Comparison of gain-loss asymmetry behavior for stocks and indexes

Investment horizon approach has been used to analyze indexes of Polish stock market.Optimal time horizon for each return value is evaluated by fitting appropriate function form of the distribution. Strong asymmetry of gain-loss curves is observed for WIG index, whereas gain and loss curves look similar for WIG20 and for most of individual companies stocks. The gain-loss asymmetry for these data, measured by the coefficient, that we postulated before \cite{karpio}, has opposite sign to this for WIG index.Comment: To be published in Acta Phys. Pol.

The INGRID project: Development of Solutions for Sustainable and Highly Interconnected Grids

One of the current main challenges in green-power storage and smart grids is the lack of effective solutions for accommodating the unbalance between renewable energy sources - offering intermittent electricity supply - and a variable electricity demand. Integrating intermittent renewable energy sources by safe and cost-effective energy storage systems is today achievable. Coupled with electrolizers, high-capacity solid-state storage of green-hydrogen is practicable to sustain integration, monitoring and control of large quantity of GWh from renewable generation. The 23.9 MLN Euros INGRID European large demonstrative project started in July 2012 combines magnesium-based material solid-state hydrogen storage systems with advanced ICT technologies to intelligently interconnect miscellaneous energy networks (i.e. electricity and gas) and safely delivering green-hydrogen to various existing or forthcoming markets. One solution INGRID project addresses is an off-grid utility to store renewable electricity captured from wind sources to refill full-battery electric cars

Addison's Disease Revisited in Poland: Year 2008 versus Year 1990

This study aimed at comparing two groups of patients with Addison's disease: A, including 180 patients described in 1991 and B, consisting of 138 patients registered since 1991. The incidence of coexisting autoimmune disorders was evaluated and etiological factors were analyzed. Immunological and imaging studies (computed tomography in group B) were performed. Adrenal autoantibodies were examined by an indirect immunofluorescence technique in group A, and by the assay measuring autoantibodies against steroid 21-hydroxylase in group B. Adrenal autoantibodies were revealed in 37% of patients examined by the immunofluorescence method and in 63% investigated by the modern technique. Tuberculosis was found in 52 patients in the group A and in two patients in the group B; metastatic infiltrations of the adrenals in CT were detected in 16 patients. Probable autoimmune Addison's disease was diagnosed in 125/180 patients (69%) in the group A and in 116/138 patients (84%) in the group B

Antioxidant status in the vitreous of eyes with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with and without proliferative vitreoretinopathy, macular hole and epiretinal membrane

(1) Background: The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that the antioxidant status in the vitreous body of eyes, which had been vitrectomized due to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with or without proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), is higher than in eyes vitrectomized due to other retinal diseases. (2) Methods: four patient groups were analyzed: 22 eyes of patients with RRD without PVR, 27 eyes with RRD and PVR, 22 eyes with macular hole (MH) and 10 eyes with epiretinal membrane (ERM). Spectrophotometric methods were used to determine the total antioxidant status (TAS) values as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities in the vitreous fluid samples. (3) Results: no significant differences in TAS values and antioxidant enzyme activities were observed among patient with RRD with and without PVR and with MH and ERM. The longer the duration of RRD leading to PVR and better postoperative visual acuity, the higher the TAS level. No significant differences were found between “macula on” and “macula off” subgroups within the RRD group and the RRD combined with PVR group. (4) Conclusions: The preliminary results do not support the thesis that the antioxidant status of vitrectomized eyes is different in patients with RRD with or without PVR in comparison to patients with MH and ERM. In patients with RRD, PVR presence and detached macula do not affect the values of TAS, SOD and GR in the vitreous fluid. The duration of the disease influences TAS in the vitreous in eyes with RRD complicated with PVR

Identification of TPIT and other novel autoantigens in lymphocytic hypophysitis; immunoscreening of a pituitary cDNA library and development of immunoprecipitation assays

BACKGROUND: Lymphocytic hypophysitis is an organ-specific autoimmune disease of the pituitary gland. A specific and sensitive serological test currently does not exist to aid in the diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To identify target autoantigens in lymphocytic hypophysitis and develop a diagnostic assay for these proteins. DESIGN/METHODS: A pituitary cDNA expression library was immunoscreened using sera from four patients with lymphocytic hypophysitis. Relevant cDNA clones from screening, along with previously identified autoantigens pituitary gland-specific factor 1a and 2 (PGSF1a and PGSF2) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were tested in an in vitro transcription and translation immunoprecipitation assay. The corticotroph-specific transcription factor, TPIT, was investigated separately as a candidate autoantigen. RESULTS: Significantly positive autoantibody reactivity against TPIT was found in 9/86 hypophysitis patients vs 1/90 controls (P = 0.018). The reactivity against TPIT was not specific for lymphocytic hypophysitis with autoantibodies detectable in the sera from patients with other autoimmune endocrine diseases. Autoantibodies were also detected against chromodomain-helicase-DNA binding protein 8, presynaptic cytomatrix protein (piccolo), Ca(2+)-dependent secretion activator, PGSF2 and NSE in serum samples from patients with lymphocytic hypophysitis, but at a frequency that did not differ from healthy controls. Importantly, 8/86 patients with lymphocytic hypophysitis had autoantibodies against any two autoantigens in comparison with 0/90 controls (P = 0.0093). CONCLUSIONS: TPIT, a corticotroph-specific transcription factor, was identified as a target autoantigen in 10.5% of patients with lymphocytic hypophysitis. Further autoantigens related to vesicle processing were also identified as potential autoantigens with different immunoreactivity patterns in patients and controls

Artificial intelligence applications and cataract management: A systematic review

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based applications exhibit the potential to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care in different fields, including cataract management. A systematic review of the different applications of AI-based software on all aspects of a cataract patient's management, from diagnosis to follow-up, was carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. All selected articles were analyzed to assess the level of evidence according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 guidelines, and the quality of evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Of the articles analyzed, 49 met the inclusion criteria. No data synthesis was possible for the heterogeneity of available data and the design of the available studies. The AI-driven diagnosis seemed to be comparable and, in selected cases, to even exceed the accuracy of experienced clinicians in classifying disease, supporting the operating room scheduling, and intraoperative and postoperative management of complications. Considering the heterogeneity of data analyzed, however, further randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy and safety of AI application in the management of cataract should be highly warranted