Search Results (3,147)

This article develops theoretically an integrative analytical construct (InMeDiT Capital, acronym for informational, media, digital and technological capital) derived from Pierre Bourdieu’s social field theory framework to expand its conceptual capacity to interpret and explain specific relational dynamics within a hyper-digitised social context that directly affects families. Based on Bourdieu’s social field theory, different types of classic capital and other more novel types (informational, media, digital, or technological) have been defined. The characteristics of 21st-century society require that the latter be addressed from an integrative perspective. Methodologically, the work is based on a critical and systematic review of the literature. Based on this analysis, a process of conceptual abstraction and theoretical modelling was carried out that can be described as phenomenological in its attempt to capture the depth of the concepts. This consisted of (1) defining the ontological and relational assumptions of the original framework, (2) isolating the analytical mechanisms relevant to the phenomenon under study, and (3) reorganising these elements into a coherent conceptual structure. The result is an updated conceptual framework (InMeDiT Capital) that maintains epistemological consistency with social field theory, but introduces a novel conceptual articulation through its hybridisation, the dimensions that comprise it, and an operational framework for diagnosing and mobilising capital in the family context. Full article

Background/Objectives: The placement of central venous access devices, including peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and PICC-PORTs, is a routine procedure in oncology care. Usually associated with limited physical pain, these procedures may nevertheless generate significant anxiety and negatively influence the overall procedural experience. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a non-pharmacological intervention capable of modulating attentional and emotional responses during medical procedures; however, evidence in adult oncology patients undergoing vascular access placement remains scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of VR on an oncological patient’s overall procedural experience. Methods: This manuscript outlines the design and methodology of a prospective, single-centre randomised controlled trial. Adult oncology patients scheduled for PICC/PICC-PORT placement are randomised to receive standard care alone or standard care combined with an immersive VR intervention delivered via a head-mounted display during the procedure under pragmatic, real-world clinical conditions. The primary outcome is a composite patient-reported procedural experience endpoint, assessed through a non-aggregated framework encompassing procedural anxiety, comfort, satisfaction and procedural tolerability. Procedural anxiety constitutes the main quantitative driver; the remaining domains are analysed as individual component dimensions and interpreted jointly to contextualise the overall experience. Secondary outcomes include procedural pain, physiological parameters and procedural characteristics. A mixed-methods approach integrates quantitative assessment with qualitative phenomenological analysis. Results: The study is expected to provide methodological and clinical insight into the role of immersive VR in improving procedural experience and support future multicentre trials. Conclusions: This trial will contribute to the expanding field of digital and immersive health technologies by evaluating VR as a patient-centred adjunct intervention in oncological procedural care using a predefined patient-reported experience-based primary endpoint. The protocol has been submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov with the registration number NCT07384741. Full article

Accurate prediction of the behavior of alloys and metal matrix composites during high-temperature deformation requires strict consideration of the loading history. To address this problem, a hybrid rheological model for flow stress prediction has been developed, combining a phenomenological description of the yield stress with a recurrent neural network based on the NARX (Nonlinear AutoRegressive with eXogenous inputs) architecture. The memory effect is formed by expanding the input parameters with the response values from the previous step. The identification of the weight coefficients of the NARX neural network is implemented by training an equivalent multilayer perceptron. To improve the generalization ability of the model and eliminate its dependence on a fixed discretization step, the training dataset includes data obtained under non-monotonic changes in the strain rate over time and a variable time interval. The article justifies the structure of the model input parameters, excluding the accumulated strain from the input set due to its lack of informativeness during active softening processes. Verification of the hybrid model on the 7075/2.5% TiC composite in the temperature range of 300–500 °C demonstrated an average relative error of 1.5% when predicting modes that were not involved in the training. The predicted flow stress values fall within the experimental scatter interval of ±5% and accurately reproduce the local features of the flow stress curves. The proposed model and its identification technique provide correct consideration of the deformation history under the complex interaction of hardening and softening processes. Full article

This study examines how pre-service English teachers in Turkey experience the dimensions of proactive personality, job crafting, flow, and work engagement while making sense of their professional lives. In the phenomenological design research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 teacher candidates selected through purposive sampling. Qualitative data were transcribed and subsequently analyzed using MAXQDA 2022 qualitative data analysis software and high inter-coder reliability was found. The findings were grouped under four themes. Under the heading of proactive personality, solution-focus, patience and communication, seeking support, and continuous development came to the fore. In the flow experience, open feedback from students, activities that made learning enjoyable, changes in the perception of time, and full participation in the natural flow of the lesson stood out. Professional craftsmanship manifested itself through strategies such as establishing trust-based relationships with students, colleagues, and parents, adapting methods, self-care, and time management. Dedication to work was defined through passion for the profession and the vitality provided by working with different student profiles. The results showed that teacher candidates demonstrated resilience-oriented professional strategies by combining individual initiative, social support, and continuous development tendencies. Furthermore, student-centered feedback and community-based relationships are understood to strengthen flow experiences and nurture dedication to work. The study points to the importance of supporting proactive tendencies in teacher training and designing learning environments conducive to flow. Full article

