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The study aims to investigate the normal and oblique impact of an elastic sphere (tennis ball) on a granular surface (clay) and two different plastic tape lines. In this research, we model the impact force with a mathematical elastoplastic force model, and a differential approach is used. The model is applied for an impact with granular material (green clay) and plastic surfaces (line tapes). We investigated the normal and oblique impact dynamics of a sphere (tennis ball). The impact duration is divided into two phases: compression with an elastoplastic force and restitution with an elastic force. The laboratory experiments in various configurations are recorded with a high frame-per-second camera and analyzed using image processing methods. The mathematical model for the impact with rebounds is verified with the experimental set-up for the considered surfaces. The viscoelastic and elastic forces agree well with the experimental data. The impact parameters of the granular surface and plastic tapes are compared. The ANOVA test suggests robust statistical significance in the coefficient of restitution between granular surfaces and plastic tapes. Our force model for impact performs well, and the impact responses of the sphere on the granular surface and the plastic line tapes are significantly different.

Binzhi Dan,* Heping Dai,* Dangui Zhou, Hongfang Tong, Mei Zhu Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Affiliated Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Chaohu, Anhui, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Mei Zhu, Tel +86 551 8232 4254, Email meizhu532@sina.comObjective: To conduct epidemiological analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) with hypervirulence, and to investigate its drug resistance phenotype, Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBLs) gene, virulence factor, capsular serotype and biofilm formation, so as to provide theoretical basis for further understanding of the drug resistance mechanism of K. pneumoniae with hypervirulence.Methods: K. Pneumoniae were isolated from clinical samples collected from inpatients. All strains were identified by VITEK2 Compact using fully automatic microbial analyzer, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics was determined by microbroth dilution test. The double disk diffusion method was used to detect the production of ESBLs, modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) was used to detect the production of carbapenemase, and hypermucoviscosity phenotype was detected by wire drawing test. PCR was used to detect ESBLs gene, virulence factor and capsular serotype. Crystal violet staining was used to detect the ability of biofilm formation.Results: The ESBLs genes detected in this study included strains blaTEM 35 (36.5%), blaSHV 51 (53.1%), and blaCTX-M 49 (51.0%). Most strains carried multiple ESBLs genes, but not all of them produce ESBLs. K1 and K2 accounted for 14.6% and 11.5% respectively. Most (91.7%) strains carried the fimH gene, and the other virulence genes were ybtS (53.1%), entB (46.9%), rmpA (41.7%), aerobactin (32.3%), allS (15.6%), kfu (15.6%). Of all the Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, 33 (34.4%) exhibited ESBLs phenotype, 16 (16.7%) were carbapenemase-producing, and 20 (20.8%) with ESBLs phenotype tested were resistant to all four drugs. The correlation between ESBLs-producing strains and biofilm formation was significantly increased compared to strains without ESBLs phenotype (P=0.035).Conclusion: Compared to hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP), classical Klebsiella pneumoniae (cKP) has a tendency to acquire antibiotic resistance. Our study showed that genes encoding rmpA, K1 or K2, and kfu were highly associated with hvKP.Keywords: Klebsiella pneumoniae, antimicrobial resistance, hypermucoviscosity, virulence factors, epidemiology

Farmers, veterinarians and other animal health managers in the livestock sector are currently missing sufficient information on prevalence and burden of contagious endemic animal diseases. They need adequate tools for risk assessment and prioritization of control measures for these diseases. The DECIDE project develops data-driven decision-support tools, which present (i) robust and early signals of disease emergence and options for diagnostic confirmation; and (ii) options for controlling the disease along with their implications in terms of disease spread, economic burden and animal welfare. DECIDE focuses on respiratory and gastro-intestinal syndromes in the three most important terrestrial livestock species (pigs, poultry, cattle) and on reduced growth and mortality in two of the most important aquaculture species (salmon and trout). For each of these, we (i) identify the stakeholder needs; (ii) determine the burden of disease and costs of control measures; (iii) develop data sharing frameworks based on federated data access and meta-information sharing; (iv) build multivariate and multi-level models for creating early warning systems; and (v) rank interventions based on multiple criteria. Together, all of this forms decision-support tools to be integrated in existing farm management systems wherever possible and to be evaluated in several pilot implementations in farms across Europe. The results of DECIDE lead to improved use of surveillance data and evidence-based decisions on disease control. Improved disease control is essential for a sustainable food chain in Europe with increased animal health and welfare and that protects human health.

