Mother's Narratives of Trauma: An exploratory study of how mothers' narrate the impact of trauma on their families

This study explored the narratives of 10 mothers whose families had been impacted by potentially traumatising events. The study was set in the context of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a relatively narrow psychiatric construct, which currently dominates much professional discourse and practice in traumatology, but references literature that provides a theoretical rationale for a broader approach. Narrative Interviewing methodology was employed and mothers of families referred to a specialist clinical service were interviewed prior to professional therapeutic intervention. The 10 mothers' narratives were analysed thematically via a rigorous process involving two independent analysts and the data organised into an evolving theoretical framework of themes and supra-themes. As hypothesised, PTSD symptomatology constituted a small proportion of the mothers' narratives (6.2%). The major components of the narratives included family and relational distress (35.7%), non-pathological individual distress (24.4%), resilience (16.7%) and a prior history of adversity (16.6%). Although exploratory in nature, the results of this study are sufficiently strong to warrant further investigation and raise tentative questions regarding the appropriateness of many existing therapeutic services for people impacted by trauma.

Ethanol-induced water stress in yeast

This review considers the effect of ethanol-induced water stress on yeast metabolism and integrity. Ethanol causes water stress by lowering water activity (a(w)) and thereby interferes with hydrogen bonding within and between hydrated cell components, ultimately disrupting enzyme and membrane strut and function. The impact of ethanol on the energetic status of water is considered in relation to cell metabolism. Even moderate ethanol concentrations (5 to 10%, w/v) cause a sufficient reduction of a(w) to have metabolic consequences. When exposed to ethanol, cells synthesize compatible solutes such as glycerol and trehalose that protect against water stress and hydrogen-bond disruption. Ethanol affects the control of gene expression by the mechanism that is normally associated with (so-called) osmotic control. Furthermore, ethanol-induced water stress has ecological implications.

Economic Stress and the Great Recession in Ireland: Polarization, Individualization or ‘Middle Class Squeeze’?

Following an unprecedented boom, since 2008 Ireland has experienced a severe economic crisis. Considerable debate persists as to where the heaviest burden of the recession has fallen. Conventional measures of income poverty and inequality have a limited capacity to answer this question. Our analysis, which focuses on economic stress and the mediating role of material deprivation, provides no evidence for individualization or class polarization. Instead we find that while economic stress level are highly stratified in income class and social class terms in both boom and bust periods, the changing impact of class is contingent on life course stage. The affluent income class remained largely insulated from the experience of economic stress. However, it saw its relative advantage overthe income poor class decline at the earlier stage of the life-course. At the other end of the hierarchy, the income poor experienced a relative improvement in their situation in the early life course phases. The precarious income class experienced some improvement in its situation at the earlier life course stages while the outcomes for the middle classes remain unchanged. In the mid-life course stages the precarious and lower middle classes experienced disproportionate increase in their stress levels while at the later life-cycle stage it is the combined middle classes that lost out. Additional effects over time relating to social class are restricted to the deteriorating situation of the petit bourgeoisie at the middle stage of the life-course. The pattern is clearly a good deal more complex that suggested by conventional notions of ‘middle class squeeze’ and points to the distinctive challenges relating to welfare and taxation policy faced by governments in the Great Recession.

Cyclic nanoindentation and nano-impact fatigue characterisation of functionally graded TiN/TiNi shape memory film

