Virtual Reality for Pain Management in Cardiac Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Mosso-Vázquez, José Luis; Gao, Kenneth; Wiederhold, Brenda K.

2014-01-01

Abstract Surgical anxiety creates psychological and physiological stress, causes complications in surgical procedures, and prolongs recovery. Relaxation of patients in postoperative intensive care units can moderate patient vital signs and reduce discomfort. This experiment explores the use of virtual reality (VR) cybertherapy to reduce postoperative distress in patients that have recently undergone cardiac surgery. Sixty-seven patients were monitored at IMSS La Raza National Medical Center within 24 hours of cardiac surgery. Patients navigated through a 30 minute VR simulation designed for pain management. Results were analyzed through comparison of pre- and postoperative vital signs and Likert scale survey data. A connection was found in several physiological factors with subjective responses from the Likert scale survey. Heavy positive correlation existed between breathing rate and Likert ratings, and a moderate correlation was found between mean arterial pressure and Likert ratings and heart rate and Likert ratings, all of which indicated lower pain and stress within patients. Further study of these factors resulted in the categorization of patients based upon their vital signs and subjective response, providing a context for the effectiveness of the therapy to specific groups of patients. PMID:24892200

Framework for Virtual Cognitive Experiment in Virtual Geographic Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fan Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Virtual Geographic Environment Cognition is the attempt to understand the human cognition of surface features, geographic processes, and human behaviour, as well as their relationships in the real world. From the perspective of human cognition behaviour analysis and simulation, previous work in Virtual Geographic Environments (VGEs has focused mostly on representing and simulating the real world to create an ‘interpretive’ virtual world and improve an individual’s active cognition. In terms of reactive cognition, building a user ‘evaluative’ environment in a complex virtual experiment is a necessary yet challenging task. This paper discusses the outlook of VGEs and proposes a framework for virtual cognitive experiments. The framework not only employs immersive virtual environment technology to create a realistic virtual world but also involves a responsive mechanism to record the user’s cognitive activities during the experiment. Based on the framework, this paper presents two potential implementation methods: first, training a deep learning model with several hundred thousand street view images scored by online volunteers, with further analysis of which visual factors produce a sense of safety for the individual, and second, creating an immersive virtual environment and Electroencephalogram (EEG-based experimental paradigm to both record and analyse the brain activity of a user and explore what type of virtual environment is more suitable and comfortable. Finally, we present some preliminary findings based on the first method.

Contextual modulation of pain sensitivity utilising virtual environments.

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Smith, Ashley; Carlow, Klancy; Biddulph, Tara; Murray, Brooke; Paton, Melissa; Harvie, Daniel S

2017-05-01

Investigating psychological mechanisms that modulate pain, such as those that might be accessed by manipulation of context, is of great interest to researchers seeking to better understand and treat pain. The aim of this study was to better understand the interaction between pain sensitivity, and contexts with inherent emotional and social salience - by exploiting modern immersive virtual reality (VR) technology. A within-subjects, randomised, double-blinded, repeated measures (RM) design was used. In total, 25 healthy participants were exposed to neutral, pleasant, threatening, socially positive and socially negative contexts, using an Oculus Rift DK2. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were recorded in each context, as well as prior to and following the procedure. We also investigated whether trait anxiety and pain catastrophisation interacted with the relationship between the different contexts and pain. Pressure pain sensitivity was not modulated by context ( p  = 0.48). Anxiety and pain catastrophisation were not significantly associated with PPTs, nor did they interact with the relationship between context and PPTs. Contrary to our hypothesis, socially and emotionally salient contexts did not influence pain thresholds. In light of other research, we suggest that pain outcomes might only be tenable to manipulation by contextual cues if they specifically manipulate the meaning of the pain-eliciting stimulus, rather than manipulate psychological state generally - as per the current study. Future research might exploit immersive VR technology to better explore the link between noxious stimuli and contexts that directly alter its threat value.

Innovative Technology Using Virtual Reality in the Treatment of Pain: Does It Reduce Pain via Distraction, or Is There More to It?

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Gupta, Anita; Scott, Kevin; Dukewich, Matthew

2018-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) is an exciting new technology with almost endless possible uses in medicine. One area it has shown promise is pain management. This selective review focused on studies that gave evidence to the distraction or nondistraction mechanisms by which VR leads to the treatment of pain. The review looked at articles from 2000 to July 29, 2016, focusing on studies concerning mechanisms by which virtual reality can augment pain relief. The data was collected through a search of MEDLINE and Web of Science using the key words of "virtual reality" and "pain" or "distraction." Six studies were identified: four small randomized controlled studies and two prospective/pilot studies. The search results provided evidence that distraction is a technique by which VR can have benefits in the treatment of pain. Both adult and pediatric populations were included in these studies. In addition to acute pain, several studies looked at chronic pain states such as headaches or fibromyalgia. These studies also combined VR with other treatment modalities such as biofeedback mechanisms and cognitive behavioral therapy. These results demonstrate that in addition to distraction, there are novel mechanisms for VR treatment in pain, such as producing neurophysiologic changes related to conditioning and exposure therapies. If these new mechanisms can lead to new treatment options for patients with chronic pain, VR may have the ability to help reduce opioid use and misuse among chronic pain patients. More studies are needed to reproduce results from prospective/pilot studies in large randomized control studies. © 2017 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Usability Comparisons of Head-Mounted vs. Stereoscopic Desktop Displays in a Virtual Reality Environment with Pain Patients.

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Tong, Xin; Gromala, Diane; Gupta, Dimple; Squire, Pam

2016-01-01

Researchers have shown that immersive Virtual Reality (VR) can serve as an unusually powerful pain control technique. However, research assessing the reported symptoms and negative effects of VR systems indicate that it is important to ascertain if these symptoms arise from the use of particular VR display devices, particularly for users who are deemed "at risk," such as chronic pain patients Moreover, these patients have specific and often complex needs and requirements, and because basic issues such as 'comfort' may trigger anxiety or panic attacks, it is important to examine basic questions of the feasibility of using VR displays. Therefore, this repeated-measured experiment was conducted with two VR displays: the Oculus Rift's head-mounted display (HMD) and Firsthand Technologies' immersive desktop display, DeepStream3D. The characteristics of these immersive desktop displays differ: one is worn, enabling patients to move their heads, while the other is peered into, allowing less head movement. To assess the severity of physical discomforts, 20 chronic pain patients tried both displays while watching a VR pain management demo in clinical settings. Results indicated that participants experienced higher levels of Simulator Sickness using the Oculus Rift HMD. However, results also indicated other preferences of the two VR displays among patients, including physical comfort levels and a sense of immersion. Few studies have been conducted that compare usability of specific VR devices specifically with chronic pain patients using a therapeutic virtual environment in pain clinics. Thus, the results may help clinicians and researchers to choose the most appropriate VR displays for chronic pain patients and guide VR designers to enhance the usability of VR displays for long-term pain management interventions.

The disruptive effects of pain on multitasking in a virtual errands task.

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Moore, David J; Law, Anna S

2017-07-01

Pain is known to have a disruptive effect on cognitive performance, but prior studies have used highly constrained laboratory tasks that lack ecological validity. In everyday life people are required to complete more complex sets of tasks, prioritising task completion and recalling lists of tasks which need to be completed, and these tasks continue to be attempted during episodes or states of pain. The present study therefore examined the impact of thermal induced pain on a simulated errand task. Fifty-five healthy adults (36 female) performed the Edinburgh Virtual Errands Task (EVET) either during a painful thermal sensation or with no concurrent pain. Participants also completed the Experience of Cognitive Intrusion of Pain (ECIP) questionnaire to measure their self-reported cognitive impact of pain in general life. Participants who completed the EVET task in pain and who self-reported high intrusion of pain made significantly more errors than those who reported lower intrusion on the ECIP. Findings here support the growing literature that suggests that pain has a significant impact on cognitive performance. Furthermore, these findings support the developing literature suggesting that this relationship is complex when considering real world cognition, and that self-report on the ECIP relates well to performance on a task designed to reflect the complexities of everyday living. If extrapolated to chronic pain populations, these data suggest that pain during complex multitasking performance may have a significant impact on the number of errors made. For people highly vulnerable to cognitive intrusion by pain, this may result in errors such as selecting the wrong location or item to perform tasks, or forgetting to perform these tasks at the correct time. If these findings are shown to extend to chronic pain populations then occupational support to manage complex task performance, using for example diaries/electronic reminders, may help to improve everyday abilities

The promise and challenge of virtual gaming technologies for chronic pain: the case of graded exposure for low back pain.

