Semi-Empirical Topological Method for Prediction of the Relative Retention Time of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners on 18 Different HR GC Columns

High resolution gas chromatographic relative retention time (HRGC-RRT) models were developed to predict relative retention times of the 209 individual polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners. To estimate and predict the HRGC-RRT values of all PCBs on 18 different stationary phases, a multiple linear regression equation of the form RRT = ao + a1 (no. o-Cl) + a2 (no. m-Cl) + a3 (no. p-Cl) + a4 (VM or SM) was used. Molecular descriptors in the models included the number of ortho-, meta-, and para-chlorine substituents (no. o-Cl, m-Cl and p-Cl, respectively), the semi-empirically calculated molecular volume (VM), and the molecular surface area (SM). By means of the final variable selection method, four optimal semi-empirical descriptors were selected to develop a QSRR model for the prediction of RRT in PCBs with a correlation coefficient between 0.9272 and 0.9928 and a leave-one-out cross-validation correlation coefficient between 0.9230 and 0.9924 on each stationary phase. The root mean squares errors over different 18 stationary phases are within the range of 0.0108–0.0335. The accuracy of all the developed models were investigated using cross-validation leave-one-out (LOO), Y-randomization, external validation through an odd–even number and division of the entire data set into training and test sets

New method of forearm and palm skin area estimation using neural networks

W artykule przedstawiono rozbieżności pomiędzy wartościami pola powierzchni skóry obliczonymi za pomocą znanych metod a ich rzeczywistymi wartościami. Wykorzystując skaner 3D o wysokiej dokładności, zmierzono pole powierzchni skóry przedramienia i dłoni. Zaobserwowano, że błędy obliczeń są w wysokim stopniu skorelowane z wartościami BMI badanych osób. W grupie osób o BMI poniżej 20 stwierdzono maksymalny błąd względny wynoszący -8,5%, natomiast w grupie osób o BMI powyżej 25 odnotowano błędy kilkakrotnie wyższe, w skrajnym przypadku sięgające 27%. W celu redukcji błędów zaproponowano podejście alternatywne, bazujące na wykorzystaniu sztucznej sieci neuronowej.The article introduces a comparative analysis of existing methods for calculation of forearm and palm skin surfaces with high quality 3D models. Moreover, it was possible to systematize the errors resulting from these calculations and their division due to the BMI of a person. For people with BMI below 20, a maximum error of 8.5% was found, while for people with BMI above 25 the error was close to -27%. On this basis, inaccuracies in the process of the forearm and palm skin estimation of an abnormal body were found. What is more, an artificial neural network to determine this surface was proposed. The proposed neural network was developed for 15 neurons in the hidden layer and 1 neuron in the output layer. The Levenberg-Marquardt with backpropagation learning method was used. The maximal error for the neural network during the forearm and palm skin estimation was 3,04%

Prevalence of antibody against influenza A viruses in the Kren-Akorore, an Indian tribe of Central Brazil, first contacted in 1973.

Influenza A antibodies in serum samples obtained in 1980 from two Indian populations in Central Brazil were compared. The Kren-Akorore, who were first contacted in 1973 and two years later transferred to the Xingu Indian Park (PIX), were compared with Indians from other tribes already living in the PIX before 1975. An analysis was made of the prevalence and distribution of antibodies against the influenza A viruses which have circulated in the civilized world since 1918. Antibodies to the early influenza A viruses were absent in both Indian populations, but A/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2) virus apparently circulated in the PIX. No antibody to influenza A/Bangkok/1/79 or to A/Brazil/11/78 (H1N1) was found in any of the sera, whereas antibodies to these viruses were commonly found in urban populations in Brazil. The evidence from influenza antibodies agrees with the information that the Kren-Akorore Indians had been living in complete isolation until 1973, when they were first contacted