Assessment of Correlations among Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Cumulative Illness Rating Index (CI) Scores in the Elderly Patients with Femur Fractures: A Prospective Study

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has established that injury will be the second principal cause of the world disease onerous by the year 2020. Purpose: In this study comorbidity was evaluated with the Cumulative Illness Rating Index, (CI) and studied in relation to the functional status of the elderly participants, by considering: Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), scores. Method: Ninety-five elderly patients with femur fracture were recruited for this study. A prospective investigation and evaluation of their comorbidity and their physical activity conditions was performed. Results: Correlations were evaluated between: ADL and CIRS values (r = 0.23); CIRS and IADL values (r = 0.24), and finally correlations between patients age and CIRS values (r = 0.09).Conclusion: No significant correlations were assessed to standardize the different score levels. Keywords: Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Cumulative Illness Rating Index (CI), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), Elderly Patients. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/63-05 Publication date:June 30th 2019

The effect of mycorrhizal symbiosis on the development of micropropagated artichokes

In this work, microrosettes of Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus Fiori of the "catanese" type were subcultured in a medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0.05 mg l-1). For root induction, indoleacetic acid (IAA), α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and indole-3-butyrric acid (IBA) were used at three concentrations: 2, 5 and 10 mg l-1. The highest percentage of rooted shoots was aided by the presence of 10 mg l-1IAA. Once transplanted in pots, the plantlets were inoculated with 10 g Glomus viscosum strain A6 (AM fungus). Acclimatisation was clearly facilitated by the addition of the AM fungus. Indeed, the mycorrhizal plantlets registered a survival of between 90 and 95% for the rooting shoots and 60% for the non-rooting shoots. The botanical characterization of the material produced was carried out in field and was based on several morphological and productive parameters. Data collected confirm the characteristics of the original cultivar, the efficiency of the in vitro propagation material and the possibility of using this technique in early types of artichoke. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Nursing Perception on Patient Safety Culture: The Latest Methodological Approaches

Safety culture can be defined as “the values shared among organization members about what is important, their beliefs about how things operate in the organization, and the interaction of these with work unit and organizational structures and systems, which together produce behavioral norms in the organization that promote safety”. This literature review aimed to identify the latest methodological approaches quantifying patient safety culture perception among nurses. The available literature was searched from January 2018 to today . Eleven eligible works were found and analyzed and the main key concepts highlighted were: the research approaches to assess patient safety culture, the development of quantitative survey tools for data collection for further reproducibility and the levels of data aggregation for conducting data analyses. A cohesive body of literature of evaluation tools is requiring on patient safety culture among nurses which is still limited in the current literature. Keywords: Health Safety; Methodological Approach; Nursing Perception; Patient Safety; Safety Culture; Safety Survey. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/62-12 Publication date:May 31st 201

How Patients and Nurses defined Advocacy in Nursing? A Review of the Literature

Objectives: Advocacy is an important aspect in current professional nursing care and it is a relatively new role for nursing, emerged in the United States in 1980s. This article aimed to explore the basis of advocacy concept viewed by both nurses and patients.Design: A computerized search in PubMed, Medline, Embase databases was conducted to highlight the relevance of nursing advocacy by nurses and patients. This review included qualitative studies which explained better advocacy concept in nursing practice and analyzed the concept of nursing advocacy. Data sources: Fifteen articles were found. Of these, only six met all the requirements of the inclusion criteria Review methods: Articles were compared by considering for each paper the purpose, the design, the methodology, the finding, in order to define advocacy concept by both patients and nurses.Results: Six articles were found, which were published between 1996 and 2018.Conclusions: It was found that the concept and the practice of the nursing advocacy was still enshrouded in confusion, conflict and change. Keywords: Advocacy; Nursing Advocacy; Literature Review; Patient Advocacy. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/63-08 Publication date:June 30th 201

Incidenza, disposizione al crimine in soggetti con dubbi requisiti psicofisici per l’idoneità alla patente di guida in psicodiagnostica

