The Problem of Moments: A Bunch of Classical Results With Some Novelties

We summarize significant classical results on (in)determinacy of measures in terms of their finite positive integer order moments. Well-known is the role of the smallest eigenvalues of Hankel matrices, starting from Hamburger's results a century ago and ending with the great progress made only in recent times by C. Berg and collaborators. We describe here known results containing necessary and sufficient conditions for moment (in)determinacy in both Hamburger and Stieltjes moment problems. In our exposition we follow an approach different from that commonly used. There are novelties well complementing the existing theory. Among them are: (a) to emphasize on the geometric interpretation of the indeterminacy conditions; (b) exploit fine properties of the eigenvalues of perturbed symmetric matrices allowing to derive new lower bounds for the smallest eigenvalues of Hankel matrices; these bounds are used for concluding indeterminacy; (c) provide new arguments to confirm classical results; (d) give new numerical illustrations involving commonly used probability distributions.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures. This version corrects 1 typo and 2 inaccuracie

Predictors of adherence and persistence to disease-modifying therapies in Multiple Sclerosis

Disease-modifying therapies; Multiple sclerosis; PredictorsTerapias modificadoras de la enfermedad; Esclerosis múltiple; PredictoresTeràpies modificadores de la malaltia; Esclerosi múltiple; PredictorsBackground and Aims: In multiple sclerosis (MS), non-adherence/non-persistence is related to suboptimal response to treatment, including disease relapses and the need for more expensive healthcare. The aim of this study was to identify predictors related to adherence to disease modifying therapies (DMTs) in a cohort of Argentinian MS patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at the National Medical Care Program from Argentina. MS patients with at least one claim for a DMT from 1 January 2017 to 1 October 2017 were identified. A telephone survey was performed to assess clinical and demographic factors. The medication possession ratio (MPR) was used to estimate adherence; MPR <80% defined non-adherence. Associations were studied using a logistic regression model. Results: Our database included 648 MS patients. A total of 360 patients (60% females, mean age 55.3 years) accepted to participate. Of these, 308 (85.5%) patients were receiving DMT at the time of the survey. Some 198 (63.7%) were receiving injectable therapies. Optimal adherence was 47.7%. Adherence was associated with oral medication [odds ratio (OR) 1.83 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–3.00, p = 0.014]. A factor related to oral drugs was higher educational level (OR 2.86 95%CI 1.41–5.81, p = 0.004). Conclusion: This real-world study showed better adherence and persistence on treatment with oral therapies in MS patients in Argentina.The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: GZ disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: this study was supported by a research grant awarded by the Florencio Fiorini Foundation. The article processing charges was funded by Roche

How strong was the bottleneck associated to the peopling of the Americas? New insights from multilocus sequence data

In spite of many genetic studies that contributed for a deep knowledge about the peopling of the Americas, no consensus has emerged about important parameters such as the effective size of the Native Americans founder population. Previous estimates based on genomic datasets may have been biased by the use of admixed individuals from Latino populations, while other recent studies using samples from Native American individuals relied on approximated analytical approaches. In this study we use resequencing data for nine independent regions in a set of Native American and Siberian individuals and a full-likelihood approach based on isolation-with-migration scenarios accounting for recent flow between Asian and Native American populations. Our results suggest that, in agreement with previous studies, the effective size of the Native American population was small, most likely in the order of a few hundred individuals, with point estimates close to 250 individuals, even though credible intervals include a number as large as ~4,000 individuals. Recognizing the size of the genetic bottleneck during the peopling of the Americas is important for determining the extent of genetic markers needed to characterize Native American populations in genome-wide studies and to evaluate the adaptive potential of genetic variants in this population

Multivariate truncated moments problems and maximum entropy

We characterize the existence of the Lebesgue integrable solutions of the truncated problem of moments in several variables on unbounded supports by the existence of some maximum entropy -- type representing densities and discuss a few topics on their approximation in a particular case, of two variables and 4th order moments.Comment: Revised version, to appear in Analysis and Mathematical Physic

Uso de ácido indol butírico na miniestaquia de pinhão-manso (Jatropha curcas L.).

