High order magnon bound states in the quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet α\alpha-NaMnO2_2

Here we report on the formation of two and three magnon bound states in the quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnet $\alpha$-NaMnO$_2$, where the single-ion, uniaxial anisotropy inherent to the Mn$^{3+}$ ions in this material provides a binding mechanism capable of stabilizing higher order magnon bound states. While such states have long remained elusive in studies of antiferromagnetic chains, neutron scattering data presented here demonstrate that higher order $n>2$ composite magnons exist, and, specifically, that a weak three-magnon bound state is detected below the antiferromagnetic ordering transition of NaMnO$_2$. We corroborate our findings with exact numerical simulations of a one-dimensional Heisenberg chain with easy-axis anisotropy using matrix-product state techniques, finding a good quantitative agreement with the experiment. These results establish $\alpha$-NaMnO$_2$ as a unique platform for exploring the dynamics of composite magnon states inherent to a classical antiferromagnetic spin chain with Ising-like single ion anisotropy.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Investigating the construct and concurrent validity of the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire with intensive care unit patients and home sleepers

Background: Sleep is vital to our wellbeing. Critically ill patients are vulnerable with effects of sleep deprivation including weakened immune function, decreased glucose tolerance, and increased sympathetic activity. Intensive care unit (ICU) patients' sleep evaluation is difficult and often not reliable. The most commonly used instrument for assessing ICU patients' perspective of their sleep, Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), has not been reported to have undergone knowngroup construct validity testing or concurrent validity testing with the criterion measure of feeling refreshed. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the construct validity of the RCSQ with knowngroups technique and concurrent validity with the criterion measure of feeling refreshed on awakening. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey study using the RCSQ was conducted on people sleeping at home (n = 114) over seven nights. The results were compared with the RCSQ sleep scores of nonintubated alert oriented adult ICU patients (n = 114). Home sleepers were also asked to rate how refreshed they felt on awakening. The study was executed and reported in accordance with the STROBE checklist for observational studies. Findings: RCSQ construct validity was supported because home sleepers' and ICU sleepers' sleep evaluations differed significantly. Home sleepers rated their sleep significantly better than ICU patients in all five sleep domains of the RCSQ. Concurrent validity was supported because the item "feeling refreshed on awakening" correlated strongly with all sleep domains. Conclusions: Sleep quality may be accurately measured using the RCSQ in alert people both in the ICU and at home. This study has added to the validity discussion around the RCSQ. The RCSQ can be used for sleep evaluation in ICUs to promote wellbeing and recovery. (c) 2021 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Peer reviewe

Interactional positioning and narrative self-construction in the first session of psychodynamic-interpersonal psychotherapy

The purpose of this study is to identify possible session one indicators of end of treatment psychotherapy outcome using the framework of three types of interactional positioning; client’s self-positioning, client’s positioning between narrated self and different partners, and the positioning between client and therapist. Three successful cases of 8-session psychodynamic-interpersonal (PI) therapy were selected on the basis of client Beck Depression Inventory scores. One unsuccessful case was also selected against which identified patterns could be tested. The successful clients were more descriptive about their problems and demonstrated active rapport-building, while the therapist used positionings expressed by the client in order to explore the positionings developed between them during therapy. The unsuccessful case was characterized by lack of positive self-comment, minimization of agentic self-capacity, and empathy-disrupting narrative confusions. We conclude that the theory of interactional positioning has been useful in identifying patterns worth exploring as early indicators of success in PI therapy

VAMPS : a website for visualization and analysis of microbial population structures

