Stability of FFLS-based diffusion adaptive filter under a cooperative excitation condition

In this paper, we consider the distributed filtering problem over sensor networks such that all sensors cooperatively track unknown time-varying parameters by using local information. A distributed forgetting factor least squares (FFLS) algorithm is proposed by minimizing a local cost function formulated as a linear combination of accumulative estimation error. Stability analysis of the algorithm is provided under a cooperative excitation condition which contains spatial union information to reflect the cooperative effect of all sensors. Furthermore, we generalize theoretical results to the case of Markovian switching directed graphs. The main difficulties of theoretical analysis lie in how to analyze properties of the product of non-independent and non-stationary random matrices. Some techniques such as stability theory, algebraic graph theory and Markov chain theory are employed to deal with the above issue. Our theoretical results are obtained without relying on the independency or stationarity assumptions of regression vectors which are commonly used in existing literature.Comment: 12 page

Prediction model of cervical lymph node metastasis based on clinicopathological characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma: a dual-center retrospective study

BackgroundThe overall prevalence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients is expanding along with an ongoing increase in thyroid cancer incidence. Patients with PTC who have lymph node metastases have a poor prognosis and a high death rate. There is an urgent need for indicators that can predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) before surgery as current imaging techniques, such as ultrasonography, do not have sufficient sensitivity to detect LNM. To predict independent risk factors for Central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) or Lateral lymph node metastasis (LLNM), we therefore developed two nomograms based on CLNM and LLNM, separately.MethodsIn two centers, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University and Yichun People’s Hospital, we retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological characteristics of PTC patients. We utilized multivariate analysis to screen for variables that might be suspiciously related to CLNM or LLNM. Furthermore, we developed nomograms to graphically depict the independent risk valuables connected to lymph node metastasis in PTC patients.ResultUltimately, 6068 PTC patients in all were included in the research. Six factors, including age<45, male, mETE, TSH>1.418, tumor size>4cm, and location (multicentric and lobe), were observed to be related to CLNM. Age<45, male, mETE (minimal extrathyroidal extension), multifocality, TSH≥2.910, CLNM positive, and tumor size>4cm were regarded as related risk factors for LLNM. The two nomograms developed subsequently proved to have good predictive power with 0.706 and 0.818 and demonstrated good clinical guidance functionality with clinical decision curves and impact curves.ConclusionBased on the successful establishment of this dual-institution-based visual nomogram model, we found that some clinical features are highly correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis, including CLNM and LLNM, which will better help clinicians make individualized clinical decisions for more effectively rationalizing managing PTC patients

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Substrates specificity of tannase from Streptomyces sviceus and Lactobacillus plantarum

Abstract Tannases can catalyze the hydrolysis of galloyl ester and depside bonds of hydrolysable tannins to release gallic acid and glucose, but tannases from different species have different substrate specificities. Our prior studies found that tannase from Lactobacillus plantarum (LP-tan) performed a higher esterase activity, while the tannase from Streptomyces sviceus (SS-tan) performed a higher depsidase activity; but the molecular mechanism is not elucidated. Based on the crystal structure of LP-tan and the amino acid sequences alignment between LP-tan and SS-tan, we found that the sandwich structure formed by Ile206-substrate-Pro356 in LP-tan was replaced with Ile253-substrate-Gly384 in SS-tan, and the flap domain (amino acids: 225–247) formed in LP-tan was missed in SS-tan, while a flap-like domain (amino acids: 93–143) was found in SS-tan. In this study, we investigated the functional role of sandwich structure and the flap (flap-like) domain in the substrate specificity of tannase. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to disrupt the sandwich structure in LP-tan (P356G) and rebuilt it in SS-tan (G384P). The flap in LP-tan and the flap-like domain in SS-tan were deleted to construct the new variants. The activity assay results showed that the sandwich and the flap domain can help to catalytic the ester bonds, while the flap-like domain in SS-tan mainly worked on the depside bonds. Enzymatic characterization and kinetics data showed that the sandwich and the flap domain can help to catalytic the ester bonds, while the flap-like domain in SS-tan may worked on the depside bonds

