Development of a versatile intra-articular pressure sensing array.

A new sensor array intended to accurately and directly measure spatial and time-dependent pressures within a highly curved biological intra-articular joint was developed and tested. To evaluate performance of the new sensor array for application within intra-articular joints generally, and specifically to fit within the relatively restrictive space of the lumbar spine facet joint, geometric constraints of length, width, thickness and sensor spatial resolution were evaluated. Additionally, the effects of sensor array curvature, frequency response, linearity, drift, hysteresis, repeatability, and total system cost were assessed. The new sensor array was approximately 0.6mm in thickness, scalable to below the nominal 12 mm wide by 15 high lumbar spine facet joint size, offered no inherent limitations on the number or spacing of the sensors with less than 1.7% cross talk with sensor immediately adjacent to one another. No difference was observed in sensor performance down to a radius of curvature of 7 mm and a 0.66±0.97% change in sensor sensitivity was observed at a radius of 5.5mm. The sensor array had less than 0.07 dB signal loss up to 5.5 Hz, linearity was 0.58±0.13% full scale (FS), drift was less than 0.2% FS at 250 s and less than 0.6% FS at 700 s, hysteresis was 0.78±0.18%. Repeatability was excellent with a coefficient of variation less than 2% at pressures between 0 and 1.000 MPa. Total system cost was relatively small as standard commercially available data acquisition systems could be utilized, with no specialized software, and individual sensors within an array can be replaced as needed. The new sensor array had small and scalable geometry and very acceptable intrinsic performance including minimal to no alteration in performance at physiologically relevant ranges of joint curvature.

Depression among immigrant Mexican women and Southeast Asian refugee women in the U. S.

Although immigrants and refugees share the experience of adapting to a new country, life experiences and circumstances surrounding leaving their homelands are vastly different. The most salient difference is their motivation for leaving. Immigrants typically leave their homeland to seek improved economic opportunities and/or to join other family members. Refugees leave their homeland under the threat of injury or loss of life due to political or religious persecution and severe deprivation of basic life necessities. Since the decision to migrate is often viewed as a positive change for immigrant women in comparison to refugee women, mental health problems may be under -detected. The researchers will describe the prevalence of depression in two of the largest groups of migrant women in the U.S., immigrant Mexican women (N=220) and refugee Southeast Asian women (N=163). The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast life circumstances that may impact on the prevalence of depression in both groups of women. The issues presented are important for nurses internationally who assess and design interventions for immigrant and refugee populations of women.

Multidimensional performance measurement.

Assessing performance in today's complex health care environment presents a challenge to the nursing profession. In order to effectively evaluate performance within this complex and evolving health care environment, evaluation from multiple sources is required. This article describes a multidimensional performance measurement model that has patient care delivery at the center. This model may be used to evaluate performance of an individual provider or of an entire health care system.

Effect of piroxicam on gait in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the use of a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) in patients with painful osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee would result in alterations in specific biomechanical parameters of gait. METHODS: Eighteen patients with symptomatic knee OA and varus knee deformity underwent initial clinical evaluation for pain and activities of daily living, and assessment of parameters of gait utilizing a well-described computerized system. All patients were then treated with piroxicam at 20 mg once daily, and clinical and gait analyses were repeated after 4 weeks. RESULTS: Fifteen of the 18 patients studied had a significant increase in the knee adduction moment after treatment. In the group as a whole there was a significant increase in knee adduction moment (mean percent body weight times height [%BWTH] 4.11 pretreatment versus 4.57 after 4 weeks of treatment; P < 0.01) and maximum quadriceps moment (mean %BWTH 2.13 pretreatment, 2.62 posttreatment; P < 0.01), as well as changes in other gait parameters that might be expected to be altered as a result of relief of pain. Sixteen of 18 patients experienced symptomatic relief, with a significant reduction in pain in the group as a whole after 4 weeks (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: NSAID treatment in patients with knee OA results in a reduction in symptomatic pain and an increase in loading of the knee. Whether the increased loading is due to the analgesic effects of the treatment is unknown, but if so, the development of agents capable of relieving pain while reducing loads at the knee may be desirable.

Clinical assessment of hope.

In recent years, nurse researchers have given more attention to the role that hope plays in health and illness. While this research adds to the knowledge base about hope, that this knowledge may become too theoretical and difficult to apply in the clinical setting. Based on a study of hope conducted with community-based older adults, an analysis of the hope instruments used in this study, and ongoing clinical experiences, a guide for the clinical assessment of hope is proposed.

Hope: a relevant concept for geriatric psychiatry.

The focus in psychiatry has been on treating people for hopelessness, as opposed to understanding more about maintaining hope. This study reports findings from a study of hope conducted with community-based older adults. A general linear model procedure was used to more clearly understand the relationships among hope and other relevant variables. This model is used as a basis for proposing an intervention model for maintaining hope in older adults.