Diagnostic criteria for compulsive buying shopping disorder were recently proposed based on a Delphi consensus study including 138 experts from 35 countries. The present study represents a secondary analysis of those data. To provide further support for the validity of expert responses in the Delphi study, the sample was retrospectively divided into clinician and researcher subgroups. The two groups were compared with respect to demographic variables, their importance ratings of clinical features, possible diagnostic criteria, differential diagnoses and specifiers of compulsive buying shopping disorder. Researchers reported less years of treating/assessing individuals with compulsive buying shopping disorder and stated that they have treated/assessed individuals with compulsive buying shopping disorder less often in the last 12 months than clinicians. Responses from the two groups concerning the importance ratings of possible diagnostic criteria of compulsive buying shopping disorder converged with only few minor differences with small to moderate group effects. However, even for those criteria, the consensus threshold (≥75% agreement with the proposed criterion) was reached in both groups. The lack of differences in the responses of the two groups indicates good validity for the proposed diagnostic criteria. Future research should address the clinical applicability and diagnostic validity of the criteria.

This article examines the subjective perspectives of faculty and staff on the purpose of a college education. A Q sample administered to 50 professors and staff at a small religiously affiliated university in the Midwest resulted in five factors indicating 5 different subjective understandings of the purpose of education. The five perspectives included Learning and Religion, Intellectual Development, Jobs and Vocations, The Engaged University, and Character and Wisdom. When such pluralism exists on an issue like this, it is likely the educational process will be affected significantly. Certainly, divergence on the purpose of education makes the development of a meaningful assessment program problematic. Q methodology helps to uncover these subjective and hard to measure differences as well as areas of consensus and makes them public for consideration.

The periodic impact of a planar two-arm robot is investigated in this study. Lagrange’s equations of motion are developed, and the symbolic expression of the generalized active forces are used for the control torques. The actuator torques derived with generalized active forces are compared with PD and PID controllers. The robot collides with a rebound on a rough surface. Different nonlinear functions describe the three stages of the impact: elastic compression, elasto-plastic compression, and elastic restitution. A Coulomb model describes the friction force and the sliding velocity at the impact point. At the end of the impact period, the kinetic energy of the non-impacting link is increasing, and the total kinetic energy of the robot decreases. The motion of the robot with generalized active forces controllers is periodic. The important implication of this study is the generalized forces controller and the impact with friction for the periodic robot.

Abstract Background The Massachusetts General Hospital is a large, quaternary care institution with 58 operating rooms, 164 anesthesiologists, 76 certified nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), an anesthesiology residency program that admits 25 residents annually, and 35 surgeons who perform laparoscopic, vaginal, and open hysterectomies. In March of 2018, our institution launched an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway for patients undergoing hysterectomy. To implement the anesthesia bundle of this pathway, an intensive 14-month educational endeavor was created and put into effect. There were no subsequent additional educational interventions. Methods We retrospectively reviewed records of 2570 patients who underwent hysterectomy between October 2016 and March 2020 to determine adherence to the anesthesia bundle of the ERAS Hysterectomy pathway. RESULTS: Increased adherence to the four elements of the anesthesia bundle (p

Abstract Background Genome-wide association studies have established clusterin (CLU) as a genetic modifier for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Both protective and risk alleles have been identified which may be associated with its expression levels. However, the physiological function of clusterin in the central nervous system remains largely unknown. Methods We examined Clu expression in mouse brains by immunohistochemistry and high-resolution imaging. We performed electrophysiological recordings and morphological analysis of dendritic spines in wild-type and Clu knockout mice. We tested synaptic function of astrocytic Clu using neuron-glia co-cultures and by AAV-mediated astroglial Clu expression in vivo. Finally, we investigated the role of astrocytic Clu on synaptic properties and amyloid pathology in 5xFAD transgenic mouse model of AD. Results We show that astrocyte secreted Clu co-localizes with presynaptic puncta of excitatory neurons. Loss of Clu led to impaired presynaptic function and reduced spine density in vivo. Neurons co-cultured with Clu-overexpressing astrocytes or treated with conditioned media from HEK293 cells transfected with Clu displayed enhanced excitatory neurotransmission. AAV-mediated astroglial Clu expression promoted excitatory neurotransmission in wild-type mice and rescued synaptic deficits in Clu knockout mice. Overexpression of Clu in the astrocytes of 5xFAD mice led to reduced Aβ pathology and fully rescued the synaptic deficits. Conclusion We identify Clu as an astrocyte-derived synaptogenic and anti-amyloid factor; the combination of these activities may influence the progression of late-onset AD.