© The Author(s), 2014. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in BMC Bioinformatics 15 (2014): 41, doi:10.1186/1471-2105-15-41.The advent of next-generation DNA sequencing platforms has revolutionized molecular microbial ecology by making the detailed analysis of complex communities over time and space a tractable research pursuit for small research groups. However, the ability to generate 105–108 reads with relative ease brings with it many downstream complications. Beyond the computational resources and skills needed to process and analyze data, it is difficult to compare datasets in an intuitive and interactive manner that leads to hypothesis generation and testing. We developed the free web service VAMPS (Visualization and Analysis of Microbial Population Structures, http://vamps.mbl.edu webcite) to address these challenges and to facilitate research by individuals or collaborating groups working on projects with large-scale sequencing data. Users can upload marker gene sequences and associated metadata; reads are quality filtered and assigned to both taxonomic structures and to taxonomy-independent clusters. A simple point-and-click interface allows users to select for analysis any combination of their own or their collaborators’ private data and data from public projects, filter these by their choice of taxonomic and/or abundance criteria, and then explore these data using a wide range of analytic methods and visualizations. Each result is extensively hyperlinked to other analysis and visualization options, promoting data exploration and leading to a greater understanding of data relationships. VAMPS allows researchers using marker gene sequence data to analyze the diversity of microbial communities and the relationships between communities, to explore these analyses in an intuitive visual context, and to download data, results, and images for publication. VAMPS obviates the need for individual research groups to make the considerable investment in computational infrastructure and bioinformatic support otherwise necessary to process, analyze, and interpret massive amounts of next-generation sequence data. Any web-capable device can be used to upload, process, explore, and extract data and results from VAMPS. VAMPS encourages researchers to share sequence and metadata, and fosters collaboration between researchers of disparate biomes who recognize common patterns in shared data.Funding provided by the National Science Foundation [grant NSF/BDI 0960626 to SMH] and the Sloan Foundation through a collaborative project with the Microbiology of the Built Environment program

Low agreement among reviewers evaluating the same NIH grant applications

Obtaining grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is increasingly competitive, as funding success rates have declined over the past decade. To allocate relatively scarce funds, scientific peer reviewers must differentiate the very best applications from comparatively weaker ones. Despite the importance of this determination, little research has explored how reviewers assign ratings to the applications they review and whether there is consistency in the reviewers’ evaluation of the same application. Replicating all aspects of the NIH peer-review process, we examined 43 individual reviewers’ ratings and written critiques of the same group of 25 NIH grant applications. Results showed no agreement among reviewers regarding the quality of the applications in either their qualitative or quantitative evaluations. Although all reviewers received the same instructions on how to rate applications and format their written critiques, we also found no agreement in how reviewers “translated” a given number of strengths and weaknesses into a numeric rating. It appeared that the outcome of the grant review depended more on the reviewer to whom the grant was assigned than the research proposed in the grant. This research replicates the NIH peer-review process to examine in detail the qualitative and quantitative judgments of different reviewers examining the same application, and our results have broad relevance for scientific grant peer review

A Close Companion Search Around L Dwarfs Using Aperture Masking Interferometry and Palomar Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics

We present a close companion search around 16 known early L dwarfs using aperture masking interferometry with Palomar laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS AO). The use of aperture masking allows the detection of close binaries, corresponding to projected physical separations of 0.6-10.0 AU for the targets of our survey. This survey achieved median contrast limits of ΔK ~ 2.3 for separations between 1.2λ/D-4λ/D and ΔK ~ 1.4 at 2/3λ/D. We present four candidate binaries detected with moderate-to-high confidence (90%-98%). Two have projected physical separations less than 1.5 AU. This may indicate that tight-separation binaries contribute more significantly to the binary fraction than currently assumed, consistent with spectroscopic and photometric overluminosity studies. Ten targets of this survey have previously been observed with the Hubble Space Telescope as part of companion searches. We use the increased resolution of aperture masking to search for close or dim companions that would be obscured by full aperture imaging, finding two candidate binaries. This survey is the first application of aperture masking with LGS AO at Palomar. Several new techniques for the analysis of aperture masking data in the low signal-to-noise regime are explored

Use of Emergency Department for Care Access by Refugees Resettling in Kentucky, 2015: Findings from the University of Louisville Global Health Center

Background: Kentucky is one of the largest rural resettlement areas for refugees in the US welcoming more than 3,000 refugees and other entrants during 2015. Refugees arrive with a number of chronic health conditions that require ongoing management in a healthcare system where they lack knowledge and ability to navigate. This may encourage them to seek care that is easy to access but episodic and fragmented. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for accessing care via a local emergency department by resettling refugees during their first twelve months of resettlement. Methods: Using data from domestic health screening, crossmatching was done with the Emergency Department (ED) database of a local university medical center. Records were reviewed to determine If the ED was accessed for care, day and time care was accessed, chief complaint at the time of ED arrival, discharge diagnosis and final disposition. Results: Of 2616 refugees seen for health screening during 2011-2015, 77 (3%) sought care in the ED at least one time during the twelve months following their arrival, encompassing a total of 96 unique ED visits. Of the 96 ED visits, 83 (86%) were seen and discharged with the remaining 13 (14%) being admitted to ULH or referred for admission to another facility (e.g., mental health). Of the 83 discharged visits, 51 (61%) were determined to be preventable ED visits. Care was accessed more frequently on Monday (19%), Sunday (18%) and Thursday (17%). 57 of the 83 discharged visits (69%) occurred during hours that reflect those common for routine business in a clinic setting (8 AM - 4 PM). Of ED visits during those routine business hours, 34 (60%) were determined to be preventable ED visits. Discussion: This study represents the first published data regarding ED use by refugees resettling into a single community. These data provide insight into the use of an ED as a point of care access and the role that access plays in refugee healthcare, especially during the earliest phase of resettlement. Conclusions: These data may serve to inform development of a refugee-centered medical home with the objective to improve access to coordinated and comprehensive care

