities and students with no disabilities, and their trajectories differed such that students without disabilities progressed at a higher rate than their peers who had learning disabilities. The results underscore the need for further research to understand how to appropriately model students' mathematics trajectories and the need for attention to mathematics achievement gaps in policy. Copyright © 2015 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fibroblast-mediated in vivo and in vitro growth promotion of tumorigenic rat thyroid carcinoma cells but not normal Fisher rat thyroid follicular cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Saitoh, Ohki; Mitsutake, Norisato; Nakayama, Toshiyuki; Nagayama, Yuji

2009-07-01

It is known that genetic abnormalities in oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes promote carcinogenesis. Numerous recent articles, however, have demonstrated that epithelial-stromal interaction also plays a critical role for initiation and progression of carcinoma cells. Furthermore, ionizing radiation induces alterations in the tissue microenvironments that promote carcinogenesis. There is little or no information on epithelial-stromal interaction in thyroid carcinoma cells. The objective of this study was to determine if epithelial-stromal interaction influenced the growth of thyroid carcinoma cells in vivo and in vitro and to determine if radiation had added or interacting effects. Normal Fisher rat thyroid follicular cells (FRTL5 cells) and tumorigenic rat thyroid carcinoma cells (FRTL-Tc cells) derived from FRTL5 cells were employed. The cells were injected into thyroids or subcutaneously into left flanks of rats alone or in combination with skin-derived fibroblasts. In groups of rats, fibroblasts were irradiated with 0.1 or 4 Gy x-ray 3 days before inoculation. In vitro growth of FRTL-Tc and FRTL-5 cells were evaluated using the fibroblast-conditioned medium and in a co-culture system with fibroblasts. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that FRTL-Tc cells injected intrathyroidally grew faster than those injected subcutaneously, and that admixed fibroblasts enhanced growth of subcutaneous FRTL-Tc tumors, indicating that the intrathyroidal milieu, particularly in the presence of fibroblasts, confer growth-promoting advantage to thyroid carcinoma cells. This in vivo growth-promoting effect of fibroblasts on FRTL-Tc cells was duplicated in the in vitro experiments using the fibroblast-conditioned medium. Thus, our data demonstrate that this effect is mediated by soluble factor(s), is reversible, and is comparable to that of 10% fetal bovine serum. However, normal FRTL5 cells did not respond to the fibroblast-conditioned medium. Furthermore, high- and low

Catch-Up Growth Occurs after Diarrhea in Early Childhood123

Science.gov (United States)

Richard, Stephanie A.; Black, Robert E.; Gilman, Robert H.; Guerrant, Richard L.; Kang, Gagandeep; Lanata, Claudio F.; Mølbak, Kåre; Rasmussen, Zeba A.; Sack, R. Bradley; Valentiner-Branth, Palle; Checkley, William

2014-01-01

Diarrhea and linear growth faltering continue to burden low-income countries and are among the most important contributors to poor health during early childhood. Diarrhea is thought to adversely affect linear growth, but catch-up growth can occur if no additional insults are experienced. We sought to characterize catch-up growth in relation to diarrhea burden in a multisite dataset of 1007 children. Using longitudinal anthropometry and diarrheal surveillance data from 7 cohort studies in 4 countries, we examined the relation between diarrhea prevalence and growth in 3- to 6-mo periods using linear mixed-effect models. Growth during each period was calculated as a function of age using linear splines. We incorporated the longitudinal prevalence of diarrhea in both current and previous periods into the model. Diarrhea during the current period was associated with slower linear and ponderal growth. Faster (catch-up) growth in length was observed in children with no diarrhea in age groups immediately after an age group in which diarrhea was experienced [age group >6–12 mo: 0.03 mm/mo for each percentage diarrhea prevalence in the previous period (95% CI: 0.007, 0.06) relative to 11.3 mm/mo mean growth rate; age group >12–18 mo: 0.04 mm/mo (95% CI: 0.02, 0.06) relative to 8.9 mm/mo mean growth rate; age group >18–24 mo: 0.04 mm/mo (95% CI: 0.003, 0.09) relative to 7.9 mm/mo mean growth rate]. The associations were stronger in boys than in girls when separate models were run. Similar results were observed when weight was the outcome variable. When diarrheal episodes are followed by diarrhea-free periods in the first 2 y of life, catch-up growth is observed that may allow children to regain their original trajectories. The finding of a greater effect of diarrhea on linear growth in boys than in girls was unexpected and requires additional study. Diarrhea burdens are high throughout the first 2 y of life in these study sites, therefore reducing the likelihood of

Modal analysis of inter-area oscillations using the theory of normal modes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Betancourt, R.J. [School of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Colima, Manzanillo, Col. 28860 (Mexico); Barocio, E. [CUCEI, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jal. 44480 (Mexico); Messina, A.R. [Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering, Cinvestav, Guadalajara, Jal. 45015 (Mexico); Martinez, I. [State Autonomous University of Mexico, Toluca, Edo. Mex. 50110 (Mexico)

2009-04-15

Based on the notion of normal modes in mechanical systems, a method is proposed for the analysis and characterization of oscillatory processes in power systems. The method is based on the property of invariance of modal subspaces and can be used to represent complex power system modal behavior by a set of decoupled, two-degree-of-freedom nonlinear oscillator equations. Using techniques from nonlinear mechanics, a new approach is outlined, for determining the normal modes (NMs) of motion of a general n-degree-of-freedom nonlinear system. Equations relating the normal modes and the physical velocities and displacements are developed from the linearized system model and numerical issues associated with the application of the technique are discussed. In addition to qualitative insight, this method can be utilized in the study of nonlinear behavior and bifurcation analyses. The application of these procedures is illustrated on a planning model of the Mexican interconnected system using a quadratic nonlinear model. Specifically, the use of normal mode analysis as a basis for identifying modal parameters, including natural frequencies and damping ratios of general, linear systems with n degrees of freedom is discussed. Comparisons to conventional linear analysis techniques demonstrate the ability of the proposed technique to extract the different oscillation modes embedded in the oscillation. (author)

Growth & development of Indian children adopted in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Proos, Lemm A

2009-11-01

More than 6800 children from India have been adopted in Sweden over the last four decades. At arrival many were undernourished and suffered from infectious diseases. Catch-up growth was common. Unexpectedly, cases of early pubertal development were subsequently reported. In order to investigate the growth and development of adopted children more in detail we studied 114 children adopted from India prospectively during two years. The majority were stunted at arrival and caught up in height and weight after two years. Psychomotor retardation and common infections diminished fairly soon. Those that were stunted did not attain the higher catch-up levels of those not stunted at arrival. Low birthweight also limited the degree of catch-up growth. 107 girls were analysed retrospectively in another study. The median menarcheal age was 11.6 yr (range 7.3-14.6 yr) which is significantly earlier than the mean in Swedish and privileged Indian girls (13.0 and 12.4-12.9 yr, respectively). The pubertal linear growth component was normal in duration and magnitude but likewise started 1.5 yr earlier. The final height/age was 154 cm (-1.4 SDS) and the weight/age 46.9 kg (-1.1 SDS) 8 per cent were 145 cm or shorter. Stunting limited catch-up growth and final height. Those that were most stunted at arrival, and had the fastest catch-up growth, had the earliest menarche. Good maternal and child nutrition is necessary for full expression of a child's growth potential. What is lost in growth early in life can only partially be recovered by catch-up growth. Such growth is associated with risk for early pubertal development which abbreviates the childhood growth period and limits final height. The mechanism underlying the early pubertal development, and the optimal management of nutrition rehabilitation after chronic malnutrition, need to be clarified by further studies.

Cluster growth kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubovik, V.M.; Gal'perin, A.G.; Rikhvitskij, V.S.; Lushnikov, A.A.

2000-01-01

Processes of some traffic blocking coming into existence are considered as probabilistic ones. We study analytic solutions for models for the dynamics of both cluster growth and cluster growth with fragmentation in the systems of finite number of objects. Assuming rates constancy of both coalescence and fragmentation, the models under consideration are linear on the probability functions

Identification of messenger RNA of fetoplacental source in maternal plasma of women with normal pregnancies and pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayala Ramírez, Paola; García Robles, Reggie; Rojas, Juan Diego; Bermúdez, Martha; Bernal, Jaime

2012-07-01

to quantify placenta-specific RNA in plasma of women carrying foetuses with intrauterine growth restriction and pregnant women with normal pregnancies. 8 pregnant women with foetuses with intrauterine growth restriction were studied as well as 18 women with uncomplicated pregnancies in the third pregnancy trimester. Total free RNA was quantified in maternal plasma by spectrophotometry and the gene expression of hPL (Human Placental Lactogen) at the messenger RNA level through technical Real Time-Chain Reaction Polymerase. plasma RNA of fetoplacental origin was successfully detected in 100% of pregnant women. There were no statistically significant differences between the values of total RNA extracted from plasma (p= 0.5975) nor in the messenger RNA expression of hPL gene (p= 0.5785) between cases and controls. messenger RNA of fetoplacental origin can be detected in maternal plasma during pregnancy.

Intrauterine growth-restricted piglets have similar gastric emptying rates but lower rectal temperatures and altered blood values when compared with normal-weight piglets at birth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Williams, Charlotte Amdi; Klarlund, M. V.; Pedersen, Janni Hales

2016-01-01

Intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) piglets have lower survival rates and are more likely to have empty stomachs 24 h after birth than normal piglets. Although hypoglycemia may result from low colostrum intake per se, it is not known if slow gastric emptying may be an additional risk factor...... that the gastric emptying rate and blood glucose would be lower in IUGR piglets. We investigated gastric emptying rates in normal and IUGR piglets and blood glucose and rectal temperatures at birth and after 15, 30, 60, and 120 min. In addition, blood parameters relevant for metabolism were studied. Forty......-eight piglets (24 normal and 24 IUGR) were classified at birth as either normal or IUGR on the basis of head morphology. Piglets were removed from the sow at birth before suckling, and birth weight was recorded. Pooled porcine colostrum was tube-fed to all piglets at 12 mL/kg BW as soon as possible after birth...

Comparative study of growth and linear body measurements in Anak ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was designed to compare the performance of two different breeds of broilers (Anak and Hubbard) using body weight and body linear measurements. Data on a total of 200 (100 each) Anak and Hubbard broiler breeds were collected weekly and the experiment lasted for 8 weeks. The parameters investigated ...

Flat-beam Rf photocathode sources for linear collider applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenzweig, J.B.

1991-01-01

Laser driven rf photocathodes represent a recent advance in high-brightness electron beam sources. The authors investigate here a variation on these devices, that obtained by using a ribbon laser pulse to illuminate the cathode, yielding a flat beam (σ x much-gt σ y ) which has asymmetric emittances at the cathode proportional to the beam size each transverse dimension. The flat-beam geometry mitigates space charge forces which lead to intensity dependent transverse and longitudinal emittance growth, thus limiting the beam brightness. The fundamental limit on achievable emittance and brightness is set by the transverse momentum distribution and peak current density of the photoelectrons (photon energy and cathode material dependent effects) and appears to allow, taking into account space charge and rf effects, normalized emittances ε x -5 m-rad and ε -6 m-rad, with Q = 5 nC and σ z = 1 mm. These source emittances are adequate for superconducting linear collider applications, and could preclude the use of a damping ring for the electrons in these schemes

Linear series of stellar models. Pt. 4. Helium-carbon stars of 3.5Msub(o) and 1Msub(o)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozlowski, M.; Paczynski, B.; Popova, K.

1973-01-01

One linear series of models for a star of 3.5Msub(o) and two linear series of models for a star of 1Msub(o) are constructed. Models consist of helium rich envelopes (Y = 0.97, Z = 0.03) and pure carbon cores, and they have a rectangular helium profile, Y(Msub(r)). The linear series for a star of 3.5Msub(o) begins on the normal branch of the helium main sequence and terminates on the normal branch of the carbon main sequence. This series has eight turning points at which the core mass attains a local extremum. One of the two linear series for a star of 1Msub(o) begins on the normal branch of the helium main sequence, terminates on the high density branch of the helium main sequence, and has one turning point. The second linear series for a star of 1Msub(o) begins on the normal branch of the carbon main sequence, terminates on the high density branch of the carbon main sequence, and has three turning points. Two such linear series may have a common bifurcation point for a star of about 1.26Msub(o). (author)

Determinants of stunting and poor linear growth in children under 2 years of age in India: an in-depth analysis of Maharashtra's comprehensive nutrition survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguayo, Víctor M; Nair, Rajilakshmi; Badgaiyan, Nina; Krishna, Vandana

2016-05-01

We use a representative sample of 2561 children 0-23 months old to identify the factors most significantly associated with child stunting in the state of Maharashtra, India. We find that 22.7% of children were stunted, with one-third (7.4%) of the stunted children severely stunted. Multivariate regression analyses indicate that children born with low birthweight had a 2.5-fold higher odds of being stunted [odds ratio (OR) 2.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.96-3.27]; children 6-23 months old who were not fed a minimum number of times/day had a 63% higher odds of being stunted (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.24-2.14); and lower consumption of eggs was associated with a two-fold increased odds of stunting in children 6-23 months old (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.19-3.61); children whose mother's height was women's nutrition and status and household sanitation and poverty are the most significant predictors of stunting and poor linear growth in children under 2 years. Key messages One in five (22.7%) of children 0-23 months old in the state of Maharashtra were stunted, and one-third (7.4%) of the stunted children were severely stunted. Birthweight, child feeding, women's nutrition and household sanitation were the most significant predictors of stunting and poor linear growth in children under 2 years. Children born to mothers whose height was below 145 cm, had two-fold higher odds of being stunted; children born with a low birthweight had a 2.5-fold higher odds of being stunted. Low feeding frequency and low consumption of eggs, dairy products, fruits and vegetables were associated with stunting and poor linear growth in children 6-23 months old. Children of households without access to improved sanitation had 88% higher odds of being severely stunted. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vertex Normals and Face Curvatures of Triangle Meshes

KAUST Repository

Sun, Xiang; Jiang, Caigui; Wallner, Johannes; Pottmann, Helmut

2016-01-01

This study contributes to the discrete differential geometry of triangle meshes, in combination with discrete line congruences associated with such meshes. In particular we discuss when a congruence defined by linear interpolation of vertex normals

Are your covariates under control? How normalization can re-introduce covariate effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Pain, Oliver; Dudbridge, Frank; Ronald, Angelica

2018-04-30

Many statistical tests rely on the assumption that the residuals of a model are normally distributed. Rank-based inverse normal transformation (INT) of the dependent variable is one of the most popular approaches to satisfy the normality assumption. When covariates are included in the analysis, a common approach is to first adjust for the covariates and then normalize the residuals. This study investigated the effect of regressing covariates against the dependent variable and then applying rank-based INT to the residuals. The correlation between the dependent variable and covariates at each stage of processing was assessed. An alternative approach was tested in which rank-based INT was applied to the dependent variable before regressing covariates. Analyses based on both simulated and real data examples demonstrated that applying rank-based INT to the dependent variable residuals after regressing out covariates re-introduces a linear correlation between the dependent variable and covariates, increasing type-I errors and reducing power. On the other hand, when rank-based INT was applied prior to controlling for covariate effects, residuals were normally distributed and linearly uncorrelated with covariates. This latter approach is therefore recommended in situations were normality of the dependent variable is required.