The primary objective of this study is a comprehensive investigation of the self-bound properties of strange quark matter (SQM), which is hypothesized to represent the absolute ground state of superdense strongly interacting matter. An analysis is performed within the framework of the MIT bag model, including first-order perturbative QCD corrections and the finite strange quark mass. By systematically varying the vacuum pressure (bag constant, B) and the strong coupling constant (α_c) over a broad parameter space, while assuming a finite strange quark mass (m_s ≠ 0), we explicitly compute the thermodynamic characteristics of the system including pressure, energy density, baryon number density, and the chemical potentials of quarks and charge-neutralizing electrons under conditions of β-equilibrium and global charge neutrality. Particular emphasis is placed on determining the minimum energy per baryon, which serves as the criterion for absolute stability. For parameter sets satisfying the self-binding condition, the integral properties of strange stars are derived via the numerical integration of the Tolman–Oppenheimer–Volkoff equations. The resulting mass–radius and mass–central density relations are analyzed, yielding the maximum stellar masses in the range (1.9 − 2.4)M_⊙. This study identifies the regions in the space of phenomenological parameters that allow for pure self-bound strange stars and demonstrates the sensitivity of stability and stellar properties to the underlying bag model parameters. Full article

Self-efficacy—one’s belief in their ability to take the actions necessary to succeed—is a critical determinant of student success and retention, particularly during the transitional first two years of undergraduate study. Learning communities that incorporate peer mentors have been identified as promising structures for fostering self-efficacy, yet the mechanisms by which intentional peer mentoring within structured career development contexts shapes students’ self-efficacy beliefs remain underexplored. This study examined the following research questions: (1) How does participation in a career-focused Learning community course shape first- and second-year STEM students’ sense of self-efficacy regarding academic and career decision-making? (2) In what ways do peer mentors and peer support networks within the learning community contribute to students’ self-efficacy development? (3) How do students describe feeling empowered—or not—to pursue their career goals as a result of this experience? Using a mixed-methods design that combined pre- and post-course surveys, semi-structured focus groups, and phenomenological one-on-one interviews, we investigated the self-efficacy development of first- and second-year STEM students (N = 53) enrolled in a semester-long learning community course at a large, predominantly White public institution in the Midwest. Of these, 25 students completed both the pre- and post-course Career Self-Efficacy surveys and were included in matched statistical analyses. Three major findings emerged: (1) the learning community class environment created a space where self-efficacy was prioritized and developed; (2) peer support groups and peer mentors positively impacted students’ self-efficacy; and (3) students felt empowered by the experience in pursuing their chosen career goals. These findings have practical implications for the design of learning communities in STEM, highlighting the value of intentional peer mentoring structures and career-focused activities as tools for promoting student confidence, retention, and long-term academic success. Full article

Background/Objectives: Digital systems are being increasingly used to mediate pediatric care, yet many competency models remain predominantly technical and may unintentionally dilute patient- and family-centered care. This study aimed to identify empirically grounded digital competencies that enable pediatric nurse leaders to sustain patient- and family-centered care and to propose a practice-ready competency map. Methods: An interpretative phenomenological study was conducted across three hospitals in Saudi Arabia, purposively selected for varying levels of digital maturity. Ten pediatric nurse leaders completed two in-depth, semi-structured interviews (60–90 min) and a four-week reflective journal. Data were analyzed ideographically and then across cases using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Interviews were conducted in Arabic or English; translation included professional translation, partial back-translation (30%), and bilingual review. Results: Four interlinked competency domains emerged: (1) Relational digital presence, co-viewing the electronic health record, narrating documentation, and coordinating gaze and screen use to preserve relational connection; (2) Vulnerable expertise, micro-coaching at the point of care and transparent discussion of near-misses to build psychological safety; (3) Culturally legible communication, multimodal, language-congruent communication and explicit boundaries for sensitive information; and (4) Judgment-with-data, documenting override rationales and balancing algorithmic indicators with contextual family need. Together, these domains formed a screen-side competency map translating lived experience into trainable micro-practices. Conclusions: Digital competence in pediatric nursing leadership is relational, culturally situated, and clinically interpretive rather than a linear technical checklist. Embedding these competencies into leadership development and digital workflow design may help protect and strengthen patient- and family-centered care in technology-mediated pediatric care. Full article

