cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coupling of Phosphorylation and Carbon Dioxide Fixation in Extracts of Thiobacillus thioparus

Johnson, Emmett J. (University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson), and Harry D. Peck, Jr. Coupling of phosphorylation and carbon dioxide fixation in extracts of Thiobacillus thioparus . J. Bacteriol. 89: 1041–1050. 1965.—A cell-free system from Thiobacillus thioparus which fixes large quantities of C 14 O 2 in the presence of ribose-5-phosphate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and Mg ++ has been described. The specific activity (0.041 μmole of ribulose-1,5-diphosphate min −1 mg −1 protein) of the CO 2 -fixing system approaches that of green plants, and is further evidence for the importance of the role of carboxydismutase in the thiobacilli. In addition to ATP, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and other nucleoside triphosphates served with varying degrees of effectiveness for the fixation of C 14 O 2 . The ATP requirement for CO 2 fixation was partially replaced under aerobic conditions by a combination of SO 3 = , PO 4 ≡ , and adenosine monophosphate (AMP). Phosphorylation and CO 2 fixation were separated in time by first incubating SO 3 = and AMP aerobically, and then anaerobically introducing C 14 O 3 = and ribose-5-phosphate into the reaction mixture. During the first incubation, P 32 O 4 ≡ was esterified into nucleotides, mainly ADP, and in the second incubation C 14 O 2 was fixed, with the concomitant utilization of almost equal amounts of the esterified phosphate. These data provide the first in vitro evidence for the mechanism of the coupling of CO 2 fixation and phosphorylation in T. thioparus . The fixation of C 14 O 2 was shown to be almost completely inhibited by AMP. This inhibition was not due to the conversion of ATP to ADP by adenylic kinase, or to the binding of magnesium by the nucleotide. The inhibition was specific for AMP, since other mononucleotides, adenosine, and adenine did not inhibit. The AMP regulation of CO 2 fixation may represent a basic control mechanism in autotrophic metabolism.
Description of the leaf deer (Muntiacus putaoensis), a new species of muntjac from northern Myanmar

In May 1998, an expedition into northern Myanmar obtained detailed descriptive data on a new species of muntjac called the leaf deer, first discovered on a survey the previous year and characterized primarily by its diagnostic DNA compared to other muntjac species. Weights, measurements, and physical data were obtained from 12 freshly killed leaf deer, along with partial measurements from 90 head pieces of leaf deer found in village huts. Except for the diminutive, unbranched antlers on males, averaging 3.2 cm long, older male and female leaf deer were similar in size and appearance, with average weights of 12.1 kg and 11.8 kg for males and females, respectively. When compared with other species, leaf deer are one of the smallest, and perhaps one of the most primitive, extant muntjacs. Two of the most distinguishing characteristics of this new species are the relatively long, equal-sized canines in both older adult males (average 2.4 cm long) and older adult females (average 2.2 cm long), and the lack of spotting on the coats of a newborn and two juveniles estimated to be < 2 months old. All older males (n = 3) and 40% of older females (n = 5) had healed wounds on one or both ears. These wounds, in addition to the large canines in both sexes, may indicate that females as well as males compete actively for resources. Although still relatively abundant throughout mid-elevation dense evergreen forests, between the northern extremities of the Mai Kha and Mali Kha Rivers in north Myanmar, the currently known distribution of the leaf deer is outside any protected areas. Persistent hunting by local people with snares, dogs, and crossbows for a thriving market trade in deer leather, have caused noticeable decreases in numbers of leaf deer captured over recent years and could threaten the future survival of this new species.
Transient Boundary Theory

For purposes of motivation it is convenient to think of the state space of a Markov chain P with only transient states as being similar to the open unit disk of two-dimensional Euclidean space. In two-space the boundary of the disk—namely the circle S1—has the property that there is a one-one correspondence between the non-negative harmonic functions \(h(r{e^{i\theta }})\) in the disk and the non-negative Borel measures µ h on the circle.
Percutaneous Reduction and Internal Fixation of the Lisfranc Fracture-Dislocation

The success of minimally invasive percutaneous reduction and fixation of tarsometatarsal or Lisfranc injuries lies in understanding the appropriate injury pattern for this method of treatment. The eponym Lisfranc dislocation is derived from injuries sustained to cavalry troops in the Napoleonic era. These were associated with significant vascular and soft tissue injury, as they were treated with an amputation through the tarsometatarsal joints by Lisfranc, Napoleon’s surgeon. Although the injuries secondary to equestrian activity have declined, the injury pattern is commonly associated with high-energy motor vehicle accidents, falls, and crushing injuries to the foot.1–4 These mechanisms typically involve significant bony and soft tissue injury that rarely can be managed by closed methods (Fig. 42.1). Percutaneous fixation is most amenable in those patients with low-energy mechanisms, particularly in the athletic and elderly populations involving primarily a ligamentous injury (Fig. 42.2).
Design of a silicon-WBG hybrid switch

