Cement-in-cement revision for selected Vancouver Type B1 femoral periprosthetic fractures : A biomechanical analysis

The aim of this study was to perform a biomechanical analysis of the cement-in-cement (c-in-c) technique for fixation of selected Vancouver Type B1 femoral periprosthetic fractures and to assess the degree of cement interposition at the fracture site. Six embalmed cadaveric femora were implanted with a cemented femoral stem. Vancouver Type B1 fractures were created by applying a combined axial and rotational load to failure. The femora were repaired using the c-in-c technique and reloaded to failure. The mean primary fracture torque was 117 Nm (SD 16.6, range 89–133). The mean revision fracture torque was 50 Nm (SD 16.6, range 29–74), which is above the torque previously observed for activities of daily living. Cement interposition at the fracture site was found to be minimal.

ACE research vignette 024 : New firm formation and job creation by type of firm an type of region.

This series of research vignettes is aimed at sharing current and interesting research findings from our team of international Entrepreneurship researchers. This vignette, written by Mr. Darren Kavanagh and Professor Per Davidsson, takes a closer look at job creation by new firms.

Does experience with one type of two-wheeler affect behaviours and attitudes to other types?

Failure to give way by motor vehicles is a factor in many collisions with both powered and unpowered two wheelers (TWs). Motor vehicle drivers often report that they did not see the TW, but research has shown that motor vehicle drivers who have experience riding a motorcycle are less likely to fail to detect motorcycles. The research reported here examines whether this phenomenon extends to detection of bicycles and whether car drivers who have experience with one mode of TW show improved detection of the other mode. A driving simulator study was conducted in an Australian urban setting which incorporated some of the most common car-TW crash scenarios. Participants with car-only, car plus motorcycle, car plus bicycle, and car plus bicycle plus motorcycle experience operated a car simulator. Their interactions with both types of TWs were measured in terms of visual detection, lateral distance and speed when approaching and passing. The effects of different levels of colour and lighting of the TWs on driver responses were also examined. The attitudes of participants towards TWs were measured in a questionnaire.

Perceived barriers to healthy lifestyle activities in midlife and older Australian women with type 2 diabetes

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in midlife and older Australian women with known modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes including smoking, nutrition, physical activity and obesity. In Australia little research has been done to investigate the perceived barriers to healthy lifestyle activities in midlife and older women with type 2 diabetes. The primary aim of this study was to explore the level and type of perceived barriers to health promotion activities. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship of perceived barriers to smoking behaviour, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and body mass index. Methods: The study was a cross sectional survey of women, aged over 45 with type 2 diabetes, attending metropolitan community health clinics (N = 41). Data was collected from self-report questionnaire and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Women in the study had average total barriers scores similar to those reported in the literature for women with a range of physical disabilities and illnesses. The leading barriers for this group of women were: lack of interest, concern about safety, too tired, lack of money and feeling what they do does not help. There was no association between total barriers scores and body mass index, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake or socio-demographic variables. Conclusion: This study contributes to understanding the perceptions of midlife and older women with type 2 diabetes about the level and type of barriers to healthy lifestyle activities that they experience. Evidence from this study can be applied to inform health promotion for lifestyle risk factor reduction in women with type 2 diabetes.

Morphometry and abnormalities of the feet of Kaimanawa feral horses in New Zealand

Objective: The present study investigated the foot health of the Kaimanawa feral horse population and tested the hypotheses that horses would have a large range of foot morphology and that the incidence of foot abnormality would be significantly high. Procedures: Abnormality was defined as a variation from what the two veterinarian assessors considered as optimal morphology and which was considered to impact negatively on the structure and/or function of the foot. Fifteen morphometric variables were measured on four calibrated photographic views of all four feet of 20 adult Kaimanawa feral horses. Four morphometric variables were measured from the lateromedial radiographs of the left forefoot of each horse. In addition, the study identified the incidence of gross abnormality observed on the photographs and radiographs of all 80 feet. Results: There was a large variation between horses in the morphometric dimensions, indicating an inconsistent foot type. Mean hoof variables were outside the normal range recommended by veterinarians and hoof care providers; 35% of all feet had a long toe conformation and 15% had a mediolateral imbalance. Abnormalities included lateral (85% of horses) and dorsal (90% of horses) wall flares, presence of laminar rings (80% of horses) and bull-nose tip of the distal phalanx (75% of horses). Both hypotheses were therefore accepted. Conclusions: The Kaimanawa feral horse population demonstrated a broad range of foot abnormalities and we propose that one reason for the questionable foot health and conformation is lack of abrasive wearing by the environment. In comparison with other feral horse populations in Australia and America there may be less pressure on the natural selection of the foot of the Kaimanawa horses by the forgiving environment of the Kaimanawa Ranges. Contrary to popular belief, the feral horse foot type should not be used as an ideal model for the domestic horse foot.