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Trost, Zina; Zielke, Marjorie; Guck, Adam; Nowlin, Liza; Zakhidov, Djanhangir; France, Christopher R; Keefe, Francis

2015-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) technologies have been successfully applied to acute pain interventions and recent reviews have suggested their potential utility in chronic pain. The current review highlights the specific relevance of VR interactive gaming technologies for pain-specific intervention, including their current use across a variety of physical conditions. Using the example of graded-exposure treatment for pain-related fear and disability in chronic low back pain, we discuss ways that VR gaming can be harnessed to optimize existing chronic pain therapies and examine the potential limitations of traditional VR interfaces in the context of chronic pain. We conclude by discussing directions for future research on VR-mediated applications in chronic pain.

The body fades away: investigating the effects of transparency of an embodied virtual body on pain threshold and body ownership

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Martini, Matteo; Kilteni, Konstantina; Maselli, Antonella; Sanchez-Vives, Maria V.

2015-01-01

The feeling of “ownership” over an external dummy/virtual body (or body part) has been proven to have both physiological and behavioural consequences. For instance, the vision of an “embodied” dummy or virtual body can modulate pain perception. However, the impact of partial or total invisibility of the body on physiology and behaviour has been hardly explored since it presents obvious difficulties in the real world. In this study we explored how body transparency affects both body ownership and pain threshold. By means of virtual reality, we presented healthy participants with a virtual co-located body with four different levels of transparency, while participants were tested for pain threshold by increasing ramps of heat stimulation. We found that the strength of the body ownership illusion decreases when the body gets more transparent. Nevertheless, in the conditions where the body was semi-transparent, higher levels of ownership over a see-through body resulted in an increased pain sensitivity. Virtual body ownership can be used for the development of pain management interventions. However, we demonstrate that providing invisibility of the body does not increase pain threshold. Therefore, body transparency is not a good strategy to decrease pain in clinical contexts, yet this remains to be tested. PMID:26415748

The impact of patients' gender, race, and age on health care professionals' pain management decisions: an online survey using virtual human technology.

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Wandner, Laura D; Heft, Marc W; Lok, Benjamin C; Hirsh, Adam T; George, Steven Z; Horgas, Anne L; Atchison, James W; Torres, Calia A; Robinson, Michael E

2014-05-01

Previous literature indicates that biases exist in pain ratings. Healthcare professionals have been found to use patient demographic cues such as sex, race, and age when making decisions about pain treatment. However, there has been little research comparing healthcare professionals' (i.e., physicians and nurses) pain decision policies based on patient demographic cues. The current study used virtual human technology to examine the impact of patients' sex, race, and age on healthcare professionals' pain ratings. One hundred and ninety-three healthcare professionals (nurses and physicians) participated in this online study. Healthcare professionals assessed virtual human patients who were male and African American to be experiencing greater pain intensity and were more willing to administer opioid analgesics to them than to their demographic counterparts. Similarly, nurses were more willing to administer opioids make treatment decisions than physicians. There was also a significant virtual human-sex by healthcare professional interaction for pain assessment and treatment decisions. The sex difference (male>female) was greater for nurses than physicians. Results replicated findings of previous studies using virtual human patients to assess the effect of sex, race, and age in pain decision-making. In addition, healthcare professionals' pain ratings differed depending on healthcare profession. Nurses were more likely to rate pain higher and be more willing to administer opioid analgesics than were physicians. Healthcare professionals rated male and African American virtual human patients as having higher pain in most pain assessment and treatment domains compared to their demographic counterparts. Similarly the virtual human-sex difference ratings were more pronounced for nurses than physicians. Given the large number of patients seen throughout the healthcare professionals' careers, these pain practice biases have important public health implications. This study

Is Virtual Reality Ready for Prime Time in the Medical Space? A Randomized Control Trial of Pediatric Virtual Reality for Acute Procedural Pain Management.

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Gold, Jeffrey I; Mahrer, Nicole E

2018-04-01

To conduct a randomized control trial to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of virtual reality (VR) compared with standard of care (SOC) for reducing pain, anxiety, and improving satisfaction associated with blood draw in children ages 10-21 years. In total, 143 triads (patients, their caregiver, and the phlebotomist) were recruited in outpatient phlebotomy at a pediatric hospital and randomized to receive either VR or SOC when undergoing routine blood draw. Patients and caregivers completed preprocedural and postprocedural standardized measures of pain, anxiety, and satisfaction, and phlebotomists reported about the patient's experience during the procedure. Findings showed that VR significantly reduced acute procedural pain and anxiety compared with SOC. A significant interaction between patient-reported anxiety sensitivity and treatment condition indicated that patients undergoing routine blood draw benefit more from VR intervention when they are more fearful of physiological sensations related to anxiety. Patients and caregivers in the VR condition reported high levels of satisfaction with the procedure. VR is feasible, tolerated, and well-liked by patients, caregivers, and phlebotomists alike for routine blood draw. Given the immersive and engaging nature of the VR experience, VR has the capacity to act as a preventive intervention transforming the blood draw experience into a less distressing, potentially pain-free routine medical procedure, particularly for pediatric patients with high anxiety sensitivity. VR holds promise to reduce negative health outcomes for children and reduce distress in caregivers, while facilitating increased satisfaction and throughput in hectic outpatient phlebotomy clinics.

Information literacy experiencies inside virtual learning environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Hernández Salazar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective. Suggest the use of virtual learning environments as an Information Literacy (IL alternative. Method. Analysis of the main elements of web sites. To achieve this purpose the article includes the relationship between IL and the learning virtual environment (by defining both phrases; phases to create virtual IL programs; processes to elaborate didactic media; the applications that may support this plan; and the description of eleven examples of learning virtual environments IL experiences from four countries (Mexico, United States of America, Spain and United Kingdom these examples fulfill the conditions expressed. Results. We obtained four comparative tables examining five elements of each experience: objectives; target community; institution; country; and platform used. Conclusions. Any IL proposal should have a clear definition; IL experiences have to follow a didactic systematic process; described experiences are based on IL definition; the experiences analyzed are similar; virtual learning environments can be used as alternatives of IL.

Virtual reality improves embodiment and neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury.

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Pozeg, Polona; Palluel, Estelle; Ronchi, Roberta; Solcà, Marco; Al-Khodairy, Abdul-Wahab; Jordan, Xavier; Kassouha, Ammar; Blanke, Olaf

2017-10-31

To investigate changes in body ownership and chronic neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) using multisensory own body illusions and virtual reality (VR). Twenty patients with SCI with paraplegia and 20 healthy control participants (HC) participated in 2 factorial, randomized, repeated-measures design studies. In the virtual leg illusion (VLI), we applied asynchronous or synchronous visuotactile stimulation to the participant's back (either immediately above the lesion level or at the shoulder) and to the virtual legs as seen on a VR head-mounted display. We tested the effect of the VLI on the sense of leg ownership (questionnaires) and on perceived neuropathic pain (visual analogue scale pain ratings). We compared illusory leg ownership with illusory global body ownership (induced in the full body illusion [FBI]), by applying asynchronous or synchronous visuotactile stimulation to the participant's back and the back of a virtual body as seen on a head-mounted display. Our data show that patients with SCI are less sensitive to multisensory stimulations inducing illusory leg ownership (as compared to HC) and that leg ownership decreased with time since SCI. In contrast, we found no differences between groups in global body ownership as tested in the FBI. VLI and FBI were both associated with mild analgesia that was only during the VLI specific for synchronous visuotactile stimulation and the lower back position. The present findings show that VR exposure using multisensory stimulation differently affected leg vs body ownership, and is associated with mild analgesia with potential for SCI neurorehabilitation protocols. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.

Effects of videogame distraction using a virtual reality type head-mounted display helmet on cold pressor pain in children.

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Dahlquist, Lynnda M; Weiss, Karen E; Clendaniel, Lindsay Dillinger; Law, Emily F; Ackerman, Claire Sonntag; McKenna, Kristine D

2009-06-01

To test whether a head-mounted display helmet enhances the effectiveness of videogame distraction for children experiencing cold pressor pain. Forty-one children, aged 6-14 years, underwent one or two baseline cold pressor trials followed by two distraction trials in which they played the same videogame with and without the helmet in counterbalanced order. Pain threshold (elapsed time until the child reported pain) and pain tolerance (total time the child kept the hand submerged in the cold water) were measured for each cold pressor trial. Both distraction conditions resulted in improved pain tolerance relative to baseline. Older children appeared to experience additional benefits from using the helmet, whereas younger children benefited equally from both conditions. The findings suggest that virtual reality technology can enhance the effects of distraction for some children. Research is needed to identify the characteristics of children for whom this technology is best suited.

The influence of children's pain memories on subsequent pain experience.

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Noel, Melanie; Chambers, Christine T; McGrath, Patrick J; Klein, Raymond M; Stewart, Sherry H

2012-08-01

Healthy children are often required to repeatedly undergo painful medical procedures (eg, immunizations). Although memory is often implicated in children's reactions to future pain, there is a dearth of research directly examining the relationship between the 2. The current study investigated the influence of children's memories for a novel pain stimulus on their subsequent pain experience. One hundred ten healthy children (60 boys) between the ages of 8 and 12 years completed a laboratory pain task and provided pain ratings. Two weeks later, children provided pain ratings based on their memories as well as their expectancies about future pain. One month following the initial laboratory visit, children again completed the pain task and provided pain ratings. Results showed that children's memory of pain intensity was a better predictor of subsequent pain reporting than their actual initial reporting of pain intensity, and mediated the relationship between initial and subsequent pain reporting. Children who had negatively estimated pain memories developed expectations of greater pain prior to a subsequent pain experience and showed greater increases in pain ratings over time than children who had accurate or positively estimated pain memories. These findings highlight the influence of pain memories on healthy children's expectations of future pain and subsequent pain experiences and extend predictive models of subsequent pain reporting. Copyright © 2012 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Virtual immersive gaming to optimize recovery (VIGOR) in low back pain: A phase II randomized controlled trial.

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France, Christopher R; Thomas, James S

2018-06-01

The virtual immersive gaming to optimize recovery (VIGOR) study is a randomized controlled trial of the effects of virtual reality games to encourage lumbar spine flexion among individuals with chronic low back pain and fear of movement. Whereas traditional graded activity or graded exposure therapies for chronic low back pain have high attrition and poor long-term efficacy, we believe that virtual reality games have distinct advantages that can enhance adherence and clinical outcomes. First, they are engaging and enjoyable activities that can distract from pain and fear of harm. In addition, because they gradually reinforce increases in lumbar spine flexion to achieve game objectives, continued engagement over time is expected to promote recovery through restoration of normal spinal motion. The study design includes two treatment groups which differ in the amount of lumbar flexion required to achieve the game objectives. All participants will play the games for nine weeks, and pre-treatment to 1-week post-treatment changes in pain and disability will serve as the co-primary clinical outcomes. In addition, changes in lumbar flexion and expectations of pain/harm will be examined as potential treatment outcome mediators. Maintenance of treatment outcomes will also be assessed for up to 48-weeks post-treatment. In brief, we hypothesize that the virtual reality games will reduce pain and disability by promoting spinal motion and allowing participants to develop an implicit understanding that they are capable of engaging in significant lumbar spine motion in their daily lives without a risk of injury to their back. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilization of a virtual patient for advanced assessment of student performance in pain management.

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Smith, Michael A; Waite, Laura H

2017-09-01

To assess student performance and achievement of course objectives following the integration of a virtual patient case designed to promote active, patient-centered learning in a required pharmacy course. DecisionSim™ (Kynectiv, Inc., Chadsford, PA), a dynamic virtual patient platform, was used to implement an interactive patient case to augment pain management material presented during a didactic session in a pharmacotherapy course. Simulation performance data were collected and analyzed. Student exam performance on pain management questions was compared to student exam performance on nearly identical questions from a prior year when a paper-based case was used instead of virtual patient technology. Students who performed well on the virtual patient case performed better on exam questions related to patient assessment (p = 0.0244), primary pharmacological therapy (p = 0.0001), and additional pharmacological therapy (p = 0.0001). Overall exam performance did not differ between the two groups. However, students with exposure to the virtual patient case demonstrated significantly better performance on higher level Bloom's Taxonomy questions that required them to create pharmacotherapy regimens (p=0.0005). Students in the previous year (exposed only to a paper patient case) performed better in calculating conversions of opioids for patients (p = 0.0001). Virtual patient technology may enhance student performance on high-level Bloom's Taxonomy examination questions. This study adds to the current literature demonstrating the value of virtual patient technology as an active-learning strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Atypical electrophysiological activity during pain observation in amputees who experience synaesthetic pain

OpenAIRE

Fitzgibbon, Bernadette M.; Enticott, Peter G.; Giummarra, Melita J.; Thomson, Richard H.; Georgiou-Karistianis, Nellie; Bradshaw, John L.

2011-01-01

There are increasing reports of people experiencing pain when observing pain in another. This describes the phenomenon of synaesthetic pain which, until recently, had been primarily reported in amputees with phantom pain. In the current study, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate how amputees who experience synaesthetic pain process pain observed in another. Participants were grouped according to amputees who experience phantom and synaesthetic pain (n = 8), amputees who experi...

Analysing neutron scattering data using McStas virtual experiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Udby, L.; Willendrup, Peter Kjær; Bergbäck Knudsen, Erik

2011-01-01

With the intention of developing a new data analysis method using virtual experiments we have built a detailed virtual model of the cold triple-axis spectrometer RITA-II at PSI, Switzerland, using the McStas neutron ray-tracing package. The parameters characterising the virtual instrument were...... carefully tuned against real experiments. In the present paper we show that virtual experiments reproduce experimentally observed linewidths within 1–3% for a variety of samples. Furthermore we show that the detailed knowledge of the instrumental resolution found from virtual experiments, including sample...

Effects of Videogame Distraction using a Virtual Reality Type Head-Mounted Display Helmet on Cold Pressor Pain in Children

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Karen E.; Dillinger Clendaniel, Lindsay; Law, Emily F.; Ackerman, Claire Sonntag; McKenna, Kristine D.

2009-01-01

Objective To test whether a head-mounted display helmet enhances the effectiveness of videogame distraction for children experiencing cold pressor pain. Method Forty-one children, aged 6–14 years, underwent one or two baseline cold pressor trials followed by two distraction trials in which they played the same videogame with and without the helmet in counterbalanced order. Pain threshold (elapsed time until the child reported pain) and pain tolerance (total time the child kept the hand submerged in the cold water) were measured for each cold pressor trial. Results Both distraction conditions resulted in improved pain tolerance relative to baseline. Older children appeared to experience additional benefits from using the helmet, whereas younger children benefited equally from both conditions. The findings suggest that virtual reality technology can enhance the effects of distraction for some children. Research is needed to identify the characteristics of children for whom this technology is best suited. PMID:18367495

Virtual Reality for Management of Pain in Hospitalized Patients: Results of a Controlled Trial.

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Tashjian, Vartan C; Mosadeghi, Sasan; Howard, Amber R; Lopez, Mayra; Dupuy, Taylor; Reid, Mark; Martinez, Bibiana; Ahmed, Shahzad; Dailey, Francis; Robbins, Karen; Rosen, Bradley; Fuller, Garth; Danovitch, Itai; IsHak, Waguih; Spiegel, Brennan

2017-03-29

Improvements in software and design and reduction in cost have made virtual reality (VR) a practical tool for immersive, three-dimensional (3D), multisensory experiences that distract patients from painful stimuli. The objective of the study was to measure the impact of a onetime 3D VR intervention versus a two-dimensional (2D) distraction video for pain in hospitalized patients. We conducted a comparative cohort study in a large, urban teaching hospital in medical inpatients with an average pain score of ≥3/10 from any cause. Patients with nausea, vomiting, dementia, motion sickness, stroke, seizure, and epilepsy and those placed in isolation were excluded. Patients in the intervention cohort viewed a 3D VR experience designed to reduce pain using the Samsung Gear Oculus VR headset; control patients viewed a high-definition, 2D nature video on a 14-inch bedside screen. Pre- and postintervention pain scores were recorded. Difference-in-difference scores and the proportion achieving a half standard deviation pain response were compared between groups. There were 50 subjects per cohort (N=100). The mean pain reduction in the VR cohort was greater than in controls (-1.3 vs -0.6 points, respectively; P=.008). A total of 35 (65%) patients in the VR cohort achieved a pain response versus 40% of controls (P=.01; number needed to treat=4). No adverse events were reported from VR. Use of VR in hospitalized patients significantly reduces pain versus a control distraction condition. These results indicate that VR is an effective and safe adjunctive therapy for pain management in the acute inpatient setting; future randomized trials should confirm benefit with different visualizations and exposure periods. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02456987; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02456987 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6pJ1P644S). ©Vartan C Tashjian, Sasan Mosadeghi, Amber R Howard, Mayra Lopez, Taylor Dupuy, Mark Reid, Bibiana Martinez, Shahzad Ahmed

Predicting the effectiveness of virtual reality relaxation on pain and anxiety when added to PCA morphine in patients having burns dressings changes.

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Konstantatos, A H; Angliss, M; Costello, V; Cleland, H; Stafrace, S

2009-06-01

Pain arising in burns sufferers is often severe and protracted. The prospect of a dressing change can heighten existing pain by impacting both physically and psychologically. In this trial we examined whether pre-procedural virtual reality guided relaxation added to patient controlled analgesia with morphine reduced pain severity during awake dressings changes in burns patients. We conducted a prospective randomized clinical trial in all patients with burns necessitating admission to a tertiary burns referral centre. Eligible patients requiring awake dressings changes were randomly allocated to single use virtual reality relaxation plus intravenous morphine patient controlled analgesia (PCA) infusion or to intravenous morphine patient controlled analgesia infusion alone. Patients rated their worst pain intensity during the dressing change using a visual analogue scale. The primary outcome measure was presence of 30% or greater difference in pain intensity ratings between the groups in estimation of worst pain during the dressing change. Of 88 eligible and consenting patients having awake dressings changes, 43 were assigned to virtual reality relaxation plus intravenous morphine PCA infusion and 43 to morphine PCA infusion alone. The group receiving virtual reality relaxation plus morphine PCA infusion reported significantly higher pain intensities during the dressing change (mean=7.3) compared with patients receiving morphine PCA alone (mean=5.3) (p=0.003) (95% CI 0.6-2.8). The addition of virtual reality guided relaxation to morphine PCA infusion in burns patients resulted in a significant increase in pain experienced during awake dressings changes. In the absence of a validated predictor for responsiveness to virtual reality relaxation such a therapy cannot be recommended for general use in burns patients having awake dressings changes.

Vicarious pain experiences while observing another in pain: an experimental approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophie eVandenbroucke

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: This study aimed at developing an experimental paradigm to assess vicarious pain experiences. We further explored the putative moderating role of observer’s characteristics such as hypervigilance for pain and dispositional empathy. Methods: Two experiments are reported using a similar procedure. Undergraduate students were selected based upon whether they reported vicarious pain in daily life, and categorized into a pain responder group or a comparison group. Participants were presented a series of videos showing hands being pricked whilst receiving occasionally pricking (electrocutaneous stimuli themselves. In congruent trials, pricking and visual stimuli were applied to the same spatial location. In incongruent trials, pricking and visual stimuli were in the opposite spatial location. Participants were required to report on which location they felt a pricking sensation. Of primary interest was the effect of viewing another in pain upon vicarious pain errors, i.e., the number of trials in which an illusionary sensation was reported. Furthermore, we explored the effect of individual differences in hypervigilance to pain, dispositional empathy and the rubber hand illusion (RHI upon vicarious pain errors. Results: Results of both experiments indicated that the number of vicarious pain errors was overall low. In line with expectations, the number of vicarious pain errors was higher in the pain responder group than in the comparison group. Self-reported hypervigilance for pain lowered the probability of reporting vicarious pain errors in the pain responder group, but dispositional empathy and the RHI did not. Conclusion: Our paradigm allows measuring vicarious pain experiences in students. However, the prevalence of vicarious experiences of pain is low, and only a small percentage of participants display the phenomenon. It remains however unknown which variables affect its occurrence.

Atypical electrophysiological activity during pain observation in amputees who experience synaesthetic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgibbon, Bernadette M; Enticott, Peter G; Giummarra, Melita J; Thomson, Richard H; Georgiou-Karistianis, Nellie; Bradshaw, John L

2012-03-01

There are increasing reports of people experiencing pain when observing pain in another. This describes the phenomenon of synaesthetic pain which, until recently, had been primarily reported in amputees with phantom pain. In the current study, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate how amputees who experience synaesthetic pain process pain observed in another. Participants were grouped according to amputees who experience phantom and synaesthetic pain (n=8), amputees who experience phantom pain but not synaesthetic pain (n=10) and healthy controls (n=10). Participants underwent EEG as they observed still images of hands and feet in potentially painful and non-painful situations. We found that pain synaesthetes showed some reduced event-related potential (ERP) components at certain electrode sites, and reduced theta- and alpha band power amplitude at a central electrode. The finding of reduced ERP amplitude and theta band power may reflect inhibition of the processing of observed pain (e.g. avoidance/guarding as a protective strategy), and reduced alpha band power may indicate a disinhibition in control processes that may result in synaesthetic pain. These results provide the first documentation of atypical neurophysiological activity in amputees who experience synaesthetic pain when processing pain in another. © The Author (2011). Published by Oxford University Press.

Learning Experience with Virtual Worlds

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Christian

2008-01-01

Virtual worlds create a new opportunity to enrich the educational experience through media-rich immersive learning. Virtual worlds have gained notoriety in games such as World of Warcraft (WoW), which has become the most successful online game ever, and in "general purpose" worlds, such as Second Life (SL), whose participation levels (more than 10…

Virtual experiments: the ultimate aim of neutron ray-tracing simulations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lefmann, Kim; Willendrup, Peter Kjær; Udby, Linda

2008-01-01

We define a virtual neutron experiment as a complete simulation of an experiment, from source over sample to detector. The virtual experiment (VE) will ideally interface with the instrument control software for the input and with standard data analysis packages for the virtual data output. Virtual...

The effect of neck pain on cervical kinematics, as assessed in a virtual environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarig Bahat, Hilla; Weiss, Patrice L; Laufer, Yocheved

2010-12-01

To compare cervical kinematics during functional motion in patients with neck pain and in asymptomatic participants using a novel virtual reality assessment. Clinical comparative trial. Participants were recruited from university staff and students, and from a local physical therapy clinic. Patients with chronic neck pain (n=25) and asymptomatic participants (n=42). Not applicable. Kinematic measures (response time, peak and mean velocity, number of velocity peaks, time to peak velocity percentage) were sampled while participants were engaged in the virtual game. Group and motion direction differences were assessed with a 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance, Tukey-Kramer testing, and contrast analysis when relevant. Participants with neck pain had lower peak and mean velocities than the asymptomatic participants (PCervical rotations were significantly faster and smoother than flexion and extension movements (Pcervical motion in patients with neck pain ranged from 22% to 44% compared with asymptomatic participants. Velocity and smoothness of cervical motion were more restricted in patients with chronic neck pain than found previously. Unlike range of motion and other static measurements, these dynamic variables reflect functional cervical motion and therefore contribute to a better understanding of the impairment associated with neck pain. Because the ability to move quickly in response to external stimuli is a commonly occurring phenomenon, this deficit is highly relevant to clinical assessment and management. Copyright © 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Pain therapy in pediatric oncology: pain experience, drugs and pharmacokinetics].

Science.gov (United States)

Mertens, Rolf

2011-11-01

Paediatric cancer patients often experience fear and pain from the disease but also in connection with the necessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The treatment of pain is a priority for all patients, especially for critically ill children because of their vulnerability and limited understanding. The experience of pain is always subjective and depends on the age, the pain experience and the environment.In contrast to adults, it is often difficult to detect character of pain, pain intensity and pain localization in very young patients. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are performed in analgosedation for a given drug scheme by a pediatrician experienced in intensive care.In addition, a local anesthetic for an access system/lumbar punctures in the form of EMLA® patch is to be carried out. A rapid and effective treatment of pain and appropriate analgesia can prevent patients from being traumatized.For severe pain, malignancy- or chemotherapy-induced (eg. mucositis WHO grade 3 and 4) initial use of strong opiates is recommended instead of climbing the WHO ladder. For strong opiates, there is no maximum dose, as long as a dose increase leads to clinically observable increase in analgesia, without severe side effects. Patient-controlled analgesia with morphine as continuous subcutaneous or intravenous infusions and the possibility of a bolus injection is suited for children aged 6 years. A measurement of O2-saturation is essential during this infusion. Prophylactic approaches also must be used consistently in regard to the acute side effect of opiate treatment. Good experience, we have also made a non-drug therapy, e.g. personnel/physical affection, cuddling, massage, etc.The choice of analgesia depends on the nature and cause of pain. In neuropathic pain or phantom pain coanalgetics should be used to effectively treat pain in young patients. Different analgesic treatment approaches of the appropriate indications and adverse effects are presented. A

Effectiveness of mirror therapy, motor imagery, and virtual feedback on phantom limb pain following amputation: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrador Colmenero, Laura; Perez Marmol, Jose Manuel; Martí-García, Celia; Querol Zaldivar, María de Los Ángeles; Tapia Haro, Rosa María; Castro Sánchez, Adelaida María; Aguilar-Ferrándiz, María Encarnación

2017-11-01

Phantom limb pain is reported in 50%-85% of people with amputation. Clinical interventions in treating central pain, such as mirror therapy, motor imagery, or virtual visual feedback, could redound in benefits to amputee patients with phantom limb pain. To provide an overview of the effectiveness of different techniques for treating phantom limb pain in amputee patients. Systematic review. A computerized literature search up to April 2017 was performed using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PEDro, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Plus. Methodological quality and internal validity score of each study were assessed using PEDro scale. For data synthesis, qualitative methods from the Cochrane Back Review Group were applied. In all, 12 studies met our inclusion criteria, where 9 were rated as low methodological quality and 3 rated moderate quality. All studies showed a significant reduction in pain, but there was heterogeneity among subjects and methodologies and any high-quality clinical trial (PEDro score ≤8; internal validity score ≤5) was not found. Mirror therapy, motor imaginary, and virtual visual feedback reduce phantom limb pain; however, there is limited scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness. Future studies should include designs with more solid research methods, exploring short- and long-term benefits of these therapies. Clinical relevance This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of mirror therapy, motor imagery, and virtual visual feedback on phantom limb pain, summarizing the currently published trials and evaluating the research quality. Although these interventions have positive benefits in phantom limb pain, there is still a lack of evidence for supporting their effectiveness.

Virtual Experience: The Impact of Mediated Communication in a Democratic Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, James D.; Hatcher, Tim

1996-01-01

Defines virtual experience as machine-based experience, of which virtual reality is a subconcept. Topics include a history of virtual experience; criticism of the influence of machine-mediated experiences such as computer games; virtual reality environments; and Heidegger's views on technology. (LRW)

The Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain in Primiparity Women during Episiotomy Repair: A Randomize Clinical Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nahid JahaniShoorab

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Pain is one of the side effects of episiotomy. The virtual reality (VR is a non-pharmacological method for pain relief. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of using video glasses on pain reduction in primiparity women during episiotomy repair. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 30 primiparous parturient women having labor at Omolbanin Hospital (Mashhad, Iran during May-July 2012. Samples during episiotomy repair were randomly divided into two equal groups. The intervention group received the usual treatment with VR (video glasses and local infiltration 5 ml solution of lidocaine 2% and the control group only received local infiltration (5 ml solution of lidocaine 2%. Pain was measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-100 scale before, during and after the episiotomy repair. Data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and repeated measures ANOVA tests by SPSS 11.5 software. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the pain score during episiotomy repair in both groups (P=0.038. Conclusion: Virtual reality is an effective complementary non-pharmacological method to reduce pain during episiotomy repair. Trial Registration Number: IRCT138811063185N1.

Real-time virtual EAST physical experiment system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Dan, E-mail: lidan@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Xiao, B.J., E-mail: bjxiao@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China); Xia, J.Y., E-mail: jyxia@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Yang, Fei, E-mail: fyang@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui (China); Department of Computer Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui (China)

2014-05-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • 3D model of experimental advanced superconducting tokamak is established. • Interaction behavior is created that the users can get information from database. • The system integrates data acquisition, plasma shape visualization and simulation. • Browser-oriented system is web-based and more interactive, immersive and convenient. • The system provides the framework for virtual physical experimental environment. - Abstract: As a large fusion reaction device, experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST)’s internal structure is complicated and not easily accessible. Moreover, various diagnostic systems and complicated configuration bring about the inconveniency to the scientists who are unfamiliar with the system but interested in the data. We propose a virtual system to display the 3D model of EAST facility and enable people to view its inner structure and get access to the information of its components in various view sights. We would also provide most of the diagnostic configuration details together with their signal names and physical properties. Compared to the previous ways of viewing information by reference to collected drawings and videos, virtual EAST system is more interactive and immersive. We constructed the browser-oriented virtual EAST physical experiment system, integrated real-time experiment data acquisition, plasma shape visualization and experiment result simulation in order to reproduce physical experiments in a web browser. This system used B/S (Browser/Server) structure in combination with the technology of virtual reality – VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) and Java 3D. In order to avoid the bandwidth limit across internet, we balanced the rendering speed and the precision of the virtual model components. Any registered user can view the experimental information visually and efficiently by logining the system through a web browser. The establishment of the system provides the

Real-time virtual EAST physical experiment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Dan; Xiao, B.J.; Xia, J.Y.; Yang, Fei

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • 3D model of experimental advanced superconducting tokamak is established. • Interaction behavior is created that the users can get information from database. • The system integrates data acquisition, plasma shape visualization and simulation. • Browser-oriented system is web-based and more interactive, immersive and convenient. • The system provides the framework for virtual physical experimental environment. - Abstract: As a large fusion reaction device, experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST)’s internal structure is complicated and not easily accessible. Moreover, various diagnostic systems and complicated configuration bring about the inconveniency to the scientists who are unfamiliar with the system but interested in the data. We propose a virtual system to display the 3D model of EAST facility and enable people to view its inner structure and get access to the information of its components in various view sights. We would also provide most of the diagnostic configuration details together with their signal names and physical properties. Compared to the previous ways of viewing information by reference to collected drawings and videos, virtual EAST system is more interactive and immersive. We constructed the browser-oriented virtual EAST physical experiment system, integrated real-time experiment data acquisition, plasma shape visualization and experiment result simulation in order to reproduce physical experiments in a web browser. This system used B/S (Browser/Server) structure in combination with the technology of virtual reality – VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) and Java 3D. In order to avoid the bandwidth limit across internet, we balanced the rendering speed and the precision of the virtual model components. Any registered user can view the experimental information visually and efficiently by logining the system through a web browser. The establishment of the system provides the