Cover crops (CCs) can reduce nitrogen (N) loss to subsurface drainage and can be reimagined as bioenergy crops for renewable natural gas production and carbon (C) benefits (fossil fuel substitution and C storage). Little information is available on the large-scale adoption of winter rye for these purposes. To investigate the impacts in the North Central US, we used the Root Zone Water Quality Model to simulate corn-soybean rotations with and without winter rye across 40 sites. The simulations were interpolated across a five-state area (IA, IL, IN, MN, and OH) with counties in the Mississippi River basin, which consists of ∼8 million ha with potential for rye CCs on artificially drained corn-soybean fields (more than 63 million ha total). Harvesting fertilized rye CCs before soybean planting in this area can reduce N loads to the Gulf of Mexico by 27% relative to no CCs, and provide 18 million Mg yr ^−1 of biomass-equivalent to 0.21 EJ yr ^−1 of biogas energy content or 3.5 times the 2022 US cellulosic biofuel production. Capturing the CO _2 in biogas from digesting rye in the region and sequestering it in underground geologic reservoirs could mitigate 7.5 million Mg CO _2 yr ^−1 . Nine clusters of counties (hotspots) were identified as an example of implementing rye as an energy CC on an industrial scale where 400 Gg yr ^−1 of rye could be sourced within a 121 km radius. Hotspots consisted of roughly 20% of the region’s area and could provide ∼50% of both the N loss reduction and rye biomass. These results suggest that large-scale energy CC adoption would substantially contribute to the goals of reducing N loads to the Gulf of Mexico, increasing bioenergy production, and providing C benefits.

Abstract Background The first Canadian outbreak of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) was identified in 2004 in Calgary, Alberta. Using a novel model of MRSA population-based surveillance, sociodemographic risk associations, yearly geospatial dissemination and prevalence of CA-MRSA infections over an 11 year period was identified in an urban healthcare jurisdiction of Calgary. Methods Positive MRSA case records, patient demographics and laboratory data were obtained from a centralized Laboratory Information System of Calgary Laboratory Services in Calgary, Alberta, Canada between 2004 and 2014. Public census data was obtained from Statistics Canada, which was used to match with laboratory data and mapped using Geographic Information Systems. Results During the study period, 52.5% of positive MRSA infections in Calgary were CA-MRSA cases. The majority were CMRSA10 (USA300) clones (94.1%; n = 4255), while the remaining case (n = 266) were CMRSA7 (USA400) clones. Period prevalence of CMRSA10 increased from 3.6 cases/100000 population in 2004, to 41.3 cases/100000 population in 2014. Geospatial analysis demonstrated wide dissemination of CMRSA10 annually in the city. Those who are English speaking (RR = 0.05, p

Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo are monitoring the sky and collecting gravitational-wave strain data with sufficient sensitivity to detect signals routinely. In this paper we describe the data recorded by these instruments during their first and second observing runs. The main data products are gravitational-wave strain time series sampled at 16384 Hz. The datasets that include this strain measurement can be freely accessed through the Gravitational Wave Open Science Center at http://gw-openscience.org, together with data-quality information essential for the analysis of LIGO and Virgo data, documentation, tutorials, and supporting software.

