An Examination of Cognitive Biases and Imagery in Perfectionism

This present research explores the relationship between perfectionism and the tendency for individuals to focus their attention towards, and interpret ambiguous information as, stimuli that signals failure. The relationship between perfectionism, repetitive negative thinking, imagery and psychological distress was also explored. Perfectionism was associated with an increased likelihood to focus on failure, interpret ambiguous information in way that indicated failure, and were more likely to experience distress due to intrusive images about the future

The Effects of Cupping vs. Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Hamstring Flexibility

The hamstring muscles are a vital muscle group for many sports as they use eccentric contractions to provide dynamic stability that assists the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in preventing forward translation of the tibia. Because of the high biomechanical stresses placed on this muscle group, it often is strained, resulting in a buildup of scar tissue in the muscle. The scar tissue may restrict ROM and prolong the healing process or predispose the athlete to reinjury. Cupping therapy and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) are both used by clinicians to break up these adhesions and thus increase hamstring flexibility. The purpose of this study is to directly compare the effects of cupping therapy and IASTM on hamstring flexibility in healthy individuals. If both interventions result in similar scores, cupping therapy can be considered more effective in clinical application due to its comparatively lower cost and clinician time commitment. There was no significant difference in active AKE scores over time for either treatment group. There were also no significant differences in active AKE scores between the two treatment groups. Because there were no significant differences in AKE scores between the two groups, we must conclude that cupping is not more effective than IASTM at increasing active AKE scores

Expression, Purification, Crystallization and Preliminary X-Ray Analysis of \u3cem\u3ePseudomonas aeuginosa\u3c/em\u3e AlgX

AlgX is a periplasmic protein required for the production of the exopolysaccharide alginate in Pseudomonas sp. and Azotobacter vinelandii. AlgX has been overexpressed and purified and diffraction-quality crystals have been grown using iterative seeding and the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method. The crystals grew as flat plates with unit-cell parameters a=46.4, b=120.6, c=86.9Å, β=95.7°. The cyrstals exhibited the symmetry of space group P21 and diffracted to a minimimum d-spacing of 2.1Å. On the basis of the Matthews coefficient (VM=2.25Å3 Da-1), two molecules were estimated to be present in the asymmetric unit

Integral Formation for the Engineering for Peace from a Systemic and Interdisciplinary Perspective

Purpose: the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of South Florida (USF), the Ibero-American Science & Technology Education Consortium (ISTEC) and the Complex Systems and Education (SCED), under the R&D ISTEC initiative, have developed a comprehensive electrical engineer formation model based on the Adaptive Complex Systems approach that responds to the challenges of the contemporary society (presented at WEEF 2012). The purpose of this paper is to show an application reference of the model in the development of ethical competences in the formation of the engineer for peace from a systemic and trans-disciplinary approach, integrating academia, industry and the community. Method: a sequence of three progressive levels of one credit-hour courses for the Professional Formation of the Engineer (PRF) that integrate ethical competences focused on the being, the knowledge and the know-how. It includes individual and team work, resolution of case studies, simulations, ethics presentations, ethical practices, proposals writing, visits to industry and networking with successful industry professionals. Results: graduates linked to the newly created True-Partner Network demonstrate their behavior integrity, responsibility, ability to interact respectfully with others and accepting differences in favor of general interests. Conclusion: the ethical values of peace engineer must be formed through a systematic inter/multi/trans-disciplinary pedagogical approach connected to the labor sector throughout the Bachelor's program.Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortiu

Biosynthesis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Extracellular Polysaccharides, Alginate, Pel, and Psl

Pseudomonas aeruginosa thrives in many aqueous environments and is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause both acute and chronic infections. Environmental conditions and host defenses cause differing stresses on the bacteria, and to survive in vastly different environments, P. aeruginosa must be able to adapt to its surroundings. One strategy for bacterial adaptation is to self-encapsulate with matrix material, primarily composed of secreted extracellular polysaccharides. P. aeruginosa has the genetic capacity to produce at least three secreted polysaccharides; alginate, Psl, and Pel. These polysaccharides differ in chemical structure and in their biosynthetic mechanisms. Since alginate is often associated with chronic pulmonary infections, its biosynthetic pathway is the best characterized. However, alginate is only produced by a subset of P. aeruginosa strains. Most environmental and other clinical isolates secrete either Pel or Psl. Little information is available on the biosynthesis of these polysaccharides. Here, we review the literature on the alginate biosynthetic pathway, with emphasis on recent findings describing the structure of alginate biosynthetic proteins. This information combined with the characterization of the domain architecture of proteins encoded on the Psl and Pel operons allowed us to make predictive models for the biosynthesis of these two polysaccharides. The results indicate that alginate and Pel share certain features, including some biosynthetic proteins with structurally or functionally similar properties. In contrast, Psl biosynthesis resembles the EPS/CPS capsular biosynthesis pathway of Escherichia coli, where the Psl pentameric subunits are assembled in association with an isoprenoid lipid carrier. These models and the environmental cues that cause the cells to produce predominantly one polysaccharide over the others are subjects of current investigation