In this paper, a hybrid switch consisting of a Silicon (Si) IGBT in parallel with a Wide Bandgap (WBG) device, either SiC MOSFET or GaN HEMT within a single package is proposed for hard-switching inverters. The hybrid switch enables heavy load conduction through IGBT; light load and transient conduction through the WBG device. This feature is realized through a well-thought control scheme. This work explores the various possibility of controlling this switch, and detailed guidelines for realizing the proposed control are presented. Results indicate elimination of the effects caused by the tail current during turn-off of IGBT; lower or no reverse recovery charge and fast switching capabilities of WBG (Wide Bandgap) device offer significant reduction in the switching energy loss leading to higher switching frequencies. The paper specifically investigates the gating sequence for the hybrid switch to achieve the optimal operation point between the high switching frequency and low losses.
Frontiers in Ecosystem Science

There is, in biology, a convenient if imperfect hierarchy, reflected in the organization of this volume: molecules to cells, cells to tissues, tissues to organisms, organisms to populations, populations to communities. The ecosystem concept (Tansley 1935) breaks the pattern. The ecosystem is not another step in the hierarchy, but rather the broadening of the community concept beyond the biological parts to include the physical environment, and especially the flows of materials and energy.
SU-G-TeP4-03: A Multileaf Collimator Calibration and Quality Assurance Technique Using An Electronic Portal Imaging Device

Purpose: To develop an accurate and quick multileaf collimator (MLC) calibration and quality assurance technique using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) Methods: The MLC models used include the MLCi and Agility (Elekta Ltd). This technique consists of two 22(L)x10(W) cm2 fields with 00 and 1800 collimator angles centered to an offset EPID. The MLC opening is estimated by calculating the profile at the image's center in the image's horizontal direction. Scans in the image's vertical direction were calculated every 20 pixels in the inner 70% of estimated MLC opening. The profiles’ edges were fitted with linear equations to determine the image's rotation angle. Then, crossline profiles were scanned at the center of each leaf taking into account the leaf's width at isocenter and the rotation angle. The profiles’ edges determine the location of the leaves’ edges and these were subtracted from the reference leaf's position in order to determine the relative leaf offsets. The edge location of all profiles was determined by using the parameterized gradient of the penumbra region. The technique was tested against an established diode array-based method, and for different MLC systems, patterns, gantry angles, days, energies, beam modalities and MLC openings. Results: The differences between the proposed and established methods were 0.26±0.19mm. The leaf offsets’ deviation was <0.3mm (5 months period). For pattern fields, the differences between predetermined and calculated offsets were 0.18±0.18mm. The leaf offset deviation of measurements with different energies and MLC openings were <0.1mm and <0.3mm, respectively. The differences between offsets of FF and FFF beams were 0.01±0.02mm (<0.07mm). The differences between the offsets at different gantry angles were 0.08±0.15mm. Conclusion: The proposed method proved to be accurate and efficient in calculating the relative leaf offsets. Parameterized field edge is essential to obtain accurate result by eliminating the noise from EPID.
Causes of Elevated Cardiac Troponins in the Emergency Department and Their Associated Mortality.

Objective Cardiac troponins (cTn) are structural components of myocardial cells and are expressed almost exclusively in the heart. Elevated cTn levels indicate myocardial cell damage/death but not reflect the underlying etiology. The third universal definition of myocardial infarction (MI) differentiates MI into various types. Type 1 (T1MI) is due to plaque rupture with thrombus, while type 2 (T2MI) is a result of a supply:demand mismatch. Non-MI cTn elevations are also common. We determined the causes of elevated cTn in a tertiary care emergency department (ED) and the associated in-hospital mortality. Methods We performed a structured, retrospective review of all consecutive adult ED patients with elevated troponin I (defined as > 99th percentile of the normal population, as run on the ADVIA Centaur platform; Siemens USA) during 1 year. Causes of elevated cTn were classified based on the third universal definitions. Comparisons between groups were performed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U-tests. Results Of 96,612 ED patients presenting from May 2012 to April 2013, a total of 13,502 (14%) had cTn measured, of which 1,310 (9.7%) were elevated. Of these, 340 (26.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2% to 29.0%) were T1MI, 452 (35.2%, 95% CI = 32.7% to 37.9%) T2MI, 458 (35.7%, 95% CI = 33.1% to 38.4%) multifactorial, and 33 (2.5%, 95% CI = 1.8% to 3.5%) due to nonischemic injury. Non-T1MI patients were slightly older, more likely female, and had higher blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Comorbidities were more common in non-T1MI while cardiac risk factors were more common in T1MI. Non-T1MI patients were less likely to have diagnostic ECGs and had lower initial and subsequent cTn levels. In-hospital mortality rates were similarly high for T1MI and non-T1MI (11% [95% CI = 8% to 15%] vs. 10% [95% CI = 8% to 12%], p = 0.48). Conclusions Of all ED patients with elevated cTn, ~75% have a non-T1MI. The mortality of patients with non-T1MI is similar to the mortality in patients with T1MI.
Hotspotting sepsis: applying analytic tools from other disciplines to eliminate disparities.

