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PubMed2000

Parental encouragement, protection, and advocacy for Mexican-American children with chronic conditions.

Families face great challenges in caring for a child with a chronic condition, yet little is known about intrafamilial relationships, especially among Mexican Americans. An interpretive study, using symbolic interaction, with 25 adult informants, representing 19 mostly Mexican-American families, is reported. Findings include description of the process, "Keeping My Child Close to Me," by which parents, particularly mothers, provided protection, encouragement, and advocacy for their chronically ill child. Families were close and willing to jointly sacrifice to meet their special needs; however, some strains resulted from differences in perceptions between spouses and lack of attention to siblings during times of focus on the child with a chronic condition.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Bistable phase control via rocking in a nonlinear electronic oscillator.

We experimentally demonstrate the effective rocking [de Valcarcel and Staliunas, Phys. Rev. E 67, 026604 (2003)] of a nonlinear electronic circuit operating in a periodic regime. Namely, we show that by driving a Chua circuit with a periodic signal, whose phase alternates (also periodically) in time, we lock the oscillation frequency of the circuit to that of the driving signal, and its phase to one of two possible values shifted by pi, and lying between the alternating phases of the input signal. In this way, we show that a rocked nonlinear oscillator displays phase bistability. We interpret the experimental results via a theoretical analysis of rocking on a simple oscillator model, based on a normal form description (complex Landau equation) of the rocked Hopf bifurcation.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

How system designers think: a study of design thinking in human factors engineering.

The paper presents a descriptive study of design thinking in human factors engineering. The objective of the study is to analyse the role of interpretation in design thinking and the role of design practice in guiding interpretation. The study involved 10 system designers undertaking the allocation of cognitive functions in three production planning and control task scenarios. Allocation decisions were recorded and verbal protocols of the design process were collected to elicit the subjects' thought processes. Verbal protocol analysis showed that subjects carried out the design of cognitive task allocation as a problem of applying a selected automation technology from their initial design deliberations. This design strategy stands in contrast to the predominant view of system design that stipulates that user requirements should be thoroughly analysed prior to making any decisions about technology. Theoretical frameworks from design research and ontological design showed that the system design process may be better understood by recognizing the role of design hypotheses in system design, as well as the diverse interactions between interpretation and practice, means and ends, and design practice and the designer's pre-understanding which shape the design process. Ways to balance the bias exerted on the design process were discussed.

Automation↗

PubMed2000

Dynamic, stochastic, and topological aspects of polyrhythmic performance.

Previous research on polyrhythmic performance can be broadly summarized in terms of 2 classes of models: timekeeper models and nonlinear dynamical models. In the former approach, research has been focused on patterns of covariance among time intervals, and in the latter approach, the concentration has been on pattern (in)stability and the spatiotemporal properties of oscillating limbs. It is suggested that one can achieve a more comprehensive theory that incorporates the strengths of each of these approaches by endowing timekeeper models with nonlinear dynamics or by endowing nonlinear oscillator models with stochastic variability. Additionally, those models are complemented by a topological description of performance based on knot theory. Knot theory provides a new index of difficulty for polyrhythmic tapping, a spatial interpretation of transitions between different stable rhythms, and a possible instantiation of N. A. Bernstein's (1967a) notion of a topological motor program.

Attention↗

PubMed2006

When a partner dies: lesbian widows.

Death of a life partner and the subsequent bereavement are profound experiences for an individual. By far, the majority of bereavement research reported is focused on heterosexual couples, primarily married and often in the later years of life. The purpose of this study was to describe the bereavement experiences of lesbians whose life partners have died. The study used a descriptive, qualitative design informed by feminist scholarship and phenomenology to access the depth of personal experiences, as well as internally interpreted meanings of those experiences, among lesbian widows.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2005

Stochastic cell.