This paper investigates the mechanism of nanoscale fatigue of functionally graded TiN/TiNi films using nano-impact and multiple-loading-cycle nanoindentation tests. The functionally graded films were deposited on silicon substrate, in which TiNi films maintain shape memory and pseudo elastic behavior, while a modified TiN surface layer provides tribological and anti-corrosion properties. Nanomechanical tests were performed to comprehend the localized film performance and failure modes of the functionally graded film using NanoTestTM equipped with Berkovich and conical indenter between 100 μN to 500 mN loads. The loading mechanism and load history are critical to define film failure modes (i.e. backward depth deviation) including the shape memory effect of the functionally graded layer. The results are sensitive to the applied load, loading type (e.g. semi-static, dynamic) and probe geometry. Based on indentation force-depth profiles, depth-time data and post-test surface observations of films, it is concluded that the shape of the nanoindenter is critical in inducing the localized indentation stress and film failure, including shape recovery at the lower load range. Elastic-plastic finite element (FE) simulation during nanoindentation loading indicated that the location of subsurface maximum stress near the interface influences the backward depth deviation type of film failure. A standalone, molecular dynamics simulation was performed with the help of a long range potential energy function to simulate the tensile test of TiN nanowire with two different aspect ratios to investigate the theory of its failure mechanism.

Predicting low velocity impact damage and Compression-After-Impact (CAI) behaviour of composite laminates

Low-velocity impact damage can drastically reduce the residual strength of a composite structure even when the damage is barely visible. The ability to computationally predict the extent of damage and compression-after-impact (CAI) strength of a composite structure can potentially lead to the exploration of a larger design space without incurring significant time and cost penalties. A high-fidelity three-dimensional composite damage model, to predict both low-velocity impact damage and CAI strength of composite laminates, has been developed and implemented as a user material subroutine in the commercial finite element package, ABAQUS/Explicit. The intralaminar damage model component accounts for physically-based tensile and compressive failure mechanisms, of the fibres and matrix, when subjected to a three-dimensional stress state. Cohesive behaviour was employed to model the interlaminar failure between plies with a bi-linear traction–separation law for capturing damage onset and subsequent damage evolution. The virtual tests, set up in ABAQUS/Explicit, were executed in three steps, one to capture the impact damage, the second to stabilize the specimen by imposing new boundary conditions required for compression testing, and the third to predict the CAI strength. The observed intralaminar damage features, delamination damage area as well as residual strength are discussed. It is shown that the predicted results for impact damage and CAI strength correlated well with experimental testing without the need of model calibration which is often required with other damage models.

Tensile and impact properties of low nickel maraging steel

This short communication presents a research update of a new low nickel maraging steel, Fe–12.94%Ni–1.61%Al–1.01%Mo–0.23%Nb (wt%). Its yield stress and the tensile strength are 1080 MPa and 1180 MPa, respectively, after ageing treatment. Tensile specimens show ductile fracture. Fractography demonstrated deep dimples. Impact energy is 22 J on half-size specimens.

Impact of average household income and damage exposure on post-earthquake distress and functioning: A community study following the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

Post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety symptoms are common outcomes following earthquakes, and may persist for months and years. This study systematically examined the impact of neighbourhood damage exposure and average household income on psychological distress and functioning in 600 residents of Christchurch, New Zealand, 4–6 months after the fatal February, 2011 earthquake. Participants were from highly affected and relatively unaffected suburbs in low, medium and high average household income areas. The assessment battery included the Acute Stress Disorder Scale, the depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), along with single item measures of substance use, earthquake damage and impact, and disruptions in daily life and relationship functioning. Controlling for age, gender and social isolation, participants from low income areas were more likely to meet diagnostic cut-offs for depression and anxiety, and have more severe anxiety symptoms. Higher probabilities of acute stress, depression and anxiety diagnoses were evident in affected versus unaffected areas, and those in affected areas had more severe acute stress, depression and anxiety symptoms. An interaction between income and earthquake effect was found for depression, with those from the low and medium income affected suburbs more depressed. Those from low income areas were more likely, post-earthquake, to start psychiatric medication and increase smoking. There was a uniform increase in alcohol use across participants. Those from the low income affected suburb had greater general and relationship disruption post-quake. Average household income and damage exposure made unique contributions to earthquake-related distress and dysfunction.

Research Review: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children

This paper reviews the research on the prevalence and impact of domestic violence on children, and considers how professionals should respond to children’s needs to best provide support and ensure their safety.

The impact of an educational DVD on pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a randomised controlled trial

Background The diagnosis of gestational diabetes (GDM) during pregnancy can lead to anxiety. Little research has focused on the education these women receive and how this is best delivered in a busy clinic. Aim This study evaluated the impact of an innovative patient-centred educational DVD on anxiety and glycaemic control and in newly diagnosed women with GDM. Method 150 multi-ethnic women, aged 19-44 years, from three UK hospitals were randomised to either standard care plus DVD (DVD group, n=77) or standard care alone (control group, n=73) at GDM diagnosis. Women were followed up at their next clinic visit at a mean ± SD of 2.5 ± 1.6 weeks later. Primary outcomes were anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and mean 1-hour postprandial capillary self-monitored blood glucose for all meals, on day prior to follow-up. Secondary outcomes included pregnancy specific stress (Pregnancy Distress Questionnaire), emotional adjustment to diabetes (Appraisal of Diabetes Scale), self-efficacy (Diabetes Empowerment Scale) and GDM knowledge (non-validated questionnaire). Other outcomes included mean fasting and 1-hour postprandial blood glucose at each meal, on day prior to follow-up. Women in the DVD group completed a feedback questionnaire on the resource. Results No significant difference between the DVD and control group were reported, for anxiety (37.7 ± 11.7 vs 36.2 ± 10.9; mean difference after adjustment for covariates (95%CI) 2.5 (-0.8, 5.9) or for mean 1-hour postprandial glucose (6.9 ± 0.9 vs 7.0 ± 1.2 mmol/L; -0.2 (-0.5, 0.2). Similarly, no significant differences in the other psychosocial variables were identified between the groups. However, the DVD group had significantly lower postprandial breakfast glucose compared to the control group (6.8 ± 1.2 vs 7.4 ± 1.9 mmol/L; -0.5 (-1.1, -<0.1; p=0.04). Using a scale of 0-10, 84% rated the DVD 7 or above for usefulness (10 being very useful), and 88% rated it 7 or above when asked if they would recommend to a friend (10 being very strongly recommend). Women described the DVD as ‘reassuring’, ‘a fantastic tool’, that ‘provided a lot of information in a quick and easy way’ and ‘helped reinforce all the information from clinic’. Discussion While no significant change was observed in anxiety or mean postprandial glucose, the DVD was rated highly by women with GDM and may be a useful resource to assist with educating newly diagnosed women. This project is supported by BRIDGES, an IDF programme supported by an educational grant from Lilly Diabetes.

Stress and coping in parents of newly born twins

Objective: Research indicates that parents of twins have poorer psychosocial outcomes than parents of singletons. Parents who have conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART) have been found to be at higher risk of negative psychosocial outcomes compared to parents who have conceived spontaneously. The current study aimed to model the factors associated with parenting stress of newly-born twins, using the Transactional Model of Stress.

Methods: Data were collected using a cross-sectional survey design with participants identified from delivery records across Northern Ireland. Mothers and fathers (n = 104) of twins aged between 1 and 12 months old returned a questionnaire pack containing the Parenting Stress Index, Impact on the Family Scale-Financial Burden, Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced – Brief Version, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, General Health Questionnaire and a demographic questionnaire.

Results: There were no differences on psychological outcomes between parents who had conceived via ART and those who conceived spontaneously. Regression analyses found that social interaction and support is an important variable in terms of the psychological outcomes experienced by parents of twins.

Conclusion: Parents of newly-born twins regardless of the mode of conception should be considered an at risk group for parental distress. Support groups such as the Twins and Multiple Births Association could be important in providing that crucial social interaction and support that seems to be important in the emotional well-being of parents of twins.