Jatropha curcas L., conhecida popularmente com pinhão manso é umas das espécies recomendadas como matéria prima para produção do biodiesel, devido principalmente as suas sementes apresentarem altos teores de óleo (25 a 40%). Uma vez que existem ainda poucas informações sobre a propagação vegetativa da espécie, o presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar a resposta de enraizamento de miniestacas oriundas de brotações juvenis de minicepas coletadas em três épocas distintas do ano (março, setembro e novembro/2009). Os experimentos foram instalados no Laboratório de Macropropagação da Embrapa Florestas, em Colombo-PR, onde as miniestacas foram submetidas a tratamentos com ácido indol butírico (IBA) nas concentrações de 0, 250, 500 e 1000 mg L-1. Foram avaliadas as porcentagens de miniestacas enraizadas, com calos, vivas e mortas, num delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado. A maior porcentagem de enraizamento, tanto no final do verão como no final do inverno, foi obtida com a testemunha (0 mg L-1), com 83,33% e 78,13% respectivamente, diferindo do final da primavera, onde foi observado um incremento ao enraizamento com a aplicação de 250 mg L-1 IBA (86,25%). Deste modo, conclui-se que a aplicação de IBA apresenta pouca influencia no enraizamento de miniestacas de brotações juvenis de pinhão manso, sendo desnecessária sua aplicação.bitstream/item/18829/1/cot_04-1.pd

Towards standardisation:comparison of five whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis pipelines for detection of epidemiologically linked tuberculosis cases

BackgroundWhole genome sequencing (WGS) is a reliable tool for studying tuberculosis (TB) transmission. WGS data are usually processed by custom-built analysis pipelines with little standardisation between them.AimTo compare the impact of variability of several WGS analysis pipelines used internationally to detect epidemiologically linked TB cases.MethodsFrom the Netherlands, 535 Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains from 2016 were included. Epidemiological information obtained from municipal health services was available for all mycobacterial interspersed repeat unit-variable number of tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) clustered cases. WGS data was analysed using five different pipelines: one core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) approach and four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based pipelines developed in Oxford, United Kingdom; Borstel, Germany; Bilthoven, the Netherlands and Copenhagen, Denmark. WGS clusters were defined using a maximum pairwise distance of 12 SNPs/alleles.ResultsThe cgMLST approach and Oxford pipeline clustered all epidemiologically linked cases, however, in the other three SNP-based pipelines one epidemiological link was missed due to insufficient coverage. In general, the genetic distances varied between pipelines, reflecting different clustering rates: the cgMLST approach clustered 92 cases, followed by 84, 83, 83 and 82 cases in the SNP-based pipelines from Copenhagen, Oxford, Borstel and Bilthoven respectively.ConclusionConcordance in ruling out epidemiological links was high between pipelines, which is an important step in the international validation of WGS data analysis. To increase accuracy in identifying TB transmission clusters, standardisation of crucial WGS criteria and creation of a reference database of representative MTBC sequences would be advisable

Nutritional stress enhances cell viability of odontoblast-like cells subjected to low level laser irradiation

In spite of knowing that cells under stress are biostimulated by low level laser (LLL) irradiation, the ideal condition of stress to different cell lines has not yet been established. Consequently, the aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of a defined parameter of LLL irradiation applied on stressed odontoblast-like pulp cells (MDPC-23). The cells were seeded (12500 cells/cm2) in wells of 24-well plates using complete culture medium (DMEM) and incubated for 24 hours. Then, the DMEM was replaced by a new medium with low concentrations (nutritional stress condition) of fetal bovine serum (FBS) giving rise to the following experimental groups: G1: 2% FBS; G2: 5% FBS; and G3: 10% FBS. The cells were irradiated three times with LLL in specific parameters (808±3 nm, 100 mW, 1.5 J/cm2) every 24 hours. No irradiation was carried out in groups G4 (2% FBS-Control), G5 (5% FBS-Control), and G6 (10% FBS-Control). For all groups, the cell metabolism (MTT assay) and morphology (SEM) was evaluated. The experimental groups showed enhanced cell metabolism and normal cell morphology regardless of FBS concentration. A slight increase in the cell metabolism was observed only in group G2. It was concluded that cell nutritional stress caused by reducing the concentration of FBS to 5% is the most suitable method to assess the biostimulation of LLL irradiated MDPC-23 cells.FAPESP (07/50646-3, 08/08424-6, and 08/54785-0)CNPq (476137/2006, 301029/2007-5