Accumulating experimental evidence of stochasticity, self-organization and abrupt non-linear transitions underlying the dynamics of cellular structure and function is increasingly more consistent with the concepts and models of phase transitions, critical phenomena and non-linear thermodynamics rather than with the conventional clockwork description of the cell. The novel emerging image of the stochastic cell suggests that familiar and convenient classico-mechanical interpretations may be limiting our ability to understand the behavior of biological systems and calls for active exploration of alternative interpretational frameworks.

Cell Physiological Phenomena↗

PubMed2004

Atomistic studies of surface adhesions using molecular-dynamics simulations.

The existing theoretical descriptions of continuum surface adhesions, such as the JKR (Johnson-Kendall-Roberts) model, have been very useful for the interpretation of particle contacts of sizes down to micrometre length-scales. However, the continuum model is expected to fail at atomic length-scales, where discrete atomistic interactions become significant. The crossover length-scales at which the macroscopic phenomena begin to manifest themselves, and how they occur, are equally baffling and remain poorly understood. This paper explores the issue of atomistic surface contacts between two ionic bodies made of similar materials, such as MgO and NaCl, using molecular dynamics. A range of surface phenomenological behaviour has been identified, from simple fracture to plastic dislocation and neck formation, which are not predicted in continuum models. In addition, the influences of body structure with respect to surface contacts will also be discussed briefly.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed2002

Finite temperature magnetism in Gd: evidence against a Stoner behavior.

The temperature dependence of the rare-earth valence bands has been regarded as a realization of the Stoner behavior. The exchange splitting of the electronic states appears to scale as the magnetic order parameter for T<T(C) and to vanish at T = T(C). We report here a spin-resolved photoemission study on the evolution of Gd bulk bands for 0.5< or =T/T(C)< or=1. The spin-polarized spectral line shapes display a complex temperature dependence, which clearly contrasts with the interpretation of previous experimental results. The spin-resolved photoemission data demonstrate the inadequacy of the Stoner model to the description of magnetism in rare earths.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1984

ERPs and Psychopathology. I. Behavioral process issues.

The clinical study of ERPs has an inherent defect--a self-selection of clinical populations that hampers equating of clinically defined groups on factors extraneous to the independent variables. Such ex post facto studies increase the likelihood of confounding variables in the interpretation of findings. Hence, the development of lawful relationships between clinical variables and ERPs is impeded and the fulfillment of description, explanation, prediction, and control in brain science is thwarted. Proper methodologies and theory development can increase the likelihood of establishing these lawful relationships. One methodology of potential value in the clinical application of ERPs, particularly in studies of aging, is that of divided attention. Two promising theoretical developments in the understanding of brain functioning and aging are the distraction-arousal hypothesis and the controlled-automatic attention model. The evaluation of ERPs in the study of brain-behavior relations in clinical populations might be facilitated by the differentiation of concurrent, predictive, content, and construct validities.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Development of indicators to measure European variation of nursing activities.

This paper describes a study to capture the key roles and activities of nephrology nurses across different countries in Europe. The concept of the study and the need to clarify the activities of the nephrology nurse arose as part of a larger study to develop the European Practice Database (EPD) (1). The Research Board (EDTNA/ERCA) needed to identify key questions that would detect significant differences in the role and responsibilities of nephrology nurses in different countries and monitor the evolution over time of nephrology nursing practice in Europe. It was therefore appropriate to devise a separate small study to generate evidence based questions for the EPD and confirm the reliability and usefulness of the information captured.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and its genome.

Over the past two decades, the small soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become established as a major model system for the study of a great variety of problems in biology and medicine. One of its most significant advantages is its simplicity, both in anatomy and in genomic organization. The entire haploid genetic content amounts to 100 million base pairs of DNA, about 1/30 the size of the human value. As a result, C. elegans has also provided a pilot system for the construction of physical maps of larger animal and plant genomes, and subsequently for the complete sequencing of those genomes. By mid-1995, approximately one-fifth of the complete DNA sequence of this animal had been determined. Caenorhabditis elegans provides a test bed not only for the development and application of mapping and sequencing technologies, but also for the interpretation and use of complete sequence information. This article reviews the progress so far toward a realizable goal--the total description of the genome of a simple animal.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Updated ENIGMA recommendations for reporting germline variants in cancer susceptibility genes and their translation into twenty languages.

