bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suppressing vibration in a multilayers composite material plate using quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization and sliding mode control system
Authors: Moghaddam Jalal Javadi , Bagheri Ahmad
Published: January 2015

In this paper, a quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization sliding mode control system (QPSOSM) is proposed to suppress the vibration of a multilayers composite material plate. Moreover, in this paper, fabricating a suppresser vibration setup box (SVSB) for the problem of an active vibration of a cantilevered 1-clamped 3-free composite plate is investigated. A mesh-free method is employed to create the shape functions. Also, the formulation of the problem is based on the classical laminated plate theory and the principle of virtual displacements. In this study, a function of the sliding surface is considered as an objective function and then the control effort is produced by the quantum particle swarm method and the sliding mode control strategy. At the end, the performance of the proposed QPSOSM control system and the fabricated SVSB controller are shown by simulation and experimental results.
Vegetation and lake changes on the southern Taymyr peninsula, northern Siberia, during the last 300 years inferred from pollen and Pediastrum green algae records
Authors: Niemeyer Bastian , Herzschuh Ulrike , Pestryakova Luidmila
Published: January 2015

Siberian arctic vegetation and lake water communities, known for their temperature dependence, are expected to be particularly impacted by recent climate change and high warming rates. However, decadal information on the nature and strength of recent vegetation change and its time lag to climate signals are rare. In this study, we present a 210Pb/137Cs dated pollen and Pediastrum species record from a unnamed lake in the south of the Taymyr peninsula covering the period from AD 1706 to 2011. Thirty-nine palynomorphs and 10 morphotypes of Pediastrum species were studied to assess changes in vegetation and lake conditions as probable responses to climate change. We compared the pollen record with Pediastrum species, which we consider to be important proxies of climate changes. Three pollen assemblage zones characterised by Betula nana, Alnus viridis and Larix gmelinii (1706–1808); herbs such as Cyperaceae, Artemisia or Senecio (1808–1879), and higher abundance of Larix pollen (1955–2011) are visible. Also, three Pediastrum assemblage zones show changes of aquatic conditions: higher abundances of Pediastrum boryanum var. brevicorne (1706–1802); medium abundances of P. kawraiskyi and P. integrum (1802–1840 and 1920–1980), indicating cooler conditions while less eutrophic conditions are indicated by P. boryanum, and a mainly balanced composition with only small changes of cold- and warm-adapted Pediastrum species (1965–2011). In general, compositional Pediastrum species turnover is slightly higher than that indicated by pollen data (0.54 vs 0.34 SD), but both are only minor for this treeline location. In conclusion, the relevance of differentiation of Pediastrum species is promising and can give further insights into the relationship between lakes and their surrounding vegetation transferred onto climatic conditions.
Calibration and multi-source consistency analysis of reconstructed precipitation series in Portugal since the early 17th century
Authors: Santos João A , Carneiro Maria F , Alcoforado Maria J , Leal Sofia , Luz Ana L , Camuffo Dario , Zorita Eduardo
Published: January 2015

A calibration of reconstructed winter, spring and autumn precipitation series in Portugal from 1600 onwards is undertaken in the present study using new instrumental sources for the period of 1815–2012. As summer precipitation in Portugal is scarce and irregular, it is not considered. A consistency analysis of the calibrated time series is then undertaken using: (1) precipitation indices for Portugal in 1675–1799; (2) teleconnections between seasonal precipitation and large-scale atmospheric flow; (3) two paleoclimatic experiments (ERIK1 and ERIK2), generated from a global/regional climate model chain (ECHO-G/MM5); and (4) tree-ring records from oak trees in Portugal (Serra do Buçaco). These are the first multi-centennial records of tree-ring growth in Portugal (the earliest series begin in 1675). General agreement is found between indices and calibrated precipitation for their common period on an annual basis. Overall, the atmospheric teleconnection patterns are dynamically coherent between the instrumental and pre-instrumental periods. The inter-annual to inter-decadal variability in the calibrated series reveals similar distributions as in the paleoclimatic simulations. Low-frequency variability in spring precipitation is validated by 12 tree-ring series. This study provides calibrated seasonal precipitation series in Portugal from 1600 onwards, revealing high consistency with several independent sources for winter and spring, enabling future applications to climate research.
‘I don’t get this climate stuff!’ Making sense of climate change among the corporate middle class in Lagos
Authors: Asiyanbi Adeniyi P.
Published: January 2015

Public engagement continues to be central to wider efforts to address climate change. This study contributes to public engagement debates by investigating engagement with climate change among an often overlooked group, the corporate middle class in Africa’s second largest megacity, Lagos. Combining survey and interviews, I focus analysis on three aspects: awareness, knowledge and concern; role of scientific and social frames in shaping general attitude; and spatial attribution of causes and consequences. The study reveals a universal awareness and high concern about climate change among the respondents, although understanding and perceptions of climate change are significantly socially framed. Social situatedness, more than scientific facts, is the most important definer of overall engagement with climate change. This study thus underscores a nuanced constructionist stance, showing how corporate professionals’ ‘ways of knowing’ climate change is underpinned by a certain co-production between scientific and socio-experiential frames. I highlight implications for research and public engagement with climate change.
Development and Validation of a Revised Measure of Individual Capacities for Tolerating Information Overload in Occupational Settings
Authors: Haase Richard F. , Ferreira Joaquim A. , Fernandes Rosina I. , Santos Eduardo J. R. , Jome LaRae M.
Published: January 2015