Modeling error distributions of growth curve models through Bayesian methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiyong

2016-06-01

Growth curve models are widely used in social and behavioral sciences. However, typical growth curve models often assume that the errors are normally distributed although non-normal data may be even more common than normal data. In order to avoid possible statistical inference problems in blindly assuming normality, a general Bayesian framework is proposed to flexibly model normal and non-normal data through the explicit specification of the error distributions. A simulation study shows when the distribution of the error is correctly specified, one can avoid the loss in the efficiency of standard error estimates. A real example on the analysis of mathematical ability growth data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 is used to show the application of the proposed methods. Instructions and code on how to conduct growth curve analysis with both normal and non-normal error distributions using the the MCMC procedure of SAS are provided.

Balanced levels of nerve growth factor are required for normal pregnancy progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Pierre; Barrientos, Gabriela; Tirado-González, Irene; Cohen, Marie; Moschansky, Petra; Peters, Eva M; Klapp, Burghard F; Rose, Matthias; Tometten, Mareike; Blois, Sandra M

2014-08-01

Nerve growth factor (NGF), the first identified member of the family of neurotrophins, is thought to play a critical role in the initiation of the decidual response in stress-challenged pregnant mice. However, the contribution of this pathway to physiological events during the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy remains largely elusive. Using NGF depletion and supplementation strategies alternatively, in this study, we demonstrated that a successful pregnancy is sensitive to disturbances in NGF levels in mice. Treatment with NGF further boosted fetal loss rates in the high-abortion rate CBA/J x DBA/2J mouse model by amplifying a local inflammatory response through recruitment of NGF-expressing immune cells, increased decidual innervation with substance P(+) nerve fibres and a Th1 cytokine shift. Similarly, treatment with a NGF-neutralising antibody in BALB/c-mated CBA/J mice, a normal-pregnancy model, also induced abortions associated with increased infiltration of tropomyosin kinase receptor A-expressing NK cells to the decidua. Importantly, in neither of the models, pregnancy loss was associated with defective ovarian function, angiogenesis or placental development. We further demonstrated that spontaneous abortion in humans is associated with up-regulated synthesis and an aberrant distribution of NGF in placental tissue. Thus, a local threshold of NGF expression seems to be necessary to ensure maternal tolerance in healthy pregnancies, but when surpassed may result in fetal rejection due to exacerbated inflammation. © 2014 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

Asymmetry in the normal-metal to high-Tc superconductor tunnel junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flensberg, K.; Hedegaard, P.; Brix, M.

1988-01-01

We show that the observed asymmetry in the I-V characteristics of high-T c material to normal metal junctions can be explained within the Resonating-Valence-Bond model. For a bias current with electrons moving from the superconductor to the normal metal the current is quadratic in the bias voltage, and in the opposite case with electrons moving from the normal metal to the superconductor the current is linear in V. (orig.)

Growth impairment due to transient hypercortisolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Armour, K; Chalew, S; Kowarski, A A

1986-01-01

Cushing's syndrome in childhood is generally recognized by classical features such as truncal obesity, striae, easy bruising, moon facies, hypertension and growth retardation. Exceptionally, Cushing's syndrome has been reported to present as growth failure alone. We diagnosed transient hypercortisolism in 6 children who had poor growth as their only presenting abnormality. The 6 children all had integrated concentrations of cortisols (IC-F) (14.1 +/- 1.7 micrograms/dl; mean +/- 1 SD) which exceeded the IC-F in healthy children and adults (5.7 +/- 1.5 micrograms/dl; P less than 0.001). The IC-F of these 6 index cases overlapped the range of IC-F in patients with pathologically proven Cushing's syndrome (20.2 +/- 4.7 micrograms/dl). Four of the 6 patients were treated with human growth hormone for 8 months and showed a marked improvement in their growth rates. Four patients have entered puberty and are growing at normal rates. Three of the 6 children had normal repeat IC-Fs, subsequently, at a time they had normal growth rates. In 1-1/2 to 3 years of follow-up, none of the patients developed any other stigmata of Cushing's syndrome. We conclude that transient hypercortisolism, documented by the IC-F, may cause growth failure without other symptoms of Cushing's syndrome. Growth hormone therapy may improve the growth rate of these children at the time of their poor growth.

Physical growth, puberty and hormones in adolescents with Nodding Syndrome; a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Piloya-Were, Theresa; Odongkara-Mpora, Beatrice; Namusoke, Hanifa; Idro, Richard

2014-11-28

Nodding syndrome is an epidemic symptomatic generalized epilepsy syndrome of unknown cause in Eastern Africa. Some patients have extreme short stature. We hypothesized that growth failure in nodding syndrome is associated with specific endocrine dysfunctions. In this pilot study, we examined the relationship between serum hormone levels and stature, bone age and sexual development. We recruited ten consecutive children, 13 years or older, with World Health Organization defined nodding syndrome and assessed physical growth, bone age, development of secondary sexual characteristics and serum hormone levels. Two children with incomplete results were excluded. Of the eight remaining, two had severe stunting (height for age Z [HAZ] scorebone age was delayed by a median 3(range 0-4) years. Serum growth hormone levels were normal in all eight but the two patients with severe stunting and one with moderate stunting had low levels of Somatomedin C (Insulin like Growth Factor [IGF1]) and/or IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), mediators of growth hormone function. A linear relationship was observed between serum IGF1 level and HAZ score. With the exception of one child, all were either pre-pubertal or in early puberty (Tanner stages 1 and 2) and in the seven, levels of the gonadotrophins (luteinising and follicle stimulating hormone) and the sex hormones (testosterone/oestrogen) were all within pre-pubertal ranges or ranges of early puberty. Thyroid function, prolactin, adrenal, and parathyroid hormone levels were all normal. Patients with nodding syndrome may have dysfunctions in the pituitary growth hormone and pituitary gonadal axes that manifest as stunted growth, delayed bone age and puberty. Studies are required to determine if such endocrine dysfunction is a primary manifestation of the disease or a secondary consequence of chronic ill health and malnutrition and if so, whether targeted interventions can improve outcome.

Linearization of germs of hyperbolic vector fields

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonckaert, P; Naudot, [No Value; Yang, JZ

2003-01-01

We develop a normal form to express asymptotically a conjugacy between a germ of resonant vector field and its linear part. We show that such an asymptotic expression can be written in terms of functions of the Logarithmic Mourtada type. To cite this article: P Bonckaert et al., C. R. Acad. Sci.

Genetic parameters for racing records in trotters using linear and generalized linear models.

Science.gov (United States)

Suontama, M; van der Werf, J H J; Juga, J; Ojala, M

2012-09-01

Heritability and repeatability and genetic and phenotypic correlations were estimated for trotting race records with linear and generalized linear models using 510,519 records on 17,792 Finnhorses and 513,161 records on 25,536 Standardbred trotters. Heritability and repeatability were estimated for single racing time and earnings traits with linear models, and logarithmic scale was used for racing time and fourth-root scale for earnings to correct for nonnormality. Generalized linear models with a gamma distribution were applied for single racing time and with a multinomial distribution for single earnings traits. In addition, genetic parameters for annual earnings were estimated with linear models on the observed and fourth-root scales. Racing success traits of single placings, winnings, breaking stride, and disqualifications were analyzed using generalized linear models with a binomial distribution. Estimates of heritability were greatest for racing time, which ranged from 0.32 to 0.34. Estimates of heritability were low for single earnings with all distributions, ranging from 0.01 to 0.09. Annual earnings were closer to normal distribution than single earnings. Heritability estimates were moderate for annual earnings on the fourth-root scale, 0.19 for Finnhorses and 0.27 for Standardbred trotters. Heritability estimates for binomial racing success variables ranged from 0.04 to 0.12, being greatest for winnings and least for breaking stride. Genetic correlations among racing traits were high, whereas phenotypic correlations were mainly low to moderate, except correlations between racing time and earnings were high. On the basis of a moderate heritability and moderate to high repeatability for racing time and annual earnings, selection of horses for these traits is effective when based on a few repeated records. Because of high genetic correlations, direct selection for racing time and annual earnings would also result in good genetic response in racing success.

The distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates: MR imaging, three-dimensional modeling and estimation of area and volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Craig, Joseph G.; Holsbeeck, Marnix van [Department of Radiology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (United States); Cody, Dianna D. [Department of Imaging Physics, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, TX (United States)

2004-06-01

To explore how the size of the growth plate changes with age using three-dimensional (3D) models of the distal femoral and proximal tibial growth plates in pediatric patients. We retrospectively created 3D models of the normal unaffected distal femoral (n=20) and proximal tibial (n=10) growth plates in 14 patients (9 males, 5 females) age range 3.8-15.6 years who were referred for evaluation of premature partial closure of the growth plate or hyaline cartilage abnormality. All patients had one or more 3D fat-suppressed spoiled GRASS sequence from which models were made of normal growth plates. Total projected area was estimated from standardized maximum intensity projection (MIP) views, and volume was computed from the entire model. We also included the total projected area of the distal femur (n=7) or proximal tibia (n=8) in 11 patients (8 males, 3 females, 5-13 years) who had previously been evaluated for bone bridging. The 3D femoral and tibial growth plate anatomy was displayed. Femoral growth plate area varied from 804 mm{sup 2} to 3,463 mm{sup 2}. Femoral physeal cartilage volume varied from 2.1 cm{sup 3} to 12.6 cm{sup 3}. Tibial growth plate area varied from 736 mm{sup 2} to 3,026 mm{sup 2}. Tibial physeal cartilage volume varied from 1.9 cm{sup 3} to 13.2 cm{sup 3}. The growth plate area values appear to increase linearly with increasing age. (orig.)

Computation of Normal Conducting and Superconducting Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Availabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haire, M.J.

2000-01-01

A brief study was conducted to roughly estimate the availability of a superconducting (SC) linear accelerator (LINAC) as compared to a normal conducting (NC) one. Potentially, SC radio frequency cavities have substantial reserve capability, which allows them to compensate for failed cavities, thus increasing the availability of the overall LINAC. In the initial SC design, there is a klystron and associated equipment (e.g., power supply) for every cavity of an SC LINAC. On the other hand, a single klystron may service eight cavities in the NC LINAC. This study modeled that portion of the Spallation Neutron Source LINAC (between 200 and 1,000 MeV) that is initially proposed for conversion from NC to SC technology. Equipment common to both designs was not evaluated. Tabular fault-tree calculations and computer-event-driven simulation (EDS) computer computations were performed. The estimated gain in availability when using the SC option ranges from 3 to 13% under certain equipment and conditions and spatial separation requirements. The availability of an NC LINAC is estimated to be 83%. Tabular fault-tree calculations and computer EDS modeling gave the same 83% answer to within one-tenth of a percent for the NC case. Tabular fault-tree calculations of the availability of the SC LINAC (where a klystron and associated equipment drive a single cavity) give 97%, whereas EDS computer calculations give 96%, a disagreement of only 1%. This result may be somewhat fortuitous because of limitations of tabular fault-tree calculations. For example, tabular fault-tree calculations can not handle spatial effects (separation distance between failures), equipment network configurations, and some failure combinations. EDS computer modeling of various equipment configurations were examined. When there is a klystron and associated equipment for every cavity and adjacent cavity, failure can be tolerated and the SC availability was estimated to be 96%. SC availability decreased as

HRE-type genes are regulated by growth-related changes in internal oxygen concentrations during the normal development of potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers.

Science.gov (United States)

Licausi, Francesco; Giorgi, Federico Manuel; Schmälzlin, Elmar; Usadel, Björn; Perata, Pierdomenico; van Dongen, Joost Thomas; Geigenberger, Peter

2011-11-01

The occurrence of hypoxic conditions in plants not only represents a stress condition but is also associated with the normal development and growth of many organs, leading to adaptive changes in metabolism and growth to prevent internal anoxia. Internal oxygen concentrations decrease inside growing potato tubers, due to their active metabolism and increased resistance to gas diffusion as tubers grow. In the present work, we identified three hypoxia-responsive ERF (StHRE) genes whose expression is regulated by the gradual decrease in oxygen tensions that occur when potato tubers grow larger. Increasing the external oxygen concentration counteracted the modification of StHRE expression during tuber growth, supporting the idea that the actual oxygen levels inside the organs, rather than development itself, are responsible for the regulation of StHRE genes. We identified several sugar metabolism-related genes co-regulated with StHRE genes during tuber development and possibly involved in starch accumulation. All together, our data suggest a possible role for low oxygen in the regulation of sugar metabolism in the potato tuber, similar to what happens in storage tissues during seed development.