In the contemporary society often there have been criminal acts under psychotropic substances effects, like road accidents. From our ambulatory experience, started in December 1996, in association with the Local Medical Commission of Naples (CML), refers to sample of 2135 subject (n. 44 women) with psycho-physical doubt for the driving idoneity, mostly visited for drive or accident down psychotropic substances (New Highway Code). The 28.0% of the general sample (U), refers to penal records: in this study we intend to view the bias of crime disposition on the drive behaviour.To reach the aim, we matched the results of the psycho-diagnostic tests of the Uncensored Subjects (group I) with the ones of the Criminals (group C). The results show that the C group is submitted to the psycho-test for driving under illegal drugs, and the I group for drunken driving. The former group lives in low social condition, due to a poor cultural status. The latter, mean aged 30, is, generally, single, childless, middle-high cultured, has a better social economic condition.The mental tests show for both groups a predisposed personality, weak, aggressive, repressed, dependent from the primary figure, with intellective disorders; such characteristics are more pathologic in the group C. The exam of the habits shows an inadequate behaviour, due to the abuse of drugs (alcohol, drug, nicotine, caffeine and psychodrugs). The difference between the two groups is related to the way of consumption: occasional for the former and frequent for the latter. The results of the tests show in I group a greater percentage of positive or suspect subjects to the diagnosis for alcoholism, while in C group, the majority tends to the drug addiction or ex drug addiction. Both group are in a borderline status, even if a part of C group is not in equilibrium status.Only the 15.5% of the general sample (U), not in balance status, will not be valuate fit for driving from the CML (C group prevails). Both groups show an individual tendency for some attitudes. The I group is less cold and offensive, with tendency to reflection, while, the C group, lacking of introspection, has got no consciousness of its actions, condition that not allow to alter the style of life. It is evident that in spite of the controls of the New Highway Code (285/92) there is, still, a part of young Italians, which drives and makes damages under the effect of psychotropic substances (general sample).It should be promoted some raising campaigns with the aim to teach “respect” that watch over and bring up correctly the people with adequate information. Then, we should operate for the recovery of the criminals, modifying the educational systems in use with the renewal of the country to give, out of the jail, social and educative supports, to guarantee employment, respect and dignity to the person.Nella società attuale spesso si registrano atti criminosi sotto effetto delle sostanze psicotrope, tra i quali, i reati stradali. Si riferisce della nostra esperienza ambulatoriale, iniziata nel dicembre 1996 in collaborazione con la Commissione Medico Locale di Napoli (CML), su n. 2135 soggetti (n.44 donne) con dubbi requisiti psicofisici per l’idoneità alla guida, visitati prevalentemente per guida sotto effetto di sostanze psicotrope e/o incidente (Nuovo Codice della Strada). Del campione generale (U), il 28,0% riferisce precedenti penali: in questo lavoro s’intende osservare l’incidenza della disposizione al crimine sul comportamento di guida. Per conseguire lo scopo, sono stati confrontati statisticamente gli esiti dell’esame psicodiagnostico dei soggetti Incensurati (gruppo I) con quelli dei Criminali (gruppo C).  I Risultati hanno evidenziato che il gruppo C esegue l’esame psichico per guida sotto effetto di stupefacenti, I, per guida in stato d’ebbrezza. Il primo vive uno stato di precariato in una condizione socio – culturale bassa. Il secondo, con età media di circa 30 anni, celibe senza figli, con istruzione medio – superiore, con una condizione socio - economica media I test mentali hanno evidenziato per i gruppi, una personalità predisponente, debole, impulsiva, aggressiva, repressa, dipendente dalla figura primaria con disturbi dell’intelligenza e psicosomatici; tali requisiti sono più patologici nel gruppo C. L’esame delle abitudini ha evidenziato un comportamento inadeguato indotto dal variato uso/abuso delle sostanze psicoattive (alcol, droga, nicotina, caffeina e psicofarmaci). La differenza tra Incensurati – Criminali, sta nei modi di consumo: saltuario nei primi, frequente nei secondi. Gli esiti del protocollo evidenziano per I, una maggiore percentuale di soggetti ritenuti sospetti o positivi per la diagnosi d’alcolismo, per C, la maggioranza tende alla tossicodipendenza o ex-tossicodipendenza. In prevalenza entrambi i sottogruppi sono in stato d’equilibrio borderline, anche se parte di C non è in equilibrio. Dalla CML solo il 15,5% del campione generale, non in equilibrio, sarà ritenuto non idoneo alla guida (C prevalente). Entrambi i gruppi mostrano una predisposizione individuale nell’ assumere determinati comportamenti. Il gruppo Incensurato è meno freddo e offensivo, tende alla riflessione, mentre quello Criminale, essendo privo d’introspezione, non ha consapevolezza delle proprie azioni, condizione che non consente di mutare lo stile di vita.È evidente che nonostante i controlli previsti dal Nuovo Codice della Strada (285/92) c’è una parte d’italiani, in giovane età che continua a guidare e a far disastri sotto l’effetto delle sostanze psicotrope (campione generale). Si dovrebbe promuovere una campagna di sensibilizzazione che incoraggi “il rispetto altrui” che tuteli e formi correttamente l’utenza con adeguata informazione. Inoltre, bisognerebbe mirare al recupero dei criminali, apportando modifiche ai sistemi educativi in uso con il risanamento del territorio che diano, una volta fuori dalle carceri, sostegno sociale e formativo, consentendo lavoro, rispetto e dignità alla persona

