Proteomics analysis of human breast milk by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) coupled with mass spectrometry to assess breast cancer risk

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers and one of the most common causes for cancer-related mortality. Discovery of protein biomarkers associated with cancer is considered important for early diagnosis and prediction of the cancer risk. Protein biomarkers could be investigated by large-scale protein investigation or proteomics, using mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques. Our group applies MS-based proteomics to study the protein pattern in human breast milk from women with BC and controls and investigates the alterations and dysregulations of breast milk proteins in comparison pairs of BC versus control. These dysregulated proteins might be considered potential future biomarkers of BC. Identification of potential biomarkers in breast milk may benefit young women without BC, but who could collect the milk for future assessment of BC risk. Previously we identified several dysregulated proteins in different sets of human breast milk samples from BC patients and controls using gel-based protein separation coupled with MS. Here, we performed 2D-PAGE coupled with nano-liquid chromatography–tandem MS (nanoLC-MS/MS) in a small-scale study on a set of six human breast milk pairs (three BC samples vs. three controls) and we identified several dysregulated proteins that have potential roles in cancer progression and might be considered potential BC biomarkers in the future.     

Central Limit Theorem for Linear Processes with Infinite Variance

This paper addresses the following classical question: Given a sequence of identically distributed random variables in the domain of attraction of a normal law, does the associated linear process satisfy the central limit theorem? We study the question for several classes of dependent random variables. For independent and identically distributed random variables we show that the central limit theorem for the linear process is equivalent to the fact that the variables are in the domain of attraction of a normal law, answering in this way an open problem in the literature. The study is also motivated by models arising in economic applications where often the innovations have infinite variance, coefficients are not absolutely summable, and the innovations are dependent.     

Application of linear discriminant analysis to the study of dew chemistry on the basis of samples collected in Poland (2004–2005)

This paper presents the results of determination of selected characteristics (anions, cations, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, phenols, TC, TIC, TOC and metals) in dew samples collected in six different sites in Poland. The influence of local parameters (e.g. wind speed, humidity) was investigated. Discriminant analysis was applied to the study of several dew samples collected from different sampling sites covering six agglomerations in Poland. Discriminant function analysis was used not only for classifying samples into different groups with a better than chance accuracy, but also for detecting the most important variables that discern between the groups of samples considered. In this way it was possible to identify which ions or other physicochemical features are responsible for the similarities or differences observed between different groups of dew samples. A good agreement with their origin and location was observed. It is interesting to note that the classification of all samples was dominated by pH, wind direction, pressure and temperature with a significant contribution of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions.      

Maximal subalgebras of C⁎-algebras associated with periodic flows

We find necessary and sufficient conditions for the subalgebra of analytic elements associated with a periodic ${\mathrm{C}}^{?}$-dynamical system to be a maximal norm-closed subalgebra. Our conditions are in terms of the Arveson spectrum of the action. We also describe equivalent properties of the system in terms of the strong Connes spectrum and the simplicity of the crossed product.     

Central limit theorem for triangular arrays of non-homogeneous Markov chains

In this paper we obtain the central limit theorem for triangular arrays of non-homogeneous Markov chains under a condition imposed to the maximal coefficient of correlation. The proofs are based on martingale techniques and a sharp lower bound estimate for the variance of partial sums. The results complement an important central limit theorem of Dobrushin based on the contraction coefficient.     

Compact quantum group actions on C*-algebras and invariant derivations

We define the notion of invariant derivation of a C*-algebra under a compact quantum group action and prove that in certain conditions, such derivations are generators of one parameter automorphism groups.

     

Lipophilicity of oils and fats estimated by TLC

A representative series of natural toxins belonging to alkaloids and mycotoxins classes was investigated by TLC on classical chemically bonded plates and also on oils‐ and fats‐impregnated plates. Their lipophilicity indices are employed in the characterization and comparison of oils and fats. The retention results allowed an accurate indirect estimation of oils and fats lipophilicity. The investigated fats and oils near classical chemically bonded phases are classified and compared by means of multivariate exploratory techniques, such as cluster analysis, principal component analysis, or fuzzy‐principal component analysis. Additionally, a concrete hierarchy of oils and fats derived from the observed lipophilic character is suggested. Human fat seems to be very similar to animal fats, but also possess RP‐18, RP‐18W, and RP‐8.