90 research outputs found
A Framework for the Development of Haptic-Enhanced Web Applications
No full textIn the last years we have witnessed an increasing adoption of haptic devices (allowing the user to feel forces or vibrations) in several fields of applications, from gaming, to mobile, automotive, etc. Some efforts have been done to enhance also Web applications interfaces with haptics, either to improve accessibility or, more in general, to improve usability. Despite the spreading of haptic applications, their development is still a time consuming task that requires significant programming skills. In particular, in the Web context no plug-ins or style extensions are currently available and applications must be developed from scratch. In this paper we describe a framework to easily include haptic interaction in Web applications, focusing both on haptic interaction modeling and on its implementation
The concept of care complexity: a qualitative study
No full textBackground: Hospital organisations based on the level of care intensity have clearly revealed a concept, that of care complexity, which has been widely used for decades in the healthcare field. Despite its wide use, this concept is still poorly defined and it is often confused with and replaced by similar concepts such as care intensity or workload. This study aims to describe the meaning of care complexity as perceived by nurses in their day-to-day experience of hospital clinical care, rehabilitation, home care, and organisation. Design and methods: Fifteen interviews were conducted with nurses belonging to clinical-care areas and to heterogeneous organisational areas. The interview was of an unstructured type. The participants were selected using a propositional methodology. Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method was chosen for the analysis of the interviews. Results: The nurses who were interviewed predominantly perceive the definition of care complexity as coinciding with that of workload. Nevertheless, the managerial perspective does not appear to be exclusive, as from the in-depth interviews three fundamental themes emerge that are associated with the concept of care complexity: the patient, the nurse and the organisation. Conclusions: The study highlights that care complexity consists of both quantitative and qualitative aspects that do not refer only to the organisational dimension. The use of the terminology employed today should be reconsidered: it appears to be inappropriate to talk of measurement of care complexity, as this concept also consists of qualitative – thus not entirely quantifiable – aspects referring to the person being cared for. In this sense, reference should instead be made to the evaluation of care complexity, which would also constitute a better and more complete basis for defining the nursing skills required in professional nursing practice
Effectiveness of the school nurse role in increasing the vaccination coverage rate: a narrative review
No full textIntroduction. Vaccinations are recognized as the best primary prevention strategy to counteract infectious diseases. However, in recent years, there has been a decrease in the immunization rate, particularly among children and teenagers. Several strategies have been tested to circumvent the issue. Among them, there was the re-introduction of vaccination practices in schools. The literature shows that introducing immunization projects in schools has increased vaccination rates in children and teenagers, but the role of the school nurse in these settings has never been evaluated.AIM. To determine whether the role of the school nurse, within the school vaccination projects, does have a positive impact on the rate of immunization's compliance.Methods. Narrative review. Studies of primary, secondary and gray literature were included, researched on Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Science Citation Index and Web of Science. Nine articles based on studies conducted in different educational institutions (from kindergarten to high school) were included in the review.Results. All the articles included in the review showed that the interventions conducted by the school nurse, aimed at increasing the rate of adhesion to vaccinations, are effective.Discussion and Conclusions. The literature related to the topic of the present study shows that the school nurse plays a key role in increasing the rate of adhesion to immunization for school-age children / adolescents. The figure of the school nurse plays a crucial role in increasing the rate of adhesion to immunization's programme for school-age children. However, in several countries, including Italy, this figure was present in the past but does not exist now. The lack of the school nurse's role in these countries does not allow the activation of programs focused on this figure's capacity
Caring relationship: a qualitative research through the narratives of the students of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree
No full textThe experience of men with breast cancer: a metasynthesis
No full textAim To assess men's experiences when diagnosed with breast cancer. Subject and Methods: The breast is a symbol of femininity. Therefore, it is no surprise that studies on women's experiences with breast cancer predominate in the literature. Because breast cancer accounts for just 1% of all cancers among men, it is often overlooked. Nevertheless, it accounts for proportionately more deaths than penile or testicular cancer. Five major databases were queried in December 2022 to review primary studies with qualitative design.Aim To assess men's experiences when diagnosed with breast cancer. Subject and Methods: The breast is a symbol of femininity. Therefore, it is no surprise that studies on women's experiences with breast cancer predominate in the literature. Because breast cancer accounts for just 1% of all cancers among men, it is often overlooked. Nevertheless, it accounts for proportionately more deaths than penile or testicular cancer. Five major databases were queried in December 2022 to review primary studies with qualitative design.Results Of the 206 articles selected and screened, eight met the inclusion criteria. Three highlighting men's experience with stigmatisation and their need to be taken into consideration, even through information not solely aimed at women, are from a German study conducted between 2018 and 2020. Three from the UK between 2003 and 2007, also emphasise the stigma and the need for more information directed specifically at men. The study from the United States points out that men who receive treatment in women's care spaces experience feelings of inadequacy. Last, a recent Israeli paper (2021) describes how men conceal the disease to avoid the stigma altogether.Conclusion The paper examines the paltry, recent research on men's emotional experience with breast cancer, which is culturally relegated to women. However, a clear need emerges for more attention to be paid to addressing communications and relations for these male patients as well