A recent manuscript by Moore and colleagues (1) identified geographic disparities in sepsis mortality. Using death certificates obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics, they performed a descriptive analysis of sepsis-related death over a 10-year period [2003–2012]. The investigators used three different approaches to identify mortality clusters (groups of sepsis death) in each of the 3,109 counties in the contiguous United States. They categorized sepsis deaths in each county as strongly clustered, moderately clustered, or nonclustered, based on clustering method agreement (agreement between three methods, two methods, and less than two methods, respectively).
Vacuum pressure generation via microfabricated converging-diverging nozzles for operation of automated pneumatic logic

Microfluidic devices with integrated pneumatic logic enable automated fluid handling without requiring external control instruments. These chips offer the additional advantage that they may be powered by vacuum and do not require an electricity source. This work describes a microfluidic converging-diverging (CD) nozzle optimized to generate vacuum at low input pressures, making it suitable for microfluidic applications including powering integrated pneumatic logic. It was found that efficient vacuum pressure was generated for high aspect ratios of the CD nozzle constriction (or throat) width to height and diverging angle of 3.6(o). In specific, for an inlet pressure of 42.2 psia (290.8 kPa) and a volumetric flow rate of approximately 1700 sccm, a vacuum pressure of 8.03 psia (55.3 kPa) was generated. To demonstrate the capabilities of our converging - diverging nozzle device, we connected it to a vacuum powered peristaltic pump driven by integrated pneumatic logic and obtained tunable flow rates from 0 to 130 μL/min. Finally, we demonstrate a proof of concept system for use where electricity and vacuum pressure are not readily available by powering a CD nozzle with a bicycle tire pump and pressure regulator. This system is able to produce a stable vacuum sufficient to drive pneumatic logic, and could be applied to power automated microfluidics in limited resource settings.
An approach to finding good anchor nodes in ontologies

ABSTRACTWhen matching different semantically tagged web service interfaces in the semantic web, it is often necessary to map one ontology to another ontology at runtime, on the fly. In many cases, knowing which nodes are the best nodes to start the mapping process before the process begins (these are called anchor nodes) can make the ontology mapping much easier. Traditionally, all anchor node selection has been performed by humans. However, this is not practical for situations on the fly, at runtime. Here, we validate a methodology for determining anchor nodes automatically. Our results are shown to be successful, in that we were able to create equations based on various metrics that enabled us to fairly accurately identify anchor nodes.
Placing Extreme Television Media in Their Historical and Economic Context

Extreme media are a normal and predictable outcome of the media marketplace in the United States. Using historical and market-based explanations for the development of extreme television media, Taylor places extreme media in their proper context. Taylor shows how extreme media fill a niche and are valuable to the political system in the United States. Establishing that their rise is not happenstance or accidental, Taylor creates a firm foundation to explore the empirical realities for people who consume these media. Taylor closes this chapter with a roadmap for the book and a summary of his general findings.
Minimally Invasive Robotically Assisted Repair of Partial Anomalous Venous Connection.

We describe a novel robotically assisted minimally invasive surgical technique for repair of partial anomalous pulmonary vein connection (PAPVC). Partial anomalous pulmonary vein connection is a ra...
Digital and Computational Imaging in Pathology

Purpose of Review The digitization of pathology departments is underway, especially in larger institutions. The benefits are similar to those enjoyed by our radiologic colleagues, namely, efficient flow, intradepartmental communication, integration of clinical and laboratory findings with images, and the ability to consult with distant colleagues, all in real time. Meanwhile, there is an explosion of new imaging technology that allows us to go beyond traditional resolution limits and add visual overlays based upon molecular species and molecular interaction data. The purpose of this “hot topics” essay is to address and clarify these issues.
HIV-Enhancing and HIV-Inhibiting Properties of Cationic Peptides and Proteins

Cationic antimicrobial peptides and proteins have historically been ascribed roles in innate immunity that infer killing of microbial and viral pathogens and protection of the host. In the context of sexually transmitted HIV-1, we take an unconventional approach that questions this paradigm. It is becoming increasingly apparent that many of the cationic polypeptides present in the human genital or anorectal mucosa, or human semen, are capable of enhancing HIV-1 infection, often in addition to other reported roles as viral inhibitors. We explore how the in vivo environment may select for or against the HIV-enhancing aspects of these cationic polypeptides by focusing on biological relevance. We stress that the distinction between enhancing and inhibiting HIV-1 infection is not mutually exclusive to specific classes of cationic polypeptides. Understanding how virally enhancing peptides and proteins act to promote sexual transmission of HIV-1 would be important for the design of topical microbicides, mucosal vaccines, and other preventative measures.
Single-cell transcriptomics reconstructs fate conversion from fibroblast to cardiomyocyte

