Behaviour rating scales for older people with dementia: which is the best for use by nurses?

There is increasing awareness of the importance of disruptive behaviour in people with dementia and the need for rating scales to accurately and reliably measure this behaviour. When rating scales are to be administered by nurses, scale characteristics must take into account the limitations of the nursing role and the nature of the environment in which nurses work. This paper reviews thirty-one rating scales that have been used to measure behaviour in dementia. From this analysis, five scales were identified as suitable for use by nurses when measuring disruptive behaviour in older people with dementia.

Signals from Eph and ephrin proteins: a developmental tool kit

Interactions between Eph receptors and their ligands the ephrin proteins are critically important in many key developmental processes. Emerging evidence also supports a role for these molecules in postembryonic tissues, particularly in pathological processes, including tissue injury and tumor metastasis. We review the signaling mechanisms that allow the 14 Eph and nine ephrin proteins to deliver intracellular signals that regulate cell shape and movement. What emerges is that the initiation of these signals is critically dependent on which Eph and ephrin proteins are expressed, the level of their expression, and, in some cases, which splice variants are expressed. Diversity at the level of initial interaction and in the downstream signaling processes regulated by Eph-ephrin signaling provides a subtle, versatile system of regulation of intercellular adhesion, cell shape, and cell motility.

Operating space diagrams: a tool for designers of wastewater treatment plants

Recent years have seen the introduction of new and varied designs of activated sludge plants. With increasing needs for higher efficiencies and lower costs, the possibility of a plant that operates more effectively has created the need for tools that can be used to evaluate and compare designs at the design stage. One such tool is the operating space diagram. It is the aim of this paper to present this tool and demonstrate its application and relevance to design using a simple case study. In the case study, use of the operating space diagram suggested changes in design that would improve the flexibility of the process. It also was useful for designing suitable control strategies.

Treatment outcome in individuals with chronic pain: is the Pain Stages of Change Questionnaire (PSOCQ) a useful tool? Jenny StrongCorresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, a, Kym Westburya, Glen Smithb, Ian McKenziec and William Ryan

The efficacy of psychological treatments emphasising a self-management approach to chronic pain has been demonstrated by substantial empirical research. Nevertheless, high drop-out and relapse rates and low or unsuccessful engagement in self-management pain rehabilitation programs have prompted the suggestion that people vary in their readiness to adopt a self-management approach to their pain. The Pain Stages of Change Questionnaire (PSOCQ) was developed to assess a patient's readiness to adopt a self-management approach to their chronic pain. Preliminary evidence has supported the PSOCQ's psychometric properties. The current study was designed to further examine the psychometric properties of the PSOCQ, including its reliability, factorial structure and predictive validity. A total of 107 patients with an average age of 36.2 years (SD = 10.63) attending a multi-disciplinary pain management program completed the PSOCQ, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) and the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMPI) pre-admission and at discharge from the program. Initial data analysis found inadequate internal consistencies of the precontemplation and action scales of the PSOCQ and a high correlation (r = 0.66, P < 0.01) between the action and maintenance scales. Principal component analysis supported a two-factor structure: 'Contemplation' and 'Engagement'. Subsequent analyses revealed that the PSEQ was a better predictor of treatment outcome than the PSOCQ scales. Discussion centres upon the utility of the PSOCQ in a clinical pain setting in light of the above findings, and a need for further research. (C) 2002 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical evaluation of the WOMAC 3.0 OA Index in numeric rating scale format using a computerized touch screen version

Background: The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index is a previously described self-administered questionnaire covering three domains: pain, stiffness and function. It has been validated in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee in a paper-based format. Aim: To validate the WOMAC 3.0 using a numerical rating scale in a computerized touch screen format allowing immediate evaluation of the questionnaire. In the computed version cartoons, written and audio instruments were included in order facilitate application. Methods: Fifty patients, demographically balanced, with radiographically proven primary hip or knee OA completed the classical paper and the new computerized WOMAC version. Subjects were randomized either to paper format or computerized format first to balance possible order effects, Results: The intra-class correlation coefficients for pain, stiffness and function values were 0.915, 0.745 and 0.940, respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficients for pain, stiffness and function were 0.88, 0.77 and 0.87, respectively. Conclusion: These data indicate that the computerized WOMAC OA index 3.0 is comparable to the paper WOMAC in all three dimensions. The computerized version would allow physicians to get an immediate result and if present a direct comparison with a previous exam. (C) 2002 OsteoArthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterisation of chronic lateral epicondylalgia using the McGill pain questionnaire, visual analog scales, and quantitative sensory tests

