Quantifying repetitive hand activity for epidemiological research on musculoskeletal disorders--part I: individual exposure assessment

An exposure measurement approach is described for quantifying repetitive hand activity of individual workers in a prospective epidemiological study on work-related upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. A total of 733 subjects were involved in this study at the baseline. Hand activities were quantified by force and repetition. Force levels were measured by workers' self-reports, ergonomists' estimates based on observation and measurements with instrumentation. Repetition levels were measured by detailed time-motion analyses using two repetitive hand activity definitions and ergonomists' estimates using scales for the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists hand activity level and the Strain Index. Results showed that the present exposure assessment approach seems to be able to quantify force level and repetitiveness of hand activities. Repetitive hand activity is quantified differently depending on whether forceful hand exertion or repetitive muscle activity is used as the definition. These hand activity definitions may quantify different physical exposure phenomena. Individual exposure assessment is important in epidemiological research of musculoskeletal disorders as there are interactions between the individual subjects and the measured parameters. These interactions may vary between exposure parameters.     

Vapor-mediated melt infiltration for synthesizing SiC composite matrices

A two-step synthesis of SiC involving initial exposure of carbon surfaces to Si vapor, followed by Si melt infiltration, is investigated in this article with emphases on the mechanisms, kinetics, and microstructure evolution. Interrupted differential thermal analysis of amorphous C and Si powder mixtures and microstructure characterization are used to generate insight into the stages of the reaction. Exposure to Si vapor yields a SiC layer with nano-scale porosity driven by the volume change associated with the reaction. This forms a continuous pore network that promotes subsequent melt access to the reaction front with the C. While the pores remain open, the vapor phase reaction proceeds at a nearly constant rate and exhibits a strong temperature sensitivity, the latter due in part to the temperature sensitivity of the Si vapor pressure. The implications for enhancing the reactive melt infiltration process and fabrication of SiC matrices for ceramic composites are discussed.     

Test Anxiety and Academic Performance in Undergraduate and Graduate Students.

This study investigated the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance in 4,000 undergraduate and 1,414 graduate students and found a significant but small inverse relationship between test anxiety and grade point average (GPA) in both groups. Low-test-anxious undergraduates averaged a B+, whereas high-test-anxious students averaged a B. Low-test-anxious female graduate students had significantly higher GPAs than high-test-anxious female graduate students, but there were no significant GPA differences between low- and high-test-anxious male graduate students. Female undergraduates had significantly higher test anxiety and higher GPAs than male undergraduates, and female graduate students had significantly higher test anxiety and higher GPAs than male graduate students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extreme sensitivity of grandisal to acids

Attempted purification of synthetic racemic grandisal1 by silica gel chromatography resulted in severe decomposition. The nature of this reaction was studied on silica gel and in an ether solution ofp-toluenesulfonic acid. The same products resulted from both reaction systems, although in different ratios. Five racemic, rearrangement products were isolated by preparative GC and identified as follows: (1RS, 3SR, 6RS)-1-methyl-5-methylenebicyclo[4.2.0]octan-3-ol (4); (1RS, 3RS, 6RS)-1-methyl-5-methylenebicyclo[4.2.0]octan-3-ol (5); (1RS,3RS,6RS)-1,5-dimethylbicyclo[4.2.0]oct-4-en-3-ol (6); (1RS,3SR,6RS)-1,5-dimethylbicyclo[4.2.0]oct-4-en-3-ol(7); and 3-methyl-7-methylenecyclooct-3-en-l-ol (8). The stereochemical assignments are based on our proposed mechanism, which also accounts for all products observed. The racemic bicyclic enone (3) was a by-product of grandisol (2) oxidation.     

Key factors involved in engaging significant others in the treatment of Vietnam veterans with PTSD.

In an effort to be responsive to the often complicated, multilayered family issues of people living with posttraumatic stress disorder, many well-intentioned therapists create a variety of family-based services--only to be discouraged when participation is very low. In the current project, 10 Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder who were active in a stress recovery program and their live-in female partners completed separate semistructured interviews. Interviews explored each couple's perceptions about family participation in mental health treatment, including potential benefits and barriers. Findings revealed 9 key themes that elucidate many of the important issues in family engagement. The authors make 7 recommendations about how clinicians can overcome some of the possible obstacles to involving families in care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Multimodal Functional Model--Advancing case formulation beyond the "diagnose and treat" paradigm: Improving outcomes and reducing aggression and the use of control procedures in psychiatric care.

