Understanding team adaptation: A conceptual analysis and model.

This endeavor provides a multidisciplinary, multilevel, and multiphasic conceptualization of team adaptation with theoretical roots in the cognitive, human factors, and industrial-organizational psychology literature. Team adaptation and the emergent nature of adaptive team performance are defined from a multilevel, theoretical standpoint. An input-throughput-output model is advanced to illustrate a series of phases unfolding over time that constitute the core processes and emergent states underlying adaptive team performance and contributing to team adaptation. The cross-level mixed-determinants model highlights team adaptation in a nomological network of lawful relations. Testable propositions, practical implications, and directions for further research in this area are also advanced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Speech Comprehension Difficulties in Older Adults: Cognitive Slowing or Age-Related Changes in Hearing?

Speech comprehension declines more rapidly in older adults than in younger adults as speech rate increases. This effect is usually attributed to a slowing of brain function with age. Alternatively, this Age X Speed interaction could reflect the inability of the older adult's auditory system to cope with speed-induced stimulus degradation. When the authors speeded speech in a way that produced minimal degradation, both age groups were equally affected. However, when speech was speeded using other methods, word identification declined more in older than in younger adults. Hence, auditory decline rather than cognitive slowing may be responsible for older adults' poorer performance in speeded conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nanocellulose as a natural source for groundbreaking applications in materials science: Today’s state

Nanocelluloses are natural materials with at least one dimension in the nano-scale. They combine important cellulose properties with the features of nanomaterials and open new horizons for materials science and its applications. The field of nanocellulose materials is subdivided into three domains: biotechnologically produced bacterial nanocellulose hydrogels, mechanically delaminated cellulose nanofibers, and hydrolytically extracted cellulose nanocrystals. This review article describes today’s state regarding the production, structural details, physicochemical properties, and innovative applications of these nanocelluloses. Promising technical applications including gels/foams, thickeners/stabilizers as well as reinforcing agents have been proposed and research from last five years indicates new potential for groundbreaking innovations in the areas of cosmetic products, wound dressings, drug carriers, medical implants, tissue engineering, food and composites. The current state of worldwide commercialization and the challenge of reducing nanocellulose production costs are also discussed.     

Heat and Moisture Transport and Storage Parameters of Bricks Affected by the Environment

The effect of external environment on heat and moisture transport and storage properties of the traditional fired clay brick, sand–lime brick and highly perforated ceramic block commonly used in the Czech Republic and on their hygrothermal performance in building envelopes is analyzed by a combination of experimental and computational techniques. The experimental measurements of thermal, hygric and basic physical parameters are carried out in the reference state and after a 3-year exposure of the bricks to real climatic conditions of the city of Prague. The obtained results showed that after 3 years of weathering the porosity of the analyzed bricks increased up to five percentage points which led to an increase in liquid and gaseous moisture transport parameters and a decrease in thermal conductivity. Computational modeling of hygrothermal performance of building envelopes made of the studied bricks was done using both reference and weather-affected data. The simulated results indicated an improvement in the annual energy balances and a decrease in the time-of-wetness functions as a result of the use of data obtained after the 3-year exposure to the environment. The effects of weathering on both heat and moisture transport and storage parameters of the analyzed bricks and on their hygrothermal performance were found significant despite the occurrence of warm winters in the time period of 2012–2015 when the brick specimens were exposed to the environment.     

Vascular imaging for hemodialysis vascular access planning

Introduction: Central venous catheters (CVC) increase risks associated with hemodialysis (HD), but may be necessary until an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or graft (AVG) is achieved. The impact of vascular imaging on achievement of working AVF and AVG has not been firmly established. Methods: Retrospective cohort of patients initiating HD with CVC in 2010–2011, classified by exposure to venography or Doppler vein mapping, and followed through December 31, 2012. Standard and time‐dependent Cox models were used to determine hazard ratios (HRs) of death, working AVF, and any AVF or AVG. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of preoperative imaging with successful AVF or AVG among 18,883 individuals who had surgery. Models were adjusted for clinical and demographic factors. Findings: Among 33,918 patients followed for a median of 404 days, 39.1% had imaging and 55.7% had surgery. Working AVF or AVG were achieved in 40.6%; 46.2% died. Compared to nonimaged patients, imaged patients were more likely to achieve working AVF (HR = 1.45 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36, 1.55], P < 0.001]), any AVF or AVG (HR = 1.63 [1.58, 1.69], P > 0.001), and less likely to die (HR = 0.88 [0.83‐0.94], P < 0.001). Among patients who had surgery, the odds ratio for any successful AVF or AVG was 1.09 (1.02–1.16, P = 0.008). Discussion: Fewer than half of patients who initiated HD with a CVC had vascular imaging. Imaged patients were more likely to have vascular surgery and had increased achievement of working AV fistulas and grafts. Outcomes of surgery were similar in patients who did and did not have imaging.     