Aims: To characterise chronic lateral epicondylalgia using the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scales for pain and function, and Quantitative Sensory Tests; and to examine the relationship between these tests in a population with chronic lateral epicondylalgia. Method: Fifty-six patients (29 female, 27 male) diagnosed with unilateral lateral epicondylalgia of 18.7 months (mean) duration (range 1-300), with a mean age of 50.7 years (range 27-73) participated in this study. Each participant underwent assessment with the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), Visual Analog Scales (VAS) for pain and function. and Quantitative Sensory Tests (QST) including thermal and pressure pain thresholds, pain free grip strength, and neuromeningeal tissue testing via the upper limb tension test 2b (ULTT 2b). Results: Moderate correlation (r = .338-.514, p = .000-.013) was found between all indices of the MPQ and VAS for pain experienced in the previous 24 hours and week. Thermal pain threshold was found to be significantly higher in males. A significant poor to moderate correlation was found between the Pain Rating Index (PRI) in the sensory category of the MPQ and ULTT2b scores (r = .353, p = .038). There was no other significant correlation between MPQ and QST data. Pain free grip strength was poorly yet significantly correlated with duration of pathology (r = 318, p = .038). Conclusion: The findings of this study are in agreement with others (Melzack and Katz, 1994) regarding the multidimensional nature of pain, in a condition conventionally conceived as a musculoskeletal pain state. The findings also suggest that utilisation of only one pain measurement tool is unlikely to provide a thorough clinical picture of pain experienced with chronic lateral epicondylalgia.

An audit tool for intellectual property management: IP management in the Queensland Department of Primary Industries

Smart State is a Queensland Government initiative that recognises the central role of knowledge-based economic growth. In this context, the management of intellectual property (IP) within Queensland and Australian government research and development agencies has changed dramatically over recent years. Increasing expectations have been placed on utilising public sector IP to both underpin economic development and augment taxes by generating new revenues. Public sector research and development (R&D) management has come under greater scrutiny to commercialise and/or corporatise their activities. In a study of IP management issues in the Queensland Public Sector we developed a framework to facilitate a holistic audit of IP management in government agencies. In this paper we describe this framework as it pertains to one large public sector Agriculture R&D Agency, the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI). The four overlapping domains of the framework are: IP Generation; IP Rights; IP Uptake; and Corporate IP Support. The audit within QDPI, conducted in 2000 near the outset of Smart State, highlighted some well developed IP management practices within QDPI's traditional areas of focus of innovation (IP Generation) and IP ownership and licensing (IP Rights). However, further management practice developments are required to improve the domains of IP Uptake and Corporate IP Support.

A foliar rating system for comparing the resistance of banana cultivars grown as tissue-cultured plantlets in the laboratory to Fusarium wilt

A foliar rating system was developed to assess the progress of Fusarium wilt ( Panama disease) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense in seven banana cultivars differing in their resistance to race 1 of the pathogen. Plantlets were transplanted into unamended soil naturally infested with the pathogen, soil amended with urea and soil amended with aged chicken manure. A corm invasion score was also developed to assess the accuracy of the foliar symptom score as an indicator of cultivar resistance. On the basis of foliar symptom scores alone, the response of five of the seven cultivars in the chicken manure treatment corresponded to their known field response. However, the response of the other two cultivars, both susceptible to the pathogen in the field, fell into two categories. One had a high foliar symptom score and a correspondingly high corm invasion score, whereas the other had a low foliar symptom score and a high corm invasion score. Breeders need to be aware of the two categories of susceptible response, if inferior breeding material is to be rejected early on in a breeding program.

Tool support for testing concurrent Java components

Concurrent programs are hard to test due to the inherent nondeterminism. This paper presents a method and tool support for testing concurrent Java components. Too[ support is offered through ConAn (Concurrency Analyser), a too] for generating drivers for unit testing Java classes that are used in a multithreaded context. To obtain adequate controllability over the interactions between Java threads, the generated driver contains threads that are synchronized by a clock. The driver automatically executes the calls in the test sequence in the prescribed order and compares the outputs against the expected outputs specified in the test sequence. The method and tool are illustrated in detail on an asymmetric producer-consumer monitor. Their application to testing over 20 concurrent components, a number of which are sourced from industry and were found to contain faults, is presented and discussed.