Improving clinical outcomes, treating aggression, and reducing the use of restraints and seclusion are major concerns to providers of psychiatric services. Devising precise treatments directed by causal hypotheses that address the functional properties of maladaptive behaviors are essential for reducing aggression, increasing understanding of causal factors, and enhancing individual control and adaptive choices. This article describes the Multimodal Functional Model (MFM), a sophisticated case formulation and treatment model that moves beyond the "diagnose and treat" paradigm and provides interventions that address causal factors, reduce aggression, and prevent the use of restraints and seclusion in psychiatric settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Grandparents' psychological well-being after loss of contact with their grandchildren.

This study examined how loss of contact with grandchildren due to parental separation or divorce, family feud, or a sudden event, such as relocation, affected the emotional well-being of grandparents (N = 442). Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Generations, the depressive symptoms of grandparents were tracked over 15 years. Growth curve analysis was used to compare grandparents who had lost contact with their grandchildren with those who had not and to examine preloss to postloss change in depressive symptoms. Grandparents who lost contact with their grandchildren experienced a steeper increase in depressive symptoms as they aged compared with other grandparents. Depressive symptoms of grandparents who lost contact because of a sudden event increased up to 3 years following the loss but returned to equilibrium thereafter. The authors conclude that grandparents who lost contact with their grandchildren experienced a negative impact on their emotional health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A prospective experience with selective cholangiography

A prospective study of patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of identifying clinically significant choledocholithiasis with selective cholangiography. Between 1991 and 1995, 262 patients presented to the senior author (K.W.M.) with acute or chronic cholecystitis. Sixteen patients had a preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for an elevated alkaline phosphatase or total bilirubin greater than twice the normal value or an ultrasound finding suspecting choledocholithiasis. Ten of the ERCP patients had choledocholithiasis, with eight patients having successful clearance by ERCP. Ninety other patients had intraoperative cholangiography for abnormal serum liver biochemistries, a history of jaundice or pancreatitis, or a dilated common bile duct (CBD) (>6 mm) on ultrasound. Fourteen of the intraoperative cholangiography patients and the two remaining ERCP patients had choledocholithiasis requiring CBD exploration for clearance of their stones. There were no false-positive cholangiograms, and there were no bile duct injuries in this series. With 100 per cent follow-up of at least 2 years, only one patient required ERCP clearance of a retained CBD stone 13 months after cholecystectomy. The positive predictive value and the negative predictive value for the selective cholangiography criteria are 23 per cent and 99 per cent, respectively. In conclusion, clinically significant choledocholithiasis can be found effectively with selective cholangiography. Also, utilizing selective cholangiography reduces the number of routine cholangiograms by 60 per cent.     

A checklist for evaluating ergonomic risk factors resulting from awkward postures of the legs, trunk and neck

A one-page checklist for determining the presence of ergonomic risk factors associateed with awkward postures of the lower extremities, trunk and neck was developed and evaluated as part of a joint labor-management ergonomics intervention program. This checklist was used by plant personnel at four work sites to assess the postural requirements on 335 cyclical (i.e., work-cycle duration less than five minutes) manufacturing and warehouse jobs. In addition, results generated by the checklist were compared to the results of ergonomic analyses performed by persons with advanced training in occupational ergonomics.

Workers were observed using awkward postures for most of the jobs in the survey. Awkward postures of the lower extrimities were relatively uncommon, occuring in 25 percent or less of the jobs. Awkward postures of the trunk and neck were common, occuring in more than 70 percent of the jobs. Results generated by the checklist were generally in agreement with results generated by the experienced ergonomists; however, the checklist was found to be more sensitive in identifying the presence of awkward postures.

The checklist was found to be an effective rapid-screening instrument for identifying cyclical jobs that expose workers to potentially harmful postures. However, the checklist methodology did not include sufficient documentation of work methods to identify the specific job attributes associated with these exposures. Furthermore, the checklist was not used to evaluate non-cyclical jobs (e.g., maintenance and skilled trades).