No abstract

Ferrogels are soft polymer materials containing a filler of magnetic particles that allow the material to be activated by magnetic fields. These materials have shown capabilities for large strains, fast response, ease of synthesis and biocompatibility and have potential applications including artificial muscles, controlled drug release systems, and hyperthermia cancer treatment. In this work the actuator behavior for a selection of ferrogel compositions and synthesis methods are characterized including their free strain and loading behavior. Samples were synthesized using either chemical or physical methods for samples containing PVA of 4, 8, and 12 wt% and magnetic particles of 1, 5, and 10 wt%. This samples were then tested for free strain and strain under loads of up to 4 times their weight by exposing them of fields from between 0.2 and 0.25T. Results show that softer samples with the largest amount of iron achieve the largest strains. Thus, chemically crosslinked sample with 4 wt% PVA and 10 wt% iron achieved the largest strain of almost 40%. Soft samples however exhibit low loaded capabilities with a blocked load of 1.7g identified. The physically crosslinked samples which were stiffer achieved very good loading capabilities with only a 20% strain decrease when loaded up to 400% of their weight. This translated in to a energy density of 320 J/m 3 making these materials very promising for actuator applications.

No abstract

Background Effective communication in transitions between healthcare team members is associated with improved patient safety and experience through a clinically meaningful reduction in serious safety events. Family-centered rounds (FCR) can serve a critical role in interprofessional and patient-family communication. Despite widespread support, FCRs are not utilized consistently in many institutions. Structured FCR approaches may prove beneficial in increasing FCR use but should address organizational challenges. The purpose of this study was to identify intervention, individual, and contextual determinants of high adherence to common elements of structured FCR in pediatric inpatient units during the implementation phase of a large multi-site study implementing a structured FCR approach. Methods We performed an explanatory sequential mixed methods study from September 2019 to October 2020 to evaluate the variation in structured FCR adherence across 21 pediatric inpatient units. We analyzed 24 key informant interviews of supervising physician faculty, physician learners, nurses, site administrators, and project leaders at 3 sites using a qualitative content analysis paradigm to investigate site variation in FCR use. We classified implementation determinants based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Results Provisional measurements of adherence demonstrated considerable variation in structured FCR use across sites at a median time of 5 months into the implementation. Consistent findings across all three sites included generally positive clinician beliefs regarding the use of FCR and structured rounding approaches, benefits to learner self-efficacy, and potential efficiency gains derived through greater rounds standardization, as well as persistent challenges with nurse engagement and interaction on rounds and coordination and use of resources for families with limited English proficiency. Conclusions Studies during implementation to identify determinants to high adherence can provide generalizable knowledge regarding implementation determinants that may be difficult to predict prior to implementation, guide adaptation during the implementation, and inform sustainment strategies.

The results of this study show that both fully virtual and virtual reality (VR) integrated into real world training programs are appropriate for use in the domain of weld training, depending on the level of task difficulty. Differences were virtually indistinguishable between participants in the fully virtual and the integrated training group at the low and medium task difficulty levels. At the highest level of difficulty it became apparent that the VR system was no longer solely sufficient for training.