In vivo contact stresses at the radiocarpal joint using a finite element method of the complete wrist joint

A small number of cadaveric studies have been carried out looking at the force transmission through the radiocarpal joint. In this study subject specific finite element models were created of the whole wrist joint using measured biomechanical data to capture the forces acting on the wrist with the hand generating a maximum gripping force

Identifying social care research literature: Case studies from guideline development

OBJECTIVES: Systematic searching is central to guideline development, yet guidelines in social care present a challenge to systematic searching because they exist within a highly complex policy and service environment. The objective of this study was to highlight challenges and inform practice on identifying social care research literature, drawing on experiences from guideline development in social care. METHODS: The researchers reflected on the approaches to searching for research evidence to inform three guidelines. They evaluated the utility of major topic-focused bibliographic database sources through a) determining the yield of citations from the search strategies for two guidelines and b) identifying which databases contain the citations for three guidelines. The researchers also considered the proportion of different study types and their presence in certain databases. RESULTS: There were variations in the ability of the search terms to capture the studies from individual databases, even with low-precision searches. These were mitigated by searching a combination of databases and other resources that were specific to individual topics. A combination of eight databases was important for finding literature for the included topics. Multiple database searching also mitigates the currency of content, topic and study design focus, and consistency of indexing within individual databases. CONCLUSION: Systematic searching for research evidence in social care requires considerable thought and development so that the search is fit for the particular purpose of supporting guidelines. This study highlights key challenges and reveals trends when utilising some commonly used databases

Identifying social care research literature: Case studies from guideline development

This is the final version. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Objective – Systematic searching is central to guideline development, yet guidelines in social care present a challenge to systematic searching because they exist within a highly complex policy and service environment. The objective of this study was to highlight challenges and inform practice on identifying social care research literature, drawing on experiences from guideline development in social care. Methods – The researchers reflected on the approaches to searching for research evidence to inform three guidelines. They evaluated the utility of major topic-focused bibliographic database sources through a) determining the yield of citations from the search strategies for two guidelines and b) identifying which databases contain the citations for three guidelines. The researchers also considered the proportion of different study types and their presence in certain databases. Results – There were variations in the ability of the search terms to capture the studies from individual databases, even with low-precision searches. These were mitigated by searching a combination of databases and other resources that were specific to individual topics. A combination of eight databases was important for finding literature for the included topics. Multiple database searching also mitigates the currency of content, topic and study design focus, and consistency of indexing within individual databases. Conclusion – Systematic searching for research evidence in social care requires considerable thought and development so that the search is fit for the particular purpose of supporting guidelines. This study highlights key challenges and reveals trends when utilising some commonly used databases.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)National Institute for Health Research (NIHR

Rebuilding Trust: The Experiences of Male Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Intimate Relationships

The purpose of this study was to shed light on the experiences of male survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) as they attempted to form and maintain intimate relationships in adulthood. While prior studies and survivor memoirs have suggested that CSA (as well as its psychological and physiological correlates) can have severe long-term implications on survivors’ ability to form and maintain intimate relationships, few have been published recently and even fewer have focused on outcomes specific to males. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze data generated from transcripts of interviews with five participants recruited from support groups for male survivors of CSA. Participants are introduced to the reader via brief narratives that outline their journey making meaning out of their experience, and how it may have influenced their intimate relationships. The analyzed data was organized into three overarching themes; Protecting the Self, with the subthemes Trust and Vulnerability; Worth of the Self, with the subtheme Masculinity, and Healing the Self. Each theme describes a different aspect of participants’ experience as they found ways to overcome the unique challenges posed by their situations. Study results are discussed in the context of the current literature. Based on participant invocation, Attachment Theory is used as a lens through which data is examined. This study has important implications for professionals working with survivors and survivors’ romantic partners, as well as to help reduce the stigma and uncertainty faced every day by survivors themselves

Clinical significance of monocyte heterogeneity

Monocytes are primitive hematopoietic cells that primarily arise from the bone marrow, circulate in the peripheral blood and give rise to differentiated macrophages. Over the past two decades, considerable attention to monocyte diversity and macrophage polarization has provided contextual clues into the role of myelomonocytic derivatives in human disease. Until recently, human monocytes were subdivided based on expression of the surface marker CD16. "Classical" monocytes express surface markers denoted as CD14(++)CD16(-) and account for greater than 70% of total monocyte count, while "non-classical" monocytes express the CD16 antigen with low CD14 expression (CD14(+)CD16(++)). However, recognition of an intermediate population identified as CD14(++)CD16(+) supports the new paradigm that monocytes are a true heterogeneous population and careful identification of specific subpopulations is necessary for understanding monocyte function in human disease. Comparative studies of monocytes in mice have yielded more dichotomous results based on expression of the Ly6C antigen. In this review, we will discuss the use of monocyte subpopulations as biomarkers of human disease and summarize correlative studies in mice that may yield significant insight into the contribution of each subset to disease pathogenesis

A three-dimensional finite element model of maximal grip loading in the human wrist

The aim of this work was to create an anatomically accurate three-dimensional finite element model of the wrist, applying subject-specific loading and quantifying the internal load transfer through the joint during maximal grip. For three subjects, representing the anatomical variation at the wrist, loading on each digit was measured during a maximal grip strength test with simultaneous motion capture. The internal metacarpophalangeal joint load was calculated using a biomechanical model. High-resolution magnetic resonance scans were acquired to quantify bone geometry. Finite element analysis was performed, with ligaments and tendons added, to calculate the internal load distribution. It was found that for the maximal grip the thumb carried the highest load, an average of 72.2 ¡ 20.1 N in the neutral position. Results from the finite element model suggested that the highest regions of stress were located at the radial aspect of the carpus. Most of the load was transmitted through the radius, 87.5 per cent, as opposed to 12.5 per cent through the ulna with the wrist in a neutral position. A fully three-dimensional finite element analysis of the wrist using subject-specific anatomy and loading conditions was performed. The study emphasizes the importance of modelling a large ensemble of subjects in order to capture the spectrum of the load transfer through the wrist due to anatomical variation

Nonlinear Relationship between Birth Weight and Visceral Fat in Adolescents

To determine the association of birth weight with abdominal fat distribution and markers known to increase risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in adolescents