Nonlinear dynamics behavior of the roller follower is discussed for different follower guides’ internal dimensions and cam angular speeds. A dynamic tool such as Wolf algorithm is used to extract largest Lyapunov exponent parameter. Positive value of Lyapunov exponent parameter indicates non-periodic motion and chaos. The influence of flank curvature of the cam profile on the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the roller follower is investigated. Impulse and momentum theory is used to describe the impact phenomenon based on the contact force between the follower and its guides. Contact parameters such as exponent, sliding contact velocity, contact bodies stiffness, penetration, and damping ratio are used in SolidWorks software to simulate follower movement numerically. Experiment setup has been done by taking into consideration the use of an infrared three-dimensional camera device through a high precision optical sensor. The follower motion is non-periodic when the cross-linking of phase-plane diagram diverges with no limit of spiral cycles.

Knowledge of optimal technical performance is used to determine match strategy and the design of training programs. Previous studies in men's soccer have identified certain technical characteristics that are related to success. These studies however, have relative limited sample sizes or limited ranges of performance indicators, which may have limited the analytical approaches that were used. Research in women's soccer and our understanding of optimal technical performance, is even more limited (n = 3). Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify technical determinants of match outcome in the women's game and to compare analytical approaches using a large sample size (n = 1390 team performances) and range of variables (n = 450). Three different analytical approaches (i.e. combinations of technical performance variables) were used, a data-driven approach, a rational approach and an approach based on the literature in men's soccer. Match outcome was modelled using variables from each analytical approach, using generalised linear modelling and decision trees. It was found that the rational and data-driven approaches outperformed the literature-driven approach in predicting match outcome. The strongest determinants of match outcome were; scoring first, intentional assists relative to the opponent, the percentage of shots on goal saved by the goalkeeper relative to the opponent, shots on goal relative to the opponent and the percentage of duels that are successful. Moreover the rational and data-driven approach achieved higher prediction accuracies than comparable studies about men's soccer.

Abstract Background Multiresistant bacteria (MRB) is an increasing problem. Early identification of patients with MRB is mandatory to avoid transmission and to target the antibiotic treatment. The emergency department (ED) is a key player in the early identification of patients who are colonized with MRB. There is currently sparse knowledge of both prevalence and risk factors for colonization with MRSA, ESBL, VRE, CPE and CD in acutely admitted patients in Western European countries including Denmark. To develop evidence-based screening tools for identifying carriers of resistant bacteria among acutely admitted patients, systematic collection of information on risk factors and exposures is required. Since a geographical variation is suspected, it is desirable to include emergency departments across the country. The aim of this project is to provide a comprehensive overview of prevalence and risk factors for MRSA, ESBL, VRE, CPE and CD colonization in patients admitted to Danish ED’s. The objectives are to describe the prevalence and demography of resistance, co-infections, to identify risk factors for carrier state and to develop and validate a screening tool for identification of carriers. Methods Multicenter descriptive and analytic cross-sectional survey from January–May 2018 of around 10.000 acutely admitted patients > 18 years in 8 EDs for carrier state and risk factors for antibiotic resistant bacteria. Information about the background and possible risk factors for carrier status together with swabs from the nose, throat and rectum is collected and analyzed for MRSA, ESBL, VRE, CPE and CD. The prevalence of the resistant bacteria are calculated at hospital level, regional level and national level and described with relation to residency, sex, age and risk factors. A screening model for identification of carrier stage of resistant bacteria is developed and validated. Discussion The study will provide the prevalence of colonized patients with resistant bacteria on arrival to the ED and variation in demographic patterns, and will develop a clinical tool to identify certain risk groups. This will enable the clinician to target antibiotic treatments and to reduce the in-hospital spreading of resistant bacteria. This knowledge is important for implementing and evaluating antimicrobial stewardships, screening and infection control strategies. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03352167 (registration date: 20. November 2017).

Abstract It has already been shown that the gravitational waves emitted from a Schwarzschild black hole in f(R) gravity have no signatures of the modification of gravity from General Relativity, as the Regge–Wheeler equation remains invariant. In this paper we consider the perturbations of Ricci scalar in a vacuum Schwarzschild spacetime, which is unique to higher order theories of gravity and is absent in General Relativity. We show that the equation that governs these perturbations can be reduced to a Volterra integral equation. We explicitly calculate the reflection coefficients for the Ricci scalar perturbations, when they are scattered by the black hole potential barrier. Our analysis shows that a larger fraction of these Ricci scalar waves are reflected compared to the gravitational waves. This may provide a novel observational signature for fourth order gravity.

