Aims: To describe the course of low back pain (LBP) among nurses across eight years. Methods: A longitudinal study was performed with a follow up at 1 and 8 years among nurses employed by a large university hospital in Switzerland. A modified version of the Nordic Questionnaire was distributed to obtain information about demographic data, occupational activities, and various aspects of LBP. A clinical examination and several functional tests were used to overcome the problems associated with subjective pain reporting. Nurses having answered the questionnaire on all three occasions (n = 269) were classified into subgroups according to their pain intensity. For each subgroup the course of LBP was recorded. Results: LBP was highly prevalent with an annual prevalence varying from 73% to 76%. A large percentage (38%) indicated the same intensity of LBP on all three occasions. The proportion of nurses reporting repeated increase of LBP (19%) was approximately as large as the proportion who complained about repeated decrease of LBP (17%). Conclusion: It became evident that LBP poses a persistent problem among nurses. Over an eight year period almost half of the nurses indicated the same intensity of LBP, thus supporting a recurrent rather than a progressive nature of LBP.

The amount of 90° reorientation during poling was determined from mechanical strains measured during the poling process. With tetragonal lead titanate zirconate 53% of the possible 90° reorientation occurred during poling, but this figure dropped to 44% upon removal of the poling field. With barium titanate the figures are only 17% and 12%, respectively. Comparison of the polarization of poled polycrystalline barium titanate with that for single crystals indicates that 180° reorientation is virtually perfect. Application of very high compressive stress parallel to the polar axis causes 90° switching of nearly all aligned domains, and, therefore, removes virtually all polarization. Curves of released charge as function of mechanical strain are nearly linear, but curves of released charge as function of stress are strongly nonlinear. Application of high compressive stress perpendicular to the polar axis also causes 90° domain reorientation and a reduction in the total polarization of the ceramic. This domain reorientation may be interpreted as a shift of the polar axes of some domains into a position more closely corresponding to the plane of cross expansion, and typically the total electric moment is reduced by less than 10%. High electric stress causes 180° as well as 90° domain reorientation. With prepoled specimens dc fields in the same direction as the poling field cause 90° switching, while reverse dc fields cause both 90° and 180° reorientation, with the latter predominating.

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Abstract. Activity theory is based on the concept of tools mediating between subjects and objects. In this theory, an individual's creative interaction with his or her surroundings can result in the production of tools. When an individual's mental processes are exteriorized in the form of tools -termed objectification -they become more accessible to other people and are therefore useful for social interaction. This paper shows how our understanding of activity theory has shaped our design philosophy for groupware and how we have applied it. Our design philosophy and practice is exemplified by a description of the BUILD-IT system. This is an Augmented Reality system we developed to enhance group work; it is a kind of graspable groupware which supports cooperative planning. The system allows a group of people, co-located around a table, to interact, by means of physical bricks, with models in a virtual three-dimensional (3D) setting. Guided by task analysis, a set of specific tools for different 3D planning and configuration tasks was implemented as part of this system. We investigate both physical and virtual tools. These tools allow users to adjust model height, viewpoint, and scale of the virtual setting. Finally, our design practice is summarized in a set of design guidelines. Based on these guidelines, we reflect on our own design practice and the usefulness of activity theory for design.