Two conversational languages for control theoretical computations in the time sharing mode

Two conversational languages for control theory applications on direct-access time sharing compute

Exploring the associations of maternal red blood cell fatty acids, infant body composition, and quality of infant growth

Background: Rates of childhood overweight and obesity have increased and are related to earlier development of chronic health diseases. Maternal fat consumption influences fetal adipose tissue development and may program future levels of adiposity. Research has shown relationships between maternal levels of omega&ndash3 (n&ndash3) and omega&ndash6 (n&ndash6) fatty acids and infant body weight. Vaccenic acid is a natural trans fatty acid shown to have health benefits in both immune function and body composition. No studies have related maternal fatty acids and infant body composition (percentage body fat (%fat), fat mass (FM), and fat free mass (FFM)) at birth and during early infancy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between maternal fatty acids, with emphasis on vaccenic acid, and infant body composition at birth and during early infancy. Methods: Seventy four mother-infant pairs were included in this analysis. Mothers meeting the criteria of a singleton pregnancy, healthy, BMI 18.5 &mdash 40 kg/m2, completed a blood draw late in pregnancy, and with infants who completed a birth and/or 3&ndash4 month visit to assess body composition were included. Maternal red blood cell (RBC) fatty acids were measured by adsorption chromatography and transmethylation techniques. Infant body composition was measured by air displacement plethysmography. Correlation matrices assessed the relationship between maternal fatty acids and infant body composition at birth and the change in body composition during early infancy. Multiple linear regression assessed the relationship between maternal vaccenic acid values and infant body composition at birth and change in body composition in early infancy. Significance was determined at a level of p < 0.05. Results: Average maternal age was 29.43 ± 4.81 years; pre&ndashpregnancy BMI was 25.49 ± 5.44 kg/m2; average gestational weight gain was 16.07 ± 6.14 kg. Average infant gestational age was 39.61 ± 0.82 weeks; average birth weight was 3.503.47 ± 420.22 g. Arachidonic acid was negatively related to infant FFM while heneicosanoic acid was positively related to infant FM at birth. Vaccenic acid was negatively related to all measures of change in infant body composition at 3&ndash4 months. Linolelaidic acid was negatively related to change in infant FFM, while linoleic and eicosapentaenoic acids were positively related to change in FFM. Heneicosanoic acid was negatively related to changes in %fat and FM. Multiple linear regression showed that vaccenic acid negatively predicted changes in infant FM and FFM. Conclusion: Relationships exist between late-pregnancy maternal RBC fatty acids and infant body composition at birth and change at 3&ndash4 months. Vaccenic acid predicted decreased changes in FM and FFM at 3&ndash4 months. Future research is needed to better define these relationships

Advanced software techniques for data management systems. Volume 3: Programming language characteristics and comparison reference

A comparative evaluation was made of eight higher order languages of general interest in the aerospace field: PL/1; HAL; JOVIAL/J3; SPL/J6; CLASP; ALGOL 60; FORTRAN 4; and MAC360. A summary of the functional requirements for a language for general use in manned aerodynamic applications is presented. The evaluation supplies background material to be used in assessing the worth of each language for some particular application

Intensive human land uses negatively affect vertebrate functional diversity

Land-use change is the leading driver of global biodiversity loss thus characterising its impacts on the functional structure of ecological communities is an urgent challenge. Using a database describing vertebrate assemblages in different land uses, we assess how the type and intensity of land use affect the functional diversity of vertebrates globally. We find that human land uses alter local functional structure by driving declines in functional diversity, with the strongest effects in the most disturbed land uses (intensely used urban sites, cropland and pastures), and among amphibians and birds. Both tropical and temperate areas experience important functional losses, which are only partially offset by functional gains. Tropical assemblages are more likely to show decreases in functional diversity that exceed those expected from species loss alone. Our results indicate that land-use change non-randomly reshapes the functional structure of vertebrate assemblages, raising concerns about the continuation of ecological processes sustained by vertebrates

The SoLid anti-neutrino detector's readout system

The SoLid collaboration have developed an intelligent readout system to reduce their 3200 silicon photomultiplier detector's data rate by a factor of 10000 whilst maintaining high efficiency for storing data from anti-neutrino interactions. The system employs an FPGA-level waveform characterisation to trigger on neutron signals. Following a trigger, data from a space time region of interest around the neutron will be read out using the IPbus protocol. In these proceedings the design of the readout system is explained and results showing the performance of a prototype version of the system are presented

New approaches for estimating risk from exposure to diethylstilbestrol.

A subgroup from a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, workshop concerned with characterizing the effects of endocrine disruptors on human health at environmental exposure levels considered the question, If diethylstilbestrol (DES) were introduced into the market for human use today and likely to result in low-dose exposure of the human fetus, what would be required to assess risk? On the basis of an analysis of the quality of data on human DES exposure, the critical times and doses for inducing genital tract malformations and cancer must be determined. This would be facilitated through analysis of the ontogeny of estrogen receptor expression in the developing human genital tract. Models of low-dose estrogenic effects will have to be developed for human and rodent genital tract development. Mouse models offer many advantages over other potential animal models because of the wealth of the earlier literature, the availability of sensitive end points, the availability of mutant lines, and the possibility of generating genetically engineered model systems. Through multidisciplinary approaches, it should be possible to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of endocrine disruption elicited by estrogens during development and facilitate an assessment of risk to humans

Chemical Spectral Analysis through Sonification

Chemical spectra are an important part of how research chemists analyse the outcomes of experiments. However these complex spectra can be very difficult and time consuming to analyse. This paper outlines an investigation into using sonification to improve the understanding and ease of analysis of chemical spectral data. The project specifically uses sonification techniques to display Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra. Two sonification methods were designed to offer different perspectives on the data; "Spectral Audification" allows a quick overview of the data while maintaining its subtleties whereas a simple parameter mapping method allows more in-depth analysis of the spectra such as the use of rhythmic patterns to make sets of peaks easily identifiable

Global gaps in trait data for terrestrial vertebrates

AIM: Trait data are increasingly being used in studies investigating the impacts of global changes on the structure and functioning of ecological communities. Despite a growing number of trait data collations for terrestrial vertebrates, there is to date no global assessment of the gaps and biases the data present. Here, we assess whether terrestrial vertebrate trait data are taxonomically, spatially and phylogenetically biased. LOCATION: Global. TIME PERIOD: Present. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: Terrestrial vertebrates. METHODS: We compile seven ecological traits and quantify coverage as the proportion of species for which an estimate is available. For a species, we define completeness as the proportion of non‐missing values across traits. We assess whether coverage and completeness differ across classes and examine phylogenetic biases in trait data. To investigate spatial biases, we test whether wider‐ranging species have more complete trait data than narrow‐ranging species. Additionally, we test whether species‐rich regions, which are of most concern for conservation, are less well sampled than species‐poor regions. RESULTS: Mammals and birds are well sampled even in species‐rich regions. For reptiles and amphibians (herptiles), only body size presents a high coverage (>80%), in addition to habitat‐related variables (amphibians). Herptiles are poorly sampled for other traits. The shortfalls are particularly acute in some species‐rich regions and for certain clades. Across all classes, geographically rarer species have less complete trait information. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Trait information is less available on average in some of the most diverse areas and in geographically rarer species, both of which crucial for biodiversity conservation. Gaps in trait data might impede our ability to conduct large‐scale analyses, whereas biases can impact the validity of extrapolations. A short‐term solution to the problem is to estimate missing trait data using imputation techniques, whereas a longer‐term and more robust filling of existing gaps requires continued data‐collection efforts