The anthropologist Edward Hall wrote extensively on the concept of polychronicity in which he documented the differences between people and cultures in the extent to which they differentially managed their daily activities in the context of space and time. In the work reported here, we have broadened the definition of the polychronicity concept that we define as the capacity of the individual to tolerate multiple sources of stimuli and information occurring in both time and space without suffering psychological distress or disorientation. In earlier work, summarized in several publications, we have constructed and validated a 25-item measure of individual capacity for tolerating stimulus loads across the following five information processing dimensions namely, information load, interpersonal load, change load, activity structure, and time structure. Several previous studies by our research group have found significant connections to a variety of behavioral criteria, including the capacity for visual and motor multitasking, arousal levels, speed of processing, and cross-cultural differences. In this article, we report on how we have augmented the number of items in each of the five dimensions, performed item analysis, reassessed the internal consistency reliability of the five subscales, and evaluated the validity of the new subscales against several criteria with a contemporary sample of 431 employed adults drawn from each of the Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (RIASEC) categories of Holland’s taxonomy.
Developing and Validating Short Form Protean and Boundaryless Career Attitudes Scales
Authors: Porter Caitlin , Woo Sang Eun , Tak Jinkook
Published: January 2015

The Protean and Boundaryless Career Attitudes scales developed by Briscoe and colleagues have facilitated research on career attitudes and mindsets, but they are unnecessarily lengthy and somewhat redundant in their content. To address these concerns, this article presents three studies that develop and validate short forms of the Protean and Boundaryless Career Attitudes scales (i.e., PCA-SF and BCA-SF). Study findings suggest that the PCA-SF and BCA-SF provide a more efficient assessment of the protean and boundaryless career attitudes constructs than the full-length measures and exhibit partial measurement equivalence across U.S. and Korean populations.
Safety Assessment of Nylon as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Burnett Christina , Heldreth Bart , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Andersen F. Alan
Published: January 2015

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (Panel) reviewed the safety of nylon polymers, which function in cosmetics primarily as bulking and opacifying agents. The Panel reviewed relevant animal and human data related to these large polymers and determined that they are not likely to penetrate the skin. Whatever residual monomers may be present were not present at a sufficient level to cause any reactions in test subjects at the maximum ingredient use concentration. Accordingly, the Panel concluded that these ingredients are safe in the present practices of use and concentration.
Rare Complication of Silicone Fluid Injection Presenting as Multiple Calcification and Skin Defect in Both Legs
Authors: Lee Jun Ho , Choi Hwan Jun
Published: January 2015

In the past, many materials have been injected for soft tissue augmentation including paraffin (mineral oil) and other non–biocompatible products. Liquid silicone as one of these materials has a long and notorious history as an injectable material for soft tissue augmentation. However, complications, including cellulitis, ulcerations, migration, and nodule formation, have also been reported with silicone injections. This article aims to demonstrate the diagnosis and treatment of multiple calcification and skin defect after silicone fluid injection for soft tissue augmentation. A 65-year-old female presented with skin defect and calcifications had been steadily increasing in size over a 3-month period. Examination confirmed pain, swelling, induration, and 5 × 5 cm sized skin defect with marginal and adjacent calcification in the left lateral malleolar area. She had been injected silicone fluid for soft tissue of lower extremity augmentation and contouring 30 years ago. Serial surgical debridement of this entire zone of calcification and ulceration was undertaken. The defect was closed by a split thickness skin graft. She was satisfied with the aesthetic appearance of the lateral malleolar area, relieving the symptoms of cellulitis.
Sexy, Dangerous—and Ignored
Authors: Fisher Howard D.
Published: January 2015

Although evidence has shown that video games portray women as hypersexualized objects, video game magazines have received little study. Using the theory of Hegemonic Masculinity, an in-depth review of six video game magazines (three print and three online) revealed that the magazines consistently treat digital women as vacant pinups to be ogled or irrelevant sidekicks to be tolerated, and real women as annoying interlopers to be bullied.
Two types of BCR interactions are positively selected during leukemia development in the Eμ-TCL1 transgenic mouse model of CLL
Authors: Iacovelli Stefano , Hug Eva , Bennardo Sara , Duehren-von Minden Marcus , Gobessi Stefania , Rinaldi Andrea , Suljagic Mirza , Bilbao Daniel , Bolasco Giulia , Eckl-Dorna Julia , Niederberger Verena , Autore Francesco , Sica Simona , Laurenti Luca , Wang Hongsheng , Cornall Richard J. , Clarke Stephen H. , Croce Carlo M. , Bertoni Francesco , Jumaa Hassan , Efremov Dimitar G.
Published: January 2015

Key Points

Cell autonomous BCR interactions and interactions with low-affinity autoantigens drive leukemia development in an in vivo model of CLL. BCR signals induced by binding to external antigen can increase the aggressiveness of CLL.
How I treat juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
Authors: Locatelli Franco , Niemeyer Charlotte M.
Published: January 2015