"Isla Calma", a Novel Virtual Reality Environment for Pain and Anxiety Distraction: Report on Usability, Acceptability, and Subjective Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz-Orueta, Unai; Alvarado, Sayuri; Gutiérrez, Diego; Climent, Gema; Banterla, Flavio

2012-10-01

This report presents a new virtual reality-based tool named "Isla Calma" (IC), which is based on distracting procedures that facilitate competency among different stimuli and loads the individual's limited attention capabilities. An incidental sample composed of 35 users (42.9 percent female) from northern Spain, with a mean age of 28.21 years (SD=5.67), was recruited to test IC. Tests were held in a room with two deck chairs and one complete set of IC equipment for each of them. A questionnaire with issues about usability, acceptability, game immersion, and subjective experience was administered. Participants did not experience any difficulty in "moving" throughout the island. The map was considered useful by most of the users, and so were the narrator's instructions and voice. Previous experience with technology or with the controller did not affect the usability rates. In terms of acceptability, 92.3 percent of the users reported the wish to use IC again if they had the chance, and 73.6 percent would recommend its use in different medical procedures. In terms of immersion, the difference between actual and perceived time using IC was statistically significant (z=-4,141, P<0.001), with the generalized perception of having used less time than what it was actually required. Preliminary results in dental clinical settings are also presented. IC was seen as a highly relaxing and pain distracting tool with potential clinical applications in different settings. It is expected that future research on IC will provide results on its applicability in different clinical settings.

Virtual laboratory for radiation experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiftikci, A.; Kocar, C.; Tombakoglu, M.

2009-01-01

Simulation of alpha, beta and gamma radiation detection and measurement experiments which are part of real nuclear physics laboratory courses was realized with Monte Carlo method and JAVA Programming Language. As being known, establishing this type of laboratories are very expensive. At the same time, highly radioactive sources used in some experiments carries risk for students and also for experimentalists. By taking into consideration of those problems, the aim of this study is to setup a virtual radiation laboratory with minimum cost and to speed up the training of radiation physics for students with no radiation risk. Software coded possesses the nature of radiation and radiation transport with the help of Monte Carlo method. In this software, experimental parameters can be changed manually by the user and experimental results can be followed synchronous in an MCA (Multi Channel Analyzer) or an SCA (Single Channel Analyzer). Results obtained in experiments can be analyzed by these MCA or SCA panels. Virtual radiation laboratory which is developed in this study with reliable results and unlimited experimentation capability seems as an useful educational material. Moreover, new type of experiments can be integrated to this software easily and as a result, virtual laboratory can be extended.

Virtual and augmented reality in the treatment of phantom limb pain: A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Justin; Yeo, Elizabeth; Moghaddampour, Parisah; Chau, Brian; Humbert, Sarah

2017-01-01

Phantom limb pain (PLP), the perception of discomfort in a limb no longer present, commonly occurs following amputation. A variety of interventions have been employed for PLP, including mirror therapy. Virtual Reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) mirror therapy treatments have also been utilized and have the potential to provide an even greater immersive experience for the amputee. However, there is not currently a consensus on the efficacy of VR and AR therapy. The aim of this review is to evaluate and summarize the current research on the effect of immersive VR and AR in the treatment of PLP. A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilizing PubMed and Google Scholar in order to collect all available studies concerning the use of VR and/or AR in the treatment of PLP using the search terms "virtual reality," "augmented reality," and "phantom limb pain." Eight studies in total were evaluated, with six of those reporting quantitative data and the other two reporting qualitative findings. All studies located were of low-level evidence. Each noted improved pain with VR and AR treatment for phantom limb pain, through quantitative or qualitative reporting. Additionally, adverse effects were limited only to simulator sickness occurring in one trial for one patient. Despite the positive findings, all of the studies were confined purely to case studies and case report series. No studies of higher evidence have been conducted, thus considerably limiting the strength of the findings. As such, the current use of VR and AR for PLP management, while attractive due to the increasing levels of immersion, customizable environments, and decreasing cost, is yet to be fully proven and continues to need further research with higher quality studies to fully explore its benefits.

Distraction of attention with the use of virtual reality. Influence of the level of game complexity on the level of experienced pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piskorz Joanna

2014-12-01

Full Text Available : Research done in recent years shows that Virtual Reality (VR can be an effective tool for distracting attention from pain. The purpose of this study was to test how the complexity of Virtual Environment (VE influences the experienced intensity of thermal pain stimuli.

Language and the pain experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Dianne; Williams, Marie; Butler, David

2009-03-01

People in persistent pain have been reported to pay increased attention to specific words or descriptors of pain. The amount of attention paid to pain or cues for pain (such as pain descriptors), has been shown to be a major factor in the modulation of persistent pain. This relationship suggests the possibility that language may have a role both in understanding and managing the persistent pain experience. The aim of this paper is to describe current models of neuromatrices for pain and language, consider the role of attention in persistent pain states and highlight discrepancies, in previous studies based on the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), of the role of attention on pain descriptors. The existence of a pain neuromatrix originally proposed by Melzack (1990) has been supported by emerging technologies. Similar technologies have recently allowed identification of multiple areas of involvement for the processing of auditory input and the construction of language. As with the construction of pain, this neuromatrix for speech and language may intersect with neural systems for broader cognitive functions such as attention, memory and emotion. A systematic search was undertaken to identify experimental or review studies, which specifically investigated the role of attention on pain descriptors (as cues for pain) in persistent pain patients. A total of 99 articles were retrieved from six databases, with 66 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. After duplicated articles were eliminated, the remaining 41 articles were reviewed in order to support a link between persistent pain, pain descriptors and attention. This review revealed a diverse range of specific pain descriptors, the majority of which were derived from the MPQ. Increased attention to pain descriptors was consistently reported to be associated with emotional state as well as being a significant factor in maintaining persistent pain. However, attempts to investigate the attentional bias of specific pain

The Virtual Shopping Experience: using virtual presence to motivate online shopping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolyn Chin

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Online shopping has thus far tended to be a niche business – highly successful in selling digital products such as shares, software and, increasingly, music and films, it has been less successful in persuading the purchasers of ‘traditional’ goods such as cars, clothes, toiletries, or household appliances to forsake their physical retailers and move into cyberspace. In this wide-ranging review paper we investigate the issue of the virtual experience – endeavouring to understand what is needed for a successful ‘shopping experience’ online and what the possible obstacles or pitfalls along the way might be. We initially introduce the concepts of virtual presence (the sense of ‘being there’ and virtual reality, discussing the possible roles both can play in providing a solution to the problem of effective online shopping. We then consider the Experience Economy, a concept which encapsulates many of the issues related to the problem of online shopping and which suggests ways in which online retailers can enhance the effectiveness of their sites by means of a virtual ‘experience’. Having set the scene for online shopping, we discuss eTailing today in terms of direct product experience and the opportunities which cyber-shopping offers to replicate this process. Finally, we identify some of the possibilities and problems of online shopping today, illustrating the current status of virtual presence in retailing with two micro-cases of success and failure.

Facing the experience of pain: A neuropsychological perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Fabbro, Franco; Crescentini, Cristiano

2014-09-01

Pain is an experience that none of us would like to have but that each one of us is destined to experience in our lives. Despite its pervasiveness, the experience of pain remains problematic and complex in its depth. Pain is a multidimensional experience that involves nociception as well as emotional and cognitive aspects that can modulate its perception. Following a brief discussion of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying pain, the purpose of this review is to discuss the main psychological, neuropsychological, cultural, and existential aspects which are the basis of diverse forms of pain, like the pain of separation from caregivers or from ourselves (e.g., connected to the thought of our death), the suffering that we experience observing other people's pain, the pain of change and the existential pain connected to the temporal dimension of the mind. Finally, after a discussion of how the mind is able to not only create but also alleviate the pain, through mechanisms such as the expectation of the treatment and the hope of healing, we conclude by discussing neuropsychological research data and the attitude promoted by mindfulness meditation in relation to the pain. An attitude in which, instead to avoid and reject the pain, one learns to face mindfully the experience of pain.

