Belief propagation (BP) and the concave convex procedure (CCCP) are methods that can be used successfully to minimize the Bethe free energy of graphical models. The mechanisms of these methods, however, have not been well elucidated. We propose a method based on the Bowman-Levin (BL) approximation, which is another equation of the extrema of the Bethe free energy, so that we can compare the mec...

Loopy and generalized belief propagation are popular algorithms for approximate inference in Markov random fields and Bayesian networks. Fixed points of these algorithms have been shown to correspond to extrema of the Bethe and Kikuchi free energy, both of which are approximations of the exact Helmholtz free energy. However, belief propagation does not always converge, which motivates approache...

Nine Candida strains (one C. dublinienses , six Candida albicans, two C. tropicalis, and one C. krusei ) isolated from human genital specimens were characterized based on their susceptibility to amphotericin B and imidazole (done by an adaptation of the National Clinical Laboratory Standards Broth Macrodilution method). All the nine strains were susceptible to amphotericin B with minimum inhibi...

We examined antimicrobial susceptibility and efflux systems in laboratory-derived mutants of Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis selected by culture on fluoroquinolone-containing plates. The mutants exhibited decreased susceptibilities to quinolones and several other antimicrobials. Mutations in the gyrA gene were not always found in the mutants. Accumulation assays revealed that intracell...

The regulation of polyamine transport by antizyme, a protein that is involved in the rapid degradation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), was studied in FM3A mouse cells overproducing ODC. Both artificial (Z1) and natural antizymes not only inhibited polyamine uptake but also stimulated polyamine excretion. The properties of the polyamine transporter regulated by antizyme were characterized. The...