Direct lineage conversion offers a new strategy for tissue regeneration and disease modelling. Despite recent success in directly reprogramming fibroblasts into various cell types, the precise changes that occur as fibroblasts progressively convert to the target cell fates remain unclear. The inherent heterogeneity and asynchronous nature of the reprogramming process renders it difficult to study this process using bulk genomic techniques. Here we used single-cell RNA sequencing to overcome this limitation and analysed global transcriptome changes at early stages during the reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts into induced cardiomyocytes (iCMs). Using unsupervised dimensionality reduction and clustering algorithms, we identified molecularly distinct subpopulations of cells during reprogramming. We also constructed routes of iCM formation, and delineated the relationship between cell proliferation and iCM induction. Further analysis of global gene expression changes during reprogramming revealed unexpected downregulation of factors involved in mRNA processing and splicing. Detailed functional analysis of the top candidate splicing factor, Ptbp1, revealed that it is a critical barrier for the acquisition of cardiomyocyte-specific splicing patterns in fibroblasts. Concomitantly, Ptbp1 depletion promoted cardiac transcriptome acquisition and increased iCM reprogramming efficiency. Additional quantitative analysis of our dataset revealed a strong correlation between the expression of each reprogramming factor and the progress of individual cells through the reprogramming process, and led to the discovery of new surface markers for the enrichment of iCMs. In summary, our single-cell transcriptomics approaches enabled us to reconstruct the reprogramming trajectory and to uncover intermediate cell populations, gene pathways and regulators involved in iCM induction.
Clearance of tunneled central venous catheter associated blood stream infections in children.

Abstract Background The optimal time to reinsert central venous catheters (tCVC) after a documented central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) is unclear. The goal of this study is to identify risk factors for children who develop persistent bacteremia after tCVC removal due to CLABSI. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study from a tertiary children's hospital. Children who underwent removal of a tCVC due to CLABSI were included in our analysis. Our primary outcome was persistent bacteremia after tCVC removal defined by a persistently positive blood culture. Salient patient demographic and clinical factors were extracted from the medical record. Results A total of 140 patients met inclusion criteria and 27 (19%) had a persistent CLABSI after removal of the tCVC. There were no significant differences between the patients who cleared their bacteremia and those who develop persistent bacteremia. The median (IQR) time to positive blood culture after tCVC removal was 2.7 days (1.7– 4.0). Conclusions We did not identify any patient risk factors distinguishing between a child who will clear a CLABSI versus develop a persistent CLABSI after tCVC removal. Blood stream infection clearance was rapid after tCVC removal, supporting a brief line holiday prior to tCVC reinsertion. Level of Evidence Level III Retrospective Case-Control Study
Sociodemographic Factors Mediate Race and Ethnicity-associated Childhood Asthma Health Disparities: a Longitudinal Analysis.

Race and ethnicity-based disparities in childhood asthma are well established. We characterized the longitudinal effects associated with being African-American/Black or Hispanic/Latino on a range of asthma outcomes, and the extent to which sociodemographic factors, caregiver health literacy, education level, and asthma knowledge mediate these associations. Children ages 8–15 and their caregivers (n = 544) in the Chicago Initiative to Raise Asthma Health Equity (CHIRAH) cohort completed interviews every 3 months for 1.5 years. Health literacy was measured with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM). Other covariates include sex, age, education level, income, smoke exposure, asthma duration, employment status, and insurance status. We conducted a series of models to evaluate these factors as mediators of the relationship between race/ethnicity and (1) asthma knowledge, (2) asthma-related quality of life, (3) asthma severity, and (4) asthma control based on NAEPP/EPR-3 2007 guidelines. African-American race and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity were significantly associated with all outcomes when compared to Whites. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors resulted in the most significant mediation of racial/ethnic disparities in all outcomes. Health literacy was a partial mediator of race/ethnic disparities in asthma knowledge and asthma-related quality of life. Asthma knowledge remained significantly associated with race and ethnicity, and race remained associated with asthma-related quality of life. African-American race and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity are significantly associated with worse asthma compared to Whites in longitudinal analyses. Sociodemographic factors are potent mediators of these disparities, and should be considered when designing interventions to reduce asthma disparities. Health literacy and education level are partial mediators.
Physiological, Affective, and Behavioral Implications of Extraversion-Introversion

The concept of extraversion-introversion has a long history. As Eysenck (1981) has noted in a recent historical overview, the idea is implicit in the earliest views of character types. The four temperaments of Galen (and later Kant)—long a staple item in introductory psychology textbooks—can be shown to fit into the four quadrants of a two-factor space defined by two broad orthogonal dimensions. Wundt defined the latter as changeability and emotionality. The Dutch psychologist Gerardus Heymans and his associates later described eight basic character types arranged along three dimensions—changeability, emotionality, and activity. (See Figure 1.) Even later, Spearman became the first to demonstrate the factors now called extraversion-introversion and neuroticism (Spearman’s “w” and “c,” respectively). Other historical contributions to the development of the notion of extraversion-introversion were made by Jung, who linked the two types to two different neurotic disorders, and Kretschmer, who indicated a relationships between introversion and hereditary constitutional factors.
Reactivity and Eleclronic Structure of Organometallic Radicals

