Die Bedeutung kognitiver Entwicklungskapazität (Plastizität) und ihrer altersabhängigen Grenzen für Theorien kognitiven Alters wird thematisiert. Für kognitive Basisprozesse wird erwartet, daß die durch Training umgesetzte Entwicklungskapazität älterer Menschen zwar ausreicht, die Ausgangsleistung junger Erwachsener zu übertreffen, daß aber aufgrund altersbedingter Grenzen der Entwicklungskapazität nur sehr wenige ältere Erwachsene das Leistungsniveau trainierter junger Erwachsener erreichen werden. Am Beispiel eines Gedächtnistrainingsprogrammes zur Erhöhung der Merkfähigkeit für Wortlisten werden zwei Forschungsstrategien vorgestellt: (a) das Training von sehr leistungsfähigen älteren Erwachsenen und (b) Längsschnitt-Einzelfall-Studien. Die experimentellen Befunde bestätigten die theoretischen Erwartungen. Zwar waren die Leistungen der besten älteren Erwachsenen etwa doppelt so hoch wie die untrainierter junger Erwachsener, aber die durch das Training aufgedeckten Altersverluste konnten auch in bis zu 75 weiteren Übungsstunden nicht behoben werden. / The relevance of developmental reserve capacity (plasticity) and associated age-related limits for theories of cognitive aging is discussed. For basic cognitive mechanisms, older adults' developmental reserve capacity is expected to be sufficient to surpass young adults' baseline performance. Aging-related limits of this reserve, however, will allow only very few older adults to achieve levels of performance characteristic of trained young adults. Two research strategies (designed to engineer a mnemonic skill for serial recall of words) are described: (a) training of positively selected, mentally very fit older adults and (b) longitudinal single case studies. Experimental results were in agreement with the theoretical expectations. The best older adults scored about twice as high as untrained young adults but even with up to 75 additional experimental sessions the age difference generated by the cognitive intervention was not overcome.

Orientadores: Monica Sanches Yassuda, Anita Liberalesso Neri / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T11:55:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fontes_ArletePortella_M.pdf: 649927 bytes, checksum: c95b7afdf1d6e1987d5ba28c0d6c9bf0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O envelhecimento e o desgaste provocado pelo trabalho demandam a compreensão das relações entre idade, experiência e o enfrentamento dos estressores ocupacionais. Objetivo: investigou-se através de um estudo descritivo o enfrentamento de estressores ocupacionais e sua relação com estresse percebido, idade, cargo e experiência, mediadas por crenças de auto-eficácia e agência, entre 71 líderes, técnicos e engenheiros de empresa elétrica, comparados quanto à idade (27-50 anos) e tempo de serviço (>=5 anos; 2 - 4 anos; <2 anos). Método: Os participantes foram submetidos a questionário sociodemográfico e ocupacional, escala de intensidade do estresse percebido, enfrentamento do estresse ocupacional, auto-eficácia e agência, aplicados nos locais de trabalho por pessoal treinado. Resultados: Foi encontrada alta consistência interna para as escalas de enfrentamento (0,849), crenças de agência (0,754) e agência pessoal (0,744). O grau de estresse percebido foi sete (escala de 0 a 10), identificando-se estressores inerentes à organização, tarefas e gestão de pessoas. A auto-eficácia do enfrentamento foi moderada (engenheiros: M=3,34, ± 0,28; técnicos: M=3,13, ± 0,41). Agência interpessoal correlacionou-se significativamente com idade: os mais jovens acreditam mais no exercício de controle através de recursos do outro, em relação aos mais velhos. Foram observadas correlações positivas entre tempo de serviço e auto-eficácia; manejo com controle e esquiva; auto-eficácia e controle; agência pessoal com controle e auto-eficácia; agência interpessoal com controle, manejo, auto-eficácia e agência pessoal. Na análise de regressão linear, quanto maior uso de controle, maior auto-eficácia, agência pessoal e interpessoal; quanto maior uso de manejo de sintomas, maior agência interpessoal. Conclusões: Os resultados apontam para o valor da experiência e das crenças de eficácia e agência para um envelhecimento competente no trabalho. Os indivíduos que envelhecem no trabalho e as organizações beneficiam-se da melhor compreensão das relações entre idade, experiência, enfrentamento de estressores e crenças pessoais / Abstract: The aging and work stress demand comprehension of relations among age, experience and coping with job stressor. Objective: it was investigated through a descriptive study the coping with job stressor and its relation with perceived stress, age, job position and experience, mediated by beliefs of self-efficacy and agency, among 71 leaders, technicians and engineers of an electricity utility company, compared to age (27-50) and time of work (>=5 years; 2-4 years; <2 years). Method: the participants were submitted to a sociodemographic and job questionaire, scales of perceived stress intensity, coping with job stress, self-efficacy and agency, applied in the work by trained people. Results: it was found high internal consistency for coping scales (0.849), beliefs of agency (0.754) and personal agency (0.744). The degree of perceived stress was 7 (scale 0-10), identifying stressors inherent in organization, tasks and people management. The coping self-efficacy was moderate (engineers: M=3.34, ± 0.28; technicians: M=3.13, ± 0.41). Interpersonal agency was correlated significantly with age: the youngest ones believe more in the exercise of control through the resources of the others, in relation to the oldest. Positive correlations were observed among time of work and self-efficacy; management with control and escape; self-efficacy and control; personal agency with control and self-efficacy; interpersonal agency with control, management, self-efficacy and personal agency. In the analysis of linear regression, the more the use of control, the higher self-efficacy, personal and interpersonal agency; the more the use of symptom management, the higher the interpersonal agency. Conclusions: The results pointed to the value of the experience and of the beliefs of efficacy and agency for a competent aging in the work. The individuals aging in the work and organizations take the benefit of the best comprehension of relations among age, experience, stressor coping and personal beliefs / Mestrado / Gerontologia / Mestre em Gerontologia