A Technique of Fuzzy C-Mean in Multiple Linear Regression Model toward Paddy Yield

Science.gov (United States)

Syazwan Wahab, Nur; Saifullah Rusiman, Mohd; Mohamad, Mahathir; Amira Azmi, Nur; Che Him, Norziha; Ghazali Kamardan, M.; Ali, Maselan

2018-04-01

In this paper, we propose a hybrid model which is a combination of multiple linear regression model and fuzzy c-means method. This research involved a relationship between 20 variates of the top soil that are analyzed prior to planting of paddy yields at standard fertilizer rates. Data used were from the multi-location trials for rice carried out by MARDI at major paddy granary in Peninsular Malaysia during the period from 2009 to 2012. Missing observations were estimated using mean estimation techniques. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression model and a combination of multiple linear regression model and fuzzy c-means method. Analysis of normality and multicollinearity indicate that the data is normally scattered without multicollinearity among independent variables. Analysis of fuzzy c-means cluster the yield of paddy into two clusters before the multiple linear regression model can be used. The comparison between two method indicate that the hybrid of multiple linear regression model and fuzzy c-means method outperform the multiple linear regression model with lower value of mean square error.

Intrinsic suppression of turbulence in linear plasma devices

Science.gov (United States)

Leddy, J.; Dudson, B.

2017-12-01

Plasma turbulence is the dominant transport mechanism for heat and particles in magnetised plasmas in linear devices and tokamaks, so the study of turbulence is important in limiting and controlling this transport. Linear devices provide an axial magnetic field that serves to confine a plasma in cylindrical geometry as it travels along the magnetic field from the source to the strike point. Due to perpendicular transport, the plasma density and temperature have a roughly Gaussian radial profile with gradients that drive instabilities, such as resistive drift-waves and Kelvin-Helmholtz. If unstable, these instabilities cause perturbations to grow resulting in saturated turbulence, increasing the cross-field transport of heat and particles. When the plasma emerges from the source, there is a time, {τ }\\parallel , that describes the lifetime of the plasma based on parallel velocity and length of the device. As the plasma moves down the device, it also moves azimuthally according to E × B and diamagnetic velocities. There is a balance point in these parallel and perpendicular times that sets the stabilisation threshold. We simulate plasmas with a variety of parallel lengths and magnetic fields to vary the parallel and perpendicular lifetimes, respectively, and find that there is a clear correlation between the saturated RMS density perturbation level and the balance between these lifetimes. The threshold of marginal stability is seen to exist where {τ }\\parallel ≈ 11{τ }\\perp . This is also associated with the product {τ }\\parallel {γ }* , where {γ }* is the drift-wave linear growth rate, indicating that the instability must exist for roughly 100 times the growth time for the instability to enter the nonlinear growth phase. We explore the root of this correlation and the implications for linear device design.

Normal Brain-Skull Development with Hybrid Deformable VR Models Simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Jing; De Ribaupierre, Sandrine; Eagleson, Roy

2016-01-01

This paper describes a simulation framework for a clinical application involving skull-brain co-development in infants, leading to a platform for craniosynostosis modeling. Craniosynostosis occurs when one or more sutures are fused early in life, resulting in an abnormal skull shape. Surgery is required to reopen the suture and reduce intracranial pressure, but is difficult without any predictive model to assist surgical planning. We aim to study normal brain-skull growth by computer simulation, which requires a head model and appropriate mathematical methods for brain and skull growth respectively. On the basis of our previous model, we further specified suture model into fibrous and cartilaginous sutures and develop algorithm for skull extension. We evaluate the resulting simulation by comparison with datasets of cases and normal growth.

LINEAR2007, Linear-Linear Interpolation of ENDF Format Cross-Sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: LINEAR converts evaluated cross sections in the ENDF/B format into a tabular form that is subject to linear-linear interpolation in energy and cross section. The code also thins tables of cross sections already in that form. Codes used subsequently need thus to consider only linear-linear data. IAEA1311/15: This version include the updates up to January 30, 2007. Changes in ENDF/B-VII Format and procedures, as well as the evaluations themselves, make it impossible for versions of the ENDF/B pre-processing codes earlier than PREPRO 2007 (2007 Version) to accurately process current ENDF/B-VII evaluations. The present code can handle all existing ENDF/B-VI evaluations through release 8, which will be the last release of ENDF/B-VI. Modifications from previous versions: - Linear VERS. 2007-1 (JAN. 2007): checked against all ENDF/B-VII; increased page size from 60,000 to 600,000 points 2 - Method of solution: Each section of data is considered separately. Each section of File 3, 23, and 27 data consists of a table of cross section versus energy with any of five interpolation laws. LINEAR will replace each section with a new table of energy versus cross section data in which the interpolation law is always linear in energy and cross section. The histogram (constant cross section between two energies) interpolation law is converted to linear-linear by substituting two points for each initial point. The linear-linear is not altered. For the log-linear, linear-log and log- log laws, the cross section data are converted to linear by an interval halving algorithm. Each interval is divided in half until the value at the middle of the interval can be approximated by linear-linear interpolation to within a given accuracy. The LINEAR program uses a multipoint fractional error thinning algorithm to minimize the size of each cross section table

Non-linear models for the detection of impaired cerebral blood flow autoregulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chacón, Max; Jara, José Luis; Miranda, Rodrigo; Katsogridakis, Emmanuel; Panerai, Ronney B

2018-01-01

The ability to discriminate between normal and impaired dynamic cerebral autoregulation (CA), based on measurements of spontaneous fluctuations in arterial blood pressure (BP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF), has considerable clinical relevance. We studied 45 normal subjects at rest and under hypercapnia induced by breathing a mixture of carbon dioxide and air. Non-linear models with BP as input and CBF velocity (CBFV) as output, were implemented with support vector machines (SVM) using separate recordings for learning and validation. Dynamic SVM implementations used either moving average or autoregressive structures. The efficiency of dynamic CA was estimated from the model's derived CBFV response to a step change in BP as an autoregulation index for both linear and non-linear models. Non-linear models with recurrences (autoregressive) showed the best results, with CA indexes of 5.9 ± 1.5 in normocapnia, and 2.5 ± 1.2 for hypercapnia with an area under the receiver-operator curve of 0.955. The high performance achieved by non-linear SVM models to detect deterioration of dynamic CA should encourage further assessment of its applicability to clinical conditions where CA might be impaired.

Equipartitioning in linear accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameson, R.A.

1982-01-01

Emittance growth has long been a concern in linear accelerators, as has the idea that some kind of energy balance, or equipartitioning, between the degrees of freedom, would ameliorate the growth. M. Prome observed that the average transverse and longitudinal velocity spreads tend to equalize as current in the channel is increased, while the sum of the energy in the system stays nearly constant. However, only recently have we shown that an equipartitioning requirement on a bunched injected beam can indeed produce remarkably small emittance growth. The simple set of equations leading to this condition are outlined. At the same time, Hofmann has investigated collective instabilities in transported beams and has identified thresholds and regions in parameter space where instabilities occur. Evidence is presented that shows transport system boundaries to be quite accurate in computer simulations of accelerating systems. Discussed are preliminary results of efforts to design accelerators that avoid parameter regions where emittance is affected by the instabilities identified by Hofmann. These efforts suggest that other mechanisms are present. The complicated behavior of the RFQ linac in this framework also is shown

Differential expression and processing of transforming growth factor beta induced protein (TGFBIp) in the normal human cornea during postnatal development and aging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karring, Henrik; Runager, Kasper; Valnickova, Zuzana

2010-01-01

Transforming growth factor beta induced protein (TGFBIp, also named keratoepithelin) is an extracellular matrix protein abundant in the cornea. The purpose of this study was to determine the expression and processing of TGFBIp in the normal human cornea during postnatal development and aging...... trimming events from the N-terminus of mature TGFBIp generate TGFBIp isoforms which form a similar "zig-zag" pattern when separated by 2-D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). This study shows that in humans TGFBIp is more abundant in mature corneas than in the developing cornea...... and that the processing of TGFBIp changes during postnatal development of the cornea. In addition, TGFBIp appears to be degraded in a highly orchestrated manner in the normal human cornea with the resulting C-terminal fragments being retained in the cornea. The age-related changes in the expression and processing...

State space and input-output linear systems

CERN Document Server

Delchamps, David F

1988-01-01

It is difficult for me to forget the mild sense of betrayal I felt some ten years ago when I discovered, with considerable dismay, that my two favorite books on linear system theory - Desoer's Notes for a Second Course on Linear Systems and Brockett's Finite Dimensional Linear Systems - were both out of print. Since that time, of course, linear system theory has undergone a transformation of the sort which always attends the maturation of a theory whose range of applicability is expanding in a fashion governed by technological developments and by the rate at which such advances become a part of engineering practice. The growth of the field has inspired the publication of some excellent books; the encyclopedic treatises by Kailath and Chen, in particular, come immediately to mind. Nonetheless, I was inspired to write this book primarily by my practical needs as a teacher and researcher in the field. For the past five years, I have taught a one semester first year gradu­ ate level linear system theory course i...

Accelerated GaAs growth through MOVPE for low-cost PV applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ubukata, Akinori; Sodabanlu, Hassanet; Watanabe, Kentaroh; Koseki, Shuichi; Yano, Yoshiki; Tabuchi, Toshiya; Sugaya, Takeyoshi; Matsumoto, Koh; Nakano, Yoshiaki; Sugiyama, Masakazu

2018-05-01

The high growth rate of epitaxial GaAs was investigated using a novel horizontal metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) reactor, from the point of view of realizing low-cost photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. The GaAs growth rate exhibited an approximately linear relationship with the amount of trimethylgalium (TMGa) supplied, up to a rate of 90 μm/h. The distribution of growth rate was observed for a two-inch wafer, along the flow direction, and the normalized profile of the distribution was found to be independent of the precursor input, from 20 to 70 μm/h. These tendencies indicated that significant parasitic prereaction did not occur in the gaseous phase, for this range of growth rate. GaAs p-n single-junction solar cells were successfully fabricated at growth rates of 20, 60, and 80 μm/h. The conversion efficiency of the cell grown at 80 μm/h was comparable to that of the 20 μm/h cell, indicating the good quality and properties of GaAs. The epitaxial growth exhibited good uniformity, as evidenced by the uniformity of the cell performance across the wafer, from the center to the edge. The result indicated the potential of high-throughput MOVPE for low-cost production, not only for PV devices but also for other semiconductor applications.

Austenite Grain Size Estimtion from Chord Lengths of Logarithmic-Normal Distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian H.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Linear section of grains in polyhedral material microstructure is a system of chords. The mean length of chords is the linear grain size of the microstructure. For the prior austenite grains of low alloy structural steels, the chord length is a random variable of gamma- or logarithmic-normal distribution. The statistical grain size estimation belongs to the quantitative metallographic problems. The so-called point estimation is a well known procedure. The interval estimation (grain size confidence interval for the gamma distribution was given elsewhere, but for the logarithmic-normal distribution is the subject of the present contribution. The statistical analysis is analogous to the one for the gamma distribution.

PENGARUH PROFIT MARGIN, ASSETS TURNOVER DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP SUSTAINABLE GROWTH RATE PADA PERUSAHAAN SEKTOR JASA YANG TERDAFTAR DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA PERIODE 2010-2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arim Nasim

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This study aims to determine the effect of Profit Margin, Assets Turnover and Leverage on Sustainable Growth Rate. The variables used are profit margin, asset turnover and leverage as independent variable and sustainable growth rate as dependent variable. This study also aims to describe the state of profit margin projected by Net Profit Margin (NPM, asset turnover proxied by Total Assets Turnover (TATO, leverage which is proxied by Debt to Equity Ratio (DER and Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR Service sector. This research was conducted on service sector companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange 2010-2012.Data obtained from website Bursa Efek Indonesia.Teknik data analysis used is multiple linear regression and use t-statistics to test the influence of each independent variable to variable Dependent partially.Previously done classical assumption test that includes data normality test, multicolinierity test, heteroskedastisitas test and autocorrelation test.Based on data normality test, multicolinierity test, heteroscedasticity test and autocorrelation test did not found any variables that deviate from the classical assumption.From the results of research Shows that profit margin positively affect sustainable growth rate, asset turnover have positive effect to sustainable growth rate, and leverage have positive effect to sustainable growth rate.

Controlling attribute effect in linear regression

KAUST Repository

Calders, Toon; Karim, Asim A.; Kamiran, Faisal; Ali, Wasif Mohammad; Zhang, Xiangliang

2013-01-01

In data mining we often have to learn from biased data, because, for instance, data comes from different batches or there was a gender or racial bias in the collection of social data. In some applications it may be necessary to explicitly control this bias in the models we learn from the data. This paper is the first to study learning linear regression models under constraints that control the biasing effect of a given attribute such as gender or batch number. We show how propensity modeling can be used for factoring out the part of the bias that can be justified by externally provided explanatory attributes. Then we analytically derive linear models that minimize squared error while controlling the bias by imposing constraints on the mean outcome or residuals of the models. Experiments with discrimination-aware crime prediction and batch effect normalization tasks show that the proposed techniques are successful in controlling attribute effects in linear regression models. © 2013 IEEE.

Controlling attribute effect in linear regression

KAUST Repository

Calders, Toon

2013-12-01

In data mining we often have to learn from biased data, because, for instance, data comes from different batches or there was a gender or racial bias in the collection of social data. In some applications it may be necessary to explicitly control this bias in the models we learn from the data. This paper is the first to study learning linear regression models under constraints that control the biasing effect of a given attribute such as gender or batch number. We show how propensity modeling can be used for factoring out the part of the bias that can be justified by externally provided explanatory attributes. Then we analytically derive linear models that minimize squared error while controlling the bias by imposing constraints on the mean outcome or residuals of the models. Experiments with discrimination-aware crime prediction and batch effect normalization tasks show that the proposed techniques are successful in controlling attribute effects in linear regression models. © 2013 IEEE.

Early childhood linear growth faltering in low-income and middle-income countries as a whole-population condition: analysis of 179 Demographic and Health Surveys from 64 countries (1993-2015).