Reactions of 18-electron organometallic complexes often proceed by ligand dissociation, reductive elimination, or insertion to yield 16-electron coordinatively unsaturated intermediates. Another class of reactions proceeds by associative attack of a ligand or nucleophile at the metal in an 18-electron complex, when the complex contains a ligand that can undergo a structural rearrangement to accept an electron pair to avoid a 20-electron intermediate. Organometallic radicals with a 17-electron configuration exhibit perhaps the greatest tendency to engage in associative reaction mechanisms. When compared to eighteen electron mononuclear complexes we have seen rate accelerations of 109 to 1010. These reactions all appear to involve 19-electron intermediates or transition states. The previous observation of catalysis of CO insertion by single electron oxidation has also been shown to arise from an electron-rich 19-electron species, which can form by nucleophilic addition of solvent to a 17-electron complex. These and other reactions of 17-electron complexes correlate with the presence of a sterically accessible odd electron localized on the metal. This orbital can (J bond to a nucleophile to form a 19-electron species stabilized by a 2-center 3-electron bond. Parallels can also be drawn between the reactivity of closed shell cluster complexes and those oxidized by one electron.
Winter road management effects on roadside soil and vegetation along a mountain pass in the Adirondack Park, New York, USA.

Abstract In 2003–2005, we resurveyed and expanded plots surveyed in 1985 to examine the cumulative impact of road salt (sodium chloride) and sand along a two-lane highway in the Adirondack State Park in New York State (USA). Annual salt applications in the period 1985–2005 ranged from 50 tonnes per centerline-km (1985) to 140 tonnes (2005) and sand applications ranged from nearly zero tonnes (2005) to 325 tonnes (1985). Roadside soils and vegetation were significantly impacted by salt deposition compared to soils and vegetation 30 m and 150 m from the road. Roadside soil contained more sand, less organic matter, had a lower cation exchange capacity, was denser, and retained less water than soils 30 m and 150 m from the road. The concentration of sodium in roadside soils was elevated (103 vs. 44 ppm in soil 150 m from the roadside), and roadside concentrations of plant-nutritive cations were lower than 150 m from the road (roadside Mg, Ca and K concentrations were 0.2, 5, and 1 ppm respectively vs. 23,168, and 30 ppm at 150 m from the road). Along the roadside, paper birch trees (Betula papyrifera) and other woody vegetation present in 1980 were absent in 2004, suggesting that survival and recruitment of paper birch trees was impacted by degradation of soil fertility, deposition of road salt and aerosolization of salt from the roadway. Roadside environmental degradation caused by winter road management has worsened since 1980; revegetation with native salt-tolerant plants may provide some mitigation of the most severe effects. Overall, we conclude that the full extent of roadside environmental degradation caused by winter road management can take decades to manifest, and this may be the case more generally along cold-climate montane roadways.
Implementing pregnancy screening prior to chemotherapy: A quality improvement initiative.

e18274Background: ASCO’s QOPI sets standards for excellence in oncologic care. One standard is screening appropriate female patients for pregnancy prior to chemotherapy. No guidelines exist regardi...
Tenosynovial and Cardiac Amyloidosis in Patients Undergoing Carpal Tunnel Release

Abstract Background Patients with cardiac amyloidosis often have carpal tunnel syndrome that precedes cardiac manifestations by several years. However, the prevalence of cardiac involvement at the time of carpal tunnel surgery has not been established. Objectives The authors sought to identify the prevalence and type of amyloid deposits in patients undergoing carpal tunnel surgery and evaluate for cardiac involvement. The authors also sought to determine if patients with soft tissue transthyretin (TTR) amyloid had abnormal TTR tetramer kinetic stability. Methods This was a prospective, cross-sectional, multidisciplinary study of consecutive men age ≥50 years and women ≥60 years undergoing carpal tunnel release surgery. Biopsy specimens of tenosynovial tissue were obtained and stained with Congo red; those with confirmed amyloid deposits were typed with mass spectrometry and further evaluated for cardiac involvement with biomarkers, electrocardiography, echocardiography with longitudinal strain, and technetium pyrophosphate scintigraphy. Additionally, serum TTR concentration and tetramer kinetic stability were examined. Results Of 98 patients enrolled (median age 68 years, 51% male), 10 (10.2%) had a positive biopsy for amyloid (7 ATTR, 2 light chain [AL], 1 untyped). Two patients were diagnosed with hereditary ATTR (Leu58His and Ala81Thr), 2 were found to have cardiac involvement (1 AL, 1 ATTR wild-type), and 3 were initiated on therapy. In those patients who had biopsy-diagnosed ATTR, there was no difference in plasma TTR concentration or tetramer kinetic stability. Conclusions In a cohort of patients undergoing carpal tunnel release surgery, Congo red staining of tenosynovial tissue detected amyloid deposits in 10.2% of patients. Concomitant cardiac evaluation identified patients with involvement of the myocardium, allowing for implementation of disease-modifying therapy. (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Amyloid Cardiomyopathy; NCT02792790)
Multi-biometric Convolutional Neural Networks for Mobile User Authentication

Existing literature has established that multibiometric systems, which consolidate information from multiple biometric sources, can significantly enhance the performance by overcoming limitations such as non-universality, noisy sensor data and large intra-class variations. Several fixed and learning-based fusion methods exist to combine multibiometric information for personal verification. The aim of this paper is to develop convolutional neural networks (CNN) architectures for fusion of biometric information from multiple sources. The advantage of CNN-based multibiometric fusion include (a) the ability to perform early, intermediate and late fusion, and (b) the fusion architecture itself can be learned during network training. Experimental investigations on large scale VISOB dataset prove the efficacy of the multibiometric CNNs over conventional fusion methods.
Untersuchungen zur aufklärung des mechanismus des redoxsystems flavinmononucleotid/dihydroflavinmononucleotid