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a unique, aggressive hematopoietic disorder of infancy/early childhood caused by excessive proliferation of cells of monocytic and granulocytic lineages. Approximately 90% of patients carry either somatic or germline mutations of PTPN-11, K-RAS, N-RAS, CBL, or NF1 in their leukemic cells. These genetic aberrations are largely mutually exclusive and activate the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the therapy of choice for most patients with JMML, curing more than 50% of affected children. We recommend that this option be promptly offered to any child with PTPN-11-, K-RAS-, or NF1-mutated JMML and to the majority of those with N-RAS mutations. Because children with CBL mutations and few of those with N-RAS mutations may have spontaneous resolution of hematologic abnormalities, the decision to proceed to transplantation in these patients must be weighed carefully. Disease recurrence remains the main cause of treatment failure after HSCT. A second allograft is recommended if overt JMML relapse occurs after transplantation. Recently, azacytidine, a hypomethylating agent, was reported to induce hematologic/molecular remissions in some children with JMML, and its role in both reducing leukemia burden before HSCT and in nontransplant settings requires further studies.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis caused by dominant-negative mutations in STXBP2 that inhibit SNARE-mediated membrane fusion
Authors: Spessott Waldo A. , Sanmillan Maria L. , McCormick Margaret E. , Patel Nishant , Villanueva Joyce , Zhang Kejian , Nichols Kim E. , Giraudo Claudio G.
Published: January 2015

Key Points

Monoallelic STXBP2 mutations affecting codon 65 impair lymphocyte cytotoxicity and contribute to hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Munc18-2R65Q/W mutant proteins function in a dominant-negative manner to impair membrane fusion and arrest SNARE-complex assembly.
The use of the Gail model, body mass index and SNPs to predict breast cancer among women with abnormal (BI-RADS 4) mammograms
Authors: McCarthy Anne Marie , Keller Brad , Kontos Despina , Boghossian Leigh , McGuire Erin , Bristol Mirar , Chen Jinbo , Domchek Susan , Armstrong Katrina
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Mammography screening results in a significant number of false-positives. The use of pretest breast cancer risk factors to guide follow-up of abnormal mammograms could improve the positive predictive value of screening. We evaluated the use of the Gail model, body mass index (BMI), and genetic markers to predict cancer diagnosis among women with abnormal mammograms. We also examined the extent to which pretest risk factors could reclassify women without cancer below the biopsy threshold.

Methods

We recruited a prospective cohort of women referred for biopsy with abnormal (BI-RADS 4) mammograms according to the American College of Radiology’s Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Breast cancer risk factors were assessed prior to biopsy. A validated panel of 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with breast cancer were measured. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of Gail risk factors, BMI and SNPs with cancer diagnosis (invasive or ductal carcinoma in situ). Model discrimination was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, and calibration was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. The distribution of predicted probabilities of a cancer diagnosis were compared for women with or without breast cancer.

Results

In the multivariate model, age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03 to 1.08; P < 0.001), SNP panel relative risk (OR = 2.30; 95% CI, 1.06 to 4.99, P = 0.035) and BMI (≥30 kg/m2 versus <25 kg/m2; OR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.05 to 4.58; P = 0.036) were significantly associated with breast cancer diagnosis. Older women were more likely than younger women to be diagnosed with breast cancer. The SNP panel relative risk remained strongly associated with breast cancer diagnosis after multivariable adjustment. Higher BMI was also strongly associated with increased odds of a breast cancer diagnosis. Obese women (OR = 2.20; 95% CI, 1.05 to 4.58; P = 0.036) had more than twice the odds of cancer diagnosis compared to women with a BMI <25 kg/m2. The SNP panel appeared to have predictive ability among both white and black women.

Conclusions

Breast cancer risk factors, including BMI and genetic markers, are predictive of cancer diagnosis among women with BI-RADS 4 mammograms. Using pretest risk factors to guide follow-up of abnormal mammograms could reduce the burden of false-positive mammograms.
Sensitivity to change and prediction of global change for the Alzheimer’s Questionnaire
Authors: Malek-Ahmadi Michael , Chen Kewei , Davis Kathryn , Belden Christine M , Powell Jessica , Jacobson Sandra A , Sabbagh Marwan N
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Longitudinal assessment of cognitive decline in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) often involves the use of both informant-based and objective cognitive assessments. As efforts have focused on identifying individuals in pre-clinical stages, instruments that are sensitive to subtle cognitive changes are needed. The Alzheimer’s Questionnaire (AQ) has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in identifying aMCI and AD; however its ability to measure longitudinal change has not been assessed. The aims of this study are to assess the sensitivity to change of the AQ and to determine whether the AQ predicts change in global cognition and function in cognitively normal (CN), aMCI, and AD subjects.

Methods

Data from 202 individuals participating in a brain and body donation program were utilized for this study (101 CN, 62 aMCI, 39 AD). AD and aMCI individuals were matched on age, education, and gender to CN individuals. Sensitivity to change of the AQ was assessed in addition to the AQ’s ability to predict change in global cognition and function. The Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) were used as gold standard comparisons of cognition and function. Sample size calculations for a 25% treatment effect were also carried out for all three groups.

