Self-narrative reconstruction after dilemma-focused therapy for depression: a comparison of good and poor outcome cases

Objective: The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of self-changes after an intervention for depression focused on implicative dilemmas, a type of cognitive conflict related to identity. As recent research has highlighted the relevance of identity-related dilemmas in clients with depression, we sought to assess the way in which clients resolve such inner conflicts after a tailored dilemma-focused intervention and how this is reflected in the clients’ self-narratives. Method: We used three instruments to observe differences between good (n = 5) and poor (n = 5) outcome cases: (i) the Repertory Grid Technique to track the resolution of dilemmas, (ii) the Change Interview to compile clients’ accounts of changes at posttreatment, and (iii) the Innovative Moments Coding System to examine the emergence of clients’ novelties at the Change Interview. Results: Groups did not differ in terms of the number and relevance of client-identified significantly helpful events. However, between-group differences were found for the resolution of dilemmas and for the proportion of high-level innovative moment (IM) types. Furthermore, a greater self-narrative reconstruction was associated with higher levels of symptom improvement. Conclusions: Good outcome cases seem to be associated with the resolution of conflicts and high-level IMs.

Effect of surface plasmon resonance in TiO2/Au thin films on the fluorescence of self-assembled CdTe QDs structure

The exceptional properties of localised surface plasmons (LSPs), such as local field enhancement and confinement effects, resonant behavior, make them ideal candidates to control the emission of luminescent nanoparticles. In the present work, we investigated the LSP effect on the steady-state and time-resolved emission properties of quantum dots (QDs) by organizing the dots into self-assembled dendrite structures deposited on plasmonic nanostructures. Self-assembled structures consisting of water-soluble CdTe mono-size QDs, were developed on the surface of co-sputtered TiO2 thin films doped with Au nanoparticles (NPs) annealed at different temperatures. Their steady-state fluorescence properties were probed by scanning the spatially resolved emission spectra and the energy transfer processes were investigated by the fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) microscopy. Our results indicate that a resonant coupling between excitons confined in QDs and LSPs in Au NPs located beneath the self-assembled structure indeed takes place and results in (i) a shift of the ground state luminescence towards higher energies and onset of emission from excited states in QDs, and (ii) a decrease of the ground state exciton lifetime (fluorescence quenching).

Multi-stacks of epitaxial GeSn self-assembled dots in Si: Structural analysis

We report on the growth and structural and morphologic characterization of stacked layers of self-assembled GeSn dots grown on Si (100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy at low substrate temperature T = 350 °C. Samples consist of layers (from 1 up to 10) of Ge0.96Sn0.04 self-assembled dots separated by Si spacer layers, 10 nm thick. Their structural analysis was performed based on transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and Raman scattering. We found that up to 4 stacks of dots could be grown with good dot layer homogeneity, making the GeSn dots interesting candidates for optoelectronic device applications.

Examining mindfulness and its relation to self-differentiation and alexithymia

Published online first in 10 July 2013

Postoperative self-efficacy and psychological morbidity in radical prostatectomy

Objective: evaluate the general and perceived self-efficacy, psychological morbidity, and knowledge about postoperative care of patients submitted to radical prostatectomy. Identify the relationships between the variables and know the predictors of self-efficacy. Method: descriptive, cross-sectional study, conducted with 76 hospitalized men. The scales used were the General and Perceived Self-efficacy Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, in addition to sociodemographic, clinical and knowledge questionnaires. Results: a negative relationship was found for self-efficacy in relation to anxiety and depression. Psychological morbidity was a significant predictor variable for self-efficacy. An active professional situation and the waiting time for surgery also proved to be relevant variables for anxiety and knowledge, respectively. Conclusion: participants had a good level of general and perceived self-efficacy and small percentage of depression. With these findings, it is possible to produce the profile of patients about their psychological needs after radical prostatectomy and, thus, allow the nursing professionals to act holistically, considering not only the need for care of physical nature, but also of psychosocial nature.

Concrete with triphasic conductive materials for self-monitoring of cracking development subjected to flexure

In this study, the macro steel fiber (SF), carbon fiber (CF) and nano carbon black (NCB) as triphasic conductive materials were added into concrete, in order to improve the conductivity and ductility of concrete. The influence of NCB, SF and CF on the post crack behavior and conductivity of concrete was explored. The effect of the triphasic conductive materials on the self-diagnosing ability to the load–deflection property and crack widening of conductive concrete member subjected to bending were investigated. The relationship between the fractional change in surface impedance (FCR) and the crack opening displacement (COD) of concrete beams with conductive materials has been established. The results illustrated that there is a linear relationship between COD and FCR.