Abstract The reduction of flavinmononucleotide in 0.05 M H 2 SO 4 was investigated. The charge number of the electrode reaction was determined coulometrically; it goes through a minimum of z =1.6±0.1, when the degree of reduction, x , is about 1/2; for small and for large degrees of reduction z is equal to 2. The sum of the anodic and cathodic diffusion currents decreases until the degree of reduction, x ≅0.6. This observation and the minimum found for the dependence of z on x , may be explained by the formation of the complex (FMNH + ·FMNH 2 ). It is possible to oxidize this complex within the potential range investigated by us but not to reduce it. The existence and non-reducibility of this complex was confirmed experimentally. Spectroscopic investigations also showed that the complex (FMNH * ·FMNH 2 ) is formed, for the extinctions at 570 and 900 nm do not obey the relation ( E 570 ) 2 ≈ E 900 .
Higher Graft T Cell and CD34 Cell Content Is Associated with Earlier Complete Chimerism, Lower Relapse Rates, and Improved Overall Survival (OS) in Recipients Undergoing Matched Related (MR) Myeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) on the 2 Step Approach

To reduce non-relapse mortality (NRM) due to graft versus host disease (GVHD) in matched related HSCT, we used cyclophosphamide (CY) T cell tolerization within the framework of a 2 step myeloablative approach in recipients with hematological malignancies. Patients were treated on our institution's 2 step approach in which after 12 Gy conditioning, a fixed dose of 2 × 108/kg unmanipulated T cells (DLI) was administered (step 1) followed 2 days later by CY 60 mg/kg/d x 2 days. One day later, a CD34-selected graft was infused (step 2). MMF and tacrolimus were initiated on d-1, the former discontinued on d+28 and a taper of the latter by day +42 in the absence of GVHD. All donors began G-CSF after DLI collection to obtain a mobilized stem cell product (PBSC). To examine the impact of cell doses on outcomes, T cell chimerism at d+28, relapse, grades 2-4 acute and chronic GVHD, OS, and NRM were analyzed based on whether patients received above or below the median CD34 cell dose (CD34HI v LO), or above or below the median residual T cell dose (T HI v LO) in the PBSC products for the whole group. 46 consecutive patients, median age 50 with AML (18), MDS (7), ph+ (5) and B cell (5) ALL, CMML (3), NHL (6), MPD (2) were treated from 2008-2018 on this recently completed study. Median follow-up is 49.3 months (range 2-122 months), revised disease risk index was intermediate (31), high (14) and very high (1). In the PBSC products, median CD34 cell dose was 4.90 × 106/kg (range 1.64-10 × 106/kg) and median residual non-tolerized T cell dose was 3.0 × 103/kg (range 0.96-17 × 103/kg). One patient rejected, alive after a 2nd transplant, but leaving 45 for full analysis. At 3 years, cumulative incidence (CI) of relapse for recipients in the CD34HI v CD34LO group was 24% v 55% (p=0.123). CI of relapse for recipients in the T HI v T LO group was 21% v 59% (p=0.029). NRM, cGVHD, and aGVHD rates were virtually identical in all cell groups and low at 5%, 11%, and 9% for the total group respectively. Higher CD34 and residual T cell graft content correlated with ≥98% T cell chimerism at d+28, CD34HI v LO p=0.09 and T HI v T LO p=0.047-Chi square. Recipients with T cell chimerism of ≥98% at d+28 had a CI relapse of 27% v 55% in those with The 2 Step regimen was associated with very low rates of NRM, aGVHD and cGVHD even in patients with higher graft content of non-tolerized T cells. The major barrier to success was relapse, improved with higher CD34 and T cells doses in the PBSC product. OS and T cell chimerism were improved in patients receiving higher amounts of CD34 and T cells, with
Survival and toxicity outcomes in patients age 40 or older with relapsed metastatic germ cell tumors (mGCT) treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous peripheral-blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT).

522Background: HDCT plus PBSCT is effective salvage therapy for relapsed mGCT but has potential toxicity which can be more pronounced in older patients. We report survival and toxicity outcomes in ...
Entrapment of the urinary bladder: A rare mechanism of bladder injury in pelvic trauma.