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, Daniel E; Krishna, Aditi; Leung, Michael; Shi, Joy; Bassani, Diego G; Barros, Aluisio J D

2017-12-01

The causes of early childhood linear growth faltering (known as stunting) in low-income and middle-income countries remain inadequately understood. We aimed to determine if the progressive postnatal decline in mean height-for-age Z score (HAZ) in low-income and middle-income countries is driven by relatively slow growth of certain high-risk children versus faltering of the entire population. Distributions of HAZ (based on WHO growth standards) were analysed in 3-month age intervals from 0 to 36 months of age in 179 Demographic and Health Surveys from 64 low-income and middle-income countries (1993-2015). Mean, standard deviation (SD), fifth percentiles, and 95th percentiles of the HAZ distribution were estimated for each age interval in each survey. Associations between mean HAZ and SD, fifth percentile, and 95th percentile were estimated using multilevel linear models. Stratified analyses were performed in consideration of potential modifiers (world region, national income, sample size, year, or mean HAZ in the 0-3 month age band). We also used Monte Carlo simulations to model the effects of subgroup versus whole-population faltering on the HAZ distribution. Declines in mean HAZ from birth to 3 years of age were accompanied by declines in both the fifth and 95th percentiles, leading to nearly symmetrical narrowing of the HAZ distributions. Thus, children with relatively low HAZ were not more likely to have faltered than taller same-age peers. Inferences were unchanged in surveys regardless of world region, national income, sample size, year, or mean HAZ in the 0-3 month age band. Simulations showed that the narrowing of the HAZ distribution as mean HAZ declined could not be explained by faltering limited to a growth-restricted subgroup of children. In low-income and middle-income countries, declines in mean HAZ with age are due to a downward shift in the entire HAZ distribution, revealing that children across the HAZ spectrum experience slower growth compared to

Myeloperoxidase in the plasma and placenta of normal pregnant women and women with pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, T-H; Chen, S-F; Lo, L-M; Li, M-J; Yeh, Y-L; Hsieh, T-T

2012-04-01

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a heme protein produced and released by activated neutrophils and monocytes, and increased MPO is considered important in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Accumulating evidence suggests that preeclampsia (PE), idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and CVD share many similar metabolic disturbances, including an enhanced systemic inflammatory response and endothelial dysfunction. We hypothesized that MPO plays an important role in the development of PE and IUGR. Plasma samples were collected mid-gestation and at delivery from women with normal pregnancies (n = 40) and those who subsequently developed PE (n = 20), IUGR (n = 11) or both (PE + IUGR, n = 8). Placental samples were obtained immediately after delivery from 22 women with normal pregnancies, 19 women with PE, 14 women with IUGR, and 14 women with PE + IUGR. The MPO concentrations were measured using ELISA. Women with PE + IUGR had significantly higher plasma MPO before delivery than normal pregnant women. There was no difference in plasma levels at mid-gestation or the placental concentrations between women with normal pregnancies and those who developed PE, IUGR, or PE + IUGR. Using explants prepared from the placentas of 8 women with normal pregnancies and 8 women with PE, we found no difference in the levels of MPO in the tissue homogenates and culture media between these two groups of women. Together, these results indicate that increased maternal circulating MPO in women with PE + IUGR is likely a result of enhanced systemic inflammation caused by the established disease rather than a primary pathophysiological factor. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth and characterization of nanodiamond layers prepared using the plasma-enhanced linear antennas microwave CVD system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fendrych, Frantisek; Taylor, Andrew; Peksa, Ladislav; Kratochvilova, Irena; Kluiber, Zdenek; Fekete, Ladislav [Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i, Na Slovance 2, CZ-18221 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Vlcek, Jan [Department of Physics and Measurement, Institute of Chemical Technology Prague, Technicka 5, CZ-16628 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Rezacova, Vladimira; Petrak, Vaclav [Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Sitna 3105, CZ-27201 Kladno 2 (Czech Republic); Liehr, Michael [Leybold Optics Dresden GmbH, Zur Wetterwarte 50, D-01109 Dresden (Germany); Nesladek, Milos, E-mail: fendrych@fzu.c [IMOMEC division, IMEC, Institute for Materials Research, University Hasselt, Wetenschapspark 1, B-3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium)

2010-09-22

Industrial applications of plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamond grown on large area substrates, 3D shapes, at low substrate temperatures and on standard engineering substrate materials require novel plasma concepts. Based on the pioneering work of the group at AIST in Japan, the high-density coaxial delivery type of plasmas has been explored (Tsugawa et al 2006 New Diamond Front. Carbon Technol. 16 337-46). However, an important challenge is to obtain commercially interesting growth rates at very low substrate temperatures. In this work we introduce the concept of novel linear antenna sources, designed at Leybold Optics Dresden, using high-frequency pulsed MW discharge with a high plasma density. This type of pulse discharges leads to the preparation of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films, compared with ultra-NCD thin films prepared in (Tsugawa et al 2006 New Diamond Front. Carbon Technol. 16 337-46). We present optical emission spectroscopy data for the CH{sub 4}-CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2} gas chemistry and we discuss the basic properties of the NCD films grown.

Computation of Optimal Monotonicity Preserving General Linear Methods

KAUST Repository

Ketcheson, David I.

2009-07-01

Monotonicity preserving numerical methods for ordinary differential equations prevent the growth of propagated errors and preserve convex boundedness properties of the solution. We formulate the problem of finding optimal monotonicity preserving general linear methods for linear autonomous equations, and propose an efficient algorithm for its solution. This algorithm reliably finds optimal methods even among classes involving very high order accuracy and that use many steps and/or stages. The optimality of some recently proposed methods is verified, and many more efficient methods are found. We use similar algorithms to find optimal strong stability preserving linear multistep methods of both explicit and implicit type, including methods for hyperbolic PDEs that use downwind-biased operators.

Is this the right normalization? A diagnostic tool for ChIP-seq normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelini, Claudia; Heller, Ruth; Volkinshtein, Rita; Yekutieli, Daniel

2015-05-09

Chip-seq experiments are becoming a standard approach for genome-wide profiling protein-DNA interactions, such as detecting transcription factor binding sites, histone modification marks and RNA Polymerase II occupancy. However, when comparing a ChIP sample versus a control sample, such as Input DNA, normalization procedures have to be applied in order to remove experimental source of biases. Despite the substantial impact that the choice of the normalization method can have on the results of a ChIP-seq data analysis, their assessment is not fully explored in the literature. In particular, there are no diagnostic tools that show whether the applied normalization is indeed appropriate for the data being analyzed. In this work we propose a novel diagnostic tool to examine the appropriateness of the estimated normalization procedure. By plotting the empirical densities of log relative risks in bins of equal read count, along with the estimated normalization constant, after logarithmic transformation, the researcher is able to assess the appropriateness of the estimated normalization constant. We use the diagnostic plot to evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates obtained by CisGenome, NCIS and CCAT on several real data examples. Moreover, we show the impact that the choice of the normalization constant can have on standard tools for peak calling such as MACS or SICER. Finally, we propose a novel procedure for controlling the FDR using sample swapping. This procedure makes use of the estimated normalization constant in order to gain power over the naive choice of constant (used in MACS and SICER), which is the ratio of the total number of reads in the ChIP and Input samples. Linear normalization approaches aim to estimate a scale factor, r, to adjust for different sequencing depths when comparing ChIP versus Input samples. The estimated scaling factor can easily be incorporated in many peak caller algorithms to improve the accuracy of the peak identification. The

On the possibility of a normal conducting photo-injector for Tesla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travier, C.

1992-12-01

The possibility of using a normal conducting photo-injector for the TESLA linear collider is investigated. It is shown that the 8 nC,3 ps bunch can be produced with a normalized emittance less than 100 Π mm mrad. The generation of the train depends on the feasibility of the laser which has to be looked at more carefully

Normal forms of invariant vector fields under a finite group action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Bringas, F.

1992-07-01

Let Γ be a finite subgroup of GL(n,C). This subgroup acts on the space of germs of holomorphic vector fields vanishing at the origin in C n . We prove a theorem of invariant conjugation to a normal form and linearization for the subspace of invariant elements and we give a description of these normal forms in dimension n=2. (author)

Linearization Method and Linear Complexity

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Hidema

We focus on the relationship between the linearization method and linear complexity and show that the linearization method is another effective technique for calculating linear complexity. We analyze its effectiveness by comparing with the logic circuit method. We compare the relevant conditions and necessary computational cost with those of the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm and the Games-Chan algorithm. The significant property of a linearization method is that it needs no output sequence from a pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) because it calculates linear complexity using the algebraic expression of its algorithm. When a PRNG has n [bit] stages (registers or internal states), the necessary computational cost is smaller than O(2n). On the other hand, the Berlekamp-Massey algorithm needs O(N2) where N(≅2n) denotes period. Since existing methods calculate using the output sequence, an initial value of PRNG influences a resultant value of linear complexity. Therefore, a linear complexity is generally given as an estimate value. On the other hand, a linearization method calculates from an algorithm of PRNG, it can determine the lower bound of linear complexity.

Complex Network Theory Applied to the Growth of Kuala Lumpur's Public Urban Rail Transit Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Rui; Ujang, Norsidah; Hamid, Hussain Bin; Wu, Jianjun

2015-01-01

Recently, the number of studies involving complex network applications in transportation has increased steadily as scholars from various fields analyze traffic networks. Nonetheless, research on rail network growth is relatively rare. This research examines the evolution of the Public Urban Rail Transit Networks of Kuala Lumpur (PURTNoKL) based on complex network theory and covers both the topological structure of the rail system and future trends in network growth. In addition, network performance when facing different attack strategies is also assessed. Three topological network characteristics are considered: connections, clustering and centrality. In PURTNoKL, we found that the total number of nodes and edges exhibit a linear relationship and that the average degree stays within the interval [2.0488, 2.6774] with heavy-tailed distributions. The evolutionary process shows that the cumulative probability distribution (CPD) of degree and the average shortest path length show good fit with exponential distribution and normal distribution, respectively. Moreover, PURTNoKL exhibits clear cluster characteristics; most of the nodes have a 2-core value, and the CPDs of the centrality's closeness and betweenness follow a normal distribution function and an exponential distribution, respectively. Finally, we discuss four different types of network growth styles and the line extension process, which reveal that the rail network's growth is likely based on the nodes with the biggest lengths of the shortest path and that network protection should emphasize those nodes with the largest degrees and the highest betweenness values. This research may enhance the networkability of the rail system and better shape the future growth of public rail networks.

Robust Growth Determinants

OpenAIRE

Doppelhofer, Gernot; Weeks, Melvyn

2011-01-01

This paper investigates the robustness of determinants of economic growth in the presence of model uncertainty, parameter heterogeneity and outliers. The robust model averaging approach introduced in the paper uses a flexible and parsi- monious mixture modeling that allows for fat-tailed errors compared to the normal benchmark case. Applying robust model averaging to growth determinants, the paper finds that eight out of eighteen variables found to be significantly related to economic growth ...

Phenomenology of stochastic exponential growth

Science.gov (United States)

Pirjol, Dan; Jafarpour, Farshid; Iyer-Biswas, Srividya

2017-06-01

Stochastic exponential growth is observed in a variety of contexts, including molecular autocatalysis, nuclear fission, population growth, inflation of the universe, viral social media posts, and financial markets. Yet literature on modeling the phenomenology of these stochastic dynamics has predominantly focused on one model, geometric Brownian motion (GBM), which can be described as the solution of a Langevin equation with linear drift and linear multiplicative noise. Using recent experimental results on stochastic exponential growth of individual bacterial cell sizes, we motivate the need for a more general class of phenomenological models of stochastic exponential growth, which are consistent with the observation that the mean-rescaled distributions are approximately stationary at long times. We show that this behavior is not consistent with GBM, instead it is consistent with power-law multiplicative noise with positive fractional powers. Therefore, we consider this general class of phenomenological models for stochastic exponential growth, provide analytical solutions, and identify the important dimensionless combination of model parameters, which determines the shape of the mean-rescaled distribution. We also provide a prescription for robustly inferring model parameters from experimentally observed stochastic growth trajectories.

Channel normalization technique for speech recognition in mismatched conditions

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kleynhans, N

2008-11-01

Full Text Available , where one wishes to use any available training data for a variety of purposes. Research into a new channel normalization (CN) technique for channel mismatched speech recognition is presented. A process of inverse linear filtering is used in order...

Parametric analysis of fatigue crack growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carden, A.E.

1975-01-01

The effect of temperature and frequency on fatigue crack growth were empirically observed and treated as a coefficient on a stress intensity factor term. The stress intensity factor term is a function of Ksub(max), Ksub(min) (or stress ratio) and a threshold K term. The apparent threshold values were selected in order to linearize the data. At 1000 0 F a constant da/dt (creep crack growth rate) is approached for cycle periods approaching 2000 s indicating a limiting and linear-inverse frequency effect. (author)

Multispectral histogram normalization contrast enhancement

Science.gov (United States)

Soha, J. M.; Schwartz, A. A.

1979-01-01

A multispectral histogram normalization or decorrelation enhancement which achieves effective color composites by removing interband correlation is described. The enhancement procedure employs either linear or nonlinear transformations to equalize principal component variances. An additional rotation to any set of orthogonal coordinates is thus possible, while full histogram utilization is maintained by avoiding the reintroduction of correlation. For the three-dimensional case, the enhancement procedure may be implemented with a lookup table. An application of the enhancement to Landsat multispectral scanning imagery is presented.

A Type System for the Vectorial Aspect of the Linear-Algebraic Lambda-Calculus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Arrighi

2012-07-01

Full Text Available We describe a type system for the linear-algebraic lambda-calculus. The type system accounts for the part of the language emulating linear operators and vectors, i.e. it is able to statically describe the linear combinations of terms resulting from the reduction of programs. This gives rise to an original type theory where types, in the same way as terms, can be superposed into linear combinations. We show that the resulting typed lambda-calculus is strongly normalizing and features a weak subject-reduction.

Homeorhetic hormones, metabolites and accelerated growth ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Blood samples were drawn from surgically implanted catheters in the caudal aorta and vena cava during normal growth, maintenance (zero) growth and accelerated growth.These samples were assayed for glucose, free fatty acids, glycerol, alanine, lysine, growth hormone, insulin and thyroxine. It was found that during the ...

