A rapid staining technique for the detection of the initiation of germination of bacterial spores

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75645/1/j.1472-765x.2002.01047.x.pd

Mesodermal fate decisions of a stem cell: the Wnt switch

Stem cells are a powerful resource for cell-based transplantation therapies in osteodegenerative disorders, but before some kinds of stem cells can be applied clinically, several aspects of their expansion and differentiation need to be better controlled. Wnt molecules and members of the Wnt signaling cascade have been ascribed a role in both these processes in vitro as well as normal development in vivo. However some results are controversial. In this review we will present the hypothesis that both canonical and non-canonical signaling are involved in mesenchymal cell fate regulation, such as adipogenesis, chondrogenesis and osteogenesis, and that in vitro it is a timely switch between the two that specifies the identity of the differentiating cell. We will specifically focus on the in vitro differentiation of adipocytes, chondrocytes and osteoblasts contrasting embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells as well as the role of Wnts in mesenchymal fate specification during embryogenesis

Integrative molecular characterization of malignant pleural mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly lethal cancer of the lining of the chest cavity. To expand our understanding of MPM, we conducted a comprehensive integrated genomic study, including the most detailed analysis of BAP1 alterations to date. We identified histology-independent molecular prognostic subsets, and defined a novel genomic subtype with TP53 and SETDB1 mutations and extensive loss of heterozygosity. We also report strong expression of the immune-checkpoint gene VISTA in epithelioid MPM, strikingly higher than in other solid cancers, with implications for the immune response to MPM and for its immunotherapy. Our findings highlight new avenues for further investigation of MPM biology and novel therapeutic options. SIGNIFICANCE: Through a comprehensive integrated genomic study of 74 MPMs, we provide a deeper understanding of histology-independent determinants of aggressive behavior, define a novel genomic subtype with TP53 and SETDB1 mutations and extensive loss of heterozygosity, and discovered strong expresssion of the immune-checkpoint gene VISTA in epithelioid MPM

Multimode grating using polymer-stabilized liquid crystals and novel electrodes

In this study we demonstrate a monolithic liquid crystal (LC) diffraction grating with multiple diffraction modes using the techniques of polymer stabilization and novel electrode design. It can be applied to a single-path rewritable optical pick-up (OPU) with multiple wavelengths for the tracking compatibility of CD, DVD, and blue-light storage systems. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America

Diffraction grating with dual modes for two-wavelength rewritable optical pickup heads

This paper discloses the configuration of a dual-mode three-beam grating which adopts the liquid-crystal (LC) modulator technologies and has the function of switching diffraction properties. With the specific design of the top, bottom, and complementary electrodes, the grating has the feature of being modulated by external electric field for generating two diffraction modes. Two modes corresponding to different diffraction directions and angles were verified by experiments. This device could be applied to the fabrication of a monolithic three-beam grating, which is necessary for the tracking detection of a rewritable two-wavelength optical head using a two-wavelength integrated laser diode (TWIN-LD)

Farm price prediction using case-based reasoning approach-A case of broiler industry in Taiwan

Since Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002, pricing decision has become more essential to the development of the broiler industry. The effective prediction of broiler prices is essential from the viewpoint of the agriculture authority and the Poultry Association, thus a more realistic broiler price structure can assist the government to manage the national production resources more effectively. This research proposes a weighted case-based reasoning (CBR) approach to construct a price prediction model. The genetic algorithm model was adopted to find out the most suitable feature weights for CBR. Previous local production data and economic indices, along with information about imported chicken, were collected to build the prediction model. The experimental results indicated that the proposed CBR approach could exhibit a better prediction performance than the ones exhibited by linear regression, regression tree, and neural nets approaches. The findings also revealed that broiler prices were mostly influenced by the prices of colorful broilers and chicks. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Price information evaluation and prediction for broiler using adapted case-based reasoning approach

Predicting the upcoming broiler market price is important for the producers in developing their production plan. Effective price prediction model can aid producers to prevent over production or production shortage of broilers in advance. This research proposes all adapted CBR approach for predicting broiler price. The results indicate that the proposed adapted CBR approach demonstrates superior prediction performance than tin-adapted CBR approach, CART. artificial neural nets and linear regression with at least 50% less of mean average error. This study finds that adjusting the price of the most similar case by considering the similarity distance to the case being predicted is a key to improve the prediction accuracy of the case-based broiler price estimation model. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved