Unknown Entities Research Articles

Identification and characterization of protein subcomplexes in yeast

Protein complexes are major components of cellular organization. Based on large-scale protein complex data, we present the first statistical procedure to find insightful substructures in protein complexes: we identify protein subcomplexes (SCs), i.e., multiprotein assemblies residing in different protein complexes. Four protein complex datasets with different origins and variable reliability are separately analyzed. Our method identifies well-characterized protein assemblies with known functions, thereby confirming the utility of the procedure. In addition, we also identify hitherto unknown functional entities consisting of either functionally unknown proteins or proteins with different functional annotation. We show that SCs represent more reliable protein assemblies than the original complexes. Finally, we demonstrate unique properties of subcomplex proteins that underline the distinct roles of SCs: (i) SCs are functionally and spatially more homogeneous than complete protein complexes (this fact is utilized to predict functional roles and subcellular localizations for so far unannotated proteins); (ii) the abundance of subcomplex proteins is less variable than the abundance of other proteins; (iii) SCs are enriched with essential and synthetic lethal proteins; and (iv) mutations in SC-proteins have higher fitness effects than mutations in other proteins.

Engineering human trust in mobile system collaborations

Rapid advances in wireless networking technologies have enabled mobile devices to be connected anywhere and anytime. While roaming, applications on these devices dynamically discover hosts and services with whom interactions can be started. However, the fear of exposure to risky transactions with potentially unknown entities may seriously hinder collaboration. To minimise this risk, an engineering approach to the development of trust-based collaborations is necessary. This paper introduces hTrust, a human trust management model and framework that facilitates the construction of trust-aware mobile systems and applications. In particular, hTrust supports: reasoning about trust (trust formation), dissemination of trust information in the network (trust dissemination), and derivation of new trust relationships from previously formed ones (trust evolution). The framework views each mobile host as a self-contained unit, carrying along a portfolio of credentials that are used to prove its trustworthiness to other hosts in an ad-hoc mobile environment. Customising functions are defined to capture the natural disposition to trust of the user of the device inside our trust management framework.

The Claim Tool Kit for ad hoc recognition of peer entities

In ubiquitous/pervasive computing environments, it is envisaged that computing elements—entities—will start interacting in an ad hoc fashion. The peer-to-peer (p2p) paradigm is appealing for such types of interaction especially with JXTA, which supports the development of reusable p2p building blocks, which facilitate implementation on any smart device. However, the inability to rely on a centralised authentication infrastructure, the openness of the environment and the absence of an administrator (it is assumed to be too expensive to have a skilled administrator at hand due to the large number of peers) challenge the use of legacy authentication mechanisms. Supporting spontaneous interactions among previously unknown entities requires dynamic enrolment of strangers and unknown entities. Entity recognition (ER) is a process that is carried out each time an interaction happens between entities in order to dynamically recognise previously met entities. In this paper, we present the Claim Tool Kit (CTK), a Java-based implementation of ER: entities exchange messages, called Claims, and rely on their associated clues to evaluate the level of confidence in recognition. The CTK employs advanced features available with Java, such as JXTA and Java Cryptography and Security Architectures. We show that the CTK needs performance results on these features in order to increase the level of auto-configuration of the CTK. We describe how to obtain performance assessment for some of these new features. Finally, we explain how the CTK can be instrumented to take into account performance assessment. By analysing the evaluation results, the applicability of these advanced Java-based technologies for peer entity recognition is assessed.

A comparative study on motivation for and experience with ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certification among Far Eastern countries

The fast evolution of management systems standards ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 worldwide, from unknown entities to well‐established management practices, represents a facet of the global marketplace in which many firms operate. Over 400,000 firms in over 150 countries have adopted ISO 9000 since it was introduced in 1986. Its successor, ISO 14000, was introduced in 1996 and has already been adopted by over 30,000 firms in over 100 countries. Reports on the results of an ISO 9000/14000 mail survey, administered in four Far eastern countries including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan to explore and compare the similarities and differences of motivations, implementations and certification benefits among these countries. Survey data have been analyzed using the multivariate statistical methods and techniques such as factor analysis, cluster analysis, Kruskal‐Wallis test, etc. Several conclusions and suggestions are made based on the statistical analysis results.

Diagnosis and management of unusual dental abscesses in children.

Although the majority of dental abscesses in children originate from dental caries or trauma, a few are associated with unusual conditions which challenge diagnosis and management. Recent research findings have shed light on these unusual entities and greatly improved understanding of their clinical implications. These conditions include developmental abnormalities such as dens invaginatus in which there is an invagination of dental tissues into the pulp chamber and dens evaginatus in which a tubercle containing pulp is found on the external surface of a tooth crown. In addition, inherited conditions which show abnormal dentine such as dentine dysplasia, dentinogenesis imperfecta, and osteogenesis imperfecta predispose the dentition to abscess formation. Furthermore, 'spontaneous' dental abscesses are frequently encountered in familial hypophosphataemia, also known as vitamin D-resistant rickets, in which there is hypomineralization of dentine and enlargement of the pulp. In addition to developmental conditions, there are also acquired conditions which may cause unusual dental abscesses. These include pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption which was previously known as 'pre-eruptive caries' or the 'fluoride bomb'. In addition, some undiagnosed infections associated with developing teeth are now thought to be the mandibular infected buccal cysts which originate from infection of the developing dental follicles. In the present paper, these relatively unknown entities which cause unusual abscesses in children are reviewed with the aim of updating the general practitioner in their diagnosis and management.

A theoretical study of the optimization of gradients at elevated temperature

In order to achieve fast chromatographic separations of unknown entities, very rapid gradients need to be performed. We have studied the influence of temperature on such rapid gradient separations carried out under reversed phase conditions. The tool by which the quality of a gradient separation is measured is the peak capacity. Elevated temperature has two major influences. The first one is a reduction in viscosity, which reduces the backpressure for a given set of operating conditions. The second effect is an improvement in the diffusivity of the analytes, which speeds up mass transfer. We have assessed the influence of flow rate, gradient duration, and temperature on peak capacity using columns with different particle sizes and column lengths. The beneficial effect of temperature on both the viscosity and the diffusivity of the sample results not only in an improvement of the speed of the separations but also in a reduction of the back pressure under optimal operating conditions. At reasonable pressures, good separation power can be achieved in as little as one minute or less

Preparation of Carboxythiolactones and Their Active Derivatives

The design of peptidyl immunogens requires that a number of elements be covalently linked to enable the appropriate immune response to occur. Two of these elements are: (a) T-cell sequences which after processing, bind to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and T-cell receptors and (b) B-cell sequences which embody the constellation of atoms which will ultimately be recognized by the desired antibody. Our concept, designed to effectuate this, involved a single molecule which could conjugate three peptides, potentially in discrete steps, in one pot. Activated carboxythiolactones, hitherto unknown entities, provide such a system: two acyl sites susceptibile to nucleophilic attack at disparate rates and a liberated thiol susceptible to electrophilic alkylation. Such a set of thiolactones and their derivatives have been synthesized from inexpensive starting materials and their reactivities are under investigation. If successful, the system will not only obviate the difficult syntheses of longer linear peptides, but will also allow a rapid structural permutation of the various elements.

A Preliminary Test in Discriminant Analysis

One of the aims of discriminant analysis is the allocation of unknown entities to populations that are knowna priori. Considerkpopulations. LetXdenote the vector of observations on an experimental unit, whose origin is uncertain. For the general parametric case, a test is proposed to verify the hypothesis thatXis coming from a new population. The case of normal population with equal variance is fully derived.

Variation at RFLP loci in Lactuca spp. and origin of cultivated lettuce (L. sativa)

We have examined 67 accessions of Lactuca sativa L. and five related species for variation at restriction fragment length polymorphism loci. Fifty-five clones were used to probe genomic DNA digested separately with three restriction endonucleases; this defined 143 loci. Variation in L. sativa was sampled in detail. Lactuca sativa is closely related to L. serriola but not to any of the other species in this survey: L. saligna, L. virosa, L. perennis, and L. indica. However, Lactuca sativa is not a direct extraction from the sampled populations of L. serriola; other L. serriola populations or some other unknown entities were involved in the evolution of cultivated lettuce. Numerous genetic differences characterized each cultivated type, suggesting a polyphyletic origin for L. sativa.Key words: Lactuca sativa, lettuce, genetic variation, phylogeny, restriction fragment length polymorphism.

4652517 Methods for the in vitro detection and identification of unknown pathogens or genetic entities: David R Scholl, Joseph Jollick assigned to Diagnostic Research Limited Partnership

4652517 Methods for the in vitro detection and identification of unknown pathogens or genetic entities: David R Scholl, Joseph Jollick assigned to Diagnostic Research Limited Partnership

8600139 Methods for the in vitro detection and identification of unknown pathogens or genetic entities: David R Scholl, Joseph D Jollick assigned to Diagnostic Research Limited Partnership

8600139 Methods for the in vitro detection and identification of unknown pathogens or genetic entities: David R Scholl, Joseph D Jollick assigned to Diagnostic Research Limited Partnership

An immunological approach to analyse the kinetics of minimal residual disease in acute leukemia

The quantity and kinetic behaviour of “residual disease” in human acute leukemia are still largely unknown entities. The number of leukemic cells present during the phase of “complete remission” may vary from 0 to 1010. More knowledge on these entities will obviously have clinical implications in terms of (a) evaluating the efficacy of a given treatment regimen (remission-induction-, consolidation- and maintenance chemotherapy), (b) choosing the optimal — combination of — cytostatic drugs, e.g., phase-specific versus alkylating agents, dependent on the kinetics of regrowth of leukemia, (c) early detection of drug resistance, (d) predicting an early relapse with subsequent resumption of intensive treatment of a relatively low tumor mass, (e) quantification of the number of “contaminating” leukemic cells in autologous marrow grafts including the evaluation of the efficacy of in vitro elimination procedures, etc.

826 GENETIC HETEROGENEITY IN ARTHROGRYPOSIS (MULTIPLE CONGENITAL CONTRACTURES)

Congenital contractures are commonly present at birth. A single contracture occurs in at least 1 in 200 births. Multiple congenital contractures (Arthrogryposis) occur in about 1 in 4,000 births. A study of multiple congenital contractures was undertaken among 350 patients diagnosed as having Arthrogryposis in order to distinguish genetic heterogeneity. These patients were identified from orthopedic and pediatric hospitals as unknown diagnostic entities. Three clinical subdivisions were utilized: 1) individuals with primarily limb involvement, 2) individuals with limb involvement plus other anomalies, 3) individuals with limb involvement plus central nervous system abnormalities. A differential diagnosis and empiric recurrence risk was established on the basis of these 3 categories. Within each category, a large number of specific entities were recognized and determined to be genetic versus non-genetic. Of the total study group, 80 or 23% were found to have single gene basis, 9 or 3% a chromosomal basis, and 5 or 1% a multifactorial basis. Thus, 27% of the total study group had a genetic basis. Twenty-two or 6% had a recognizable environmental etiology. One hundred and sixty-four or 47% were recognized diagnoses which had no recurrence risk or genetic basis, and 70 or 20% could not be identified as having a specific syndrome. The recurrence risk to patients within the unknown group was approximately 5%. The population incidence of Arthrogryposis during the 5-year period in Washington state was 1 in 4,000 births.

Dermatology for the nondermatologist: A problem-oriented system

We describe a logical and systematic approach to unknown dermatologic disease entities that utilizes a simple algorithm which, when properly applied, expeditiously narrows the differential diagnosis and provides a key to standard reference books. We find this algorithm system to be superior to the common and often frustrating exercise of leafing through the dermatologic atlas in search of a picture that matches the presenting rash.

Reductivism, Fatalism and Sociobiology

ABSTRACT When does ‘reduction’ in the harmless sense of relating one science to another involve a sinister devaluing of the valuable? Only when the ‘reductive’ explanation is (1) treated as excluding others, and (2) so chosen as to make a moral point by illicit means.(1) is never legitimate; different kinds of explanation all have their place and do not compete. It is made to look plausible by (2), which can occur in many situations, but is usually called reduction only when it involves the physical sciences. Two different dangers follow—reduction to the unknown entities of physics is chilling, but fortunately seems to have no particular moral consequences.Biological reductions often sound less remote; e.g. when sociobiologists talk of people as ‘survival machines’ for genes. The trouble here is not ‘biological determinism’ but fatalism, with apparent moral consequences, namely, the endorsement of universal competition. This idea is bad biology, compounded by illicit rhetoric. Biology itself cannot be a threat. The biological causes of human behaviour, including those found by sociobiologists in their calmer moments, are perfectly proper material for the social sciences.

On the nature of syndrome delineation.

Perhaps half of all patients with multiple abnormalities have known, recognized syndromes. The other half represent unknown entities that need to be further delineated. The significance of syndrome delineation cannot be overestimated. As an unknown syndrome becomes delineated, its phenotypic spectrum, its natural history, and its risk of recurrence become known, allowing for better patient care and family counseling. The process of syndrome delineation is discussed in terms of unknown genesis syndromes of the previsionally-unique and recurrent-pattern types, and known-genesis syndromes of the pedigree, chromosomal, biochemical-defect, and environmentally-induced types. Several special syndrome categories are defined, including the chance syndrome, variant additive syndrome, association syndrome, exceptional chromosomal syndrome, and exceptional monogenic syndrome. Finally, a population definition of a syndrome is developed.

British Food Journal Volume 79 Issue 3 1977

One of the most serious problems facing the country today is maintaining dietary standards, especially in the vulnerable groups, in the face of rising food prices. If it were food prices alone, household budgetry could cope, but much as rising food prices take from the housewife's purse, rates, fuel, travel and the like seem to take more; for food, it is normally pence, but for the others, it is pounds! The Price Commission is often accused of being a watch‐dog which barks but rarely if ever bites and when it attempts to do this, like as not, Union power prevents any help to the housewife. There would be far less grumbling and complaining by consumers if they could see value for their money; they only see themselves constantly overcharged and, in fact, cheated all along the line. In past issues, BFJ has commented on the price vagaries in the greengrocery trade, especially the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables. Living in a part of the country given over to fruit farming and field vegetable crops, it is impossible to remain unaware of what goes on in this sector of the food trade. Unprecedented prosperity among the growers; and where fruit‐farming is combined with field crops, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and leafy brassicas, many of the more simple growers find the sums involved frightening. The wholesalers and middle‐men are something of unknown entities, but the prices in the shops are there for all to see. The findings of an investigation by the Commission into the trade, the profit margins between wholesale prices and greengrocers' selling prices, published in February last, were therefore not altogether surprising. The survey into prices and profits covered five basic vegetables and was ordered by the present Prices Secretary the previous November. Prices for September to November were monitored for the vegetables—cabbages, brussels sprouts, cauliflowers, carrots, turnips and swedes, the last priced together. Potatoes were already being monitored.

Cochlear deafness, myopia, and intellectual impairment in an Amish family.

AMONG the advantages which may accrue from study of isolate populations is the delineation of previously unrecognized hereditary disorders, particularly those which are recessive. Because of their high level of inbreeding and their large families, study of Amish communities has disclosed a number of previously unknown entities. These include a form of dwarfism,1a disorder of bile excretion,2a syndrome of severe mental retardation, microphthalmos, and hypopigmentation,3and several neurologic disorders.4,5Also, the malformation affecting the female genito-urinary tract termed hydrometrocolpos has been shown to have a simple genetic basis in some instances.6 In a survey of the mentally retarded among the Amish of Lancaster County, Pa, several new genetically distinct disorders have been uncovered.7This report described four sibs affected with a syndrome consisting of cochlear deafness, myopia, and intellectual impairment. Materials and Methods The case family was ascertained through Amish sources and

A Preliminary Report on the Occurrence of Infectious Laryngotracheitis of Poultry in India

THE aetiological role of viruses in respiratory affections of poultry has long been recognized in foreign countries, but aside from Ranikhet disease and fowl pox, very little work has been done in this country on avian respiratory diseases in general and respiratory viruses in particular. There appears to be no authentic record of the occurrence of infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) infectious bronchitis (IB) or other newly discovered viruses in India. Some attempts have been made in this laboratory during the last two years to elucidate the possible existence of some hitherto unknown viral entities associated with the so-called chronic respiratory disease (CRD) and other involvements simulating to CRD. The present report deals with the occurrence of ILT in India. MATERIALS AND METHODSMaterials for isolation of the virus included pieces of lungs and trachea collected from birds with respiratory disease of the College Poultry Farm submitted for routine post mortem examination.…

Diseases of the Skin

This, the best American text on dermatology, has now reached its fifth edition. The statement perhaps should be slightly modified, to say the best text in print. Sutton's Dermatology is a far more scholarly effort but, although still quite useful as a reference, becomes progressively more out of date. This is pointed up by a consideration of some of the entities, drugs, and concepts which have appeared in the recent past. Among these may be mentioned Selye's stimulating discovery of calciphylaxis, such previously unknown entities as cytomegalic inclusion disease, H disease, carcinoid and the like, and new drugs or improved forms of older drugs such as amphotericin B, chlorpropamide and micronized griseofulvin. It not only covers adequately the skin disorders seen in temperate climes but in addition those of special interest to health workers in the tropics, e.g., kwashiorkor, yaws, pinta, leprosy (especially well done), leishmaniasis, and so on.