Life History theory hypotheses on child growth: Potential implications for short and long-term child growth, development and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Said-Mohamed, Rihlat; Pettifor, John M; Norris, Shane A

2018-01-01

Life history theory integrates ecological, physiological, and molecular layers within an evolutionary framework to understand organisms' strategies to optimize survival and reproduction. Two life history hypotheses and their implications for child growth, development, and health (illustrated in the South African context) are reviewed here. One hypothesis suggests that there is an energy trade-off between linear growth and brain growth. Undernutrition in infancy and childhood may trigger adaptive physiological mechanisms prioritizing the brain at the expense of body growth. Another hypothesis is that the period from conception to infancy is a critical window of developmental plasticity of linear growth, the duration of which may vary between and within populations. The transition from infancy to childhood may mark the end of a critical window of opportunity for improving child growth. Both hypotheses emphasize the developmental plasticity of linear growth and the potential determinants of growth variability (including the role of parent-offspring conflict in maternal resources allocation). Implications of these hypotheses in populations with high burdens of undernutrition and infections are discussed. In South Africa, HIV/AIDS during pregnancy (associated with adverse birth outcomes, short duration of breastfeeding, and social consequences) may lead to a shortened window of developmental plasticity of growth. Furthermore, undernutrition and infectious diseases in children living in South Africa, a country undergoing a rapid nutrition transition, may have adverse consequences on individuals' cognitive abilities and risks of cardio-metabolic diseases. Studies are needed to identify physiological mechanisms underlying energy allocation between biological functions and their potential impacts on health. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Peak thrust operation of linear induction machines from parameter identification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Z.; Eastham, T.R.; Dawson, G.E. [Queen`s Univ., Kingston, Ontario (Canada). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

1995-12-31

Various control strategies are being used to achieve high performance operation of linear drives. To maintain minimum volume and weight of the power supply unit on board the transportation vehicle, peak thrust per unit current operation is a desirable objective. True peak thrust per unit current through slip control is difficult to achieve because the parameters of linear induction machines vary during normal operation. This paper first develops a peak thrust per unit current control law based on the per-phase equivalent circuit for linear induction machines. The algorithm for identification of the variable parameters in induction machines is then presented. Application to an operational linear induction machine (LIM) demonstrates the utility of this algorithm. The control strategy is then simulated, based on an operational transit LIM, to show the capability of achieving true peak thrust operation for linear induction machines.

Non-linearities in Theory-of-Mind Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Blijd-Hoogewys, Els M A; van Geert, Paul L C

2016-01-01

Research on Theory-of-Mind (ToM) has mainly focused on ages of core ToM development. This article follows a quantitative approach focusing on the level of ToM understanding on a measurement scale, the ToM Storybooks, in 324 typically developing children between 3 and 11 years of age. It deals with the eventual occurrence of developmental non-linearities in ToM functioning, using smoothing techniques, dynamic growth model building and additional indicators, namely moving skewness, moving growth rate changes and moving variability. The ToM sum-scores showed an overall developmental trend that leveled off toward the age of 10 years. Within this overall trend two non-linearities in the group-based change pattern were found: a plateau at the age of around 56 months and a dip at the age of 72-78 months. These temporary regressions in ToM sum-score were accompanied by a decrease in growth rate and variability, and a change in skewness of the ToM data, all suggesting a developmental shift in ToM understanding. The temporary decreases also occurred in the different ToM sub-scores and most clearly so in the core ToM component of beliefs. It was also found that girls had an earlier growth spurt than boys and that the underlying developmental path was more salient in girls than in boys. The consequences of these findings are discussed from various theoretical points of view, with an emphasis on a dynamic systems interpretation of the underlying developmental paths.

MetabR: an R script for linear model analysis of quantitative metabolomic data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ernest Ben

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Metabolomics is an emerging high-throughput approach to systems biology, but data analysis tools are lacking compared to other systems level disciplines such as transcriptomics and proteomics. Metabolomic data analysis requires a normalization step to remove systematic effects of confounding variables on metabolite measurements. Current tools may not correctly normalize every metabolite when the relationships between each metabolite quantity and fixed-effect confounding variables are different, or for the effects of random-effect confounding variables. Linear mixed models, an established methodology in the microarray literature, offer a standardized and flexible approach for removing the effects of fixed- and random-effect confounding variables from metabolomic data. Findings Here we present a simple menu-driven program, “MetabR”, designed to aid researchers with no programming background in statistical analysis of metabolomic data. Written in the open-source statistical programming language R, MetabR implements linear mixed models to normalize metabolomic data and analysis of variance (ANOVA to test treatment differences. MetabR exports normalized data, checks statistical model assumptions, identifies differentially abundant metabolites, and produces output files to help with data interpretation. Example data are provided to illustrate normalization for common confounding variables and to demonstrate the utility of the MetabR program. Conclusions We developed MetabR as a simple and user-friendly tool for implementing linear mixed model-based normalization and statistical analysis of targeted metabolomic data, which helps to fill a lack of available data analysis tools in this field. The program, user guide, example data, and any future news or updates related to the program may be found at http://metabr.r-forge.r-project.org/.

Orientations of dendritic growth during solidification

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dong Nyung

2017-03-01

Dendrites are crystalline forms which grow far from the limit of stability of the plane front and adopt an orientation which is as close as possible to the heat flux direction. Dendritic growth orientations for cubic metals, bct Sn, and hcp Zn, can be controlled by thermal conductivity, Young's modulus, and surface energy. The control factors have been elaborated. Since the dendrite is a single crystal, its properties such as thermal conductivity that influences the heat flux direction, the minimum Young's modulus direction that influences the strain energy minimization, and the minimum surface energy plane that influences the crystal/liquid interface energy minimization have been proved to control the dendritic growth direction. The dendritic growth directions of cubic metals are determined by the minimum Young's modulus direction and/or axis direction of symmetry of the minimum crystal surface energy plane. The dendritic growth direction of bct Sn is determined by its maximum thermal conductivity direction and the minimum surface energy plane normal direction. The primary dendritic growth direction of hcp Zn is determined by its maximum thermal conductivity direction and the minimum surface energy plane normal direction and the secondary dendrite arm direction of hcp Zn is normal to the primary dendritic growth direction.

Growth patterns and cerebro-placental hemodynamics in fetuses with congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Mebius, M J; Clur, S A B; Vink, A S; Pajkrt, E; Kalteren, W S; Kooi, E M W; Bos, A F; du Marchie Sarvaas, G J; Bilardo, C M

2018-05-28

Congenital heart disease (CHD) has been associated with a reduced fetal head circumference (HC). The underlying pathophysiological background remains undetermined. We aimed to define trends in fetal growth and cerebro-placental Doppler flow, and to investigate the association between head growth and cerebro-placental flow in fetuses with CHD. Fetuses with CHD and serial measurements of HC, abdominal circumference (AC), middle cerebral artery pulsatility index (MCA-PI), umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA-PI), and cerebro-placental ratio (CPR) were included. CHD was categorized into 3 groups based on expected cerebral arterial oxygen saturation: normal, mild to moderately reduced, and severely reduced. Trends over time in Z-scores were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model. 181 fetuses fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Expected cerebral arterial oxygen saturation in CHD was classified as normal in 44, mild to moderately reduced in 84 and severely reduced in 53 cases. HC z-scores showed a tendency to decrease until 23 weeks, then to increase until 33 weeks, followed by a decrease again in the late third trimester. AC increased progressively with advancing gestation. MCA-PI and UA-PI showed significant trends throughout pregnancy, but CPR did not. There were no associations between expected cerebral arterial oxygen saturation and fetal growth. Average trends in MCA-PI were significantly different in the three subgroups (P=0.010), whereas average trends in UA-PI and CPR were similar (P=0.530 and P=0.285). Furthermore, there was no significant association between MCA-PI and HC (P=0.284). Fetal biometry and Doppler flow patterns are within normal ranges in fetuses with CHD, but show trends over time. Fetal head growth is not associated with the cerebral blood flow pattern or placental function and HC is not influenced by the cerebral arterial oxygen saturation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright

Characteristics of global organic matrix in normal and pimpled chicken eggshells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Z; Song, L; Zhang, F; He, W; Linhardt, R J

2017-10-01

The organic matrix from normal and pimpled calcified chicken eggshells were dissociated into acid-insoluble, water-insoluble, and facultative-soluble (both acid- and water-soluble) components, to understand the influence of shell matrix on eggshell qualities. A linear correlation was shown among these 3 matrix components in normal eggshells but was not observed in pimpled eggshells. In pimpled eggshells, the percentage contents of all 4 groups of matrix (the total matrix, acid-insoluble matrix, water-insoluble matrix, and facultative-soluble matrix) were significantly higher than that in normal eggshells. The amounts of both total matrix and acid-insoluble matrix in individual pimpled calcified shells were high, even though their weight was much lower than a normal eggshell. In both normal and pimpled eggshells, the calcified eggshell weight and shell thickness significantly and positively correlated with the amounts of all 4 groups of matrix in an individual calcified shell. In normal eggshells, the calcified shell thickness and shell breaking strength showed no significant correlations with the percentage contents of all 4 groups of matrix. In normal eggshells, only the shell membrane weight significantly correlated with the constituent ratios of both acid-insoluble matrix and facultative-soluble matrix in the whole matrix. In pimpled eggshells, 3 variables (calcified shell weight, shell thickness, and breaking strength) were significantly correlated with the constituent proportions of both acid-insoluble matrix and facultative-matrix. This study suggests that mechanical properties of normal eggshells may not linearly depend on the organic matrix content in the calcified eggshells and that pimpled eggshells might result by the disequilibrium enrichment of some proteins with negative effects. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Spectral theories for linear differential equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sell, G.R.

1976-01-01

The use of spectral analysis in the study of linear differential equations with constant coefficients is not only a fundamental technique but also leads to far-reaching consequences in describing the qualitative behaviour of the solutions. The spectral analysis, via the Jordan canonical form, will not only lead to a representation theorem for a basis of solutions, but will also give a rather precise statement of the (exponential) growth rates of various solutions. Various attempts have been made to extend this analysis to linear differential equations with time-varying coefficients. The most complete such extensions is the Floquet theory for equations with periodic coefficients. For time-varying linear differential equations with aperiodic coefficients several authors have attempted to ''extend'' the Foquet theory. The precise meaning of such an extension is itself a problem, and we present here several attempts in this direction that are related to the general problem of extending the spectral analysis of equations with constant coefficients. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce some problems of current research. The primary problem we shall examine occurs in the context of linear differential equations with almost periodic coefficients. We call it ''the Floquet problem''. (author)

Animal protein intake, serum insulin-like growth factor I, and growth in healthy 2.5-y-old Danish children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoppe, Camilla; Udam, Tina Rovenna; Lauritzen, Lotte

2004-01-01

Studies from developing countries indicate that intake of animal protein, especially of milk, is associated with greater velocity of linear growth in childhood. Whether the same association exists in industrialized countries, where protein intake is high, is not clear.......Studies from developing countries indicate that intake of animal protein, especially of milk, is associated with greater velocity of linear growth in childhood. Whether the same association exists in industrialized countries, where protein intake is high, is not clear....

Normalization of tumor microenvironment by neem leaf glycoprotein potentiates effector T cell functions and therapeutically intervenes in the growth of mouse sarcoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subhasis Barik

Full Text Available We have observed restriction of the murine sarcoma growth by therapeutic intervention of neem leaf glycoprotein (NLGP. In order to evaluate the mechanism of tumor growth restriction, here, we have analyzed tumor microenvironment (TME from sarcoma bearing mice with NLGP therapy (NLGP-TME, in comparison to PBS-TME. Analysis of cytokine milieu within TME revealed IL-10, TGFβ, IL-6 rich type 2 characters was switched to type 1 microenvironment with dominance of IFNγ secretion within NLGP-TME. Proportion of CD8(+ T cells was increased within NLGP-TME and these T cells were protected from TME-induced anergy by NLGP, as indicated by higher expression of pNFAT and inhibit related downstream signaling. Moreover, low expression of FasR(+ cells within CD8(+ T cell population denotes prevention from activation induced cell death. Using CFSE as a probe, better migration of T cells was noted within TME from NLGP treated mice than PBS cohort. CD8(+ T cells isolated from NLGP-TME exhibited greater cytotoxicity to sarcoma cells in vitro and these cells show higher expression of cytotoxicity related molecules, perforin and granzyme B. Adoptive transfer of NLGP-TME exposed T cells, but not PBS-TME exposed cells in mice, is able to significantly inhibit the growth of sarcoma in vivo. Such tumor growth inhibition by NLGP-TME exposed T cells was not observed when mice were depleted for CD8(+ T cells. Accumulated evidences strongly suggest NLGP mediated normalization of TME allows T cells to perform optimally to inhibit the tumor growth.

Estimation and variable selection for generalized additive partial linear models

KAUST Repository

Wang, Li

2011-08-01

We study generalized additive partial linear models, proposing the use of polynomial spline smoothing for estimation of nonparametric functions, and deriving quasi-likelihood based estimators for the linear parameters. We establish asymptotic normality for the estimators of the parametric components. The procedure avoids solving large systems of equations as in kernel-based procedures and thus results in gains in computational simplicity. We further develop a class of variable selection procedures for the linear parameters by employing a nonconcave penalized quasi-likelihood, which is shown to have an asymptotic oracle property. Monte Carlo simulations and an empirical example are presented for illustration. © Institute of Mathematical Statistics, 2011.

Linear instability and nonlinear motion of rotating plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, J.