Time resolved imaging studies of the plasma produced by laser ablation of silicon in O2/Ar atmosphere

The dynamics of the expansion plasma produced by excimer laser ablation of a silicon target into oxygen and mixed O2/Ar atmosphere were studied by means of time-resolved imaging of the expanding plume. Experiments were performed in pure oxygen, ranging between 0.13 and 13.33 Pa, and at different O2/Ar ratios at a fixed total pressure of 13.33 Pa. The occurrence of a shock wave (SW) generated by the supersonic expansion of the plasma was observed at high pressure values. The presence of the SW had a strong influence on the structure of SiOx thin films. In fact, silicon dioxide thin films were always obtained in presence of the SW, irrespective of the oxygen content in the gaseous mixture. On the contrary, suboxide thin films were obtained when the expansion occurred at lower pressure values (no SW presence). The temperature rise following the developing of the SW, is supposed to enhance the oxygen molecules dissociation by increasing the efficiency of the silicon oxidation reaction

Optical emission spectroscopy study of the expansion dynamics of a laser generated plasma during the deposition of thin films by laser ablation

The dynamics of the expanding plasma produced by excimer laser ablation of different materials such as silicon, silicon carbide, graphite and tin powder were studied by means of time integrated, spatially resolved emission spectroscopy and fast photography imaging of the expanding plasma. Experiments were performed both in vacuum and in different pure background atmosphere (i.e. oxygen or nitrogen) and, finally, in gaseous mixtures (i.e. in O2/Ar and N2/Ar mixtures). These investigations were performed to gather information on the nature of the chemical species present in the plasma and on the occurrence of chemical reactions during the interaction between the plasma and the background gas. Then, we tried to correlate the plasma expansion dynamics to the structural and physical properties of the deposited materials. Experimental results clearly indicate that there is a strong correlation between the plasma expansion dynamics and the structural properties of the deposited thin films. In this respect, the investigations performed by means of fast photography and of optical emission spectroscopy revealed themselves as powerful tools for an efficient control of the deposition process itself

Performance prediction model of multistage centrifugal Pumps used as Turbines with Two-Phase Flow

Abstract Pump as Turbines (PaTs) can be used not only in hydraulic power generation but also in chemical processes, such as refinery, where fluids containing dissolved or undissolved gases or volatiles can be expanded from a higher to a lower pressure level for energy recovery. As the gas contained in the fluid is released from the solution during expansion, the flow rate increases and additional energy is delivered with respect to the case of incompressible flow. This higher power output is very attractive. In this work, a theoretical approach is proposed in order to predict the PaT performance with a two-phase flow whose expansion characteristics are known

Performance optimization of a gas-steam combined power plant partially fed with syngas derived from pomace

Abstract In this paper a gas-steam combined-cycle, partially fueled by syngas (produced in an embedded downdraft gasifier fed with pomace), is considered. In addition, an auxiliary combustion system is directly fed by ligno-cellulosic biomass. The thermodynamic model of the entire system is developed by means of the Cycle-Tempo software. The gasification process is supposed to occur at ambient pressure and air is used as gasifying agent. An optimization process has been introduced by means of the Design of Experiment ( DoE ) technique. The design variables and their corresponding ranges have been chosen by using a heuristic criterion. The power plant performance is represented by the thermal efficiency, _ η I , the exergetic efficiency, η II , the cost of electricity, COE, and the net return, R net . The DoE technique provided the so-called Pareto barrier, which isolates all the non-dominated solutions