‘Working with the team’ : an exploratory study of improved type 2 diabetes management in a new model of integrated primary/secondary care

This study aimed to explore how a new model of integrated primary/secondary care for type 2 diabetes management, the Brisbane South Complex Diabetes Service (BSCDS), related to improved diabetes management in a selected group of patients. We used a qualitative research design to obtain detailed accounts from the BSCDS via semi-structured interviews with 10 patients. The interviews were fully transcribed and systematically coded using a form of thematic analysis. Participants’ responses were grouped in relation to: (1) Patient-centred care; (2) Effective multiprofessional teamwork; and (3) Empowering patients. The key features of this integrated primary/secondary care model were accessibility and its delivery within a positive health care environment, clear and supportive interpersonal communication between patients and health care providers, and patients seeing themselves as being part of the team-based care. The BSCDS delivered patient-centred care and achieved patient engagement in ways that may have contributed to improved type 2 diabetes management in these participants.

An investigation of factors influencing diabetes self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam

Background: In diabetes care, health care professionals need to provide support for their patients. In order to provide good diabetes self-management support for adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam, it is important that health care professionals in Vietnam understand the factors influencing diabetes self-management among these people. However, knowledge about factors influencing diabetes self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam is limited. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate factors influencing diabetes self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey with convenience sampling was conducted on 198 adults with type 2 diabetes in VietnamData collection was administeted via interview. Descriptive statistics, simple correlation statistics and structural equation modelling statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam had limited diabetes knowledge (Median = 6.0). The majority of the study participants (72.7%) believed that performing diabetes self-management activities was very important or extremely important for controlling their blood glucose levels and for preventing complications from diabetes; about half usually received support from their family and friends’ (48.5%), and around two thirds rarely received support from their health care providers (68.2%). Many of the participants (41.4%) had limited confidence to perform diabetes management activities. The practices of diabetes self-management were limited among the study population (Mean = 96.7, SD = 19.4). Diabetes knowledge (β = 0.17, p < .001), belief in treatment effectiveness (β = 0.13, p < .01), family and friends’ support (β = 0.13, p < .001), health care providers’ support (β = 0.27, p < .001) and diabetes management self-efficacy (β = 0.43, p < .001) directly influenced their diabetes self-management. Diabetes knowledge, and family and friends’ support also indirectly influenced diabetes self-management among these people through their belief in treatment effectiveness and their diabetes management self-efficacy (p < .05). Conclusion: Findings in this study indicated that health care professionals should provide diabetes self-management support for adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam in the future. The adapted theory-based model of factors influencing diabetes self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam found in this study could be a useful framework to develop this supporting program.

Write vs. type : tangible and situated media for situated engagement

Digital media is often criticised for being intangible, transient and ephemeral. These characteristics limit the provision of long-lasting social experiences, as it is through the use of all our senses that we attach meaning to space, creating a sense of place. This paper presents a comparative study of the affordances of two design interventions, one tangible paper-based, called Print + Talk = Love (PTL), the other digital screen-based, called Discussions in Space (DIS). The emphasis is on a) how tangible media, such as paper, provides different and meaningful collective experiences, and b) how it can stand on its own as an interactive design intervention and as a comprehensive data-gathering tool in urban public places. By positioning PTL and DIS within the context of urban public places and testing their abilities to engage participants, we examine their particular situated engagement abilities through a mixed method approach. As a result, the digital aspects of DIS, e.g., using Twitter, extend the situated experience beyond the actual location of the intervention. Moreover, informing a hybrid approach, we also found that the physical aspects of PTL and its tangible presence, kept the user experience focused on the actual place and event surrounding the intervention.

An investigation of the C77G and C772T variations within the human protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C gene for association with multiple sclerosis in an Australian population

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common cause of neurological disability in young adults. The disease generally manifests in early to middle adulthood and causes various neurological deficits. Autoreactive T lymphocytes and their associated antigens have long been presumed important features of MS pathogenesis. The Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C gene (PTPRC) encodes the T-cell receptor CD45. Variations within PTPRC have been previously associated with diseases of autoimmune origin such as type 1 diabetes mellitus and Graves' disease. We set out to investigate two variants within the PTPRC gene, C77G and C772T in subjects with MS and matched healthy controls to determine whether significant differences exist in these markers in an Australian population. We employed high resolution melt analysis (HRM) and restriction length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques to determine genotypic and allelic frequencies. Our study found no significant difference between frequencies for PTPRC C77G by either genotype (Χ2 = 0.65, P = 0.72) or allele (Χ2 = 0.48, P = 0.49). Similarly, we did not find evidence to suggest an association between PTPRC C772T by genotype (Χ2 = 1.06, P = 0.59) or allele (Χ2 = 0.20, P = 0.66). Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis showed strong linkage disequilibrium between the two tested markers (D' = 0.9970, SD = 0.0385). This study reveals no evidence to suggest that these markers are associated with MS in the tested Australian Caucasian population. Although the PTPRC gene has a significant role in regulating CD4+ and CD8+ autoreactive T-cells, interferon-beta responsiveness, and potentially other important processes, our study does not support a role for the two tested variants of this gene in MS susceptibility in the Australian population.

