BACKGROUND Prevention and early detection of arterial stiffness are required to avoid severe cardiovascular events. Recently, new noninvasive arterial stiffness indices, the arterial pressure volume index (API) and the arterial velocity pulse index (AVI), have been developed. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical validity of these new indices by investigating the association bet...

Let Φ be a reduced root system of rank r. A Weyl group multiple Dirichlet series for Φ is a Dirichlet series in r complex variables s1, . . . , sr, initially converging for Re(si) sufficiently large, that has meromorphic continuation to C and satisfies functional equations under the transformations of C corresponding to the Weyl group of Φ. A heuristic definition of such series was given in [BB...

A countable class of integrable dynamical systems, with four dimensional phase space and conserved quantities in involution (Hn, In) are exhibited. For n = 1 we recover Clebsch sytem. All these systems are also integrable at the quantum level.

Abstract. In a recent paper [1] we have constructed the spin and tensor representations of SO(4) from which the invariant weight can be derived for the Barrett-Crane model in quantum gravity. By analogy with the SO(4) group, we present the complexified Clebsch-Gordan coefficients in order to construct the Biedenharn-Dolginov function for the SO(3,1) group and the spherical function as the Loren...

Quantum Lie algebras are generalizations of Lie algebras which have the quantum parameter h built into their structure. They have been defined concretely as certain submodules Lh(g) of the quantized enveloping algebras Uh(g). On them the quantum Lie bracket is given by the quantum adjoint action. Here we define for any finite-dimensional simple complex Lie algebra g an abstract quantum Lie alge...

The 1|1-supertransvectants are the osp(1|2)-invariant bilinear operations on weighted densities on the supercircle S, the projective version of R. These operations are analogues of the famous Gordan transvectants (or Rankin-Cohen brackets). We prove that supertransvectants coincide with the iterated Poisson and ghost Poisson brackets on R and apply this result to construct star-products.

This paper presents a versatile and robust algorithm for the optimal design of adjacent structural systems linked by passive energy dissipation devices. The algorithm works both with stationary and nonstationary force input. It is a two-stage design procedure that (i) determines an active control law, and then (ii) adds damper and stiffness coefficients that are computed based on the minimizati...

BACKGROUND Posterior-anterior (PA) pressure technique is widely used for assessing and treating spinal segments. PA pressure is manually applied and stiffness is subjectively assessed. The method has been deemed unreliable and is associated with occupational strain. OBJECTIVES To introduce a new ergonomically designed hand-held device measuring spinal stiffness, and to assess its repeatabilit...

This work presents a technique that allows the calibration of mathematical models in rotating systems. The method is based on the application of a hybrid meta-heuristic search, which employs genetic algorithm and simulated annealing. The capabilities of the method are evaluated by means of experimental results obtained in the test-rig of Politecnico di Milano. The experimental set up consists o...

Background and Purpose—Reduced arterial distensibility has been introduced as a novel risk factor for atherosclerosis. The importance of the genetic contribution to variation in distensibility is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to estimate heritability of carotid distensibility. Methods—The ongoing Northern Manhattan Family Study recruits high-risk Caribbean Hispanic families to ...