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Biomedical subjects

J A Shepperd

Publications and source records attributed to J A Shepperd.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Bracing for loss.

People find unexpected bad news aversive and often brace themselves by predicting the worst. Three experiments examined whether the pessimism is influenced by personal need. Students who differed in financial need learned that a billing error meant that some students would receive an additional bill from their university. Financially needy students were consistently pessimistic in predicting their likelihood of receiving a bill, whereas non-needy students were not. In addition, the experiments reveal that (a) the pessimism occurred for potential losses but not potential gains, (b) needy students were pessimistic about their own chances but not the chances of a friend, (c) the pessimism was not attributable to needy students' being more readily primed by the news of a possible bill or to needy students' having more experience with billing errors, and (d) the pessimism was specific to monetary losses and did not generalize to other events.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2000

The results at nine to twelve years of the use of a hydroxyapatite-coated femoral stem.

We describe the clinical and radiological outcome of 100 consecutive total hip replacements in 86 patients using the JRI Furlong hydroxyapatite-coated femoral component. The follow-up was 100% at a mean of ten years (9.0 to 12.0). All 54 living patients (62 hips) were examined annually. Their mean Merle d'Aubigné score was 5.8/5.6/4.6. A total of 32 patients had died. Their notes at the last annual assessment recorded a similar outcome to that of the living patients. Radiographs showed no radiolucent lines around any femoral component and there were no signs of impending failure. One patient required excision arthroplasty, but the femoral component had been bonded satisfactorily. There have been no other revisions of femoral components. Our findings suggest that the hydroxyapatite coating gives a satisfactory prosthesis-bone interface which is preferable to any other system.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

An in vitro study of the biomechanical effects of flexible stabilization on the lumbar spine.

STUDY DESIGN: Lumbar motion segments were tested in vitro to examine biomechanical changes after posterior fixation by a flexible device. OBJECTIVES: To assess changes in load distribution and conformation of vertebral structures after a flexible stabilization. This should provide the foundations for a scientific understanding of the immediate effects of this surgical procedure. METHODS: Hooks were placed over the proximal spinous process and the distal laminas of a motion segment and connected by a polyester braid. Tension applied to the braid then generated a compression of the posterior elements. The force between the articular facets, the displacement of the posterior anulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc, and the change in the relative position of the adjacent vertebrae were measured as the applied tension was increased. RESULTS: Facet joint force, disc bulge, and vertebral angulation increased with applied tension until a position of "locking" was achieved, apparently when the bony margin of the superior half of the facet joint contacted the inferior pars interarticularis. A tension of between 50 to 100 N in the braid was required for this. Facet joint force was less than 40% of this, and disc bulge was only 0.15 mm. The extension of the motion segment was between 2 degrees and 8 degrees. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that if such a system is applied surgically, stabilization is produced by compaction of the bony margins of the facet joints. Only a relatively small proportion of the posteriorly applied load is carried by the facet joints themselves, and little angulatory change is expected with minimal disc bulge.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Dysphoria as a moderator of the relationship between perceived effort and perceived ability.

Although Heiderian logic (F. Heider, 1958) proposes an inverse relationship between ability and effort, research has uncovered dramatic individual differences in the judged relationship between the two. Some view ability and effort as positively related; others view them as negatively related. Study 1 explored dysphoria as a moderator of this relationship by gathering dysphoric and nondysphoric individuals' perceptions of their effort and ability on daily activities. Although ability and effort generally were positively related, dysphorics reported lower ability on high effort tasks. In Study 2, Ss rated their effort as high or low. Dysphorics discounted ability when effort was high; nondysphorics reported the greatest ability when they expended the greatest effort. Collectively, there was no support for an inverse relationship between ability and effort. However, dysphorics infer less ability than nondysphorics following high effort.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Pelvic underpinning: eight years' experience.

A new method to reconstruct major acetabular floor defects is described. It relies on the placement of special nails into each of the three bones of the hemipelvis. Curved lugs attached to the nails are coalesced using bone cement forming a platform onto which a standard acetabular prosthesis is located. Forty-seven cases are reported with a mean follow-up of 4.4 years (1 to 8). No loosening of an acetabular cup or migration of the device has occurred.

Acetabulum↗
PubMed1991

The relationship of hardiness, gender, and stress to health outcomes in adolescents.

The present study examined the relationship between the hardiness components of commitment, control, and challenge, and the experience of physical and psychological symptoms in a sample of 150 (75 male, 75 female) adolescents. A measure of psychosocial stress was included to permit an examination of whether the hardiness components interact with stress in predicting health outcomes. Analyses revealed main effects of stress, gender, and the hardiness components of commitment and control for several of the health measures. More important was the finding of a consistent interaction of stress, gender, and hardiness for several of the health measures. Whereas low-stress males experienced few physical and psychological symptoms regardless of their levels of commitment and control, high-stress males experienced more problems when they were low rather than high in either commitment or control. The hardiness components did not interact with stress in the prediction of health outcomes among females.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

Aggression in adolescents: the role of social support and personality.

A study was conducted to determine the degree to which social support and personality predict the use of reasoning and aggression by adolescents to resolve interpersonal conflict. Although all adolescents appeared to use reasoning to resolve conflict, those with less social support and those exhibiting a forceful personality were more likely to report using verbal and physical aggression to resolve conflict. By contrast, introverted adolescents were less likely to report using verbal aggression to settle their differences. The importance of social support, as well as measures that can be taken by mental health professionals to prevent the use of aggression by adolescents, are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Percutaneous disc surgery.

The rationale and clinical methods of percutaneous disc surgery have been modified during the past four years. Experience with a consecutive series of 48 patients suggests that the procedure now offers results comparable to open surgery and the advantages of reduced surgical trauma.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Psychological concomitants of cystic fibrosis in children and adolescents.

Thirty cystic fibrosis (CF) and 30 matched control children and their parents were administered several psychiatric inventories including the child (DICA) and parent (DICA-P) versions of the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, the Child Behavior Check List, the Hopelessness Scale, and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Data analysis revealed few differences in either psychopathological symptoms or psychiatric diagnoses between the CF and control children. The differences which did emerge were either physical in nature (reflecting somatic complaints) or did not depart enough from normal scores to merit the label of high psychopathology. The results are discussed in terms of the growing evidence that CF children do not suffer from greater psychopathology than do normal children.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1986

Objectivism in information utilization: theory and measurement.

A self-report scale was constructed and validated that measures individual differences in objectivism--the tendency to base one's judgments and beliefs on empirical information and rational considerations. Validity data showed that, compared to people who score low on the Objectivism Scale, highly objective individuals enjoy thinking more, rely more on observable facts when making decisions, and place less emphasis on subjective and intuitive styles of decision making. Among graduate students in psychology, objectivism correlated positively with ratings of research-oriented careers, but negatively with ratings of mental health careers; also, highly objective students were more critical of nonobjective psychological assessment techniques and placed greater importance on research. Objectivism also predicted preferences for newspaper articles, college course selections, and the criteria respondents use when making decisions.

Journal Article↗