Retraction Note to: Substrates specificity of tannase from Streptomyces sviceus and Lactobacillus plantarum

The Editor-in-Chief has retracted this article (Wang et al. 2018) because the authors do not have ownership of the data they report. An investigation by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has concluded that the data reported in this article are the sole property of the CSIRO. Mingbo Wu agrees with this retraction. Dan Wang, Yao Liu, Die Lv, Xueli Hu, Qiumei Zhong and Ye Zhao have not responded to correspondence about this retraction

Expression of E-, P- and N-Cadherin and Its Clinical Significance in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Precancerous Lesions

<div><p>Aberrant expression of classical cadherins has been observed in tumor invasion and metastasis, but its involvement in cervical carcinogenesis and cancer progression is not clear. We investigated E-, P- and N-cadherin expression and its significance in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). This retrospective study enrolled 508 patients admitted to Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University with cervical lesions between January 2006 and December 2010. Immunochemical staining was performed in 98 samples of normal cervical epithelium (NC), 283 of CIN, and 127 of early-stage SCC. The association of cadherin staining with clinical characteristics and survival of the patients was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. We found gradients of decreasing E-cadherin expression and increasing P-cadherin expression from NC through CIN to SCC. Aberrant E-cadherin and P-cadherin expression were significantly associated with clinical parameters indicating poor prognosis and shorter patient survival. Interestingly, we found very low levels of positive N-cadherin expression in CIN and SCC tissues that were not related to CIN or cancer. Pearson chi-square tests showed that E-cadherin expression in SCC was inversely correlated with P-cadherin expression (E-P switch), and was not correlated with N-cadherin expression. More important, patients with tissues exhibiting an E-P switch in expression had highly aggressive phenotypes and poorer prognosis than those without E-P switch expression. Our findings suggest that E-cadherin and P-cadherin, but not N-cadherin staining, might be useful in diagnosing CIN and for predicting prognosis in patients with early-stage SCC.</p></div

Representative immunohistochemical staining showing E-, P- and N-cadherin expression in normal cervical (NC) epithelium, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissue using serial section technique.

<p>Simultaneously reduced E-cadherin expression, increased P-cadherin expression and negative N-cadherin expression were observed in one representative case with CIN (B) or SCC tissue (C). One representative case with NC tissue (simultaneously increased E-cadherin expression, reduced P-cadherin expression and negative N-cadherin expression) was shown as a control (A). Magnifications, ×200.</p

Univariate and Multivariate Analysis of the Associations between Prognostic Value and Disease-free and Overall Survival Rates in Patients of Early-stage Cervical Squamous Cell Cancer.

<p>Univariate and Multivariate Analysis of the Associations between Prognostic Value and Disease-free and Overall Survival Rates in Patients of Early-stage Cervical Squamous Cell Cancer.</p

The Correlation of the E-P switch and several clinical variables.

<p>Among 127 early-stage SCC patients, 17 presented with simultaneously reduced E-cadherin expression and increased P-cadherin expression (an E-P switch). The E-P switch was significantly associated with endometrial extension (<i>P</i> = 0.003), lymph vascular space invasion (LVSI) (<i>P</i> = 0.027), surgical margin (<i>P</i> = 0.036), and lymph node metastasis (LNM) (<i>P</i> = 0.001).</p

Kaplan–Meyer curves showing the association of aberrant expression of E-cadherin, P-cadherin, N-cadherin, and the E-P switch with patient disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

<p>Reduced E-cadherin (A) and increased P-cadherin expression (B), as well as the E-P switch (D), were significantly associated with shorter DFS and OS. N-cadherin expression was not significantly associated with DFS or OS (C).</p

The Correlation of P-cadherin or N-cadherin with E-cadherin Expression in Early-stage Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

<p>The Correlation of P-cadherin or N-cadherin with E-cadherin Expression in Early-stage Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma.</p