3,254 research outputs found
Dyadic Power Theory, Touch, and Counseling Psychology: A Response to Smith, Vogel, Madon, and Edwards (2011)
Smith, Vogel, Madon, and Edwardsâ (2011) recent article tested dyadic power theory (DPT) by examining the use of touch as a compliance-gaining tactic in the conflicts of married couples. In this response, we raise a methodological issue about the touch behaviors examined by Smith et al. and also pose a theoretical critique that their test of DPT violates an important scope condition of the theory. They did not examine differences between power-equal and power-unequal dyads, but instead they state that topic selection provides an actor with legitimate authority (and thus greater perceived power) and therefore the actor would touch their partner more to influence the partner. In contrast, DPT predicts that actors will use control attempts such as touch more when they are equal in power than when they are unequal. We believe DPT is relevant to touch in marital conflicts and provide a preliminary statement of that idea.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline
Comparison of Disk Diffusion, E-Test, and Broth Microdilution Methods for Testing In Vitro Activity of Cefiderocol in Acinetobacter baumannii
The reference method for cefiderocol antimicrobial susceptibility testing is broth microdilution (BMD) with iron-depleted-Mueller-Hinton (ID-MH) medium, whereas breakpoints recommended for disk diffusion (DD) are based on MH-agar plates. We aimed to compare the performance of the commercial BMD tests ComASP (Liofilchem) and UMIC (Bruker), and DD and E-test using MH- and ID-MH-agar plates with the reference BMD method using 100 carbapenem-resistant-A. baumannii isolates. Standard BMD was performed according to the EUCAST guidelines; DD and E-test were carried out using two commercial MH-agar plates (BioMĂ©rieux and Liofilchem) and an in-house ID-MH-agar plate, while ComASP and UMIC were performed according to the manufacturer's guidelines. DD performed with the ID-MH-agar plates led to a higher categorical agreement (CA, 95.1%) with standard BMD and fewer categorization errors compared to the commercial MH-agar plates (CA BioMĂ©rieux 91.1%, Liofilchem 89.2%). E-test on ID-MH-agar plates exhibited a significantly higher essential agreement (EA, 75%) with standard BMD compared to the two MH-agar plates (EA BioMĂ©rieux 57%, Liofilchem 44%), and showed a higher performance in detecting high-level resistance than ComASP and UMIC (mean log2 difference with standard BMD for resistant isolates of 0.5, 2.83, and 2.08, respectively). In conclusion, DD and E-test on ID-MH-agar plates exhibit a higher diagnostic performance than on MH-agar plates and the commercial BMD methods. Therefore, we recommend using ID-MH-agar plates for cefiderocol susceptibility testing of A. baumannii
"After my husband's circumcision, I know that I am safe from diseases": Women's Attitudes and Risk Perceptions Towards Male Circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania.
While male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission and certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there is little evidence that circumcision provides women with direct protection against HIV. This study used qualitative methods to assess women's perceptions of male circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania. Women in this study had strong preferences for circumcised men because of the low risk perception of HIV with circumcised men, social norms favoring circumcised men, and perceived increased sexual desirability of circumcised men. The health benefits of male circumcision were generally overstated; many respondents falsely believed that women are also directly protected against HIV and that the risk of all STIs is greatly reduced or eliminated in circumcised men. Efforts to engage women about the risks and limitations of male circumcision, in addition to the benefits, should be expanded so that women can accurately assess their risk of HIV or STIs during sexual intercourse with circumcised men
Outbreak investigation including molecular characterization of community associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a primary and secondary school in Eastern Switzerland
At our tertiary children's hospital, infections with newly detected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among children attending primary (age 6-12Â years) and secondary school (age 13-16Â years) nearly doubled in 2018 compared to previous years. This observation initiated an epidemiological outbreak investigation including phenotypic (susceptibility testing) and genotypic (whole genome sequencing) characterization of the isolates. In addition, a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine source of the outbreak, colonization frequency and to identify risk factors for transmission using a questionnaire. As a result, 49 individuals were detected with 57 corresponding isolates. Based on the case definition combined with whole genome sequencing, a core cluster was identified that shared common genetic features and a similar antimicrobial susceptibility pattern (efflux-mediated macrolide resistance, tetracycline susceptibility along with presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin). Epidemiologic evaluation identified a distinct school as a common risk factor. However, the source of the clustered infections within that school could not be further specified. No further cases could be detected after decolonization of infected and colonized children
Controlled assembly of SNAP-PNA-fluorophore systems on DNA templates to produce fluorescence resonance energy transfer