Genetic testing for cancer susceptibility underpins precision cancer prevention and care. Gaps in the healthcare providers' genetic literacy and an ambiguous lexicon for variant description may hinder proper delivery and clinical application of consistently trustworthy test results. The Evidence-based Network for the Interpretation of Germline Mutant Alleles (ENIGMA) international consortium supports controlled terminology and recommends a framework for reporting germline variants in cancer susceptibility genes, using breast cancer as an exemplar. Moving forward towards terminological coherence across disciplines and borders, the ENIGMA Clinical Working Group launched a multinational effort to release consortium-approved translations of the published recommendations. The herein reported Vocabulary Translation Project offered an opportunity to reappraise and align the reference text to the recent BRCA1 and BRCA2 specifications to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology rules by the ENIGMA Variant Curation Expert Panel and to highlight country-specific differences in breast cancer risk assessment and management. The updated recommendations and their 20 translations are now provided as easy to handle documents, covering 11 of the most widely spoken languages in the world. They will contribute to minimised erroneous inferences, more informed decision-making, improved health outcomes and equity in the use of genetic testing for cancer predisposition and in translational oncology.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid gland in patients with prior Graves' disease treated with radioactive iodine. Morphologic findings and potential pitfalls.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the morphologic findings and their potential pitfalls in fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) of thyroid glands obtained following radioactive iodine (RaI) (131I) treatment for Graves' disease. STUDY DESIGN: Study of thyroid FNAB specimens from six patients with prior Graves' disease treated with RaI who developed palpable nodules and had subsequent thyroid resections. RESULTS: The cytologic changes attributed to radiation were quite variable among the six cases and were so pronounced in one case that a false positive diagnosis of papillary carcinoma was made even though a history of RaI had been provided. The FNAB specimen from the second case, submitted without a history of RaI treatment, was diagnosed as suspicious for papillary carcinoma. The smears from patient 3 were signed out descriptively because the pertinent clinical history had not been provided. The FNAB specimens from the last three patients were correctly interpreted because of the history of RaI therapy provided. All six thyroid surgical specimens showed changes consistent with radiation injury, and none contained evidence of malignancy. CONCLUSION: The study's findings demonstrate that the atypia produced by RaI may be severe, leading to an erroneous diagnosis of malignancy. Provision of the appropriate clinical history of Graves' disease treated with RaI may prevent this pitfall.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

The meaning of being an elder in Nepal.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research study was to explore the meaning of being an elder in Nepal. The nurse researcher, accompanied by an interpreter, travelled to six villages east and west of Kathmandu Valley to speak with 25 individuals about their experiences in later life. Questions structured within Parse's theoretical perspective guided discussions to uncover older persons' views of aging, their relationships with others, and the changes and hopes of daily life. Findings revealed that the meaning of being an elder in Nepal is "cherishing necessities for survival intermingles with the rapture of celebration with important others, as diminishing familiar patterns expand moments of respite, while regard from others affirms self, and changing customs create comfort-discomfort as what-was unfolds into new possibles." Findings were congruent with Parse's theoretical concepts of valuing, enabling-limiting, and transforming. This study supported Parse's theory as a valuable guide for human inquiry and expanded the body of nursing knowledge on aging. Specific guidelines for practice and research are proposed.

Aged↗

PubMed1988

Limitations in the use of job exposure matrices.

A Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) is a cross classification of occupations, industries and exposures within a given job. A general JEM covers all occupations and industries. Severe misclassification by using such a JEM is hardly avoidable. Use of a general JEM will therefore rarely be able to identify risk ratios in the moderately elevated range. However, a general JEM could be an important tool in looking for differentiated misclassification, a frequently mentioned problem in case-control studies. Principles of this kind of use is given in the text.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗

PubMed1996

Localization and developmental expression of surfactant proteins D and A in the respiratory tract of the mouse.