The role of environmental stress on protein synthesis fidelity

Estudos recentes estabelecem uma ligação entre erros na tradução do mRNA e cancro, envelhecimento e neurodegeneração. RNAs de transferência mutantes que introduzem aminoácidos em locais errados nas proteínas aumentam a produção de espécies reactivas de oxigénio e a expressão de genes que regulam autofagia, ribofagia, degradação de proteínas não-funcionais e protecção contra o stress oxidativo. Erros na tradução do mRNA estão portanto relacionados com stress proteotóxico. Sabe-se agora que o mecanismo de toxicidade do crómio está associado à diminuição da fidelidade de tradução e à agregação de proteínas com malformações que destabilizam a sua estrutura terciária. Desta forma, é possível que os efeitos do stress ambiental ao nível da degeneração celular possam estar relacionados com a alteração da integridade da maquinaria da tradução. Neste estudo procedeu-se a uma avaliação alargada do impacto do stress ambiental na fidelidade da síntese de proteínas, utilizando S. cerevisiae como um sistema modelo. Para isso recorreu-se a repórteres policistrónicos de luciferase que permitiram quantificar especificamente a supressão de codões de terminação e o erro na leitura do codão AUG em células exposta a concentações não letais de metais pesados, etanol, cafeína e H2O2. Os resultados sugerem que a maquinaria de tradução é na generalidade muito resistente ao stress ambiental, devido a uma conjugação de mecanismos de homeostase que muito eficientemente antagonizam o impacto negativo dos erros de tradução. A nossa abordagem quantitativa permitiu-nos a identificar genes regulados por uma resposta programada ao stress ambiental que são também essenciais para mitigar a ocorrência de erros de tradução, nomeadamente, HSP12, HSP104 e RPN4. A exposição prolongada ao stress ambiental conduz à saturação dos mecanismos de homeostase, contribuindo para a acumulação de proteínas contendo erros de tradução e diminuindo a disponibilidade de proteínas funcionais directamente envolvidas na manutenção da fidelidade de tradução e integridade celular. Ao contrário de outras Hsps, a Hsp12p adopta normalmente uma localização membranar em condições de stress, que pode modular a fluidez e estabilidade membranar, sugerindo que a membrana plasmática é um alvo preferencial da perda de fidelidade da tradução. Para melhor compreender as respostas celulares aos erros de tradução, células contendo deleções em genes codificadores das Hsps foram transformadas com tRNAs mutantes que introduzem alterações no proteoma. Os nossos resultados demonstram que para além da resposta geral ao stress, estes tRNAs induzem alterações a nível do metabolismo celular e um aumento de aminoacilação com Metionina em vários tRNAs, sugerindo um mecanismo de protecção contra espécies reactivas de oxigénio. Em conclusão, este estudo sugere um papel para os erros de tradução na gestão de recursos energéticos e na adaptação das células a ambientes desfavoráveis.