Abstract A pelvic fracture with entrapment of the urinary bladder in the fracture site is a rare pattern of injury. As the “team captains” in the trauma bay and in the care of polytraumatized patients, trauma surgeons must be aware of this entity and its implications. We report a case of acute bladder entrapment in the fracture site of a lateral compression pelvic fracture. A review of the English literature yielded four previous reports, including two patients with delayed diagnosis (Ghuman et al., 2014; Kumar et al., 1980; Wright and Taitsman, 1996; Min et al., 2010 [1–4]). Kumar and colleagues first documented bladder entrapment by a pelvic fracture in 1980 (Kumar et al., 1980 [2]). Ghuman et al. described a similar case treated with fixation of the pelvic fracture (Ghuman et al., 2014 [1]). Wright and colleagues treated a patient with bladder perforation due to entrapment diagnosed two weeks after a pelvic ring fracture (Wright and Taitsman, 1996 [3]). In this case the bladder injury was repaired, but internal fixation of the pelvis fracture was avoided due to fear of contamination. Finally, Min et al. documented a case of bladder entrapment and perforation presenting six months after non-operative management of a pelvic ring fracture. The female patient developed recurrent UTIs and dyspareunia, and imaging revealed fracture malunion with the bladder entrapped in the fracture site (Min et al., 2010 [4]). This collection of case reports demonstrates the potential for acute or delayed bladder injury even in seemingly benign pelvic fractures. A high index of suspicion is required to intervene and prevent morbidity from bladder injuries in pelvic trauma. Entrapment of the bladder may require surgical intervention even when the injury pattern would not normally dictate surgery for the pelvis or bladder alone (Bryk and Zhao, 2016 [5]). We describe the diagnosis and surgical management of bladder entrapment and present a brief review of bladder injuries associated with pelvic fractures.
Nucleation and Crystallization Kinetics of Barium Sulfate in the Hydrodynamic Boundary Layer: An Explanation of Mineral Deposition

The initialization of barite deposition is believed to be mineral nucleation. The induction times characterizing the kinetics of nucleation have been widely studied to investigate the precipitation...
Adapting an Undergraduate Multiliteracies German Curriculum for Online Instruction During the covid-19 Pandemic

This article reports on the adaptation of an undergraduate German curriculum for a distance language education (dle) context. Understanding that dle has evolved over the course of decades, the article reviews literature describing pedagogical and technological developments that are fundamental to understanding current practices in dle. Against this backdrop, a detailed methodology is presented that explains the pedagogical practices that were adopted and adapted following the pandemic-induced shift from classroom-based teaching to dle. Special attention is devoted to the role of synchronous instruction, as well as asynchronous tools that support multiliteracies instruction. The article concludes by considering those curricular innovations that are likely to have a long-lasting impact on the delivery of instruction following a return to classroom-based teaching. © 2021 Universidad de Antioquia. All Rights Reserved.
- DmPKA: cAMP-dependent PK (D. melanogaster)

The chapter discusses the biochemical activity of PKA in Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster). The biochemical properties of DmPKA have largely been assumed to mirror those of the mammalian enzyme, because of the high degree of sequence similarity between the 0homologous PKA subunits. An R2C2 holoenzyme structure is assumed by analogy with vertebrate PKA. DCO is 82% identical to mouse Cα and encodes most or all of the catalytic subunit activity as judged by biochemical assays of extracts from flies with loss of function mutations. Two other D. melanogaster gene products, DCl and DC2, are more closely related to PKA (44% and 49% identical to mouse Cα) than to any other PK (protein kinase). DCl mRNAs exist as two alternately spliced forms encoding distinct C-termini. DC2 protein, expressed from baculovirus vectors, phosphorylates kemptide, is inhibited by PKI (5–24) and is inhibited by excess RI subunit, an effect reversed by cAMP. It, therefore, acts like a PKA catalytic subunit. Transcripts of the DRI gene initiate at four distinct sites and could encode three distinct protein products (classes I, II, and III/IV). The class I protein is similar in size to mammalian RI. The smaller protein products would lack the N-terminal dimerization domain but have not yet been detected as proteins.
HINT1 inhibits proteasome-mediated degradation of p21CIP1 and p27KIP1

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 413 Previous studies in our laboratory indicated that HINT1, a member of the evolutionary conserved family of histidine triad proteins, functions as a haplo-insufficient tumor suppressor in mice. Thus, with aging Hint1 deleted mice display an increase in various spontaneous tumors and these mice have a marked increase in susceptibility to induction of gastric tumors by the carcinogen NMBA. Furthermore, both Hint1 +/- and Hint1 -/- mice display a marked increase in the induction of both mammary and ovarian tumors by the carcinogen DMBA (Su,T. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100,7824-7829,2003; Li, H. et al., Oncogene 25,713-721,2006). Several tumor suppressors exect their effects by perturbing cell cycle regulation. Therefore, in the present study we examined possible effects of HINT1 on expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21CIP1 and p27KIP1. These two proteins were of particular interest since their levels are often reduced in a variety of human cancers. Indeed, we found that overexpression of HINT1 in SW480 human colon cancer cells caused a marked increase (about 3-fold) in cellular levels of both p21CIP1 and p27KIP1 proteins, whereas transfection with a Hint1 RNAi construct decreased the levels of both of these proteins. However, RT-PCR assays indicated that neither HINT1 overexpression nor Hint1 RNAi affected the mRNA levels of p21CIP1 and p27KIP1 in SW480 cells. Furthermore, in transient transfection assays co-transfection with Hint1 did not stimulate p21CIP1 promoter-luciferase or p27KIP1 promoter-luciferase reporter activity. Taken together with the RT-PCR assays, these results indicate that the increased cellular levels of the p21CIP1 and p27KIP1 proteins induced by HINT1 occur at a posttranscriptional level. Assays done in the presence of cycloheximide indicated that overexpression of HINT1 in SW480 cells extended the half lives of both the p21CIP1 and p27KIP1 proteins. Treatment of SW480 cells with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 increased cellular levels of p21CIP1 and p27KIP1 and this effect was augmented by overexpression of HINT1, while Hint1 RNAi impaired MG132 induced upregulation of p21CIP1 and p27KIP1. Co-immunoprecipitation assays indicated that HINT1 does not bind directly to p21CIP1 or p27KIP1. Taken together, our results suggest that HINT1 may play a role in cell cycle regulation by inhibiting proteasome-mediated degradation of p21CIP1 and p27KIP1. Studies are in progress to determine the precise biochemical mechanism. These effects of HINT1 may contribute to its tumor suppressor activity.
A generalization of chiralSW3 model