Introduction Resident physicians may have difficulty with identifying and managing pediatric septic shock due to limited patient encounters. Simulation-based interventions can enhance competency. We developed a low-fidelity tabletop simulation game to teach pediatric septic shock and compared residents' knowledge of and comfort with recognition and management of septic shock. Methods Pediatric and emergency medicine residents participated in an education session involving a low-fidelity, tabletop simulation in which they managed two simulated pediatric patients with septic shock. The two patients were a 12-year-old healthy male with cold shock due to a urinary tract infection and a 5-year-old female with a history of leukemia who developed warm shock due to pneumonia. Because this session was presented as a board game rather than high-fidelity simulation, learners focused on decision making rather than the mechanics of procedures. Residents completed a survey and a knowledge-based test before and after this session. Results Twenty-three pediatric and nine emergency medicine residents participated. Correct responses for the preintervention test were 71%, compared with 83% postintervention. The difference in rates was 12% (95% confidence interval, −0.17 to −0.07; p < .0001). Residents rated this modality as being more useful than lectures or reading and as equivalent to bedside teaching and high-fidelity simulation. Discussion Our pilot low-fidelity simulation improved resident knowledge and comfort with pediatric septic shock care. Further studies are needed to address the impact of low-fidelity simulations on patient outcomes.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a horse hoof wall on three solid surfaces: steel, concrete and asphalt. Impact experiments were conducted for different impact angles and different initial impact velocities. The effect of impact surfaces, impact angles and initial impact velocities on the coefficient of restitution and the effective coefficient of friction were tested using one-way ANOVA. Analytical and numerical modeling of the impact were developed. The impact interval was divided into two phases: compression and restitution. For compression, a contact force with a damping term was used. The restitution was characterized by an elastic contact force. The stiffness and damping coefficients of the contact force were estimated from the normal impacts. The simulated velocities after the oblique impacts were compared to the velocities in the in vitro investigation. The coefficient of restitution varied significantly on different surfaces. The effective coefficient of friction was lower on steel compared to concrete and asphalt. The model presented in this study can be applied to refine the impact simulation of the equine hoof during locomotion.

Non-degenerative pathoanatomical changes are far less common than degenerative changes but benefi ts most from imaging assessment. This study aimed to evaluate the non-degenerative pathoanatomical changes in patients undergoing MRI for low back pain. The study was a retrospective study conducted for the duration of 3 years in a multimodality-imaging center. All patients undergoing MRI of lumbosacral spine with complains of low back pain with or without radiculopathy were assessed for morphological changes and other abnormal fi ndings. After excluding patients with degenerative changes, non-degenerative pathologies were evaluated. Data was entered in predesigned proforma and analysis was done with SPSS 21.0. There were 183 patients who met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 51.23 ±16.86 years. Compression fracture of the vertebra was the most common non-degenerative changes accounting for 34% cases followed by spinal meningeal cysts (26%) and infection (14%). Fractures were more common in upper lumbar level as compared to lower lumbar levels. Meningeal cysts were noted to involve the sacral spinal canal more frequently followed by lower lumbar levels. Infective lesions were equally distributed throughout the lumbar spine. Hemangioma was common lesion involving 16% of cases. Lumbosacral transitional vertebra was seen in 7(3.8%) patients. The common non-degenerative pathoanatomical changes associated with low back pain were traumatic lesion, infection, neoplastic lesion and lumbosacral transitional vertebra.

Background & Objectives: The most common etiology of neck pain is degenerative disc disease, however non-degenerative disease can be important cause of neck pain. This study aims to study the non-degenerative findings in cervical MRI in symptomatic patients with neck and radicular pain.Materials & Methods: The study was a institutional record based retrospective study performed for the duration of 3 years. MRI performed for patients with neck pain and/ or radiculopathy were reviewed. Patients with post operative findings were excluded from the study. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 21.0.Results: A total of 721 MRI were performed for neck pain and radiculopathy, among which 91 (12.13%) cases had non-degenerative changes. Most common non degenerative change was traumatic lesions followed by neoplastic lesions and syrinx. Traumatic lesions were more common in males as compared to females. Infection was more common in females as compared to males. C5 and C6 vertebrae were most common vertebra involved in trauma and infection. Some cases like signal change in spinal cord, and syrinx were also noted in our study.Conclusion: Non degenerative cause of neck pain were less common but important cause of neck pain. Traumatic lesions were the most common cause of non degenerative neck pain.Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, Vol.11(4) 2015: 20-23