Results

The AQ demonstrated small sensitivity to change in the aMCI and CN groups (d = 0.33, d = 0.23, respectively) and moderate sensitivity to change in the AD group (d = 0.43). The AQ was associated with increases in the Clinical Dementia Rating Global Score (OR = 1.20 (1.09, 1.32), P <0.001). Sample size calculations found that the AQ would require substantially fewer subjects than the MMSE given a 25% treatment effect.

Conclusions

Although the AQ demonstrated small sensitivity to change in aMCI and CN individuals in terms of effect size, the AQ may be superior to objective cognitive tests in terms of required sample size for a clinical trial. As clinicians and researchers continue to identify and treat individuals in earlier stages of AD, there is a need for instruments that are sensitive to cognitive changes in these earlier stages.
Scholarship in the Neighborhood of Zero: William V. Spanos in Theory and Practice
Authors: Randall David S. , Wilson Robert P.
Published: January 2015

This essay examines the confluence of personal memoir, scholarship, and classroom teaching in the intellectual life. The authors trace the theme of “bearing witness” as the axiom of the intellectual vocation at three different moments in the career of William V. Spanos: his experiences as an American POW during the Dresden firebombing, his introduction of Martin Heidegger’s destructive/projective hermeneutics into the American academy in the 1970s, and his translation of these personal and scholarly commitments into pedagogical theory and practice. After commenting on the potential advantages and disadvantages of Spanos’s Heideggerian approach for future scholarship, the authors conclude by examining disjunctions between Spanos’s pedagogical theory and practice in order to provisionally suggest an ideal balance in the intellectual’s personal, scholarly, and teacherly life.
William V. Spanos Is in the Neighborhood
Authors: O’Hara Daniel T.
Published: January 2015

Spanos’s memoir of his World War II experiences as a soldier and prisoner of war near Dresden at the time of its firebombing by the Allies provides the basis for a reading of his entire career and its legacy, this article argues. The ontological and existential dimensions of this experience, as elaborated here, speak in and through every word of his work and as such have formative power for the future because everyday life now is, as the title of this memoir declares, In the Neighborhood of Zero, that is, ever on the verge of extinction. What other critic’s work of the last half century or so has so accurately and even defiantly anticipated the future conditions of human life on the planet?
Thinking Postcolonial Temporalities with William Spanos
Authors: Katawal Ubaraj
Published: January 2015

This article examines William V. Spanos’s works in relation to those of other postcolonial thinkers such as Partha Chatterjee, Dipesh Chakrabarty, and Edward Said. Like many of these writers, Spanos draws from Michel Foucault’s critique of the power-knowledge relation. However, Spanos also throws into sharp relief similar justificatory grounds deployed by the present global powers and the ancient Roman Empire. Spanos’s contribution to postcolonial scholarship shows itself in his analyses of terms such as profane, conscious pariah, and exile vis-à-vis the disciplinary mechanisms of the nation-state. Surprisingly, postcolonial scholarship has not paid enough attention to Spanos. This article hopes to address this resounding silence by arguing that Spanos’s historical approach to the genealogy of Western imperialism proves useful in retrieving fragmentary temporalities that the nation-state suppresses. The article examines the parallel Spanos uncovers between today’s Western hegemony and the Roman Empire, a disclosure that distinguishes Spanos from postcolonial thinkers such as Chatterjee. Spanos convincingly argues for the need to investigate underlying principles informing an imperial power, beginning with the Romans. Finally, akin to Said in his commitment to the worldliness of life and art, Spanos contends that the messiness of life does not lend itself to the clear-cut oppositions that the nation-state tries to establish.
Toward a Politics of A-filiation
Authors: Armstrong Philip
Published: January 2015

In the conclusion to Exiles in the City, and drawing from the writings of Hannah Arendt, Edward Said, and Giorgio Agamben, William Spanos refers to an “agonic friendship” that is not “‘friendship’ as such”—that is, friendship premised on “filiation or affiliation”—but the affirmation of an “agonic” friendship characterized by “a-filiation.” The essay addresses the conditions or presuppositions—at once ontological, philosophical, and political—in which this affirmation of agonic friendships and a-filiative relationships begins to emerge. At the same time, it seeks to trace out the implications of such a politics for a renewed concept of the polis, understood in light of what Spanos terms a “coming global polity.”
Surrounding tissues canalize motile cardiopharyngeal progenitors towards collective polarity and directed migration
Authors: Gline Stephanie , Kaplan Nicole , Bernadskaya Yelena , Abdu Yusuff , Christiaen Lionel
Published: January 2015

Collectively migrating cells maintain group polarity and interpret external cues to reach their destination. The cardiogenic progenitors (also known as trunk ventral cells, TVCs) of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis provide a simple chordate model with which to study collective migration. Bilateral pairs of associated TVCs undergo a stereotyped polarized migration away from the tail towards the ventral trunk, arguably constituting the simplest possible example of directed collective migration. To identify tissues contributing to TVC polarity and migration, we quantified the contact between TVCs and surrounding tissues, and blocked the secretory pathway in a tissue-specific manner. Even though TVCs normally migrate as an invariably determined leader-trailer polarized pair of adherent cells, they are capable of migrating individually, albeit a shorter distance and with altered morphology. The mesenchyme contacts newborn TVCs and contributes to robust specification of the trailer but appears to have only minor effects on directed migration. The notochord does not contact the TVCs but contributes to the onset of migration. The trunk endoderm first contacts the leader TVC, then ‘encases’ both migrating cells and provides the inputs maintaining leader-trailer polarity. Migrating TVCs adhere to the epidermis and need this contact for their cohesion. These phenomenological studies reveal that inherently motile cardiopharyngeal progenitors are channeled into stereotyped behaviors by interactions with surrounding tissues.
ERBB3-mediated regulation of Bergmann glia proliferation in cerebellar lamination
Authors: Sathyamurthy Anupama , Yin Dong-Min , Barik Arnab , Shen Chengyong , Bean Jonathan C. , Figueiredo Dwight , She Jin-Xiong , Xiong Wen-Cheng , Mei Lin
Published: January 2015