Exploration of the internal structures of teeth is complex and has the potential to add greatly to existing information about the lifecourse of archaeological individuals, but has yet to realize its full interpretative value as an avenue of bioarchaeological inquiry. This thesis consists of three papers that focus on the potential for internal dental structures to provide important information on chronological age, and physiological alterations linked to vitamin D deficiency. The first paper used SEM, microscopic imaging, and histological investigation of tooth dentin to determine the presence of mineralisation defects, observed as interglobular dentin (IGD) (spaces following incremental lines) in living (with known medical history) and archaeological individuals with clear healed rickets. This paper demonstrated that incremental bands of IGD are indicative of vitamin D deficiency. The second paper expands identification of those with deficiency by quantifying morphological changes in pulp chambers of living and archaeological individuals. Pulp chambers were radiographed, evaluated histologically, and measured. Those with evidence of past vitamin D deficiency displayed constricted or chair shaped pulp horns. This radiographic technique provides a non-destructive tool to identify individuals that experienced childhood vitamin D deficiency. The role vitamin D plays in the development of IGD over the lifecourse requires that accurate age estimates be conducted on older as well as younger adults. The third paper used a new version of pulp/tooth area ratios to provide an accurate estimation of age-at-death in older adults (50+). ImageJ software was used to calculate areas on sectioned teeth and results provided a mean absolute error (MAE) of ±3.9 years in older adults. The results described in this thesis contribute to broader topics of discussion in anthropology, such as investigating health and metabolic disease in human populations, and adds to the ongoing discussion and evaluation of age-at-death techniques used to extend our ability to study the lifecourse of archaeological individuals. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Teeth record life events and the three papers in this thesis use dental structures to provide methodological foundations to evaluate the occurrence and severity of vitamin D deficiency in early life. The potential long-term consequences of such events are investigated through accurate recognition of older adults. Vitamin D regulates skeletal health by mediating calcium absorption and phosphorous homeostasis and deficiency is recognised as an important health concern. Accurate identification of older adults is also a widely recognised problem in skeletal studies. Age-at-death estimation in older individuals was calculated and the exploration of abnormal pulp chamber shape and mineralisation defects in tooth dentin was done to determine vitamin D status in both younger and older individuals. This research established that internal dental structures enables past episodes of vitamin D deficiency to be recognized in cases where skeletal indicators are not clear and permits increased precision in age-at-death estimations in the older individual.

This thesis addressed the following research activities: (1) Developing and evaluating the usability of an adult age-independent online assessment tool that includes health care related content and is centered on the needs and capabilities of both older and younger users and, (2) Developing adult age-independent design guidelines. An online tool, which was developed for a previous study, was revised according to the results of the previous study and preliminary development activities based upon the user requirements of older adults (50 years or older). The online assessment tool was also tested with younger adults (between 18 and 35 years of age) to determine the differences between younger and older adults. Subsequent to these activities, a final tool that captured the needs of both older and younger adults was developed and evaluated for usability. According to the usability testing results, a design guideline set for an adult age-independent Online Needs Assessment Tool was developed and revisions were conducted in order to develop the final Online Needs Assessment Tool. The results of these studies, along with the tools developed, provide online survey and interface designers information on older and younger adult user requirements. They provide a knowledge resource for older and younger user healthcare information needs and information about the usability of one online assessment tool to accommodate both older and younger adult users. They also assist interface designers to proliferate and to facilitate more rapid application development / Master of Science

