A software tool for the statistical analysis of language tests

Chapter SixZadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 zostało dofinansowane ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej nauk

A family of non-cocycle conjugate E_0-semigroups obtained from boundary weight doubles

We have seen that if \phi: M_n(\C) \rightarrow M_n(\C) is a unital q-positive map and \nu is a type II Powers weight, then the boundary weight double (\phi, \nu) induces a unique (up to conjugacy) type II_0 E_0-semigroup. Let \phi: M_n(\C) \rightarrow M_n(\C) and \psi: M_{n'}(\C) \rightarrow M_{n'}(\C) be unital rank one q-positive maps, so for some states \rho \in M_n(\C)^* and \rho' \in M_{n'}(\C)^*, we have \phi(A)=\rho(A)I_n and \psi(D) = \rho'(D)I_{n'} for all A \in M_n(\C) and D \in M_{n'}(\C). We find that if \nu and \eta are arbitrary type II Powers weights, then (\phi, \nu) and (\psi, \eta) induce non-cocycle conjugate E_0-semigroups if \rho and \rho' have different eigenvalue lists. We then completely classify the q-corners and hyper maximal q-corners from \phi to \psi, obtaining the following result: If \nu is a type II Powers weight of the form \nu(\sqrt{I - \Lambda(1)} B \sqrt{I - \Lambda(1)})=(f,Bf), then the E_0-semigroups induced by (\phi,\nu) and (\psi, \nu) are cocycle conjugate if and only if n=n' and \phi and \psi are conjugate.Comment: 20 page

Development of a muscle progenitor cell-based therapeutic approach for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence

The urethra serves a dual function by maintaining continence during bladder filling and aiding the release of urine during micturition. Within the urethra, a sphincter region containing both smooth and striated muscle layers normally prevents involuntary leakage of urine. However, patients with stress urinary incontinence lose this ability upon sudden increases in intravesical pressure (i.e. from coughing, straining, etc.). This condition has been associated with a decline in striated muscle, which may be susceptible to direct muscle or associated nerve damage. Cellular uromyoplasty proposes to augment this muscle layer through the transplantation of myogenic progenitors. The goal of this work was to address current deficiencies regarding the isolation and identification of efficient progenitors, and the urethral biomechanical consequences of striated muscle restoration. Both issues are essential for effective clinical implementation of this therapeutic approach.The ability of various progenitor populations to regenerate skeletal (striated) muscle was assessed in a dystrophic mouse model. Both cell surface protein expression and behavioral characteristics were investigated for their potential use as indicators of regenerative efficiency. The results demonstrate the limited utility of surface proteins due to fluctuations in expression and lack of regenerative consistency between directly-isolated and cultured cell populations. Behavioral characteristics related to the ability of cells to maintain a proliferative phenotype under differentiation-inducing conditions appears more promising in this regard, and indicates that in vivo expansion of transplanted cells may be a critical variable in the regeneration process. A new ex vivo method to assess the regional biomechanical function of the intact urethra, under physiologic loading conditions, was introduced and validated. Quantitative characterization and comparison of tissue responses to applied intralumenal pressures was performed in the presence or absence of selected muscle activity. The dominant smooth muscle influence observed suggests that a large degree of striated regeneration may be necessary to impart functional changes in urethra mechanics. Importantly, these results also indicate that muscle fiber orientation may significantly impact urethra closure function. Together, this information will be useful in progressing uromyoplasty therapy toward clinical utility, and aid the broader scientific community investigating myogenic cell transplantation and lower urinary tract function

Dinucleoside polyphosphates : newly detected uraemic compounds with an impact on leucocyte oxidative burst

Background. Dinucleoside polyphosphates (NpnN) have pathophysiologic roles in cardiovascular disease and are newly detected uraemic retention solutes. They were retrieved in human plasma, tissues and cells. Although their impact on several cell systems involved in vascular damage (endothelium, smooth muscle cells and thrombocytes) has been evaluated, their effect on different types of leucocytes has never been studied. Methods. This study evaluates, for the first time, the impact of NpnN on monocyte, granulocyte and lymphocyte oxidative burst activity at baseline and after stimulation with N-formyl-methionine-leucine-phenylalanine (fMLP) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in whole blood. Diadenosine triphosphate (Ap(3)A) to diadenosine hexaphosphate (Ap(6)A) were tested to investigate the effect of the number of phosphate groups on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The effect of the type of nucleoside was evaluated by comparing adenosine guanosine tetraphosphate, diguanosine tetraphosphate, uridine adenosine tetraphosphate (Up(4)A) and diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap(4)A). Results. This study demonstrated that lymphocytes are especially susceptible to intracellular diadenosine polyphosphates. Depending on the phosphate chain length, different effects were observed. At baseline and with fMLP Ap(4)A, Ap(5)A and Ap(6)A enhanced lymphocyted-free radical production. In addition, Ap(3)A, Ap(4)A and Ap5A increased PMA-stimulated ROS production in lymphocytes. Monocytes and granulocytes parallel the lymphocyte response albeit with an inhibition of Ap(6)A on granulocytes. Considering NpnN with four phosphate groups, Up(4)A showed the most important stimulatory effects on monocytes and Ap(4)A on lymphocytes. Conclusions. NpnN mainly have a leucocyte-activating impact, most significant for Ap(4)A, considering phosphate chain length, and for Up(4)A, considering the type of nucleosides. These results suggest that the pro-inflammatory effects of NpnN can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, probably in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, but their chemical composition affects their activity

Innovation in EU Agriculture

The CAP reform and decoupling offer new opportunities to farmers to react to market signals. Therefore farmers have higher incentives to introduce innovative approaches, responding to emerging market needs, in terms of new products, markets, processes (including more environmentally- friendly ones) and forms of cooperation (stronger links with food chains). This is why the role of research must be strongly supported.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,