Instruments and methods for measuring the backward-scattering coefficient of ocean waters

The backward-scattering coefficient bb is an important optical property that plays a central role in studies of ocean-color remote sensing, suspended particle distributions, water clarity, and underwater visibility. We investigate the fixed-angle backscattering sensor approach for the application of measuring bb . Analysis shows that the sensor response to volume scattering can be expressed as the integral of the volume scattering function (VSF) over the backward angles (90 -180 degrees ) weighted by the sensor-response function. We present a procedure for determining the sensor-response function that contains all the information necessary to calibrate the sensor fully to measure the VSF at a nominal backscattering angle. It is shown that, for fixed-angle backscattering sensors,bb is most accurately estimated when the sensor-response function covers the middle range of backscattering angles, roughly 110 -160 degrees , where the shape of the VSF has the least variability. Backscattering at and near the end angles, namely, 90 degrees and 180 degrees , are least correlated with bb . We describe a variety of spectral backscattering sensors that we have developed, and we present their sensor-response functions.     

Mineral minimization in nature''s alternative teeth

Contrary to conventional wisdom, mineralization is not the only strategy evolved for the formation of hard, stiff materials. Indeed, the sclerotized mouthparts of marine invertebrates exhibit Young's modulus and hardness approaching 10 and 1 GPa, respectively, with little to no help from mineralization. Based on biochemical analyses, three of these mouthparts, the jaws of glycerid and nereid polychaetes and a squid beak, reveal a largely organic composition dominated by glycine- and histidine-rich proteins. Despite the well-known metal ion binding by the imidazole side-chain of histidine and the suggestion that this interaction provides mechanical support in nereid jaws, there is at present no universal molecular explanation for the relationship of histidine to mechanical properties in these sclerotized structures.     

Stress and open-office noise.

Forty female clerical workers were randomly assigned to a control condition or to 3-hr exposure to low-intensity noise designed to simulate typical open-office noise levels. The simulated open-office noise elevated workers' urinary epinephrine levels, but not their norepinephrine or cortisol levels, and it produced behavioral aftereffects (fewer attempts at unsolvable puzzles) indicative of motivational deficits. Participants were also less likely to make ergonomic, postural adjustments in their computer work station while working under noisy, relative to quiet, conditions. Postural invariance is a risk factor for musculoskeletal disorder. Although participants in the noise condition perceived their work setting as significantly noisier than those working under quiet conditions did, the groups did not differ in perceived stress. Potential health consequences of long-term exposure to low-intensity office noise are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing the affordability of emerging processes for advanced materials

Quality-cost modeling is a method for obtaining approximate yet quantitative information regarding the potential of emerging manufacturing processes to produce highquality, cost-competitive advanced materials. The modeling method is based on the concept of an affordability space—a set of reachable combinations of cost and performance (quality) unique to a particular process and material. The analysis relies on the development of relatively simple (first order) models intended to capture the essential interactions between the material and its processing environment and their use in calculating the final microstructure (on which a quality index is based) and the associated cost. Both cost and quality are functions of the starting state of the material, process conditions used, and the design of the process. The tool allows numerical experiments to be conducted in which the influence of these variables on cost and quality can be explored. Dana M. Elzey earned his Dr.rer.nat. in materials science at the University of Stuttgart in 1989. He is currently a research assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Virginia. Dr. Elzey is a member of TMS.     

The Mitochondrial Protein Translocation Motor: Structural Conservation between the Human and Yeast Tim14/Pam18-Tim16/Pam16 co-Chaperones

Most of our knowledge regarding the process of protein import into mitochondria has come from research employing Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system. Recently, several mammalian homologues of the mitochondrial motor proteins were identified. Of particular interest for us is the human Tim14/Pam18-Tim16/Pam16 complex. We chose a structural approach in order to examine the evolutionary conservation between yeast Tim14/Pam18-Tim16/Pam16 proteins and their human homologues. For this purpose, we examined the structural properties of the purified human proteins and their interaction with their yeast homologues, in vitro. Our results show that the soluble domains of the human Tim14/Pam18 and Tim16/Pam16 proteins interact with their yeast counterparts, forming heterodimeric complexes and that these complexes interact with yeast mtHsp70.