This article presents a method to solve the impact of a kinematic chain in terms of a non-linear contact force. The nonlinear contact force has different expressions for elastic compression, elasto-plastic compression, and elastic restitution. Lagrange equations of motion are used to obtain the non-linear equations of motion with friction for the collision period. The kinetic energy during the impact is compared with the pre-impact kinetic energy. During the impact of a double pendulum the kinetic energy of the non-impacting link is increasing and the total kinetic energy of the impacting link is decreasing.

A 49-year-old female six days post-endometrial biopsy presented to the emergency department with constant severe suprapubic abdominal pain, fevers and myalgia. A contrasted computed tomography noted an intrauterine fluid collection and a final diagnosis of pyometra was made in the operating room following total hysterectomy. Pyometra is an exceptionally rare clinical condition with significant mortality.

The “Assessment Movement” in higher education has generated some of the most wide-ranging and heated discussions that the academy has experienced in a while. On the one hand, accrediting agencies, prospective and current clientele, and the public-at-large have a clear vested interest in ensuring that colleges and universities actually deliver on the student learning outcomes that they promise. Anything less would be tantamount to a failure of institutional accountability if not outright fraud. On the other hand, it is no secret that efforts to foster a “culture of assessment” among institutions of higher learning have frequently encountered resistance, particularly on the part of faculty unconvinced that the aspirations of the assessment movement are in fact achievable. One consequence of this tension is the emergence of an embryonic literature devoted to the study of processes that monitor, enhance, or deter the cultivation of a “culture of assessment” with sufficient buy-in among all institutional stakeholders, faculty included. Despite employment of a wide-ranging host of research methods in this literature, a significant number of large unresolved issues remain, making it difficult to determine just how close to a consensual, culture of assessment we have actually come. Because one critical lesson of extant research in this area is that “metrics matter,” we approach the subjective controversy over outcomes assessment through an application of Q methodology. Accordingly, we comb the vast “concourse” on assessment that has emerged among stakeholders recently to generate a 50 item Q sample representative of the diverse subjectivity at issue. Forty faculty and administrators from several different institutions completed the Q-sort which resulted in two strong factors: the Anti-Assessment Stalwarts and the Defenders of the Faith . Suggestions are offered regarding strategies for reconciling these “dueling narratives” on outcomes assessment.

An outbreak of Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare, potentially blinding, corneal infection, was detected in the United States in 2007; cases had been increasing since 2004. A case–control study was conducted to investigate the outbreak. We interviewed 105 case-patients from 30 states and 184 controls matched geographically and by contact lens use. Available contact lenses, cases, solutions, and corneal specimens from case-patients were cultured and tested by molecular methods. In multivariate analyses, case-patients had significantly greater odds of having used Advanced Medical Optics Complete Moisture Plus (AMOCMP) solution (odds ratio 16.9, 95% confidence interval 4.8–59.5). AMOCMP manufacturing lot information was available for 22 case-patients, but none of the lots were identical. Three unopened bottles of AMOCMP tested negative for Acanthamoeba spp. Our findings suggest that the solution was not intrinsically contaminated and that its anti-Acanthamoeba efficacy was insufficient. Premarket standardized testing of contact lens solutions for activity against Acanthamoeba spp. is warranted.

The resistance force of the granular matter is modeled as a linear superposition of a static (quadratic depth-dependent) resistance force and a dynamic (quadratic velocity-dependent) frictional force. The impact is defined from the moment the end point of the system comes in contact with the granular matter surface until the vertical linear velocity of the end point is zero. The variables of interest are the final depth at the end of the penetration phase and the stopping time. The results for a two-link kinematic chain with two points of contact were compared to the results obtained by applying the resistance force formulation developed to corresponding CAD simulation models. The results revealed that the final displacement increases with initial velocity, while the stopping time decreases. The sensitivity to the initial velocity was studied and an improvement to the resistance force formulated as a result. A series of expressions are proposed for the resistance force coefficients.

