Offer Strategy Model of Integrative Negotiation for Automated Negotiation Agent: Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offers and Argumentation-based Negotiation

Automated negotiation has attracted increasing interest and received phenomenal attention in the area of electronic market (e-market). Most of the studies on the automated negotiation focused on the distributive (zero-sum) negotiation, and their effectiveness is only illustrated in a single-issue negotiation between software agent-to-software agent interaction. In this study, we propose an offer strategy model of integrative negotiation for an automated negotiation agent and focus on software agent-to-human interaction. Our offer strategy model is based on the integrative approach and negotiation theory, which emphasize the importance of exchanging information among negotiators and multi-issue negotiation including package offers helping to achieve an integrative (win-win) outcome. In developing this model, we are incorporating negotiation strategy of argumentation-based negotiation and negotiation tactic of multiple equivalent simultaneous offers as an offer strategy to achieve an integrative (win-win) negotiation outcome. We expect that the result from applying the offer strategy model becomes more attractive and persuasive, thus may increase negotiation outcome satisfaction for both economic measure and social-psychological measure

In vitro ability of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bacteraemic patients with and without metastatic complications to invade vascular endothelial cells

Invasion of vascular endothelial cells is thought to be a critical step in the development of metastatic infections in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia. This study was designed to evaluate the association between the ability to invade endothelial cells and metastatic infection by S. aureus. Patients with metastatic infection were identified among those with community-acquired S. aureus bacteraemia in a tertiary referral hospital. Patients with simple bacteraemia caused by S. aureus over the same period served as the control group. The ability of each clinical isolate to invade endothelial cells was evaluated by counting the number of intracellular organisms 1 h after inoculation onto human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro. The cytotoxic activity of intracellular S. aureus was determined 24 h after internalization, and expressed as the percentage of cells killed. The clinical isolates varied in invasiveness and cytotoxicity. The median invasiveness, relative to S. aureus reference strain ATCC 29213, was 145 % in the cases (n=10) [interquartile range (IQR) 103-160] and 153 % (IQR 111-173) in the controls (n=11; P=0.44). The median cytotoxicity was 59.4 % (IQR 47-68) in the cases and 65.2 % (IQR 50-74) in the controls (P=0.44). Differences in the ability of S. aureus to invade and destroy vascular endothelial cells in vitro were not associated with the development of metastatic complications in patients with S. aureus bacteraemia. This implies that the invasiveness and toxicity of S. aureus for endothelial cells may not be major determinants of metastatic infection.The work was supported by grant no. 02-05-026 from the research fund of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital

Proposal of a Provisional Classification of Sebaceous Carcinoma Based on Hormone Receptor Expression and HER2 Status

Despite recent progress in comprehensive genetic analysis, little is known about the molecular pathogenesis of sebaceous carcinoma. On the basis of the ontogenic proximity of sebaceous and mammary glands, we designed an intrinsic classification for sebaceous carcinoma adapted from that of breast cancer and evaluated its clinical significance. We investigated 42 cases of sebaceous carcinoma, including 32 ocular and 10 extraocular cases. Immunohistochemical analyses for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR), HER2, Ki67, and CK5/6 and fluorescence in situ hybridization for the HER2 gene were performed. The immunohistochemistry for ER, PR, and AR showed positivity in 18 (42.9%), 11 (26.2%), and 34 (81.0%) cases, respectively. Expression of the HER2 protein was found in 10 (33.8%) cases, whereas extra copies were found in 3 (7.1%). According to our system, there were 16 (38.1%) cases of the luminal 1 subtype, 4 (9.5%) of the luminal 2 subtype, and 7 (16.7%) of the HER2 subtype, respectively. Fifteen cases (35.7%) belonged to the triple-negative group. In univariable analysis, loss of AR was significantly associated with shorter disease-free survival (P = 0.020), whereas the expression of HER2 was associated with a better outcome with borderline significance (P = 0.060). The luminal 2 subtype showed the best survival, and the all-negative subtype showed the worst (P = 0.001). In multivariable analysis, negativity of PR or AR, low CK5/6, and female sex were independent poor prognostic factors (all P < 0.05). This is the first study to categorize sebaceous carcinoma on the basis of the possible link between its molecular pathogenesis and future therapeutic applications.N

Molecular determinant of sensing extracellular pH in classical transient receptor potential channel 5

The classical transient receptor potential channel 5 (TRPC5) is a molecular candidate for nonselective cation channel (NSCC) activated by muscarinic receptor stimulation whereas extracellular pH inhibits or enhances NSCC activated by muscarinic receptor stimulation depending on extracellular cation compositions in native tissues. We investigated the effect of extracellular pH on TRPC5 and determined amino acid residues responsible for sensing extracellular pH. Extracellular acidosis inhibits TRPC5 with pKa of 6.24. Under 50 mM intracellular HEPES buffer condition, extracellular acidosis inhibits TRPC5 with pKa of 5.40. We changed titratable amino acids (C, D, E, H, K, R, Y) to nontitratable amino acids (A, N, Q, N, N, N, F) within pore region between transmembrane segments 5 and 6 in order to determine the residues sensing extracellular pH. Glutamate (at the position 543, 595, and 598), aspartate (at the position 548) and lysine (at the position 554) were responsible for sensing extracellular pH. The effect of extracellular pH in TRPC5 was also dependent on the composition of extracellular monovalent cations. In conclusion, TRPC5 is a molecular candidate for NSCC activated by muscarinic receptor stimulation, has glutamate amino acid residues responsible for sensing extracellular pH, and has a unique gating property depending on the composition of extracellular monovalent cations.This work was supported by the Creative Research Initiative Center for Bio-Artificial Muscle of the Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST)/the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF)