Color Stability of Dry Earth Pigmented Maxillofacial Silicone A-2186 Subjected to Microwave Energy Exposure

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure spectrophotometrically the color stability of pigmented A-2186 silicone maxillofacial elastomer with 10% by volume of titanium white dry earth opacifier before and after exposure to microwave energy over a simulated 1.5-year period of microwave sterilization. Materials AND METHODS: A-2186 silicone elastomer opacified with titanium white dry earth pigment, pigmented with 5 cosmetic dry earth pigment colors [no pigment (control) group (Pc), red (Pr), yellow ochre (Py), burnt sienna (Po), and a mixture of Pr + Py + Po color group (P3)], was used in this study. Each of the 5 experimental groups consisted of 5 specimens. All specimens were placed in a 250 ml glass beaker filled with 150 ml of water (replenished for each microwave exposure). An exposure of 6 minutes was used 18 times (simulating 1.5 years of microwave sterilization with one 6 minute exposure monthly). Reflectance values were measured by spectrophotometer. Three- and two-way analyses of variance with repeated measures were performed for the color difference (DeltaE*) with the factors of group/color/months, and group/months, respectively. Means were compared by Tukey Honest Significant Difference (HSD) multiple range test calculated at the 0.05 level of significance using SPSS. RESULTS: The trained human eye can detect color changes (DeltaE*) greater than 1.0. Most DeltaE* values of the red pigment group at all intervals and the mixed pigment group at 15- and 18- month intervals increased significantly greater than 1.0 (p < 0.001) compared with the control group. Yellow and burnt sienna groups remained the most color stable over time with DeltaE* values below 0.35. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of color stability of red dry earth pigmented A-2186 silicone maxillofacial elastomers was clinically significant after 12-month exposure to microwave energy as compared with yellow, burnt sienna, and opacified A-2186 dry earth pigments.     

BUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF EXCELLENCE IN HEART FAILURE NURSING

This column contains the presidential address presented during the Third Annual Meeting of the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses on June 28, 2007, in San Diego, California, titled "Building the Foundation of Excellence in Heart Failure Nursing."     

An examination of depression through the lens of spinal cord injury: Comparative prevalence rates and severity in women and men

PURPOSE: This study describes the prevalence of probable major depressive disorder (MDD) as well as other depressive disorders (ODD) and severity of depressive symptoms in a national sample of women with spinal cord injury (SCI) and compares them with a case-matched sample of men with SCI. METHODS: A sample of 585 women was drawn and case-matched with men from the SCI Model System National SCI Database according to level/completeness of injury, follow-up year, and age. The outcome measure of depression was the Patient Health Questionnaire. MAIN FINDINGS: Prevalence rates for women were 7.9% for probable MDD and 9.7% for ODD; rates for men were 9.9% and 10.3%, respectively. Logistic regression revealed that women who were divorced or at year 1 follow-up had a higher odds of having probable MDD (odds ratio [OR], 3.4 and 2.9, respectively). Employed women and men had significantly lower odds of probable MDD (OR, 0.274 and 0.358, respectively). Statistically significant differences were not found in gender comparisons for either probable MDD or symptom severity, which also were not associated with injury characteristics. CONCLUSION: The most significant, and unexpected, research finding is the absence of gender differences in probable MDD and symptom severity. Results challenge notions that depression will necessarily follow SCI; that injury characteristics determine the development and severity of depression; and that women experience a greater burden of depression than men. The main clinical implication is that depression screening and referral should be a routine feature of health care for women living with SCI, as well as for their male counterparts. Furthermore, nearly one fourth of women and men reported experiencing some or greater difficulty in daily life and relationships in the absence of probable depressive disorder, warranting monitoring of subsyndromal depression as well.