Elastic buckling analysis of ideal thin-walled structures under combined loading using a finite strip method

The details of an application of the finite strip method to the elastic buckling analysis of thin-walled structures with various boundary conditions and subjected to single or combined loadings of longitudinal compression, transverse compression, bending and shear are presented. The presence of shear loading is accounted for by modifying the displacement functions which are commonly used in cases when shear is absent. A program based on the finite strip method was used to obtain the elastic buckling stress, buckling plot and buckling mode of thin-walled structures and some of these results are presented.

Perceived barriers to healthy lifestyle activities in midlife and older Australian women with type 2 diabetes

Background Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in midlife and older Australian women with known modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes including smoking, nutrition, physical activity and obesity. In Australia little research has been done to investigate the perceived barriers to healthy lifestyle activities in midlife and older women with type 2 diabetes. Aims The primary aim of this study was to explore the level and type of perceived barriers to health promotion activities. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship of perceived barriers to smoking behaviour, fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and body mass index. Methods The study was a cross sectional survey of women, aged over 45 with type 2 diabetes, recruited from four metropolitan community health clinics (n = 41). Data were collected from self-report questionnaires and analysed using quantitative methods. Results Women in the study had average total barriers scores similar to those reported in the literature for women with a range of physical disabilities and illnesses. The leading barriers for this group of women were: lack of interest, concern about safety, too tired, lack of money and feeling what they do does not help. There was no association between total barriers scores and body mass index, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake or socio-demographic variables. Conclusion This study contributes to understanding the perceptions of midlife and older women with type 2 diabetes about the level and type of barriers to healthy lifestyle activities that they experience. The participants reported a high level perceived barriers with a range of personal, social and environmental issues identified and described. This study suggests that health promotion education and interventions for risk factor reduction in women with type 2 diabetes may be enhanced by explicitly addressing perceived barriers to healthy lifestyle activities.

The importance of individual difference : examining anthropomorphic tendency and responses to spokes-characters

Anthropomorphism is a cognitive bias, which occurs when individuals see human characteristics in a non-human agent, object or animal. Anthropomorphism is especially interesting to marketers, because once anthropomorphic bias has been triggered, it can lead to a greater feeling of connectedness to a non-human agent (Tam, Lee and Chao, 2013), the emulation of behaviours (Aggarwal and McGill, 2012) or greater attribution of brand personality and brand liking (Delbaere, McQuarrie and Phillips, 2011). Importantly, research now shows that levels of this tendency vary between individuals (Waytz, Cacioppo and Epley, 2010), but research to date has failed to focus on how anthropomorphic tendency influences individual responses to marketing communications messages. Spokes-characters present an ideal context through which to examine this gap, given that they function as personified brands, designed to trigger consumer anthropomorphic tendency. Further, little is understood about how spokes-characters operate and which consumers will prefer them to their human counterparts. Like anthropomorphic research, much empirical work to date has focused on design and outcomes, examining the sender’s encoding process and the feedback generated, but ignoring the individual decoding process that is so important to understanding individual differences and message effectiveness. The current research employs three experiments using an online survey with stimulus exposure to show that anthropomorphic tendency, personality similarity and spokes-character type all have relevance to the understanding of this complex relationship. Study one and two indicate that while a human spokesperson is still preferred by many, higher levels of anthropomorphic tendency increase likeability of cartoon spokes characters. Study three highlights the importance of personality similarity, which further increases likability. Additional analyses provide key findings concerning the nature of anthropomorphic tendency as an individual difference and trait. This research contributes to a greater understanding of anthropomorphism theory and fills existing gaps in the consumer psychology and marketing communications literature.

Chromosome I linkage studies in Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type I

Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type 1 (CMT1) is an autosomal dominant disorder of peripheral nerve. The gene for CMT1 was originally localized to chromosome 1 by linkage to the Duffy blood group, but it has since been shown that not all CMT1 pedigrees show this linkage. We report here the results of linkage studies using five chromosome 1 markers - Duffy (Fy), antithrombin III (AT3), renin (REN), β-nerve growth factor (NGFB), and salivary amylase (AMY1) - in 16 CMT1 pedigrees. The total lod scores exclude close linkage of CMT1 to any of these markers. However, individual families show probable linkage of CMT1 to Duffy, AT3, and/or AMY1. No linkage was indicated with REN or NGFB. These results indicate that possible location of a CMT1 gene between the AMY1 and AT3 loci at p21 and q23, respectively, on chromosome 1 and support the theory that there is at least one other CMT1 gene.