Assuming the algebra of currents, PCAC for pions, and some other technical conditions, we prove that any Hamiltonian densityH(x), whoseSU 3-breaking component belongs to the (3, 3*)⊕(3*, 3) representation of theSW 3-group, must automatically have the following structure:H(x)=H 0(x)+H 1(x)+H 2(x).H 0(x) is invariant underSW 3,H 1(x) breaksSU 3 but is invariant underSW 2, whileH 2(x) is invariant underSU 3 but violatesSW 2. Also,H 2(x) will vanish in the soft-pion limit. This model contains, as special cases, the schemes of Gell-Mann, Oakes and Renner, and of Glashow and Weinberg.
Modal matching: a method for describing, comparing, and manipulating digital signals

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Media Arts & Sciences, 1995.
Kinds of Minds: Towards an Understanding of Consciousness

What kinds of minds are there,and how do we know? The first question is about what exists - about ontology, in philosophical parlance - and the second question is about our knowledge - about epistemology. The aim of Kinds of Minds is to answer these questions, in general outline, and to show why these two questions have to be answered together. What exists is one thing, and what we can know about it is something else. There may be things that are completely unknowable to us so we must be careful not to treat the limits of our knowledge as sure guides to the limits of what there is. But we know enough about minds, Dennett argues, to know that one of the things that makes them different from everything else in the Universe is the way we know about them.
Value structures of researchers and nonresearchers

HYPOTHESIS OF STUDY In the academic, industrial, and business worlds some people engage in research activities and others do not. While this is obvious, it is not thereby trivial. Having said it, we need not neglect it. Between these two sets of people-the researchers and the nonresearchers-there are likely to be differences other than in the performance or nonperformance of a class of professional activities broadly known as research. For example, researchers might differ from nonresearchers in personality structure, social attitudes, values, intensity and exclusiveness of group identification, and so forth. Such being the case, the cleavage may be deeper than suspected and the prescribed bridge more difficult to build.
CHORIORETINAL COLOBOMAS IN A PEDIATRIC POPULATION

Abstract Objective The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of retinal detachment and associated anomalies in pediatric patients with chorioretinal colobomas. Design Observational case series. Participants Forty-eight patients (86 eyes) of patients with chorioretinal colobomas followed in two academic pediatric eye clinics were reviewed. Main outcome measures The frequency of associated systemic abnormalities and the prevalence of retinal or choroidal detachment during the follow-up period. Results Forty-eight patients (86 eyes) were identified; ocular involvement ranged from small colobomas with isolated chorioretinal involvement to large colobomas affecting the iris, choroid, retina, and optic nerve. The mean ages at initial and most recent examinations were 27 and 100 months, respectively. Follow-up averaged 6 years, 1 month. Six retinal detachments were found in four patients. Patient ages at the time of detection of retinal detachment were 5 months, 29 months, 10 years, and 15 years. A choroidal detachment was found in a child at age 9 years. The combined prevalence of retinal or choroidal detachment was 10.4% of patients and 8.1% of affected eyes. Thirteen eyes were microphthalmic, and six had microcornea. Eighteen patients (38%) had other systemic abnormalities. Conclusions The 8.1% prevalence of retinal or choroidal detachment among eyes in our series was much smaller than previously cited estimates of 23% to 43%. The higher figures probably reflect a referral bias toward patients with vitreoretinal problems and an older patient population. Because of the acknowledged difficulty of managing retinal detachments in patients with chorioretinal colobomas, emphasis should be directed toward early detection and possible prophylactic therapy. The high proportion of patients who have associated systemic abnormalities indicates the need for thorough evaluation of these children by other pediatric specialists.
A Robust Shallow Temporal Reasoning System

This paper presents a demonstration of a temporal reasoning system that addresses three fundamental tasks related to temporal expressions in text: extraction, normalization to time intervals and comparison. Our system makes use of an existing state-of-the-art temporal extraction system, on top of which we add several important novel contributions. In addition, we demonstrate that our system can perform temporal reasoning by comparing normalized temporal expressions with respect to several temporal relations. Experimental study shows that the system achieves excellent performance on all the tasks we address.