Influence of casting condition on the anisotropy of the fracture properties of Steel Fibre Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (SFRSCC)

Identification of the tensile constitutive behaviour of Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) represents an important aspect of the design of structural elements using this material. Although an important step has been made with the introduction of guidance for the design with regular FRC in the recently published fib Model Code 2010, a better understanding of the behaviour of this material is still necessary, mainly for that with self-compacting properties. This work presents an experimental investigation employing Steel Fibre Self-Compacting Concrete (SFRSCC) to cast thin structural elements. A new test method is proposed for assessing the post-cracking behaviour and the results obtained with the proposed test method are compared with the ones resulted from the standard three-point bending tests (3PBT). Specimens extracted from a sandwich panel consisting of SFRSCC layers are also tested. The mechanical properties of SFRSCC are correlated to the fibre distribution by analysing the results obtained with the different tests. Finally, the stress-crack width constitutive law proposed by the fib Model Code 2010 is analysed in light of the experimental results.

Construção e validação de uma escala de autoconceito para estudantes universitários de Moçambique

O presente artigo apresenta a construção e validação de um questionário de avaliação do autoconceito para a população de adolescentes e jovens-adultos que frequentam o ensino universitário em Moçambique. A construção do questionário teve como base a análise de conteúdo de descrições de si, fornecidas por 15 estudantes, e que informaram acerca das categorias centrais ao autoconceito e seus principais descritores. Com base nos resultados deste primeiro estudo, foram elaborados 77 itens que foram sucessivamente aplicados a pequenos grupos de alunos/as e a diferentes amostras, realizando-se análises qualitativas e quantitativas das respostas aos itens de modo a proceder à definição de dimensionalidade da escala e escolha dos melhores itens. Num último estudo, a versão ultimada da escala foi administrada a uma amostra de 250 estudantes (Midade=29.0, DP= 7.70). Os resultados da análise de componentes principais identificaram 24 itens que se organizam em cinco dimensões de autoconceito: autoconceito religioso, artístico, académico, social e físico. Estas cinco dimensões explicam 56.8% da variância total dos itens retidos na versão final da escala. As propriedades psicométricas são favoráveis à utilização deste instrumento de avaliação do autoconceito em estudantes universitários de Moçambique.

An algorithmic approach to estimating the minimal number of periodic points for smooth self-maps of simply-connected manifolds

For a given self-map f of M, a closed smooth connected and simply-connected manifold of dimension m ≥ 4, we provide an algorithm for estimating the values of the topological invariant Dm r [f], which equals the minimal number of r-periodic points in the smooth homotopy class of f. Our results are based on the combinatorial scheme for computing Dm r [f] introduced by G. Graff and J. Jezierski [J. Fixed Point Theory Appl. 13 (2013), 63–84]. An open-source implementation of the algorithm programmed in C++ is publicly available at http://www.pawelpilarczyk.com/combtop/.

New self-assembled supramolecular hydrogels based on dehydropeptides

Supramolecular hydrogels rely on small molecules that self-assemble in water as a result of the cooperative effect of several relatively weak intermolecular interactions. Peptide-based low molecular weight hydrogelators have attracted enormous interest owing to the simplicity of small molecules combined with the versatility and biocompatibility of peptides. In this work, naproxen, a well known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was N-conjugated with various dehydrodipeptides to give aromatic peptide amphiphiles that resist proteolysis. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to obtain insight into the underlying molecular mechanism of self-assembly and to rationalize the design of this type of hydrogelators. The results obtained were in excellent agreement with the experimental observations. Only dehydrodipeptides having at least one aromatic amino acid gave hydrogels. The characterization of the hydrogels was carried out using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy and also rheological assays.

Multiphasic, multistructured and hierarchical strategies for cartilage regeneration