Cortical lamination is crucial for the assembly of cerebellar circuitry. In this process, granule neurons (GNs) migrate along Bergmann glia (BG), which are specialized astroglial cells, from the external granule layer to the internal granule layer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying BG development are not well understood. Here, we show that GFAP::Cre;Erbb3F/F mice, which lack Erbb3 in both radial glia and neurons, exhibit impairments in balance and motor coordination. Cerebellar lamination is aberrant, with misplaced Purkinje neurons and GN clusters. These phenotypes were not observed in Math1::CreERT2;Erbb3F/F mice, where the Erbb3 gene was deleted in GNs, suggesting involvement of non-neuronal Erbb3 in cerebellar lamination. Mechanistic studies indicate that ERBB3 is crucial for the proliferation of BG, which are required for GN migration. These observations identify a crucial role for ERBB3 in cerebellar lamination and reveal a novel mechanism that regulates BG development.
Capsule repair may reduce dislocation following hip hemiarthroplasty through a direct lateral approach
Authors: Hughes A. W. , Clark D. , Carlino W. , Gosling O. , Spencer R. F.
Published: January 2015

Reported rates of dislocation in hip hemiarthroplasty (HA) for the treatment of intra-capsular fractures of the hip, range between 1% and 10%. HA is frequently performed through a direct lateral surgical approach. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution of the anterior capsule to the stability of a cemented HA through a direct lateral approach.

A total of five whole-body cadavers were thawed at room temperature, providing ten hip joints for investigation. A Thompson HA was cemented in place via a direct lateral approach. The cadavers were then positioned supine, both knee joints were disarticulated and a digital torque wrench was attached to the femur using a circular frame with three half pins. The wrench applied an external rotation force with the hip in extension to allow the hip to dislocate anteriorly. Each hip was dislocated twice; once with a capsular repair and once without repairing the capsule. Stratified sampling ensured the order in which this was performed was alternated for the paired hips on each cadaver.

Comparing peak torque force in hips with the capsule repaired and peak torque force in hips without repair of the capsule, revealed a significant difference between the ‘capsule repaired’ (mean 22.96 Nm, standard deviation (sd) 4.61) and the ‘capsule not repaired’ group (mean 5.6 Nm, sd 2.81) (p < 0.001). Capsular repair may help reduce the risk of hip dislocation following HA.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:141–4.
The biological response to a failed extra-articular polyester ligament used for AC Joint reconstruction at the shoulder girdle
Authors: Kocsis G. , McCulloch T. A. , Thyagarajan D. , Wallace W. A.
Published: January 2015

The LockDown device (previously called Surgilig) is a braided polyester mesh which is mostly used to reconstruct the dislocated acromioclavicular joint. More than 11 000 have been implanted worldwide. Little is known about the tissue reaction to the device nor to its wear products when implanted in an extra-articular site in humans. This is of importance as an adverse immunological reaction could result in osteolysis or damage to the local tissues, thereby affecting the longevity of the implant.

We analysed the histology of five LockDown implants retrieved from five patients over the last seven years by one of the senior authors. Routine analysis was carried out in all five cases and immunohistochemistry in one.

The LockDown device acts as a scaffold for connective tissue which forms an investing fibrous pseudoligament. The immunological response at the histological level seems favourable with a limited histiocytic and giant cell response to micron-sized wear particles. The connective tissue envelope around the implant is less organised than a native ligament.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:83–8.
The assessment of outcome after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Hossain F. S. , Konan S. , Patel S. , Rodriguez-Merchan E. C. , Haddad F. S.
Published: January 2015

The routine use of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in evaluating the outcome after arthroplasty by healthcare organisations reflects a growing recognition of the importance of patients’ perspectives in improving treatment. Although widely embraced in the NHS, there are concerns that PROMs are being used beyond their means due to a poor understanding of their limitations.