Learning Ethics through Virtual Fieldtrips: Teaching Ethical Theories through Virtual Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Houser, Rick; Thoma, Steve; Coppock, Amanda; Mazer, Matthew; Midkiff, Lewis; Younanian, Marisa; Young, Sarah

2011-01-01

Teaching ethical reasoning is considered an important component of the undergraduate learning experience. A recent approach to teaching using experiential learning is through virtual worlds such as Second Life. We discuss how ethics may be taught using experiential learning in the virtual world of Second Life. Participants in the class in this…

Virtualization for the LHCb experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonaccorsi, E.; Brarda, L.; Chebbi, M.; Neufeld, N.; Sborzacci, F.

2012-01-01

The LHCb experiment, one of the 4 large particle detector at CERN, counts in its Online System more than 2000 servers and embedded systems. As a result of ever-increasing CPU performance in modern servers, many of the applications in the controls system are excellent candidates for virtualization technologies. We see virtualization as an approach to cut down cost, optimize resource usage and manage the complexity of the IT infrastructure of LHCb. Recently we have added a Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) cluster based on Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Servers (RHEV) complementary to the existing Hyper-V cluster devoted only to the virtualization of the windows guests. This paper describes the architecture of our solution based on KVM and RHEV as along with its integration with the existing Hyper-V infrastructure and the Quattor cluster management tools and in particular how we use to run controls applications on a virtualized infrastructure. We present performance results of both the KVM and Hyper-V solutions, problems encountered and a description of the management tools developed for the integration with the Online cluster and LHCb SCADA control system based on PVSS. (authors)

Clinical use of virtual reality distraction system to reduce anxiety and pain in dental procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiederhold, Mark D; Gao, Kenneth; Wiederhold, Brenda K

2014-06-01

Virtual reality (VR) has been used by clinicians to manage pain in clinical populations. This study examines the use of VR as a form of distraction for dental patients using both subjective and objective measures to determine how a VR system affects patients' reported anxiety level, pain level, and physiological factors. As predicted, results of self-evaluation questionnaires showed that patients experienced less anxiety and pain after undergoing VR treatment. Physiological data reported similar trends in decreased anxiety. Overall, the favorable subjective and objective responses suggest that VR distraction systems can reduce discomfort and pain for patients with mild to moderate fear and anxiety.

On-line interactive virtual experiments on nanoscience

Science.gov (United States)

Kadar, Manuella; Ileana, Ioan; Hutanu, Constantin

2009-01-01

This paper is an overview on the next generation web which allows students to experience virtual experiments on nano science, physics devices, processes and processing equipment. Virtual reality is used to support a real university lab in which a student can experiment real lab sessions. The web material is presented in an intuitive and highly visual 3D form that is accessible to a diverse group of students. Such type of laboratory provides opportunities for professional and practical education for a wide range of users. The expensive equipment and apparatuses that build the experimental stage in a particular standard laboratory is used to create virtual educational research laboratories. Students learn how to prepare the apparatuses and facilities for the experiment. The online experiments metadata schema is the format for describing online experiments, much like the schema behind a library catalogue used to describe the books in a library. As an online experiment is a special kind of learning object, one specifies its schema as an extension to an established metadata schema for learning objects. The content of the courses, metainformation as well as readings and user data are saved on the server in a database as XML objects.

LHCb experience with running jobs in virtual machines

CERN Document Server

McNab, A; Luzzi, C

2015-01-01

The LHCb experiment has been running production jobs in virtual machines since 2013 as part of its DIRAC-based infrastructure. We describe the architecture of these virtual machines and the steps taken to replicate the WLCG worker node environment expected by user and production jobs. This relies on the uCernVM system for providing root images for virtual machines. We use the CernVM-FS distributed filesystem to supply the root partition files, the LHCb software stack, and the bootstrapping scripts necessary to configure the virtual machines for us. Using this approach, we have been able to minimise the amount of contextualisation which must be provided by the virtual machine managers. We explain the process by which the virtual machine is able to receive payload jobs submitted to DIRAC by users and production managers, and how this differs from payloads executed within conventional DIRAC pilot jobs on batch queue based sites. We describe our operational experiences in running production on VM based sites mana...

Combining Ketamine and Virtual Reality Pain Control During Severe Burn Wound Care: One Military and One Civilian Patient

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

effects include nausea/ vomiting, constipation , sedation, interference with sleep cycles, increased irritability, itching, urinary retention, cog...Xia J, Hailan W. Ketamine and lornoxicam for preventing a fentanyl-induced increase in postoperative morphine requirement. Anesth Analg 2008;107(6...verbal pain descriptors. Pain 1978;5:5–18. 30 Hoffman HG, Patterson DR, Magula J, et al. Water - friendly virtual reality pain control during wound

Inquiry style interactive virtual experiments: a case on circular motion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou Shaona; Wang Xiaojun; Xiao Hua [School of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Han Jing; Pelz, Nathaniel; Peng Liangyu; Bao Lei, E-mail: xiaoh@scnu.edu.cn, E-mail: lbao@mps.ohio-state.edu [Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2011-11-15

Interest in computer-based learning, especially in the use of virtual reality simulations is increasing rapidly. While there are good reasons to believe that technologies have the potential to improve teaching and learning, how to utilize the technology effectively in teaching specific content difficulties is challenging. To help students develop robust understandings of correct physics concepts, we have developed interactive virtual experiment simulations that have the unique feature of enabling students to experience force and motion via an analogue joystick, allowing them to feel the applied force and simultaneously see its effects. The simulations provide students learning experiences that integrate both scientific representations and low-level sensory cues such as haptic cues under a single setting. In this paper, we introduce a virtual experiment module on circular motion. A controlled study has been conducted to evaluate the impact of using this virtual experiment on students' learning of force and motion in the context of circular motion. The results show that the interactive virtual experiment method is preferred by students and is more effective in helping students grasp the physics concepts than the traditional education method such as problem-solving practices. Our research suggests that well-developed interactive virtual experiments can be useful tools in teaching difficult concepts in science.

Inquiry style interactive virtual experiments: a case on circular motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Shaona; Wang Xiaojun; Xiao Hua; Han Jing; Pelz, Nathaniel; Peng Liangyu; Bao Lei

2011-01-01

Interest in computer-based learning, especially in the use of virtual reality simulations is increasing rapidly. While there are good reasons to believe that technologies have the potential to improve teaching and learning, how to utilize the technology effectively in teaching specific content difficulties is challenging. To help students develop robust understandings of correct physics concepts, we have developed interactive virtual experiment simulations that have the unique feature of enabling students to experience force and motion via an analogue joystick, allowing them to feel the applied force and simultaneously see its effects. The simulations provide students learning experiences that integrate both scientific representations and low-level sensory cues such as haptic cues under a single setting. In this paper, we introduce a virtual experiment module on circular motion. A controlled study has been conducted to evaluate the impact of using this virtual experiment on students' learning of force and motion in the context of circular motion. The results show that the interactive virtual experiment method is preferred by students and is more effective in helping students grasp the physics concepts than the traditional education method such as problem-solving practices. Our research suggests that well-developed interactive virtual experiments can be useful tools in teaching difficult concepts in science.

The Impact of Virtual Reality Distraction on Pain and Anxiety during Dental Treatment in 4-6 Year-Old Children: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Asl Aminabadi, Naser; Erfanparast, Leila; Sohrabi, Azin; Ghertasi Oskouei, Sina; Naghili, Armaghan

2012-01-01

Dental practitioners have numerous methods to control anxiety and pain in children, and distracting the child appears to be the most common technique used for behavior management during dental procedures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of using virtual reality eyeglasses on severity of pain and anxiety during dental procedures in pediatric patients. This study included 120 healthy children aged 4-6 years. Children with no previous anxiety disorder were randomly divided into two groups, each consisting of 60 children. The study consisted of 3 consecutive treatment sessions. During the first visit fluoride therapy was carried out in both groups. In the next sessions, the groups received restorative treatment with and without virtual reality eyeglasses in a randomized single-blind-controlled crossover fashion. Then at the end of each session the subjects' pain severity was assessed using Wong Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and state anxiety was measured by Faces version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale [MCDAS (f)]. There was a significant decrease in pain perception (P anxiety scores (P virtual reality eyeglasses during dental treatment. Results of this study showed that virtual reality eyeglasses can successfully decrease pain perception and state anxiety during dental treatment. 201103126036N1.