Cartilage tissue is a complex nonlinear, viscoelastic, anisotropic, and multiphasic material with a very low coefficient of friction, which allows to withstand millions of cycles of joint loading over decades of wear. Upon damage, cartilage tissue has a low self-reparative capacity due to the lack of neural connections, vascularization, and a latent pool of stem/chondroprogenitor cells. Therefore, the healing of articular cartilage defects remains a significant clinical challenge, affecting millions of people worldwide. A plethora of biomaterials have been proposed to fabricate devices for cartilage regeneration, assuming a wide range of forms and structures, such as sponges, hydrogels, capsules, fibers, and microparticles. In common, the fabricated devices were designed taking in consideration that to fully achieve the regeneration of functional cartilage it is mandatory a well-orchestrated interplay of biomechanical properties, unique hierarchical structures, extracellular matrix (ECM), and bioactive factors. In fact, the main challenge in cartilage tissue engineering is to design an engineered device able to mimic the highly organized zonal architecture of articular cartilage, specifically its spatiomechanical properties and ECM composition, while inducing chondrogenesis, either by the proliferation of chondrocytes or by stimulating the chondrogenic differentiation  of stem/chondro-progenitor cells. In this chapter we present the recent advances in the development of innovative and complex biomaterials that fulfill the required structural key elements for cartilage regeneration. In particular, multiphasic, multiscale, multilayered, and hierarchical strategies composed by single or multiple biomaterials combined in a welldefined structure will be addressed. Those strategies include biomimetic scaffolds mimicking the structure of articular cartilage or engineered scaffolds as models of research to fully understand the biological mechanisms that influence the regeneration of cartilage tissue.

Adipogenic cell sheets to recreate in vitro adipose tissue microenvironments

Cell sheet (CS) engineering, taking advantage of cellular self-matrix organized as in native tissue, has been largely explored, including by us, for different purposes [1â 3]. Herein we propose for the ï¬ rst time, the use of human adipose stem cells (hASCs)-derived CS to create adipose tissue analogues with different levels of maturation. hASCs were cultured on UpCellTM thermo-responsive dishes for 1, 3 and 5 days under basal conditions previously established by us [3]. The inï¬ uence of pre-differentiation time and respective cell number, over CS stability and differentiation was assessed. Mechanically robust CS were only obtained with 5 days pre-differentiation period. Adipogenesis was followed along the culture assessing the variation of expression of mesenchymal (CD73, CD105 but not CD90) and adipogenic (PPARg, FABP4 and LPL) markers by ï¬ ow cytometry, immunocytochemistry and RT-PCR. Increased ratio of differentiated cells was achieved for longer pre-differentiation periods, while maturation degree was modulated by the maintenance medium. Independently of the overall CS differentiation/maturation level, 3D constructs were fabricated by stacking and further culturing 3 CS. Thus, by varying the culture conditions, different 3D adipose tissue-like microenvironments were recreated, enabling future development of new tissue engineering strategies, as well as further study of adipose tissue role in the regeneration of different tissues.

Self-compacting concrete and conventional concrete in the arena Pernambuco: comparative study of durability indicators and economic feasibility

This study addressed the application, strength and durability of self-compacting concrete (SCC) in a large-scale construction site, comparing its performance with vibrated conventional concrete (CC) with similar characteristics, assessing its economic feasibility. The studies were undertaken in the Arena Pernambuco project and involved the concreting during May, June and July 2012, for data collection, accompanying the routine concrete control tests and performing specific strength and durability tests. The SCC compressive strength was on average 4.5% higher than the CC one, and its formwork reinforced to withstand greater lateral pressure of the fresh concrete. The durability indicators results were in favour of SCC, which cost was 13.5% higher than CC.

Evaluation of the performance of steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete in elevated slab systems; from the material to the structure

Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Structural/Civil Engineering

Design of bio-based supramolecular structures through self-assembly of α-lactalbumin and lysozyme

Bovine α-lactalbumin (α-La) and lysozyme (Lys), two globular proteins with highly homologous tertiary structures and opposite isoelectric points, were used to produce bio-based supramolecular structures under various pH values (3, 7 and 11), temperatures (25, 50 and 75 °C) and times (15, 25 and 35 min) of heating. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments showed protein interactions and demonstrated that structures were obtained from the mixture of α-La/Lys in molar ratio of 0.546. Structures were characterized in terms of morphology by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), conformational structure by circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy and stability by DLS. Results have shown that protein conformational structure and intermolecular interactions are controlled by the physicochemical conditions applied. The increase of heating temperature led to a significant decrease in size and polydispersity (PDI) of α-La–Lys supramolecular structures, while the increase of heating time, particularly at temperatures above 50 °C, promoted a significant increase in size and PDI. At pH 7 supramolecular structures were obtained at microscale – confirmed by optical microscopy – displaying also a high PDI (i.e. > 0.4). The minimum size and PDI (61 ± 2.3 nm and 0.14 ± 0.03, respectively) were produced at pH 11 for a heating treatment of 75 °C for 15 min, thus suggesting that these conditions could be considered as critical for supramolecular structure formation. Its size and morphology were confirmed by TEM showing a well-defined spherical form. Structures at these conditions showed to be stable at least for 30 or 90 days, when stored at 25 or 4 °C, respectively. Hence, α-La–Lys supramolecular structures showed properties that indicate that they are a promising delivery system for food and pharmaceutical applications.