Background/Objectives: An arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred vascular access for hemodialysis (HD). Beyond its clinical function, an AVF creates visible bodily changes that may affect identity, social positioning, and psychological adaptation. Women undergoing HD via an AVF may perceive these changes in relation to sociocultural expectations surrounding body image and gender roles. This study explored the lived experiences of women undergoing HD via an AVF and considered the implications for AVF management. Methods: Using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine women undergoing regular HD via an AVF in South Korea. The data were analyzed to identify essential themes and the fundamental structure of their experiences. Results: The essential structure was described as “women’s lives shaken and repositioned amid visible, life-sustaining bodily changes.” Three interrelated theme clusters emerged: shaken self-confrontation of the visible body; being repositioned within the relational world; and acceptance formed within the polarity of life and threat. The visibility of the AVF influences identity, autonomy, and social interactions. Conclusions: AVF management should extend beyond technical maintenance and include psychosocial assessments and sex-sensitive supportive strategies. Addressing the visible and relational dimensions of the AVF may enhance the quality and safety of HD care. Full article

Background: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently co-occurs with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the prevalence and clinical correlates of this comorbidity remain incompletely understood. Methods: We examined a clinical sample of 603 patients with a primary diagnosis of OCD, of whom 149 (24.7%) presented with comorbid ASD. Sociodemographic variables, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and obsessive–compulsive symptom dimensions were compared between patients with and without ASD. Results: Patients with OCD + ASD reported an earlier onset of both obsessive–compulsive symptoms and full-blown disorder. While overall symptom severity (Y-BOCS, HAM-D, and HAM-A) was comparable, OCD + ASD patients were characterized by a higher exposure to stressful and traumatic life events, including severe trauma (e.g., death of a close family member, sexual abuse, physical violence, serious illness, and bullying). Severe traumatic events, in particular, were independently associated with ASD comorbidity in our OCD cohort (exploratory model). Comorbidities were also distinct: onychophagia (66.4% vs. 0.4%) and trichotillomania (8.7% vs. 0%) were markedly more prevalent in the OCD + ASD group. Phenomenologically, OCD + ASD patients more often exhibited religious and somatic obsessions, as well as repetition compulsions. Specifically, somatic obsessions were independently associated with ASD in our regression analysis. Conclusions: OCD with comorbid ASD represents a clinically distinct subgroup, characterized by greater vulnerability to trauma, earlier onset, unique symptom profiles, and specific comorbidities. Recognition of these features, and in particular a history of severe traumatic experiences and the presence of somatic obsessions, may support earlier consideration of ASD comorbidity during OCD assessment and may inform personalized treatment planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: From a phenomenological perspective, the body is not merely a biological entity but the primary medium through which we experience and interpret the world. This study aimed to understand the lived body experience of advanced physiotherapy students at a university in Cali, Colombia, exploring how significant life events are embodied and expressed. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was employed. Twenty physiotherapy students participated in a body mapping exercise within a mental health elective. Participants graphically represented sensations, emotions, and memories on a body silhouette using colors and symbols. Data from the resulting body maps were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach via a data extraction matrix to identify patterns in symbolic, chromatic, and narrative elements. Results: The analysis revealed that students consistently inscribe both traumatic and positive life events onto their body maps, illustrating a narrative of resilience. Specific colors and body parts were symbolically charged: black and red in the heart, head, and shoulders represented pain and emotional burden, while blue and green in areas like the hands and stomach signified stability and achievement. External symbols (e.g., landscapes, bicycles) served as emotional anchors or representations of personal growth. Conclusions: Body mapping proves to be a powerful technique for accessing the embodied, often non-verbal, narratives of students. It underscores that the body functions as a living archive of experience. Integrating such methodologies into physiotherapy education can significantly enrich professional training by fostering sensitivity to corporality as a lived, relational, and cultural phenomenon, thereby strengthening future clinicians’ holistic and humanistic competencies. Full article

In order to investigate the influence of notched structures on creep performance under long-term high-temperature conditions, durability tests were conducted on ring-notched and hole-containing thin tubular specimens of directional columnar-grain DZ411 alloy at 850 °C and 930 °C. The results were compared with those of smooth round rod specimens at same temperatures and stress levels, to evaluate the impact of notched structures described above on the rupture life. Based on the experimental data, a finite element subroutine was developed using a macroscopic phenomenological creep model to simulate the creep deformation behavior of the structural components. The stress relaxation characteristics of the two types of notched structures were analyzed. The results show that the ring-notched structure exhibits significant stress relaxation, leading to a “notch strengthening” effect, which improves the endurance property; conversely, the small-hole structure shows insufficient stress relaxation, resulting in “notch weakening” and a reduction in the endurance property. The developed subroutine demonstrates sufficient engineering accuracy in notch creep simulation. Using creep strain as the fracture criterion, the predicted endurance life showed a deviation from experimental results within the acceptable engineering range, indicating that the subroutine has sufficient engineering accuracy. Full article