Aqueous Red-Emitting Silicon Nanoparticles for Cellular Imaging: Consequences of Protecting Against Surface Passivation by Hydroxide and Water for Stable Red Emission

Stable, aqueous, red-to-near infrared emission is critical for the use of silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) in biological fluorescence assays, but such Si NPs have been difficult to attain. We report a synthesis and surface modification strategy that protects Si NPs and preserves red photoluminescence (PL) in water for more than 6 mo. The Si NPs were synthesized via high temperature reaction, liberated from an oxide matrix, and functionalized via hydrosilylation to yield hydrophobic particles. The hydrophobic Si NPs were phase transferred to water using the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with retention of red PL. CTAB apparently serves a double role in providing stable, aqueous, red-emitting Si NPs by (i) forming a hydrophobic barrier between the Si NPs and water and (ii) providing aqueous colloidal stability via the polar head group. We demonstrate preservation of the aqueous red emission of these Si NPs in biological media and examine the effects of pH on emission color

Codes of Commitment to Crime and Resistance: Determining Social and Cultural Factors over the Behaviors of Italian Mafia Women

This article categorizes thirty-three women in four main Italian Mafia groups and explores social and cultural behaviors of these women. This study introduces the feminist theory of belief and action. The theoretical inquiry investigates the sometimes conflicting behaviors of women when they are subject to systematic oppression. I argue that there is a cultural polarization among the categorized sub-groups. Conservative radicals give their support to the Mafia while defectors and rebels resist the Mafia. After testing the theory, I assert that emancipation of women depends on the strength of their beliefs to perform actions against the Mafiosi culture

Characterization and quantification of the fungal microbiome in serial samples from individuals with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background Human-associated microbial communities include fungi, but we understand little about which fungal species are present, their relative and absolute abundances, and how antimicrobial therapy impacts fungal communities. The disease cystic fibrosis (CF) often involves chronic airway colonization by bacteria and fungi, and these infections cause irreversible lung damage. Fungi are detected more frequently in CF sputum samples upon initiation of antimicrobial therapy, and several studies have implicated the detection of fungi in sputum with worse outcomes. Thus, a more complete understanding of fungi in CF is required. Results We characterized the fungi and bacteria in expectorated sputa from six CF subjects. Samples were collected upon admission for systemic antibacterial therapy and upon the completion of treatment and analyzed using a pyrosequencing-based analysis of fungal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and bacterial 16S rDNA sequences. A mixture of Candida species and Malassezia dominated the mycobiome in all samples (74%–99% of fungal reads). There was not a striking trend correlating fungal and bacterial richness, and richness showed a decline after antibiotic therapy particularly for the bacteria. The fungal communities within a sputum sample resembled other samples from that subject despite the aggressive antibacterial therapy. Quantitative PCR analysis of fungal 18S rDNA sequences to assess fungal burden showed variation in fungal density in sputum before and after antibacterial therapy but no consistent directional trend. Analysis of Candida ITS1 sequences amplified from sputum or pure culture-derived genomic DNA from individual Candida species found little (<0.5%) or no variation in ITS1 sequences within or between strains, thereby validating this locus for the purpose of Candida species identification. We also report the enhancement of the publically available Visualization and Analysis of Microbial Population Structures (VAMPS) tool for the analysis of fungal communities in clinical samples. Conclusions Fungi are present in CF respiratory sputum. In CF, the use of intravenous antibiotic therapy often does not profoundly impact bacterial community structure, and we observed a similar stability in fungal species composition. Further studies are required to predict the effects of antibacterials on fungal burden in CF and fungal community stability in non-CF populations.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134558/1/40168_2014_Article_67.pd