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is synthesized and secreted by pulmonary epithelial cells. Like surfactant protein A (SP-A), SP-D is a collagen-like glycoprotein belonging to the "collectin" class of C-type lectins that may play an important role in pulmonary host defense. To begin studies on SP-D gene regulation and function using the mouse as an animal model, we identified the cellular sites of SP-D gene expression in adult mouse lung and trachea and characterized the developmental expression of SP-D mRNA in murine fetal and newborn lungs. We compared these findings with similar studies for murine SP-A, which has an established role in surfactant function and metabolism and a probable role in pulmonary host defense. SP-D mRNA and protein were readily detected by in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry in alveolar type II and nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cells of the lung, as well as in cells of the tracheal epithelium and tracheal submucosal glands of the adult mouse. Although SP-A mRNA and protein were also localized to alveolar and nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cells of the murine lung, there was no detectable labeling for either SP-A mRNA or protein in the murine trachea. Expression of murine SP-D mRNA was first detected by Northern blot analysis on d 16 of gestation in timed-pregnant mice, with an average gestational period of 17 d, and this increased dramatically before birth and during the immediate postnatal period. The developmental expression of murine SP-A mRNA paralleled that of SP-D except that there was a small decrease in mRNA content on postnatal d 5. These studies provide the first description of the cellular distribution and developmental expression of SP-D in mouse lung, which will be important for interpreting future studies of SP-D gene expression in transgenic animal models. In addition, these studies provide the first documentation that, unlike SP-A, SP-D is synthesized not only in the lung but also in submucosal glands of the trachea.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Companion dog temperament traits.

Owners rated their companion dogs (Canis faamiliarus) on the frequency of occurrence of 127 descriptions of behavior. We conducted an exploratory principal components analysis of these behaviors for 2,018 participants that produced 22 interpretable factors (or traits). Four related to aggression indicate that aggression is not a unitary concept. Three factors relate to play and 3 describe vocal behavior. Regression analyses examined the relation of sex and obedience training (OT) to factor scores. Some unexpected relations between OT and factor scores were identified. Frequency distributions for factor scores were positively skewed for undesirable traits and negatively skewed for more desirable traits. Some common beliefs about companion dog behavior problems, such as the relation between playing tug-of-war games and aggression, are challenged. The identified factors provide some insight into the structure of temperament in companion dogs and represent traits that can be measured for individual dogs, although further refinement is needed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Approaches of South African traditional healers regarding the treatment of cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE: Due to the large number of Black South Africans known to consult with traditional healers and the influential role they play in the developing world, this study investigated the approaches of a group of 15 traditional healers toward the treatment of cleft lip and palate. DESIGN: An exploratory-descriptive, qualitative research design was employed, which involved the use of standardized, semistructured interviews, conducted with the assistance of an interpreter who was fluent in several African languages. SETTING: Interviews were conducted outdoors in places in which traditional healers usually consult with their patients. These areas were in the fields close to the traditional healers' homes or under a highway bridge in the Johannesburg inner city. PARTICIPANTS: Individual interviews were conducted with 15 African traditional healers who had been practicing in their callings for at least 1 year. RESULTS: Traditional healers interviewed had treated one to six persons with a cleft lip, cleft palate, or both. Most informants believed that clefts were caused by the ancestors, spirits, and witchcraft. A variety of plant and animal products were used to treat these conditions and were augmented by spiritual resources from the ancestors. All except one healer had undergone formal training, although they had received no specific training relative to cleft lip and palate. Most participants reported referring patients to Western health care practitioners who were referred to as modern doctors but did not receive reciprocal referrals from these professionals. Patients generally consulted with traditional healers because this approach was part of their culture. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important implications for health care professionals as well as traditional healers in terms of cross-cultural consultation, collaboration, and information sharing with regard to cleft lip and palate; the potential use of traditional healers in primary health care and education; and further research.

Adult↗