This paper reviews some of the current challenges in using PROMs to evaluate total knee arthroplasty. It highlights alternative methods that have been used to improve the assessment of outcome.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:3–9.
The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with vertebral fragility fractures
Authors: Maier G. S. , Seeger J. B. , Horas K. , Roth K. E. , Kurth A. A. , Maus U.
Published: January 2015

Hypovitaminosis D has been identified as a common risk factor for fragility fractures and poor fracture healing. Epidemiological data on vitamin D deficiency have been gathered in various populations, but the association between vertebral fragility fractures and hypovitaminosis D, especially in males, remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D) in patients presenting with vertebral fragility fractures and to determine whether patients with a vertebral fracture were at greater risk of hypovitaminosis D than a control population. Furthermore, we studied the seasonal variations in the serum vitamin D levels of tested patients in order to clarify the relationship between other known risk factors for osteoporosis and vitamin D levels. We measured the serum 25-OH D levels of 246 patients admitted with vertebral fractures (105 men, 141 female, mean age 69 years, sd 8.5), and in 392 orthopaedic patients with back pain and no fractures (219 men, 173 female, mean age 63 years, sd 11) to evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. Statistical analysis found a significant difference in vitamin D levels between patients with vertebral fragility fracture and the control group (p = 0.036). In addition, there was a significant main effect of the tested variables: obesity (p < 0.001), nicotine abuse (p = 0.002) and diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001). No statistical difference was found between vitamin D levels and gender (p = 0.34). Vitamin D insufficiency was shown to be a risk factor for vertebral fragility fractures in both men and women.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:89–93.
Factores de adaptação e recuperação após uma doença hemato-oncológica – um estudo exploratório
Authors: Reis Sílvia , Narciso Isabel
Published: January 2015

Pretendemos analisar factores que podem favorecer ou dificultar o processo de adaptação em indivíduos com uma doença do foro hemato-oncológico. A recolha de dados, com uma amostra de 101 sujeitos em remissão de doença hemato-oncológica, incluiu um questionário sócio-biográfico, o Questionário de Orientação para Viver (QOV- Antonovsky, 1998b), o Questionário de Bem-Estar Psicológico (BEP- Ryff, 1989), o Questionário da Qualidade de Vida (EORTC QLQ-C30 – versão 3- Aaronson et al., 1993) e, o Questionário da Qualidade das Relações Familiares (FES- Moos, 1990). Os resultados obtidos permitem-nos constatar que os sujeitos com nível de escolaridade mais baixo percepcionam-se menos capazes de se adaptarem ao stress; o auto-transplante de medula óssea é um factor de stress adicional e significativo; o diagnóstico de Mieloma múltiplo parece ser indutor de maior stress; os mais jovens, os não casados, os com maior nível de ensino, os empregados e os que não têm filhos têm maior predisposição para uma melhor recuperação; e, o clima relacional familiar constitui um recurso que poderá contribuir para níveis menos elevados de stress e utilização de estratégias mais adaptativas.
Estudo exploratório sobre a classificação da vinculação atípica: desorganização ou adaptação?
Authors: Fuertes Marina
Published: January 2015

Os estudos da vinculação têm como denominador comum a teoria da vinculação proposta por Bowlby. Nesta teoria são apresentados os aspectos universais da vinculação explicados à luz dos processos de evolução filogenética e ontogenética da espécie humana. Ainsworth procurou descrever a forma como os humanos se distinguem na activação do sistema de vinculação e descreveu o padrão evitante (A), seguro (B) e ambivalente/resistente (C). Contudo, um pequeno grupo de crianças não coube nesta classificação. Neste artigo são examinadas as propostas de classificação à margem da vinculação típica (A, B e C), i.e., o padrão D, U-A, A+, C+ e A/C. Para o efeito, foram seleccionadas três amostras: i) sem condições de risco (n=61), ii) com bebés prematuros (n=52), e iii) multi-risco (n=9). As crianças em estudo tinham entre 12 e 18 meses e foram observadas na Situação Estranha de Ainsworth. Verificámos que existem zonas de sobreposição na classificação dos mesmos casos entre os sistemas estudados. O sistema de classificação mais inclusivo é o sistema de A+, C+ e A/C de Crittenden. As maiores divergências entre estes tipos de classificação resultam do quadro teórico de partida de cada sistema e tornam difícil a reunião destas propostas num único modelo de classificação.
Transmissão da herança material: uma tarefa normativa das famílias envelhecidas
Authors: Patrão Marta , Sousa Liliana
Published: January 2015

A transmissão da herança material é um acontecimento expectável na vida da família que se repercute na qualidade e dinâmica das suas relações no fim da vida. Porém, é um tema pouco abordado na literatura psicológica e familiar. Este artigo apresenta um estudo exploratório sobre a transmissão da herança material, abordando-a a partir da perspectiva do ciclo da vida familiar. Partimos de entrevistas semi-estruturadas aplicadas a três focus group compostos por doadores, herdeiros e profissionais que intervêm com idosos, para compreender as suas vivências em torno da herança material. Os resultados sugerem que a transmissão da herança material emerge como uma tarefa normativa do ciclo da vida familiar, associada a vicissitudes do desenvolvimento da geração idosa. A tarefa conjuga condições sócio-económicas, dinâmicas e processos familiares e confronta a família com desafios relacionais e emocionais significativos. A sua resolução contribui para o alcance da integridade individual e das relações familiares na fase final da vida.
Preditores da adaptação à Universidade: o papel da vinculação, desenvolvimento psicossocial e coping
Authors: Cabral Joana , Matos Paula Mena
Published: January 2015