1985-01-01

Two coupled nonlinear equations describing the flute dynamics of the magnetically confined low-β collisionless rotating plasma are derived. The linear instability and nonlinear dynamics of the rotating column are analyzed theoretically. In the linear stability analysis, a new sufficient condition of stability is obtained. From the exact solution of eigenvalue equation for Gaussian density profile and uniform rotation of the plasma, the stability of the system strongly depends on the direction of plasma rotation, FLR effect and the location of the conducting wall. An analytic expression showing the finite wall effect on different normal modes is obtained and it explains the different behavior of (1,0) normal mode from other modes. The sheared rotation driven instability is investigated by using three model equilibrium profiles, and the analytic expressions of eigenvalues which includes the wall effect are obtained. The analogy between shear rotation driven instability and the instability driven by sheared plane parallel flow in the inviscid fluid is analyzed. Applying the linear analysis to the central cell of tandem mirror system, the trapped particle instability with only passing electronics is analyzed. For uniform rotation and Gaussian density profile, an analytic expression that determines the stability boundary is found. The nonlinear analysis shows that the nonlinear equations have a solitary vortex solution which is very similar to the vortex solution of nonlinear Rossby wave equation

Your Baby's Growth: 12 Months

Science.gov (United States)

... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Your Baby's Growth: 12 Months KidsHealth / For Parents / Your Baby's ... doubled his or her birth weight. Is My Baby Growing Normally? Babies' growth begins to slow as ...

New Inference Procedures for Semiparametric Varying-Coefficient Partially Linear Cox Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunbei Ma

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In biomedical research, one major objective is to identify risk factors and study their risk impacts, as this identification can help clinicians to both properly make a decision and increase efficiency of treatments and resource allocation. A two-step penalized-based procedure is proposed to select linear regression coefficients for linear components and to identify significant nonparametric varying-coefficient functions for semiparametric varying-coefficient partially linear Cox models. It is shown that the penalized-based resulting estimators of the linear regression coefficients are asymptotically normal and have oracle properties, and the resulting estimators of the varying-coefficient functions have optimal convergence rates. A simulation study and an empirical example are presented for illustration.

Marked stimulation of growth and motility of human keratinocytes by hepatocyte growth factor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, K.; Hashimoto, K.; Yoshikawa, K.; Nakamura, T.

1991-01-01

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on normal human epidermal keratinocytes cultured under conditions of low Ca2+ (0.1 mM, growth-promoting condition) and physiological Ca2+ (1.8 mM, differentiation-promoting condition) was investigated. In low Ca2+, HGF markedly enhanced the migration of keratinocytes while it suppressed cell growth and DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, HGF enhanced the migration, cell growth, and DNA synthesis of keratinocytes cultured under conditions of physiological Ca2+. The maximal stimulation of DNA synthesis (2.4-fold stimulation) in physiological Ca2+ was seen at 2.5-5 ng/ml HGF and the stimulatory effect of HGF was suppressed by transforming growth factor-beta 1. Analysis of the HGF receptor using 125I-HGF as a ligand showed that human keratinocytes expressed a single class of specific, saturable receptor for HGF in both low and physiological Ca2+ conditions, exhibiting a Kd = 17.3 pM and approximately 690 binding sites/cell under physiological Ca2+. Thus, HGF is a potent factor which enhances growth and migration of normal human keratinocytes under conditions of physiological Ca2+. HGF may play an important role in epidermal tissue repair as it enhances both the migration and growth of keratinocytes

Creep behaviour and creep mechanisms of normal and healing ligaments

Science.gov (United States)

Thornton, Gail Marilyn

Patients with knee ligament injuries often undergo ligament reconstructions to restore joint stability and, potentially, abate osteoarthritis. Careful literature review suggests that in 10% to 40% of these patients the graft tissue "stretches out". Some graft elongation is likely due to creep (increased elongation of tissue under repeated or sustained load). Quantifying creep behaviour and identifying creep mechanisms in both normal and healing ligaments is important for finding clinically relevant means to prevent creep. Ligament creep was accurately predicted using a novel yet simple structural model that incorporated both collagen fibre recruitment and fibre creep. Using the inverse stress relaxation function to model fibre creep in conjunction with fibre recruitment produced a superior prediction of ligament creep than that obtained from the inverse stress relaxation function alone. This implied mechanistic role of fibre recruitment during creep was supported using a new approach to quantify crimp patterns at stresses in the toe region (increasing stiffness) and linear region (constant stiffness) of the stress-strain curve. Ligament creep was relatively insensitive to increases in stress in the toe region; however, creep strain increased significantly when tested at the linear region stress. Concomitantly, fibre recruitment was evident at the toe region stresses; however, recruitment was limited at the linear region stress. Elevating the water content of normal ligament using phosphate buffered saline increased the creep response. Therefore, both water content and fibre recruitment are important mechanistic factors involved in creep of normal ligaments. Ligament scars had inferior creep behaviour compared to normal ligaments even after 14 weeks. In addition to inferior collagen properties affecting fibre recruitment and increased water content, increased glycosaminoglycan content and flaws in scar tissue were implicated as potential mechanisms of scar creep

Linear theory of equatorial spread F

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, M.K.; Kennel, C.F.

1975-01-01

A fluid dispersion relation for the drift and interchange (Rayleigh-Taylor) modes in a collisional plasma forms the basis for a linear theory of equatorial spread F. The collisional drift mode growth rate will exceed the growth rate of the Rayleigh-Taylor mode at short perpendicular wavelengths and density gradient scale lengths, and the drift mode can grow on top side as well as on bottom side density gradients. However, below the F peak, where spread F predominates, it is concluded that both the drift and the Rayleigh-Taylor modes contribute to the total spread F spectrum, the Rayleigh-Taylor mode dominating at long and the drift mode at short perpendicular wavelengths above the ion Larmor radius

Normal skeletal development and imaging pitfalls of the calcaneal apophysis: MRI features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rossi, Ignacio [Musculoskeletal Research Fellow at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Centro de Diagnostico Dr. Enrique Rossi, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Rosenberg, Zehava [NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States); Zember, Jonathan [Albert Einstein College of Medicine Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, NY (United States)

2016-04-15

Heel pain in children and secondary MR imaging (MRI) of the hindfoot have been increasing in incidence. Our purpose is to illustrate the, previously unreported, MRI stages in development of the posterior calcaneal apophysis, with attention to imaging pitfalls. This should aid in distinguishing normal growth from true disease. Consecutive ankle MRIs in children <18 years, from 2008-2014, were subdivided into 0≤5, 5≤10, 10≤15 and 15≤18 age groups and retrospectively reviewed for development of the calcaneal apophysis. 204 ankle MRI studies in 188 children were identified. 40 studies were excluded with final cohort of 164 studies in 154 patients (82 boys, 72 girls). The calcaneal apophysis was cartilaginous until age 5. Foci of decreased as well as increased signal were embedded in cartilage, prior to ossification. Early, secondary ossification centers appeared in plantar third of the apophysis in 100 % of children by age 7. Increased T2 signal in the ossifications was seen in 30 % of children. Apohyseal fusion began at 12 and was complete in 78 % of 14≤15 year olds and in 88 % of 15≤18 year olds. Curvilinear low signal in the ossification centers, paralleling, but distinguished from growth plate, and not be confused with fracture line, was common. Development of the posterior calcaneus follows a unique sequence. Apophyseal fusion occurs earlier than reported in the literature. Familiarity with this maturation pattern, in particular the apophyseal increased T2 signal and the linear low signal paralleling the growth plate, will avoid misinterpreting it for pathology. (orig.)

Normal skeletal development and imaging pitfalls of the calcaneal apophysis: MRI features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rossi, Ignacio; Rosenberg, Zehava; Zember, Jonathan

2016-01-01

Heel pain in children and secondary MR imaging (MRI) of the hindfoot have been increasing in incidence. Our purpose is to illustrate the, previously unreported, MRI stages in development of the posterior calcaneal apophysis, with attention to imaging pitfalls. This should aid in distinguishing normal growth from true disease. Consecutive ankle MRIs in children <18 years, from 2008-2014, were subdivided into 0≤5, 5≤10, 10≤15 and 15≤18 age groups and retrospectively reviewed for development of the calcaneal apophysis. 204 ankle MRI studies in 188 children were identified. 40 studies were excluded with final cohort of 164 studies in 154 patients (82 boys, 72 girls). The calcaneal apophysis was cartilaginous until age 5. Foci of decreased as well as increased signal were embedded in cartilage, prior to ossification. Early, secondary ossification centers appeared in plantar third of the apophysis in 100 % of children by age 7. Increased T2 signal in the ossifications was seen in 30 % of children. Apohyseal fusion began at 12 and was complete in 78 % of 14≤15 year olds and in 88 % of 15≤18 year olds. Curvilinear low signal in the ossification centers, paralleling, but distinguished from growth plate, and not be confused with fracture line, was common. Development of the posterior calcaneus follows a unique sequence. Apophyseal fusion occurs earlier than reported in the literature. Familiarity with this maturation pattern, in particular the apophyseal increased T2 signal and the linear low signal paralleling the growth plate, will avoid misinterpreting it for pathology. (orig.)

Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor during the normal menstrual cycle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kusumanto, YH; Hospers, GAP; Sluiter, WJ; Dam, WA; Meijer, C; Mulder, NH

2004-01-01

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether cycle-related variations in circulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) levels would increase the metastatic potential at specific times during the menstrual cycle. Materials and Methods: VEGF levels in serum and whole blood

Online Normalization Algorithm for Engine Turbofan Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-02

Online Normalization Algorithm for Engine Turbofan Monitoring Jérôme Lacaille 1 , Anastasios Bellas 2 1 Snecma, 77550 Moissy-Cramayel, France...understand the behavior of a turbofan engine, one first needs to deal with the variety of data acquisition contexts. Each time a set of measurements is...it auto-adapts itself with piecewise linear models. 1. INTRODUCTION Turbofan engine abnormality diagnosis uses three steps: reduction of

Environmental impact assessment methods of the radiation generated by the runing medical linear accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin haihua; Yao Zhigang

2014-01-01

This article describes the environmental impact assessment methods of the radiation generated by the runing. medical linear accelerator. The material and thickness of shielding wall and protective doors of the linear accelerator were already knew, therefore we can evaluate the radiation by the runing. medical linear accelerator whether or not in the normal range of national standard by calculating the annual effective radiation dose of the surrounding personnel suffered. (authors)

Radiotherapy- and chemotherapy-induced normal tissue damage. The role of cytokines and adhesion molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plevova, P.

2002-01-01

Background. Ionising radiation and cytostatic agents used in cancer therapy exert damaging effects on normal tissues and induce a complex response at the cellular and molecular levels. Cytokines and adhesion molecules are involved in this response. Methods. Published data on the given topic have been reviewed. Results and conclusions. Various cytokines and adhesion molecules, including tumor necrosis factor α, interleukins- 1,-2,-4, and -6, interferon γ, granulocyte macrophage- and macrophage- colony stimulating factors, transforming growth factor β, platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, fibroblast and epidermal growth factors, platelet-activating factor, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E- and P-selectins are involved in the response of normal tissues to ionizing radiation- and chemotherapy- induced normal tissues damage and are co-responsible for some side effects of these treatment modalities, including fever, anorexia and fatigue, suppression of hematopoiesis, both acute and late local tissue response. (author)

Growth in pediatric renal transplant recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasudevan, A; Phadke, K

2007-04-01

One of the fundamental challenges in managing pediatric renal transplant recipient is to ensure normal growth and development. The goal of renal transplant is not just to prolong life but to optimize quality of life. Short stature during childhood may be associated with academic underachievement and development of comorbidities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, and mood disorders. The most important factors affecting growth are use of corticosteroids, allograft function, and age and height deficit at the time of transplant. Aggressive conservative management of chronic renal failure and early use of growth hormone therapy will help in optimizing height at time of transplant. Early transplant, steroid minimization or withdrawal, and growth hormone therapy will help in achieving normal adult height in a majority of renal post transplant population. Steroid avoidance to achieve good growth still needs to be validated.

Transient growth of a Vlasov plasma in a weakly inhomogeneous magnetic field

KAUST Repository

Ratushnaya, Valeria

2016-12-17

We investigate the stability properties of a collisionless Vlasov plasma in a weakly inhomogeneous magnetic field using non-modal stability analysis. This is an important topic in a physics of tokamak plasma rich in various types of instabilities. We consider a thin tokamak plasma in a Maxwellian equilibrium, subjected to a small arbitrary perturbation. Within the framework of kinetic theory, we demonstrate the emergence of short time scale algebraic instabilities evolving in a stable magnetized plasma. We show that the linearized governing operator (Vlasov operator) is non-normal leading to the transient growth of the perturbations on the time scale of several plasma periods that is subsequently followed by Landau damping. We calculate the first-order distribution function and the electric field and study the dependence of the transient growth characteristics on the magnetic field strength and perturbation parameters of the system. We compare our results with uniformly magnetized plasma and field-free Vlasov plasma.

Transient growth of a Vlasov plasma in a weakly inhomogeneous magnetic field

KAUST Repository

Ratushnaya, Valeria; Samtaney, Ravi

2016-01-01

We investigate the stability properties of a collisionless Vlasov plasma in a weakly inhomogeneous magnetic field using non-modal stability analysis. This is an important topic in a physics of tokamak plasma rich in various types of instabilities. We consider a thin tokamak plasma in a Maxwellian equilibrium, subjected to a small arbitrary perturbation. Within the framework of kinetic theory, we demonstrate the emergence of short time scale algebraic instabilities evolving in a stable magnetized plasma. We show that the linearized governing operator (Vlasov operator) is non-normal leading to the transient growth of the perturbations on the time scale of several plasma periods that is subsequently followed by Landau damping. We calculate the first-order distribution function and the electric field and study the dependence of the transient growth characteristics on the magnetic field strength and perturbation parameters of the system. We compare our results with uniformly magnetized plasma and field-free Vlasov plasma.