Ecological interactions in populations facing environmental stress

O zooplâncton, particularmente os cladóceros, são organismos de água doce importantes na regulação da produção primária dos ecossistemas de água doce. No entanto, também podem adaptar-se a condições salobras. Tendo em conta as previsões no âmbito das alterações climáticas, a intrusão salina pode ocorrer a par com a subida de temperatura. As populações de água doce podem ficar vulneráveis aos efeitos interativos da salinidade e da temperatura, de acordo com os seus limites de tolerância e capacidade de adaptação ao stress ambiental. Assim, a presente tese analisou as interações resultantes das alterações destes agentes de stress em populações de cladóceros de água doce. Primeiro, comparou-se a halotolerância de diferentes genótipos de Simocephalus vetulus provenientes de populações de água doce e de água salobra de modo a avaliar a existência de uma componente genética de resistência à salinidade. A sensibilidade aguda dos genótipos variou na mesma gama de concentrações; todavia, todos os genótipos da população salobra, exceto um, foram mais tolerantes do que os de água doce, em termos de tempo à imobilização. Contudo, não foi possível estabelecer uma relação entre a performance reprodutiva em condições salobras e o contexto ambiental de origem destes genótipos. Mais, estes ensaios mostraram que as populações de água doce têm potencial para tolerar incrementos de salinidade. Como tal, pode-se concluir que a seleção a que os genótipos estão sujeitos no seu local de origem foi mais fraca do que o esperado. Segundo, investigou-se a capacidade de aclimatação de Daphnia galeata à salinidade e temperatura, de modo a avaliar a halotolerância de Daphnia a duas temperaturas num cenário de aclimatação multigeracional. O objetivo foi compreender se a pré-adaptação ao stress ambiental (20ºC e 25ºC versus 0 g/L e 1 g/L de NaCl) influenciou posteriormente as respostas a estes agentes de stress. Verificou-se uma tendência para um aumento de sensibilidade ao NaCl, a temperaturas mais elevadas. No entanto, este efeito foi anulado após nove gerações, mas apenas quando os organismos foram aclimatados aos dois agentes de stress em simultâneo (salinidade e temperatura elevada). Terceiro, demonstrou-se experimentalmente que a salinidade interferiu com a competição interespecífica, alterando a composição das comunidades zooplanctónicas. Este conjunto de evidências permitiu-nos refletir nos múltiplos impactos de agentes de stress, particularmente os relacionados com as previsões de alterações climáticas. Em paralelo aos estudos de natureza experimental, e numa perspetiva de Educação para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (EDS), importa também promover o desenvolvimento de competências necessárias à compreensão de mudanças ambientais globais (e.g., o impacto da salinidade e da temperatura) para implementar estratégias de mitigação e adaptação. Neste contexto, foi realizada uma atividade com estudantes do ensino secundário, que se tornou uma boa oportunidade para a sua aprendizagem e aquisição de competências de interpretação de dados experimentais, assim como de sensibilização para as questões ambientais.

Effect of high CO2 and ocean acidification on photosynthesis and response to oxidative stress in seagrasses

Climate change scenarios comprise significant modifications of the marine realm, notably ocean acidification and temperature increase, both direct consequences of the rising atmospheric CO2 concentration. These changes are likely to impact marine organisms and ecosystems, namely the valuable seagrass-dominated coastal habitats. The main objective of this thesis was to evaluate the photosynthetic and antioxidant responses of seagrasses to climate change, considering CO2, temperature and light as key drivers of these processes. The methodologies used to determine global antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzymatic activity in seagrasses were optimized for the species Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica, revealing identical defence mechanisms to those found in terrestrial plants. The detailed analysis and identification of photosynthetic pigments in Halophila ovalis, H.stipulacea, Zostera noltii, Z marina, Z. capricorni, Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica, sampled across different climatic zones and depths, also revealed a similarity with terrestrial plants, both in carotenoid composition and in the pigment-based photoprotection mechanisms. Cymodocea nodosa plants from Ria Formosa were submitted to the combined effect of potentially stressful light and temperature ranges and showed considerable physiological tolerance, due to the combination of changes in the antioxidant system, activation of the VAZ cycle and accumulation of leaf soluble sugars, thus preventing the onset of oxidative stress. Cymodocea nodosa plants living in a naturally acidified environment near submarine volcanic vents in Vulcano Island (Italy) showed to be under oxidative stress despite the enhancement of the antioxidant capacity, phenolics concentration and carotenoids. Posidonia oceanica leaves loaded with epiphytes showed a significant increase in oxidative stress, despite the increase of antioxidant responses and the allocation of energetic resources to these protection mechanisms. Globally, the results show that seagrasses are physiologically able to deal with potentially stressful conditions from different origins, being plastic enough to avoid stress in many situations and to actively promote ulterior defence and repair mechanisms when under effective oxidative stress.

The effect of stress on egg quality in farmed Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua L.)

Dissertação de mestrado, Aquacultura, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2011

Clams from Tagus estuary : microbiological, physiological and chemical responses to depuration, transpot and environmental stress

Tese de doutoramento, Biologia (Biologia Marinha e Aquacultuta), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2014