Background: Prediction of the optimal habitat conditions for a given bacterium, based on genome sequence alone would be of value for scientific as well as industrial purposes. One example of such a habitat adaptation is the requirement for oxygen. In spite of good genome data availability, there have been only a few prediction attempts of bacterial oxygen requirements, using genome sequences. Here, we describe a method for distinguishing aerobic, anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria, based on genome sequence-derived input, using naive Bayesian inference. In contrast, other studies found in literature only demonstrate the ability to distinguish two classes at a time. Results: The results shown in the present study are as good as or better than comparable methods previously described in the scientific literature, with an arguably simpler method, when results are directly compared. This method further compares the performance of a single-step naive Bayesian prediction of the three included classifications, compared to a simple Bayesian network with two steps. A two-step network, distinguishing first respiring from non-respiring organisms, followed by the distinction of aerobe and facultative anaerobe organisms within the respiring group, is found to perform best. Conclusions: A simple naive Bayesian network based on the presence or absence of specific protein domains within a genome is an effective and easy way to predict bacterial habitat preferences, such as oxygen requirement.

How humans produce cognitively driven fine motor movements is a question of fundamental importance in how we interact with the world around us. For example, we are exposed to a constant stream of information and we must select the information that is most relevant by which to guide our actions. In the present study, we employed a well-known behavioral assay called the Simon task to better understand how humans are able to learn to filter out irrelevant information. We trained subjects for four days with a visual stimulus presented, alternately, in central and lateral locations. Subjects responded with one hand moving a joystick in either the left or right direction. They were instructed to ignore the irrelevant location information and respond based on color (e.g. red to the right and green to the left). On the fifth day, an additional testing session was conducted where the task changed and the subjects had to respond by shape (e.g. triangle to the right and rectangle to the left). They were instructed to ignore the color and location, and respond based solely on the task relevant shape. We found that the magnitude of the Simon effect decreases with training, however it returns in the first few trials after a break. Furthermore, task-defined associations between response direction and color did not significantly affect the Simon effect based on shape, and no significant associative learning from the specific stimulus-response features was found for the centrally located stimuli. We discuss how these results are consistent with a model involving route suppression/gating of the irrelevant location information. Much of the learning seems to be driven by subjects learning to suppress irrelevant location information, however, this seems to be an active inhibition process that requires a few trials of experience to engage.

Most yeast ribosomal protein genes are duplicated and their characterization has led to hypotheses regarding the existence of specialized ribosomes with different subunit composition or specifically-tailored functions. In yeast, ribosomal protein genes are generally duplicated and evidence has emerged that paralogs might have specific roles. Unlike yeast, most mammalian ribosomal proteins are thought to be encoded by a single gene copy, raising the possibility that heterogenous populations of ribosomes are unique to yeast. Here, we examine the roles of the mammalian Rpl22, finding that Rpl22(-/-) mice have only subtle phenotypes with no significant translation defects. We find that in the Rpl22(-/-) mouse there is a compensatory increase in Rpl22-like1 (Rpl22l1) expression and incorporation into ribosomes. Consistent with the hypothesis that either ribosomal protein can support translation, knockdown of Rpl22l1 impairs growth of cells lacking Rpl22. Mechanistically, Rpl22 regulates Rpl22l1 directly by binding to an internal hairpin structure and repressing its expression. We propose that ribosome specificity may exist in mammals, providing evidence that one ribosomal protein can influence composition of the ribosome by regulating its own paralog.

In this study, the experimental and the simulation results for a planar free link impacting a granular medium are analyzed. The resistance force of the granular medium on the body from the moment of the impact until the body stops is very important. Horizontal and vertical static resistance forces developed by theoretical and empirical approaches are considered. The penetrating depth of the impacting end of the free link increases with the increase of the initial impacting velocity. We define the stopping time as the time interval from the moment of impact until the vertical velocity of the link end is zero. The stopping time of the end decreases as the initial velocity increases. The faster the end of the link impacts the surface of the granular medium, the sooner it will come to a stop. This phenomenon involves how rapidly a free link strikes the granular medium and how it slows down upon contact.