Predominant MMPI-168 profile clusters in a rehabilitation medicine sample.

Conducted cluster analyses of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-168 (MMPI-168) profiles of 46 female and 74 male rehabilitation medicine inpatients (aged 18–75 yrs), using a minimum-variance method, and identified 4 clusters of patient similarities. Relationships were tested between cluster membership and gender, age of disability onset, time since onset, and diagnosis. The profile of mean MMPI-168 scores for the largest cluster, representing about one-half of the total sample, showed no clinical elevations on any scale. The remaining 3 clusters were characterized primarily by depression, somatic focusing, and personality disorganization, respectively. Discriminant analysis supported the differentiation among clusters in terms of MMPI-168 scores and suggested that ruminative worry and openness to identifying problems accounted for the majority of the differentiation. With the exception of the cluster characterized primarily by depression, the 3 remaining clusters seemed similar to profile types consistently found in research on chronic pain samples. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure of the Mayo Older Americans Normative Sample (MOANS) core battery: Replication in a clinical sample.

G. E. Smith et al (1992) confirmed 5 factors to account for the covariance structure of a "core battery" of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS—R), Wechsler Memory Scale—Revised (WMS—R), and Auditory Verbal Learning Test administered to the MOANS. The authors attempted to replicate this model in a clinical sample. Data from 417 clinical cases were used in LISREL confirmatory factor analyses. Modifications of the original secondary variable assignments were necessary to obtain a 5-factor model with adequate fit. This 5-factor model was superior to alternative models. The results support the use of a 5-factor model in the development of factor-based summary indexes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-awareness, distress, and postacute rehabilitation outcome.

Objective: To examine changes in impaired self-awareness (ISA) and distress with participation in a brain injury comprehensive day treatment program (CDTP) and their relationship to treatment outcomes at program end and 1-year follow-up. Study Design and Participants: Ratings of ISA and distress by rehabilitation staff and their relationship to other outcome measures were examined for 62 consecutive program graduates. Measures: Ratings of ISA and distress from the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory (MPAI); outcome measures included Rasch-transformed MPAI score, goal attainment scaling T score, the Vocational Independence Scale, and the Independent Living Scale. Results: Nonparametric analyses of change scores showed that ISA and distress diminished after program participation. Nonparametric correlational analysis indicated that reduced ISA did not correlate with increased distress at program end. Linear and logistic regression analyses revealed that lower ISA and distress correlated with more positive outcomes on most measures (i.e., independent living, goal attainment scaling, and other ratings of disability on the MPAI) but did not predict vocational outcome. Conclusions: Participation in a CDTP reduces ISA and distress. Lower ISA and distress are associated with positive behavioral changes and more independent living but are neither necessary nor sufficient conditions for employment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Software bugs and communications system performance

Software bugs and their manifestations are of concern in real-time systems such as communications systems. The reliability modeling of these systems has generally defined hardware performance models in great detail but only specified an estimate for the software performance. Software reliability modeling is usually based on the number of software bugs and not based on bug manifestations. The ultimate service provided by communications systems is dependent upon the level of criticality of bug manifestations and the frequency of occurrence of these manifestations. This paper discusses the current trend for the qualification and quantification of communications systems performance with emphasis on software bug manifestations.     

Contribution to the understanding of the relationship between mechanical and dielectric strengths of Alumina

The experimental evolutions of the Alumina dielectric strength versus thickness (127 μm to 2.54 mm), purity (92%, 96% and 99.5%) and crystallography (single or polycrystal) have been investigated. In order to find crucial information about the mechanism responsible for the dielectric breakdown, optical and scanning electron micrograph observations have also been performed. Each breakdown channel was found to be terminated by a crater from which matter has been extracted during the breakdown process. Investigations have been focused on the breakdown path, on the evolution of the crater size versus sample thickness and on the location of molten matter after breakdown. The results tend to confirm that the dielectric breakdown of Alumina is probably originated from a mechanical failure induced by electromechanical forces acting during the voltage application.     

Morphological evolution of polytetrafluoroethylene in extreme temperature conditions for aerospace applications

The organic electrical insulator polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is used in aerospace industry under extreme conditions of temperature and electric field. The melting temperature of PTFE is about 327°C and nowadays operating temperature of this kind of insulators can reach about 300°C and up to 350°C for new generations of machines. All thermal, electrical and mechanical operating stresses, especially high temperature and voltage can be factors of ageing acceleration and/or degradation of the insulators that could cause premature failures. Our present work is focused on the organic insulator behavior at high temperature in order to understand the mechanisms of thermal ageing and degradation. The change of morphology of PTFE during the thermal ageing has been studied. Thin films in PTFE were aged by accelerated method under oxidizing environment (air) and severe thermal constraints between 340 and 450°C. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39841.     

Characterization and Purification of Kinase Activities against Arabidopsis COP9 Signalosome Subunit 7

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a multisubunit protein complex that intersects the ubiquitin (Ub)–proteasome pathway at several junctions. The CSN associates with several protein kinases that target key regulatory proteins that themselves are targets for Ub-dependent degradation, and several subunits themselves are phosphoproteins. We previously reported that Arabidopsis CSN7 is a phosphoprotein. To identify the kinases responsible for CSN7 phosphorylation, we biochemically purified CSN7-kinsae activities from cauliflower through a four-step purification procedure that resulted in a ca. 300-fold enrichment. One of these activities is Ca²⁺ dependent, while the second is not. Peptide fingerprint analysis of the purified proteins identified three putative CSN7 kinases.     

Subjective memory complaints, psychological distress, and longitudinal change in objective memory performance.

Between 1992 and 1993, the Memory Function Questionnaire General Frequency of Forgetting Scale (MFQ-GEN), the Symptom Checklist-90—Revised General Severity Index (GSI), and Mayo Cognitive Factor Scales Learning and Retention (MCFS-LRN and MCFS-RET) current and change scores were obtained for 294 of 397 (74% ) participants, ages 55–97 years, originally assessed in a 1988–1990 normative study. In multiple regression modeling, the GSI and MCFS-LRN current score contributed 20% and 3%, respectively, to MFQ-GEN variance. Thus, emotional status was a better predictor of subjective memory ratings than either absolute objective memory performance or objective longitudinal memory change. Persons who developed cognitive impairment over the longitudinal interval reported greater memory problems, but memory complaints had little sensitivity in identifying these persons. In an approximate census sample of these older people, minor memory problems were reported to be frequent but not serious. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)