Lycopene inhibits IGF-I signal transduction and growth in normal prostate epithelial cells by decreasing DHT-modulated IGF-I production in co-cultured reactive stromal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xunxian; Allen, Jeffrey D; Arnold, Julia T; Blackman, Marc R

2008-04-01

Prostate stromal and epithelial cell communication is important in prostate functioning and cancer development. Primary human stromal cells from normal prostate stromal cells (PRSC) maintain a smooth muscle phenotype, whereas those from prostate cancer (6S) display reactive and fibroblastic characteristics. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) stimulates insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) production by 6S but not PSRC cells. Effects of reactive versus normal stroma on normal human prostate epithelial (NPE or PREC) cells are poorly understood. We co-cultured NPE plus 6S or PRSC cells to compare influences of different stromal cells on normal epithelium. Because NPE and PREC cells lose androgen receptor (AR) expression in culture, DHT effects must be modulated by associated stromal cells. When treated with camptothecin (CM), NPE cells, alone and in stromal co-cultures, displayed a dose-dependent increase in DNA fragmentation. NPE/6S co-cultures exhibited reduced CM-induced cell death with exposure to DHT, whereas NPE/PRSC co-cultures exhibited CM-induced cell death regardless of DHT treatment. DHT blocked CM-induced, IGF-I-mediated, NPE death in co-cultured NPE/6S cells without, but not with, added anti-IGF-I and anti-IGF-R antibodies. Lycopene consumption is inversely related to human prostate cancer risk and inhibits IGF-I and androgen signaling in rat prostate cancer. In this study, lycopene, in dietary concentrations, reversed DHT effects of 6S cells on NPE cell death, decreased 6S cell IGF-I production by reducing AR and beta-catenin nuclear localization and inhibited IGF-I-stimulated NPE and PREC growth, perhaps by attenuating IGF-I's effects on serine phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3beta and tyrosine phosphorylation of GSK3. This study expands the understanding of the preventive mechanisms of lycopene in prostate cancer.

On the normalization of the minimum free energy of RNAs by sequence length.

Science.gov (United States)

Trotta, Edoardo

2014-01-01

The minimum free energy (MFE) of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) increases at an apparent linear rate with sequence length. Simple indices, obtained by dividing the MFE by the number of nucleotides, have been used for a direct comparison of the folding stability of RNAs of various sizes. Although this normalization procedure has been used in several studies, the relationship between normalized MFE and length has not yet been investigated in detail. Here, we demonstrate that the variation of MFE with sequence length is not linear and is significantly biased by the mathematical formula used for the normalization procedure. For this reason, the normalized MFEs strongly decrease as hyperbolic functions of length and produce unreliable results when applied for the comparison of sequences with different sizes. We also propose a simple modification of the normalization formula that corrects the bias enabling the use of the normalized MFE for RNAs longer than 40 nt. Using the new corrected normalized index, we analyzed the folding free energies of different human RNA families showing that most of them present an average MFE density more negative than expected for a typical genomic sequence. Furthermore, we found that a well-defined and restricted range of MFE density characterizes each RNA family, suggesting the use of our corrected normalized index to improve RNA prediction algorithms. Finally, in coding and functional human RNAs the MFE density appears scarcely correlated with sequence length, consistent with a negligible role of thermodynamic stability demands in determining RNA size.

The associations between adult body composition and abdominal adiposity outcomes, and relative weight gain and linear growth from birth to age 22 in the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort, South Africa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandra Prioreschi

Full Text Available The growing prevalence of overweight and obesity in low- or middle-income countries precipitates the need to examine early life predictors of adiposity.To examine growth trajectories from birth, and associations with adult body composition in the Birth to Twenty Plus Cohort, Soweto, South Africa.Complete data at year 22 was available for 1088 participants (536 males and 537 females. Conditional weight and height indices were generated indicative of relative rate of growth between years 0-2, 2-5, 5-8, 8-18, and 18-22. Whole body composition was measured at year 22 (range 21-25 years using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA. Total fat free soft tissue mass (FFSTM, fat mass, and abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT were recorded.Birth weight was positively associated with FFSTM and fat mass at year 22 (β = 0.11, p<0.01 and β = 0.10, p<0.01 respectively. Relative weight gain from birth to year 22 was positively associated with FFSTM, fat mass, VAT, and SAT at year 22. Relative linear growth from birth to year 22 was positively associated with FFSTM at year 22. Relative linear growth from birth to year 2 was positively associated with VAT at year 22. Being born small for gestational age and being stunted at age 2 years were inversely associated with FFSTM at year 22.The importance of optimal birth weight and growth tempos during early life for later life body composition, and the detrimental effects of pre- and postnatal growth restriction are clear; yet contemporary weight-gain most strongly predicted adult body composition. Thus interventions should target body composition trajectories during childhood and prevent excessive weight gain in early adulthood.

Multiple imputation in the presence of non-normal data.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Katherine J; Carlin, John B

2017-02-20

Multiple imputation (MI) is becoming increasingly popular for handling missing data. Standard approaches for MI assume normality for continuous variables (conditionally on the other variables in the imputation model). However, it is unclear how to impute non-normally distributed continuous variables. Using simulation and a case study, we compared various transformations applied prior to imputation, including a novel non-parametric transformation, to imputation on the raw scale and using predictive mean matching (PMM) when imputing non-normal data. We generated data from a range of non-normal distributions, and set 50% to missing completely at random or missing at random. We then imputed missing values on the raw scale, following a zero-skewness log, Box-Cox or non-parametric transformation and using PMM with both type 1 and 2 matching. We compared inferences regarding the marginal mean of the incomplete variable and the association with a fully observed outcome. We also compared results from these approaches in the analysis of depression and anxiety symptoms in parents of very preterm compared with term-born infants. The results provide novel empirical evidence that the decision regarding how to impute a non-normal variable should be based on the nature of the relationship between the variables of interest. If the relationship is linear in the untransformed scale, transformation can introduce bias irrespective of the transformation used. However, if the relationship is non-linear, it may be important to transform the variable to accurately capture this relationship. A useful alternative is to impute the variable using PMM with type 1 matching. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Complete normal ordering 1: Foundations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Ellis

2016-08-01

Full Text Available We introduce a new prescription for quantising scalar field theories (in generic spacetime dimension and background perturbatively around a true minimum of the full quantum effective action, which is to ‘complete normal order’ the bare action of interest. When the true vacuum of the theory is located at zero field value, the key property of this prescription is the automatic cancellation, to any finite order in perturbation theory, of all tadpole and, more generally, all ‘cephalopod’ Feynman diagrams. The latter are connected diagrams that can be disconnected into two pieces by cutting one internal vertex, with either one or both pieces free from external lines. In addition, this procedure of ‘complete normal ordering’ (which is an extension of the standard field theory definition of normal ordering reduces by a substantial factor the number of Feynman diagrams to be calculated at any given loop order. We illustrate explicitly the complete normal ordering procedure and the cancellation of cephalopod diagrams in scalar field theories with non-derivative interactions, and by using a point splitting ‘trick’ we extend this result to theories with derivative interactions, such as those appearing as non-linear σ-models in the world-sheet formulation of string theory. We focus here on theories with trivial vacua, generalising the discussion to non-trivial vacua in a follow-up paper.

Immunohistochemical expression of Insulin-like growth factor-1, Transforming growth factor-beta1, and Vascular endothelial growth factor in parathyroid adenoma and hyperplasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamide Sayar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Insulin-like growth factor (IGF, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF are commonly studied growth factors, but little data are available on the immunohistochemical expression of these factors in parathyroid lesions. Materials and Methods: Tissue specimens from 36 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (P-HPT (26 adenomas and 10 primary hyperplasias were examined. Normal parathyroid tissue adjacent to the adenoma or area of hyperplasia was used as control tissue. Preoperative laboratory testing [serum Ca and P, creatinine and parathormone levels (PTH] which led to the diagnosis of P-HPT had been performed, the size and weight of the parathyroid glands measured, and postoperative serum PTH levels determined. Paraffin-embedded parathyroid tissue specimens were stained with antibodies to IGF-1, VEGF, and TGF-β1 using standard immunohistochemical procedures. Results: IGF-1 immunoreactivity was seen in 50% of hyperplasia and in 46% of adenoma samples, but in 87% of normal parathyroid tissue in the vicinity of the adenomas (P = 0.005. TGF-β1 immunoreactivity was observed in 90% of hyperplasia, in 92% of adenoma samples, and in 95% of normal tissues around adenomas. VEGF immunoreactivity was observed in 70% of hyperplastic and 65% of adenomatous tissues, as well as in 54% of normal tissues in the vicinity of the adenoma. No significant differences in the expression of IGF-1, TGF-β1, and VEGF were observed between primary adenomas compared to hyperplasia samples (P > 0.05. Conclusions: Parathyroid tissue is clearly a site for production of IGF-1, TGF-β1, and VEGF. IGF-1 receptor activity was higher in normal parathyroid tissue compared to hyperplastic and adenomatous tissue.

General methods for determining the linear stability of coronal magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, I. J. D.; Sneyd, A. D.; Mcclymont, A. N.

1988-01-01

A time integration of a linearized plasma equation of motion has been performed to calculate the ideal linear stability of arbitrary three-dimensional magnetic fields. The convergence rates of the explicit and implicit power methods employed are speeded up by using sequences of cyclic shifts. Growth rates are obtained for Gold-Hoyle force-free equilibria, and the corkscrew-kink instability is found to be very weak.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS, environment, exposome and epigenetics: a molecular perspective of postnatal normal spinal growth and the etiopathogenesis of AIS with consideration of a network approach and possible implications for medical therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burwell R Geoffrey

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Genetic factors are believed to play an important role in the etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS. Discordant findings for monozygotic (MZ twins with AIS show that environmental factors including different intrauterine environments are important in etiology, but what these environmental factors may be is unknown. Recent evidence for common chronic non-communicable diseases suggests epigenetic differences may underlie MZ twin discordance, and be the link between environmental factors and phenotypic differences. DNA methylation is one important epigenetic mechanism operating at the interface between genome and environment to regulate phenotypic plasticity with a complex regulation across the genome during the first decade of life. The word exposome refers to the totality of environmental exposures from conception onwards, comprising factors in external and internal environments. The word exposome is used here also in relation to physiologic and etiopathogenetic factors that affect normal spinal growth and may induce the deformity of AIS. In normal postnatal spinal growth we propose a new term and concept, physiologic growth-plate exposome for the normal processes particularly of the internal environments that may have epigenetic effects on growth plates of vertebrae. In AIS, we propose a new term and concept pathophysiologic scoliogenic exposome for the abnormal processes in molecular pathways particularly of the internal environment currently expressed as etiopathogenetic hypotheses; these are suggested to have deforming effects on the growth plates of vertebrae at cell, tissue, structure and/or organ levels that are considered to be epigenetic. New research is required for chromatin modifications including DNA methylation in AIS subjects and vertebral growth plates excised at surgery. In addition, consideration is needed for a possible network approach to etiopathogenesis by constructing AIS diseasomes. These approaches may

MRI of normal and pathological fetal lung development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasprian, Gregor; Balassy, Csilla; Brugger, Peter C.; Prayer, Daniela

2006-01-01

Normal fetal lung development is a complex process influenced by mechanical and many biochemical factors. In addition to ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) constitutes a new method to investigate this process in vivo during the second and third trimester. The techniques of MRI volumetry, assessment of signal intensities, and MRI spectroscopy of the fetal lung have been used to analyze this process and have already been applied clinically to identify abnormal fetal lung growth. Particularly in conditions such as oligohydramnios and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), pulmonary hypoplasia may be the cause of neonatal death. A precise diagnosis and quantification of compromised fetal lung development may improve post- and perinatal management. The main events in fetal lung development are reviewed and MR volumetric data from 106 normal fetuses, as well as different examples of pathological lung growth, are provided

MRI of normal and pathological fetal lung development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasprian, Gregor [University Clinic of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: gregor.kasprian@meduniwien.ac.at; Balassy, Csilla [University Clinic of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Brugger, Peter C. [Center of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Prayer, Daniela [University Clinic of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria)

2006-02-15

Normal fetal lung development is a complex process influenced by mechanical and many biochemical factors. In addition to ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) constitutes a new method to investigate this process in vivo during the second and third trimester. The techniques of MRI volumetry, assessment of signal intensities, and MRI spectroscopy of the fetal lung have been used to analyze this process and have already been applied clinically to identify abnormal fetal lung growth. Particularly in conditions such as oligohydramnios and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), pulmonary hypoplasia may be the cause of neonatal death. A precise diagnosis and quantification of compromised fetal lung development may improve post- and perinatal management. The main events in fetal lung development are reviewed and MR volumetric data from 106 normal fetuses, as well as different examples of pathological lung growth, are provided.

Human Capital--Economic Growth Nexus in the Former Soviet Bloc

Science.gov (United States)

Osipian, Ararat L.

2007-01-01

This study analyses the role and impact of higher education on per capita economic growth in the Former Soviet Bloc. It attempts to estimate the significance of educational levels for initiating substantial economic growth that now takes place in these two countries. This study estimates a system of linear and log-linear equations that account for…

Dynamic imperfections and optimized feedback design in the Compact Linear Collider main linac

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peder Eliasson

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC main linac is sensitive to dynamic imperfections such as element jitter, injected beam jitter, and ground motion. These effects cause emittance growth that, in case of ground motion, has to be counteracted by a trajectory feedback system. The feedback system itself will, due to jitter effects and imperfect beam position monitors (BPMs, indirectly cause emittance growth. Fast and accurate simulations of both the direct and indirect effects are desirable, but due to the many elements of the CLIC main linac, simulations may become very time consuming. In this paper, an efficient way of simulating linear (or nearly linear dynamic effects is described. The method is also shown to facilitate the analytic determination of emittance growth caused by the different dynamic imperfections while using a trajectory feedback system. Emittance growth expressions are derived for quadrupole, accelerating structure, and beam jitter, for ground motion, and for noise in the feedback BPMs. Finally, it is shown how the method can be used to design a feedback system that is optimized for the optics of the machine and the ground motion spectrum of the particular site. This feedback system gives an emittance growth rate that is approximately 10 times lower than that of traditional trajectory feedbacks. The robustness of the optimized feedback system is studied for a number of additional imperfections, e.g., dipole corrector imperfections and faulty knowledge about the machine optics, with promising results.