Breast Cancer in Men and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review
No full textBackground: Quality of Life is a multifaceted concept, and understanding it is essential for improving symptom management, patient care, and rehabilitation. The incidence of metastatic breast cancer in men appears to be rising, with data indicating an increase from 7.2% to 10.3% over the past decade. Although male breast cancer remains rare, it is crucial for nurses to identify the most effective approaches to manage these patients and enhance the quality of care provided. This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review to determine whether studies exist that assess quality of life in men with breast cancer. Methods: The databases Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, and Wiley were systematically searched by two independent reviewers, ensuring that the studies met the predefined inclusion criteria. Results: Out of 2410 references identified, 731 articles remained after removing duplicates. Following the screening process and exclusion of records not meeting the inclusion criteria, 6 studies were ultimately included in the review. Conclusions: The tools used to assess quality of life were heterogeneous, making it impossible to draw generalizable conclusions
Cold flow defects in zinc die casting: prevention criteria using simulation and experimental investigations
No full textHigh-pressure die casting of zinc alloys is increasingly used in the manufacturing of parts with high aesthetic value. These parts must comply with strict requirements on surface quality, which are generally overlooked in traditional mechanical applications. Cold flow defects, which are a primary concern for surface quality, originate from several different causes that have not yet been fully understood. This report investigates the factors that influence cold flow defects and the choices that can lead to an improvement in surface quality. The research method is based on a case study performed at a die casting company. First, an existing process has been analyzed using simulation to explain the causes of cold flow defects observed in production samples. The temperature at the end of the cavity fill has emerged as a key index for the occurrence of defects, which can be controlled by three primary process parameters: injection velocity, temperature of the cooling medium, and lubricant spraying time. These same factors are then assessed using experimental tests on an existing die, where the number of defects in the selected regions of the casting has been evaluated by image processing. The results suggest that the surface quality can be particularly improved by increasing the flow rate of the molten metal through the gates and avoiding excessive flow turbulence in the wide cavity sections. Consequently, the increase in the gate area has been identified as a specific criterion for the die design. These findings have been validated in the redesign of the die and the selection of the process parameters, which have resulted in a significant reduction in the surface defects
Complexity of care: a concept analysis
No full textIn spite of the high number of tools designed to measure the complexity of care, there is still great diversity in the meaning of this concept
Study of the Behavior of Calix[4]arene-Based Sodium-Selective Electrodes by Means of ANOVA
No full textTwo ethylamide and two butyl ester calix[l]arene
ionophores differing by the presence of a tert-butyl
group in the upper lipophilic rim were used to
construct liquid membrane ISEs with two solvents
(dibutyl sebacate and dibutyl phthalate). Their
behavior toward sodium ion was tested in terms
of detection limit (DL), sensitivity (S, mV/pNa),
and selectivity toward protons and alkali and
alkaline earth metal ions. In order to clarify the
role of the structural parameters in the behavior
of the ionophores, each of these response variables
was tested with a multifactor ANOVA with interactions,
using four classification factors: (i)
nature of the polar part of the lower rim, (ii)
presence of the tert-butyl group in the upper rim,
(iii) dielectric constant of the organic solvent, and,
for selectivity, (iv) nature of the interfering ion.
It was found that amides show a higher selectivity
toward other alkali metal ions and a lower DL and
S than the corresponding esters. Furthermore,
the presence of the tert-butyl group in the upper
rim increases both S and the selectivity toward
alkali metals and decreases the DL, especially for
esters; however, for calcium ion, it increases the
selectivity of amide membranes and decreases that
of the ester membranes. The major effects of a
higher dielectric constant of the solvent are decreases
in the selectivity toward alkaline earth
ions and the DL and S of amide calixarenes.
Hypotheses are proposed for the interpretation of
the data
[Progressive Patient Care Model and its application into hospital organization: a narrative review]
No full textAim of this article is to review the literature about the Progressive Patient Care Model, in particular its conceptual and practical characteristics, its implementation and effects on the current health care organization. Was conducted by an integrative-narrative literature review. The Progressive Patient Care is a model which aims at group patients according to their complexity in order to place patients in the most appropriate care setting. The original model consists on five care levels: intensive care, intermediate care, self-care, long term care, home care.In Italy the above mentioned model can be considered as a contextualization of Progressive Patient Care in the light of similarities both in terms of model purposes and care levels classification. The organization for intensive care levels is an opportunity for Italian healthcare facilities to reach continuity of care. This model emphazises care processes looking to patients' needs rather than a division according to criteria of specialties
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