Yes / The NHS spends billions of pounds annually on repeat prescriptions in primary care, but data on their extent and use is out of date. Understanding the scale of repeat prescribing and for whom it is prescribed is important for the NHS to plan services and develop policies to improve patient care. Anonymous data on prescription numbers and practice population demographics was obtained from GP computer systems in a large urban area.Searches were conducted in November 2011 to identify the numbers of repeat items listed on individuals' repeat lists by sex and age.The proportion of all prescription items issued as repeats was identified by conducting searches on items issued as repeat and acute prescriptions. In the year of study 4,453,225 items were issued of which 3,444,769 (77%) were repeats (mean 13 items per patient/annum) and 1,008,456 (23%) acute prescriptions (mean 3.9 items per patient per annum). The mean number of repeat Items per patient was 1.87 (range 0.45 ages 0-9 years; 7.1 ages 80-89 years). At least one repeat medicine was prescribed to 43% of the population (range 20% for ages 0-9; over 75% for ages 60+). A significant proportion of the population receive repeat prescriptions and the proportion increases with age. Whilst the proportion of repeat items to acute items has remained unchanged over the last two decades the number of repeat prescriptions items issued has doubled (from 5.8 to 13.3 items/patient/annum). This has implications for general practice workload, patient convenience, NHS costs and risk.

The thesis deals with stuttering in adulthood. The first part provides a theoretical basis for using professional literature. It contains theme of communication, communication disorders, stuttering (terminology, incidence, etiology and symptomatology, classification, diagnosis and therapy of selected techniques for adult age), and the International Stuttering Awareness Day. Another theme of the work is the employment of people with stuttering. Thesis also includes advice on how to talk to stutterers and guide phoning for stutterers. The practical part contains its own investigation, processing and results. KEY WORDS Communication, Stuttering, Poeple who stutter, Stuttering in adult age, International Stuttering Awareness Day, Stutterer and career choice

The topic of this thesis is study abroad. The theoretical part presents knowledge about the process of adaptation in a new country and its culture; then it deals with acculturative and coping strategies, culture shock and its determinants and also reverse culture shock, which takes place after arrival home form a foreign country. It also introduces the age group of participants on study abroad (21 {--} 26 years old) from the developmental psychology point of view. Then it describes the already known correlation relationships between personality characteristics and some aspects of long term stays abroad. Finally, it outlines a personality profile of the ideal person for a long term study abroad. The research part informs the reader about knowledge we have found out from 3 research questionnaires that were completed by students before, during and after the experience of study abroad, and also knowledge we have gained thanks to interviews with the students. The main research areas are the following: the personality profile, changes of chosen characteristics that have taken place due to the experience of the study abroad, motivation, expectations and their fulfillment, process of culture shock and reverse culture shock.

Yes / Previous studies have reported that the ageing method of Suchey-Brooks (pubic bone) and some of the features applied by Lovejoy et al. and Buckberry-Chamberlain (auricular surface) can be confidently performed on 3D visualizations from CT-scans. In this study, seven observers applied the Suchey-Brooks and the Buckberry-Chamberlain methods on 3D visualizations based on CT-scans and, for the first time, on 3D visualizations from laser scans. We examined how the bone features can be evaluated on 3D visualizations and whether the different modalities (direct observations of bones, 3D visualization from CT-scan and from laser scans) are alike to different observers. We found the best inter-observer agreement for the bones versus 3D visualizations, with the highest values for the auricular surface. Between the 3D modalities, less variability was obtained for the 3D laser visualizations. Fair inter-observer agreement was obtained in the evaluation of the pubic bone in all modalities. In 3D visualizations of the auricular surfaces, transverse organization and apical changes could be evaluated, although with high inter-observer variability; micro-, macroporosity and surface texture were very difficult to score. In conclusion, these methods were developed for dry bones, where they perform best. The Suchey-Brooks method can be applied on 3D visualizations from CT or laser, but with less accuracy than on dry bone. The Buckberry-Chamberlain method should be modified before application on 3D visualizations. Future investigation should focus on a different approach and different features: 3D laser scans could be analyzed with mathematical approaches and sub-surface features should be explored on CT-scans