Dynamic imperfections and optimized feedback design in the Compact Linear Collider main linac

Science.gov (United States)

Eliasson, Peder

2008-05-01

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) main linac is sensitive to dynamic imperfections such as element jitter, injected beam jitter, and ground motion. These effects cause emittance growth that, in case of ground motion, has to be counteracted by a trajectory feedback system. The feedback system itself will, due to jitter effects and imperfect beam position monitors (BPMs), indirectly cause emittance growth. Fast and accurate simulations of both the direct and indirect effects are desirable, but due to the many elements of the CLIC main linac, simulations may become very time consuming. In this paper, an efficient way of simulating linear (or nearly linear) dynamic effects is described. The method is also shown to facilitate the analytic determination of emittance growth caused by the different dynamic imperfections while using a trajectory feedback system. Emittance growth expressions are derived for quadrupole, accelerating structure, and beam jitter, for ground motion, and for noise in the feedback BPMs. Finally, it is shown how the method can be used to design a feedback system that is optimized for the optics of the machine and the ground motion spectrum of the particular site. This feedback system gives an emittance growth rate that is approximately 10 times lower than that of traditional trajectory feedbacks. The robustness of the optimized feedback system is studied for a number of additional imperfections, e.g., dipole corrector imperfections and faulty knowledge about the machine optics, with promising results.

Prognostic impact of placenta growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor A in patients with breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maae, Else; Olsen, Dorte Aalund; Steffensen, Karina Dahl

2012-01-01

Placenta growth factor (PlGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) are angiogenic growth factors interacting competitively with the same receptors. VEGF-A is essential in both normal and pathologic conditions, but the functions of PlGF seem to be restricted to pathologic conditions s...

On Bayesian Inference under Sampling from Scale Mixtures of Normals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fernández, C.; Steel, M.F.J.

1996-01-01

This paper considers a Bayesian analysis of the linear regression model under independent sampling from general scale mixtures of Normals.Using a common reference prior, we investigate the validity of Bayesian inference and the existence of posterior moments of the regression and precision

Complex Network Theory Applied to the Growth of Kuala Lumpur's Public Urban Rail Transit Network.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Ding

Full Text Available Recently, the number of studies involving complex network applications in transportation has increased steadily as scholars from various fields analyze traffic networks. Nonetheless, research on rail network growth is relatively rare. This research examines the evolution of the Public Urban Rail Transit Networks of Kuala Lumpur (PURTNoKL based on complex network theory and covers both the topological structure of the rail system and future trends in network growth. In addition, network performance when facing different attack strategies is also assessed. Three topological network characteristics are considered: connections, clustering and centrality. In PURTNoKL, we found that the total number of nodes and edges exhibit a linear relationship and that the average degree stays within the interval [2.0488, 2.6774] with heavy-tailed distributions. The evolutionary process shows that the cumulative probability distribution (CPD of degree and the average shortest path length show good fit with exponential distribution and normal distribution, respectively. Moreover, PURTNoKL exhibits clear cluster characteristics; most of the nodes have a 2-core value, and the CPDs of the centrality's closeness and betweenness follow a normal distribution function and an exponential distribution, respectively. Finally, we discuss four different types of network growth styles and the line extension process, which reveal that the rail network's growth is likely based on the nodes with the biggest lengths of the shortest path and that network protection should emphasize those nodes with the largest degrees and the highest betweenness values. This research may enhance the networkability of the rail system and better shape the future growth of public rail networks.

A normal form approach to the theory of nonlinear betatronic motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazzani, A.; Todesco, E.; Turchetti, G.; Servizi, G.

1994-01-01

The betatronic motion of a particle in a circular accelerator is analysed using the transfer map description of the magnetic lattice. In the linear case the transfer matrix approach is shown to be equivalent to the Courant-Snyder theory: In the normal coordinates' representation the transfer matrix is a pure rotation. When the nonlinear effects due to the multipolar components of the magnetic field are taken into account, a similar procedure is used: a nonlinear change of coordinates provides a normal form representation of the map, which exhibits explicit symmetry properties depending on the absence or presence of resonance relations among the linear tunes. The use of normal forms is illustrated in the simplest but significant model of a cell with a sextupolar nonlinearity which is described by the quadratic Henon map. After recalling the basic theoretical results in Hamiltonian dynamics, we show how the normal forms describe the different topological structures of phase space such as KAM tori, chains of islands and chaotic regions; a critical comparison with the usual perturbation theory for Hamilton equations is given. The normal form theory is applied to compute the tune shift and deformation of the orbits for the lattices of the SPS and LHC accelerators, and scaling laws are obtained. Finally, the correction procedure of the multipolar errors of the LHC, based on the analytic minimization of the tune shift computed via the normal forms, is described and the results for a model of the LHC are presented. This application, relevant for the lattice design, focuses on the advantages of normal forms with respect to tracking when parametric dependences have to be explored. (orig.)

Using Personality Traits to Construct Linear Growth Models of Mental Health in Family Members of Individuals With Severe Brain Injury

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trujillo, Michael; Perrin, Paul B; Doser, Karoline

2016-01-01

Objective: No studies have examined the impact of personality traits on mental health among caregivers of individuals with severe brain injury. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to construct linear growth models to examine whether the personality traits of family members...... neuroticism had lower anxiety and depression over time, as well as a more accelerated decrease in anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Caregivers' personality traits were strongly associated over time with mental HRQoL, anxiety, and depression, with neuroticism being especially important for trajectories...... the Short Form-36 assessing mental HRQoL (vitality, social functioning, role limitations-emotional, mental health), anxiety, and depression across 5 time points during the 1st year after injury. The measure of personality was administered 3 months after the patients' discharge. Results: All mental HRQo...

Growth curves for Laron syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Laron, Z; Lilos, P; Klinger, B

1993-01-01

Growth curves for children with Laron syndrome were constructed on the basis of repeated measurements made throughout infancy, childhood, and puberty in 24 (10 boys, 14 girls) of the 41 patients with this syndrome investigated in our clinic. Growth retardation was already noted at birth, the birth length ranging from 42 to 46 cm in the 12/20 available measurements. The postnatal growth curves deviated sharply from the normal from infancy on. Both sexes showed no clear pubertal spurt. Girls completed their growth between the age of 16-19 years to a final mean (SD) height of 119 (8.5) cm whereas the boys continued growing beyond the age of 20 years, achieving a final height of 124 (8.5) cm. At all ages the upper to lower body segment ratio was more than 2 SD above the normal mean. These growth curves constitute a model not only for primary, hereditary insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) deficiency (Laron syndrome) but also for untreated secondary IGF-I deficiencies such as growth hormone gene deletion and idiopathic congenital isolated growth hormone deficiency. They should also be useful in the follow up of children with Laron syndrome treated with biosynthetic recombinant IGF-I. PMID:8333769

High profile students’ growth of mathematical understanding in solving linier programing problems

Science.gov (United States)

Utomo; Kusmayadi, TA; Pramudya, I.

2018-04-01

Linear program has an important role in human’s life. This linear program is learned in senior high school and college levels. This material is applied in economy, transportation, military and others. Therefore, mastering linear program is useful for provision of life. This research describes a growth of mathematical understanding in solving linear programming problems based on the growth of understanding by the Piere-Kieren model. Thus, this research used qualitative approach. The subjects were students of grade XI in Salatiga city. The subjects of this study were two students who had high profiles. The researcher generally chose the subjects based on the growth of understanding from a test result in the classroom; the mark from the prerequisite material was ≥ 75. Both of the subjects were interviewed by the researcher to know the students’ growth of mathematical understanding in solving linear programming problems. The finding of this research showed that the subjects often folding back to the primitive knowing level to go forward to the next level. It happened because the subjects’ primitive understanding was not comprehensive.

Academic Sacred Cows and Exponential Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Heterick, Robert C., Jr.

1991-01-01

The speech notes the linear growth of resources versus the exponential growth of costs in higher education. It identifies opportunities arising from information technology to transform teaching and learning through creation of a new scholarly information delivery system. An integrated triad of communications, computing, and library organizations…

Three-dimensional analysis of mandibular growth and tooth eruption

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krarup, S.; Darvann, Tron Andre; Larsen, Per

2005-01-01

Normal and abnormal jaw growth and tooth eruption are topics of great importance for several dental and medical disciplines. Thus far, clinical studies on these topics have used two-dimensional (2D) radiographic techniques. The purpose of the present study was to analyse normal mandibular growth...

The role of estrogen in bone growth and formation: changes at puberty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Divya Singh

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Divya Singh1, Sabyasachi Sanyal2, Naibedya Chattopadhyay11Division of Endocrinology, 2Division of Drug Target Discovery and Development, Central Drug Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaAbstract: A high peak bone mass (PBM at skeletal maturity is a good predictor for lower rate of fracture risks in later life. Growth during puberty contributes significantly to PBM achievement in women and men. The growth hormone (GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1 axis has a critical role in pubertal bone growth. There is an increase in GH and IGF-1 levels during puberty; thus, it is assumed that sex steroids contribute to higher GH/IGF-1 action during growth. Recent studies indicate that estrogen increases GH secretion in boys and girls, and the major effect of testosterone on GH secretion is via aromatization to estrogen. Estrogen is pivotal for epiphyseal fusion in young men and women. From studies of individuals with a mutated aromatase gene and a case study of male patient with defective estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-α, it is clear that estrogen is indispensable for normal pubertal growth and growth plate fusion. ER-α and estrogen receptor-beta (ER-β have been localized in growth plate and bone. ER knockout studies have shown that ER-α-/- female mice have reduced linear appendicular growth, while ER-β-/- mice have increased appendicular growth. No such effect is seen in ER-β-/- males; however, repressed growth is seen in ER-α-/- males, resulting in shorter long bones. Thus, ER-β represses longitudinal bone growth in female mice, while it has no function in the regulation of longitudinal bone growth in male mice. These findings indicate that estrogen plays a critical role in skeletal physiology of males as well as females.Keywords: peak bone mass, puberty, estrogen, growth plate

The Computer Program LIAR for Beam Dynamics Calculations in Linear Accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assmann, R.W.; Adolphsen, C.; Bane, K.; Raubenheimer, T.O.; Siemann, R.H.; Thompson, K.

2011-01-01

Linear accelerators are the central components of the proposed next generation of linear colliders. They need to provide acceleration of up to 750 GeV per beam while maintaining very small normalized emittances. Standard simulation programs, mainly developed for storage rings, do not meet the specific requirements for high energy linear accelerators. We present a new program LIAR ('LInear Accelerator Research code') that includes wakefield effects, a 6D coupled beam description, specific optimization algorithms and other advanced features. Its modular structure allows to use and to extend it easily for different purposes. The program is available for UNIX workstations and Windows PC's. It can be applied to a broad range of accelerators. We present examples of simulations for SLC and NLC.

Annotated bibliography on high-intensity linear accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jameson, R.A.; Roybal, E.U.

1978-01-01

A technical bibliography covering subjects important to the design of high-intensity beam transport systems and linear accelerators is presented. Space charge and emittance growth are stressed. Subject and author concordances provide cross-reference to detailed citations, which include an abstract and notes on the material. The bibliography resides in a computer database that can be searched for key words and phrases

Serum levels of growth hormone binding protein in children with normal and precocious puberty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, A; Fisker, Sidse; Scheike, Thomas Harder

2000-01-01

To study the regulation of GHBP serum levels by gonadal steroids in normal and precocious puberty.......To study the regulation of GHBP serum levels by gonadal steroids in normal and precocious puberty....

Notes on power of normality tests of error terms in regression models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Střelec, Luboš

2015-01-01

Normality is one of the basic assumptions in applying statistical procedures. For example in linear regression most of the inferential procedures are based on the assumption of normality, i.e. the disturbance vector is assumed to be normally distributed. Failure to assess non-normality of the error terms may lead to incorrect results of usual statistical inference techniques such as t-test or F-test. Thus, error terms should be normally distributed in order to allow us to make exact inferences. As a consequence, normally distributed stochastic errors are necessary in order to make a not misleading inferences which explains a necessity and importance of robust tests of normality. Therefore, the aim of this contribution is to discuss normality testing of error terms in regression models. In this contribution, we introduce the general RT class of robust tests for normality, and present and discuss the trade-off between power and robustness of selected classical and robust normality tests of error terms in regression models

Notes on power of normality tests of error terms in regression models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Střelec, Luboš [Department of Statistics and Operation Analysis, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Brno, 61300 (Czech Republic)

2015-03-10

Normality is one of the basic assumptions in applying statistical procedures. For example in linear regression most of the inferential procedures are based on the assumption of normality, i.e. the disturbance vector is assumed to be normally distributed. Failure to assess non-normality of the error terms may lead to incorrect results of usual statistical inference techniques such as t-test or F-test. Thus, error terms should be normally distributed in order to allow us to make exact inferences. As a consequence, normally distributed stochastic errors are necessary in order to make a not misleading inferences which explains a necessity and importance of robust tests of normality. Therefore, the aim of this contribution is to discuss normality testing of error terms in regression models. In this contribution, we introduce the general RT class of robust tests for normality, and present and discuss the trade-off between power and robustness of selected classical and robust normality tests of error terms in regression models.

Linear Algebra and Smarandache Linear Algebra

OpenAIRE

Vasantha, Kandasamy

2003-01-01

The present book, on Smarandache linear algebra, not only studies the Smarandache analogues of linear algebra and its applications, it also aims to bridge the need for new research topics pertaining to linear algebra, purely in the algebraic sense. We have introduced Smarandache semilinear algebra, Smarandache bilinear algebra and Smarandache anti-linear algebra and their fuzzy equivalents. Moreover, in this book, we have brought out the study of linear algebra and vector spaces over finite p...

Comparison of low-normal and high-normal IGF-1 target levels during growth hormone replacement therapy : A randomized clinical trial in adult growth hormone deficiency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Bunderen, Christa C; Lips, Paul; Kramer, Mark H H; Drent, Madeleine L

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines state that the goals of growth hormone (GH) therapy in adults should be an appropriate clinical response, avoidance of side effects, and an IGF-1 value within the age-adjusted reference range. There are no published studies on the target level for IGF-1 that offer