This paper examines whether a compact electron–proton configuration (“small hydrogen”) with a characteristic radius of a few femtometers is excluded by basic relativistic kinematics and simple stationarity constraints. Motivated by earlier discussions of formally deep relativistic energy scales in Dirac-based treatments, a phenomenological, virial-inspired energy-balance framework that incorporates relativistic kinetic energy, finite-size regularization of the central field, and order-of-magnitude spin–magnetic and spin–orbit contributions is developed in this paper. Within this framework, self-consistent characteristic scales associated is obtained with a hypothetical compact configuration without invoking Dirac or quantum-electrodynamics (QED) bound-state eigenvalues. The resulting scales—namely, a central energy scale of about 260 keV and a characteristic spin-dependent scale of order ΔE_spin ≈ 100 ± 20 keV—define concrete experimental and observational energy ranges of interest. The present study does not establish the existence, formation probability, lifetime, or dynamical stability of such states. Rather, it shows that relativistic kinematics, finite-size effects, and virial-inspired stationarity constraints do not, by themselves, rule out compact stationary electron–proton configurations within the assumptions of the model. If such states were realized in nature and possessed radiative or interaction channels, those states may have implications for astrophysics, fusion concepts, and dark-matter phenomenology. Full article

Background/Objectives: Anaesthetic nurses play a critical role during surgical procedures. However, research focusing on Australian anaesthetic nurses remains limited. While previous studies have identified inconsistencies in anaesthetic nurse education, the everyday experiences of these nurses have not been comprehensively examined. This study aimed to explore the barriers and enablers influencing anaesthetic nursing practice in Australia and to examine anaesthetic nurses’ views on their evolving roles and responsibilities. Methods: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed to explore the lived experiences of Australian anaesthetic nurses. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to enable in-depth exploration of participants’ experiences, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Participants were interviewed by telephone, videoconference, or in person. Data were transcribed verbatim into Microsoft Word and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, informed by Gadamerian hermeneutics. Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines were followed. Results: Four overarching themes were identified, Culture, Education, Leadership, and Institution, each shaping anaesthetic nursing practice in distinct yet interrelated ways, with several subthemes emerging within each category. These interrelated factors contributed to perceptions of being undervalued, restricted career progression, and uncertainty regarding role sustainability. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for enhanced support systems and system-level reform that addresses hierarchical power dynamics alongside standardised, context-specific education and training pathways. Addressing these interconnected issues is essential to better support anaesthetic nurses while ensuring competent, high-quality care is provided. Understanding the structural and cultural concerns underpinning anaesthetic nursing practice may inform the development of coherent curricula, visible nursing leadership, and clearer professional recognition and career pathways. Full article

Cancer patients with an enterostomy or urostomy face significant physical and psychological challenges that impact their sexuality and quality of life. Despite its importance, this topic is often overlooked in clinical settings. This study explores the lived experiences of these patients regarding their sexual health. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, researchers performed face-to-face interviews with 33 adult cancer patients living with enterostomy or urostomy at Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Regina Elena National Cancer Institute of Rome, Italy. Data were analyzed according to Giorgi’s method to identify core themes. Four primary themes emerged: the emotional weight of surgery, fear of rejection or disgust, the influence of partner reactions on intimacy, and the struggle to find professional guidance. Participants reported reduced desire and altered body image, though many utilized coping strategies like personal resilience and partner support. Stoma surgery profoundly affects sexuality, yet professional support remains inadequate. The study highlights a critical need for multidisciplinary care and proactive communication. Integrating sexual health into routine oncological practice is essential for providing person-centred care and improving overall quality of life. Full article

We present the upgrade and performance evaluation of a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based muon detector, originally designed and developed 15 years ago for radiation tracking applications in radiographic imaging with cosmic muons. The first use of the original assembly and scientific objectives of the detector was in the Mu-Ray project of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) for muon radiographic imaging of volcanoes. In addition to its initial uses and after being upgraded with Hamamatsu SiPMs, the detector has been employed in a series of measurement campaigns for the detection of underground cavities. Herein we describe the mechanical recovery process and the integration of modern electronic components aimed at extending the operational capabilities of the detector, with particular attention to the adaptation of the front-end electronics to a new DAQ system. The results of the detector’s characterization and calibration under controlled conditions will be presented, evaluating its current performance and suitability for muography applications in a new geophysical setting. The results confirm that, despite aging, the system remains a viable instrument for precision and reliable muon tracking. Full article