The SNAP protein is a widely used self-labeling tag that can be used for tracking protein localization and trafficking in living systems. A model system providing controlled alignment of SNAP-tag units can provide a new way to study clustering of fusion proteins. In this work, fluorescent SNAP-PNA conjugates were controllably assembled on DNA frameworks forming dimers, trimers, and tetramers. Modification of peptide nucleic acid (PNA) with the O6-benzyl guanine (BG) group allowed the generation of site-selective covalent links between PNA and the SNAP protein. The modified BG-PNAs were labeled with fluorescent Atto dyes and subsequently chemo-selectively conjugated to SNAP protein. Efficient assembly into dimer and oligomer forms was verified via size exclusion chromatography (SEC), electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and fluorescence spectroscopy. DNA directed assembly of homo- and hetero-dimers of SNAP-PNA constructs induced homo- and hetero-FRET, respectively. Longer DNA scaffolds controllably aligned similar fluorescent SNAP-PNA constructs into higher oligomers exhibiting homo-FRET. The combined SEC and homo-FRET studies indicated the 1:1 and saturated assemblies of SNAP-PNA-fluorophore:DNA formed preferentially in this system. This suggested a kinetic/stoichiometric model of assembly rather than binomially distributed products. These BG-PNA-fluorophore building blocks allow facile introduction of fluorophores and/or assembly directing moieties onto any protein containing SNAP. Template directed assembly of PNA modified SNAP proteins may be used to investigate clustering behavior both with and without fluorescent labels which may find use in the study of assembly processes in cells
From Teamchef Arminius to Hermann Junior: glocalised discourse about a national foundation myth
If for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the âBattle of the Teutoburg Forestâ, fought in 9 CE between Roman armies and Germanic tribes, was predominantly a reference point for nationalist and chauvinist discourses in Germany, the first decade of the twenty-first century has seen attempts to link public remembrance with local/regional identities on the one hand and international/intercultural contact on the other. In the run up to and during the âanniversary yearâ of 2009, German media, sports institutions and various other official institutions articulating tourist, economic and political interests attempted to create a new âglocalisedâ version of the public memory of the Teutoburg battle. Combining methods of Cognitive Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis, the paper analyses the narrative and argumentative topoi employed in this re-orientation of public memory, with a special emphasis on hybrid, post-national identity-construction. Das zweitausendjĂ€hrige Gedenkjahr der âSchlacht im Teutoburger Waldâ im Jahr 2009 bot eine gĂŒnstige Gelegenheit, die bis in die zweite HĂ€lfte des 20. Jahrhunderts dominante Tradition nationalistischâchauvinistischer Deutungen des Sieges von germanischen StĂ€mmen ĂŒber drei römische Legionen zu korrigieren und zu ĂŒberwinden. Der Aufsatz analysiert mit Hilfe diskurslinguistischer Methoden die Anstrengungen regionaler Institutionen und Medien, die nationale Vereinnahmung des historischen Gedenkens kritisch zu thematisieren sowie neue, zum eine lokal situierte, zum andern international orientierte Identifikationsangebote anzubieten. Die Analyse zeigt, dass solche âde-nationalisiertenâ Identifikationsangebote zwar teilweise auch frĂŒher verwendet wurden, aber heutzutage rekontextualisiert und auf innovative Weise in den Vordergrund gestellt werden
Measurement of the cross-section ratio sigma_{psi(2S)}/sigma_{J/psi(1S)} in deep inelastic exclusive ep scattering at HERA
The exclusive deep inelastic electroproduction of and
at an centre-of-mass energy of 317 GeV has been studied with the ZEUS
detector at HERA in the kinematic range GeV,
GeV and GeV, where is the photon virtuality, is the
photon-proton centre-of-mass energy and is the squared four-momentum
transfer at the proton vertex. The data for GeV were taken in
the HERA I running period and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 114
pb. The data for GeV are from both HERA I and HERA II
periods and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 468 pb. The decay
modes analysed were and for the
and for the . The cross-section ratio
has been measured as a function of
and . The results are compared to predictions of QCD-inspired
models of exclusive vector-meson production.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure
Combined QCD and electroweak analysis of HERA data
A simultaneous fit of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and electroweak
parameters to HERA data on deep inelastic scattering is presented. The input
data are the neutral current and charged current inclusive cross sections which
were previously used in the QCD analysis leading to the HERAPDF2.0 PDFs. In
addition, the polarisation of the electron beam was taken into account for the
ZEUS data recorded between 2004 and 2007. Results on the vector and
axial-vector couplings of the Z boson to u- and d-type quarks, on the value of
the electroweak mixing angle and the mass of the W boson are presented. The
values obtained for the electroweak parameters are in agreement with Standard
Model predictions.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. D. Small corrections
from proofing process and small change to Fig. 12 and Table
Limits on the effective quark radius from inclusive scattering at HERA
The high-precision HERA data allows searches up to TeV scales for Beyond the
Standard Model contributions to electron-quark scattering. Combined
measurements of the inclusive deep inelastic cross sections in neutral and
charged current scattering corresponding to a luminosity of around 1
fb have been used in this analysis. A new approach to the beyond the
Standard Model analysis of the inclusive data is presented; simultaneous
fits of parton distribution functions together with contributions of "new
physics" processes were performed. Results are presented considering a finite
radius of quarks within the quark form-factor model. The resulting 95% C.L.
upper limit on the effective quark radius is cm.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Lett.
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