Neste estudo, com uma amostra de 387 estudantes no 1º ano do Ensino Superior, procura-se explorar a influência da vinculação às figuras parentais, do desenvolvimento psicossocial (avaliados no início do ano lectivo) e das estratégias de coping nos processos de adaptação à Universidade (avaliadas no final daquele mesmo ano), usando Modelos de Equações Estruturais. Assume-se que a influência da qualidade da vinculação nos processos de adaptação se alicerça no seu efeito promotor ao nível de recursos psicossociais, entre os quais a autonomia, o sentido de identidade, além das restantes dimensões de desenvolvimento psicossocial e as estratégias de coping; recursos que desempenharão, por sua vez, um papel crucial no reportório de respostas aos desafios de adaptação à Universidade. Os resultados demonstram a importância do carácter securizante da vinculação para o desenvolvimento psicossocial que, por sua vez, promove o recurso a estratégias mais construtivas de coping para fazer face aos desafios de adaptação.
Perfis de adaptação psicológica na criança com asma
Authors: Lima Lígia , Guerra Marina Prista , Lemos Marina Serra de
Published: January 2015

Este estudo tem como objectivos caracterizar sob um ponto de vista psicológico as crianças com asma e suas famílias e identificar diferentes perfis de adaptação. A amostra consistiu em 89 crianças, de ambos os sexos e com idades entre os 8 e os 12 anos e com asma. Relativamente à criança avaliaram-se o temperamento, inteligência, auto-estima e coping. Quanto à família foram avaliados o tipo de agregado familiar, o humor da mãe e as alterações e interferências causadas pela asma nas rotinas familiares. Como indicadores de adaptação foram avaliados sintomas de ansiedade/depressão, as habilidades sociais e a qualidade de vida. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que as crianças com asma, enquanto grupo, apresentam características que apontam maiores dificuldades de adaptação psicológica. No entanto, os resultados da análise de clusters, revelaram dois perfis distintos de adaptação das crianças com asma sugerindo que apesar de a asma representar uma situação de risco parece possível lidar favoravelmente com a doença.
Uma “severa doçura”: Esforço e interesse em educação
Authors: Simões António
Published: January 2015

Segundo a opinião, aqui expressa, um grave defeito da educação actual consiste em atribuir ao esforço um papel muito pouco relevante. Isto, desde a educação familiar à educação escolar. Com o objectivo de mostrar que o esforço é um factor incontornável, em educação, expõe-se a posição, a este respeito, de alguns dos mais notáveis pedagogos, e defende-se que o interesse não substitui o esforço, mas antes o dinamiza e reclama.
Apoio social e redes relacionais na gravidez e infecção pelo VIH: Uma abordagem do Convoy Model1
Authors: Pereira Marco , Canavarro Maria Cristina
Published: January 2015

Os contextos sociais são considerados um elemento central na vida da maioria das pessoas. Conceber a sua influência na adaptação à transição para a maternidade implica acentuar o papel do apoio social e das redes de apoio social. No contexto da infecção por Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (VIH), o apoio social pode ser particularmente relevante para o bem-estar dos doentes infectados. O objectivo deste trabalho consiste em conhecer a rede relacional de 47 grávidas infectadas pelo VIH e de 51 grávidas sem patologia médica associada, as suas principais fontes de apoio e o tipo de apoio que percebem destas fontes. A rede e percepção de apoio social foram avaliadas através do Convoy Model. A análise da rede relacional das grávidas alerta para a importância do apoio social percebido (sobretudo emocional) do companheiro e dos progenitores, em particular da mãe. De salientar que o apoio percebido do companheiro e da mãe se correlacionam de forma negativa no grupo de grávidas seropositivas. Embora este estudo se reporte a uma amostra relativamente reduzida e de conveniência, suporta a ideia da importância das redes sociais, bem como da importância das dinâmicas relacionais da rede social das grávidas seropositivas.
O efeito mediador da regulação emocional na relação entre a expressividade emocional da família de origem e as reacções maternas à expressão de emoções positivas das crianças
Authors: Palmeira Lara , Gouveia José Pinto , Dinis Alexandra , Lourenço Sara , Veloso Mário
Published: January 2015

O papel fundamental da família, especialmente dos pais, enquanto agentes de socialização das emoções tem sido salientado na literatura. De facto, as práticas parentais estabelecem-se, desde cedo, como um meio privilegiado para a identificação e compreensão das emoções, aprendizagem da expressão e de estratégias de regulação emocional. O presente estudo pretende indagar acerca do efeito mediador das estratégias de regulação emocional de 169 mães de crianças dos 8 aos 12 anos de idade, na relação entre o seu ambiente familiar na infância e o modo como reagem à expressão emocional positiva dos seus filhos. Neste sentido, deste estudo sobressaem evidências da existência de um efeito transgeracional do processo de socialização de emoções, verificando-se que as estratégias de regulação emocional das mães funcionam como mediadores da relação entre a expressividade emocional da família de origem e as reacções maternas à expressão de emoções positivas das crianças.
Sherif’s theoretical concepts and intergroup relations studies: notes for a positive interdependence
Authors: Valentim Joaquim Pires
Published: January 2015

