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Patients with chronic pain and/or spasticity who have an intrathecal targeted drug delivery (TDD) pump require frequent needle access procedures to refill the pump's medication reservoir. Some patients find the access procedure painful and/or anxiety provoking. The purpose of this study was to determine if a nursing intervention of providing a distraction with a music relaxation video during the pump access procedure would reduce patients' pain and state anxiety. In this longitudinal, pre-test post-test, quasi-experimental design, patients watched a 13-minute calming music video while the nurse performed the needle access procedure. Data collection instruments included a combination of researcher-developed questionnaires, the Defense & Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Pain and anxiety were measured pre- and post-pump refill procedures at baseline with no intervention (T1) and at two subsequent pump refills with the music video intervention (T2 and T3). The sample consisted of 31 adults with chronic pain (n = 28) or spasticity (n = 3). All participants had an implanted pump for at least six months. Specialty trained nurses refilled the participants' pump in their home. The findings support the use of a music video as an effective intervention for reducing participants' perception of pain and anxiety during the pump refill procedure. Neither pre-test pain nor pre-test anxiety scores differed across time. Post-test mean pain scores decreased consistently across time (T1 = 5.55, T2 = 4.42, T3 = 4.23; P =.002). Post-test anxiety scores showed a significant decrease (P <.05) between T1 (M = 37.87) and T2 (M = 30.94) which was not sustained at T3 (M = 35.68, P =.284). Overall, the majority of participants indicated liking the music video intervention. They also expressed interest in using the intervention for future refill procedures or other stressful situations. The music video was effective in producing a sustained reduction over time of participants' pain during the pump refill procedures; it was most effective in initially reducing participants' state anxiety at the initial intervention visit; however, it did not demonstrate a progressively sustained effect. Participants' opinions about the music video experience were positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers an account of the creation of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the diversity of interests among individual members. This account is based on interviews with CBC members conducted from March 2011 through July 2011. The CBC was founded by 13 black members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1971 at the height of racial unrest in the country. Several members of the group gained committee assignments after the Democratic Party controlled the House following the 2006 mid-term elections. The role of the CBC in the election of President Barack Obama in 2008 is discussed.

From the establishment of statehood in 1817 until the 1965 enactment and subsequent enforcement of the federal Voting Rights Act, African Americans were systematically excluded from any meaningful participation in civil society, except for a brief interregnum during the post-Civil War federal occupation of Mississippi (1866-1877). Persons of African descent were denied their rights as citizens, usually under color of the law, but often through means of quiet intimidation or brute force. This paper analyzes within an historical context, the recent efforts at inclusive democracy in Mississippi. Many Mississippians have worked to create a culture of participation and diversity, develop civic literacy and participate fully in civic life, in an often-hostile environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explores the agenda-setting behavior of African American state legislators, female state legislators, and African American female state legislators and examine the degree to which these lawmakers have been able to translate election to office into substantive representation. Using the records of legislation sponsored in the lower houses of the Mississippi, Maryland and Georgia state legislatures in the 2001 sessions, I categorize the legislation sponsored by each legislator according to its content. I find that female legislators and African American legislators behave cohesively and demonstrate different agenda-setting behavior than do their white male colleagues. Female legislators are as likely as male legislators to achieve passage of their legislation. African American legislators generally, and African American female legislators in particular, are less likely to achieve passage of their legislation, giving support to both the double disadvantage and social distance theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]