Os conceitos teóricos de Sherif no domínio das relações entre grupos não são um mero marco histórico no superar das perspectivas individualistas neste domínio. Podem ser também, actualmente, instrumentos teóricos úteis para quem se interessa pelo estudo do funcionamento da sociedade. Neste artigo defende-se que a psicologia social pode beneficiar com a discussão e uso dos conceitos de Sherif para produzir uma análise mais compreensiva e integrada no estudo das relações entre grupos que aquela que por vezes decorre de uma estrita utilização do modelo da categorização. Isso é aqui ilustrado com dois exemplos de identidades supranacionais (a identidade europeia e a comunidade lusófona) cujo estudo pode ganhar com a utilização das ideias de Sherif, em especial, a noção de objectivos supra-ordenados. Contudo, apesar da pertinência e utilidade dos conceitos de Sherif, também devem ser assinaladas algumas fraquezas da teoria dos conflitos reais, designadamente, o pressuposto de que o conflito é sempre e inevitavelmente negativo. Questiona-se esta ideia tendo em conta o caso de grupos desfavorecidos que se encontram em situações de injustiça e também com base nos dados que põem em evidência os benefícios do conflito socio-cognitivo, provenientes de dois campos de pesquisa nos estudos europeus de psicologia social: a psicologia social do desenvolvimento e o estudo da influência minoritária.
Contributos para a compreensão da população desempregada: o papel dos padrões de crenças motivacionais
Authors: Ferreira Joaquim Armando , Freitas Raquel Azevedo , Costa Rafaela Maroto , Santos Eduardo Ribeiro dos
Published: January 2015

Este artigo apresenta uma reflexão sobre um dos fenómenos que mais tem inquietado a sociedade actual - o desemprego, considerando e clarificando conceitos a este fenómeno associados. Assim, proceder-se-á a uma breve incursão sobre a emergência do problema, isto é, à conjuntura socioeconómica da actualidade, analisando as mutações de que o conceito de carreira se tem revestido. Na tentativa de compreender de que se fala, quando se incide sobre a temática do desemprego, procurar-se-á descrever o impacto quer do desemprego, quer da insegurança laboral nos indivíduos, explorando e apresentando os principais contributos da literatura para a compreensão da população desempregada. Consequentemente, corroborando a centralidade que o trabalho assume na vida dos indivíduos, enquanto promotor da organização pessoal e social, é também propósito deste artigo enunciar, com base na revisão da literatura, alguns mediadores promotores da reinserção profissional das pessoas desempregadas, pretendendo contribuir para a compreensão dos processos psicossociais envolvidos na estimulação da pro-actividade na procura de emprego e consequente reinserção profissional.
Motivação e ansiedade dos alunos do Ensino Superior face às avaliações: comparação entre alunos de Psicologia e de Ciências do Desporto
Authors: Ramos Susana Isabel Vicente
Published: January 2015

O nosso objectivo geral é verificar como é que os nossos alunos - da licenciatura em Ciências do Desporto e da licenciatura em Psicologia – se comportam face às avaliações, uma vez que estas fazem parte da vida académica. Como objectivos específicos pretendemos verificar a existência de diferenças nas diferentes variáveis analisadas em função do curso, do ano de frequência Para tal, foi aplicada a Escala de Motivação Académica (Vallerand, Blais, Brière & Pelletier, 1989), sendo constituída por 28 itens que se subdividem em 7 escalas. Aplicámos também um conjunto de perguntas relativas ao curso, métodos de estudo e níveis de ansiedades que os alunos sentem perante diversos tipos de avaliação. Foi também administrada a Escala de Ansiedade de Zung (Ponciano, Serra & Relvas (1982), sendo constituída por 20 itens que se subdividem em 4 componentes da ansiedade.
Consumo de droga durante a adolescência em escolas portuguesas
Authors: Fonseca António Castro
Published: January 2015

O objectivo deste artigo era examinar a prevalência do consumo de drogas e sua relação com outros problemas em adolescentes portugueses. Para tal utilizaram-se dados de um estudo longitudinal de duas coortes de alunos que tinham sido avaliados inicialmente em escolas públicas do ensino básico e que, posteriormente, foram seguidos até aos 17-18 anos de idade. Na recolha de informação utilizaram-se sobretudo questionários preenchidos pelos participantes (self-report). Os resultados mostraram que o consumo de droga vai aumentando acentuadamente durante a adolescência tanto entre os rapazes como entre as raparigas, de tal modo que no fim desse período a maioria dos participantes já tinha experimentado algum tipo de droga (geralmente droga lícita). Em contrapartida, o consumo de droga ilícita era raro, particularmente no início da adolescência. Do mesmo modo, poucos adolescentes referem um envolvimento intenso no consumo de droga. No conjunto, estas taxas de prevalência são inferiores às encontradas noutras investigações realizadas em Portugal ou no estrangeiro. Uma outra conclusão interessante deste estudo é que existe uma relação moderada ou forte entre o consumo de droga e diversas formas de comportamento anti-social (e.g. atitudes anti-sociais, baixo autocontrolo e fraco desempenho académico). Tais resultados parecem fornecer uma confirmação, parcial, da hipótese segundo a qual o consumo de droga e esses outros problemas não seriam mais do que diferentes expressões de uma mesma tendência ou traço anti-social subjacente. Finalmente, não se obtiveram correlações altamente significativas entre o consumo de droga e problemas emocionais ou outras variáveis sócio-demográficas (v.g. sexo ou nível educativo dos pais). A partir destes dados fizeram-se algumas propostas para futuros trabalhos de investigação neste domínio.