Virtual restorative environment therapy as an adjunct to pain control during burn dressing changes: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Small, Charlotte; Stone, Robert; Pilsbury, Jane; Bowden, Michael; Bion, Julian

2015-08-05

The pain of a severe burn injury is often characterised by intense background pain, coupled with severe exacerbations associated with essential procedures such as dressing changes. The experience of pain is affected by patients' psychological state and can be enhanced by the anxiety, fear and distress caused by environmental and visual inputs. Virtual Reality (VR) distraction has been used with success in areas such as burns, paediatrics and oncology. The underlying principle of VR is that attention is diverted from the painful stimulus by the use of engaging, dynamic 3D visual content and associated auditory stimuli. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies undertaken during VR distraction from experimental pain have demonstrated enhancement of the descending cortical pain-control system. The present study will evaluate the feasibility of introducing a novel VR system to the Burns Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham for dressing changes: virtual restorative environment therapy (VRET). The study will also explore the system's impact on pain during and after the dressing changes compared to conventional analgesia for ward-based burn dressing changes. A within-subject crossover design will be used to compare the following three conditions: 1. Interactive VRET plus conventional analgesics. 2. Passive VRET with conventional analgesics. 3. Conventional analgesics alone. Using the Monte Carlo method, and on the basis of previous local audit data, a sample size of 25 will detect a clinically significant 33 % reduction in worst pain scores experienced during dressing changes. The study accrual rate is currently slower than predicted by previous audits of admission data. A review of the screening log has found that recruitment has been limited by the nature of burn care, the ability of burn inpatients to provide informed consent and the ability of patients to use the VR equipment. Prior to the introduction of novel interactive technologies for

[Qualitative research on pain experiences of adult burn patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, L; Pan, Q; Xu, L; Lin, R Q; Dai, J X; Chen, Z H

2018-03-20

Objective: To explore the pain experiences of adult burn patients so as to lay foundation for practical analgesic measures. Methods: Using phenomenological method in qualitative research, semi-structured interviews were conducted on 12 adult burn patients hospitalized in our burn units from May to November 2015, aiming at pain experiences from immediately after burns to 3 to 7 months after being discharged from hospital. Then the Colaizzi's analysis method was applied to analyze, induce, and refine themes of interview data. Results: After analysis, pain experiences of adult burn patients were generalized into 6 themes: deep pain experiences, heavy psychological burden, limited daily life, poor assessment and treatment of pain, different attributions of pain, and different ways of coping of pain. Conclusions: Burn pain brings harm to the patients' physiology, mentality, and daily life. Nevertheless, pain processing modes of medical staff and patients themselves are the key factors affecting patients' pain experiences. Therefore, according to the deficiency of current situation of pain management, the targeted analgesic intervention measures should be carried out from the perspectives of medical staff and patients.

The Development of a Technology-Based Hierarchy to Assess Chronic Low Back Pain and Pain-Related Anxiety From a Fear-Avoidance Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Springer, Kristen S; George, Steven Z; Robinson, Michael E

2016-08-01

Previous studies have not examined the assessment of chronic low back pain (CLBP) and pain-related anxiety from a fear avoidance model through the use of motion-capture software and virtual human technologies. The aim of this study was to develop and assess the psychometric properties of an interactive, technologically based hierarchy that can be used to assess patients with pain and pain-related anxiety. We enrolled 30 licensed physical therapists and 30 participants with CLBP. Participants rated 21 video clips of a 3-D animated character (avatar) engaging in activities that are typically feared by patients with CLBP. The results of the study indicate that physical therapists found the virtual hierarchy clips acceptable and depicted realistic patient experiences. Most participants with CLBP reported at least 1 video clip as being sufficiently anxiety-provoking for use clinically. Therefore, this study suggests a hierarchy of fears can be created out of 21 virtual patient video clips paving the way for future clinical use in patients with CLBP. This report describes the development of a computer-based virtual patient system for the assessment of back pain-related fear and anxiety. Results show that people with back pain as well as physical therapists found the avatar to be realistic, and the depictions of behavior anxiety- and fear-provoking. Copyright © 2016 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adolescents' experience of complex persistent pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørensen, Kari; Christiansen, Bjørg

2017-04-01

Persistent (chronic) pain is a common phenomenon in adolescents. When young people are referred to a pain clinic, they usually have amplified pain signals, with pain syndromes of unconfirmed ethology, such as fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Pain is complex and seems to be related to a combination of illness, injury, psychological distress, and environmental factors. These young people are found to have higher levels of distress, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and lower mood than their peers and may be in danger of entering adulthood with mental and physical problems. In order to understand the complexity of persistent pain in adolescents, there seems to be a need for further qualitative research into their lived experiences. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' experiences of complex persistent pain and its impact on everyday life. The study has an exploratory design with individual in-depth interviews with six youths aged 12-19, recruited from a pain clinic at a main referral hospital in Norway. A narrative approach allowed the informants to give voice to their experiences concerning complex persistent pain. A hermeneutic analysis was used, where the research question was the basis for a reflective interpretation. Three main themes were identified: (1) a life with pain and unpleasant bodily expressions; (2) an altered emotional wellbeing; and (3) the struggle to keep up with everyday life. The pain was experienced as extremely strong, emerging from a minor injury or without any obvious causation, and not always being recognised by healthcare providers. The pain intensity increased as the suffering got worse, and the sensation was hard to describe with words. Parts of their body could change in appearance, and some described having pain-attacks or fainting. The feeling of anxiety was strongly connected to the pain. Despair and uncertainty contributed to physical disability, major sleep problems, school absence, and withdrawal from

The Impact of Virtual Reality Distraction on Pain and Anxiety during Dental Treatment in 4-6 Year-Old Children: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

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Naser Asl Aminabadi

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Background and aims. Dental practitioners have numerous methods to control anxiety and pain in children, and distracting the child appears to be the most common technique used for behavior management during dental procedures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of using virtual reality eyeglasses on severity of pain and anxiety during dental procedures in pediatric patients. Materials and methods. This study included 120 healthy children aged 4-6 years. Children with no previous anxiety disorder were randomly divided into two groups, each consisting of 60 children. The study consisted of 3 consecutive treatment sessions. During the first visit fluoride therapy was carried out in both groups. In the next sessions, the groups received restorative treatment with and without virtual reality eyeglasses in a randomized single-blind-controlled crossover fashion. Then at the end of each session the subjects’ pain severity was assessed using Wong Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale and state anxiety was measured by Faces version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale [MCDAS (f]. Results. There was a significant decrease in pain perception (P < 0.001 and state anxiety scores (P < 0.001 with the use of virtual reality eyeglasses during dental treatment. Conclusion. Results of this study showed that virtual reality eyeglasses can successfully decrease pain perception and state anxiety during dental treatment. Trial registration number: 201103126036N1.

A conceptualisation of the relationship between virtual experience and cybernauts' satisfaction with virtual communities

OpenAIRE

Bouattour , Dorra; Debos , Franck; Abdellatif , Tarek

2015-01-01

International audience; In this research, we developed and tested an integrated model relating individuals' satisfaction with their experiential values in virtual communities. Using a realised factorial analysis and regression, we identified the factors that influence member satisfaction in virtual communities. Adopting Mathwick et al.'s (2001) concept of experiential value, we proposed a conceptualisation of a virtual experience that fits closely with the original nomological framework advoc...

LHCb experience with running jobs in virtual machines

Science.gov (United States)

McNab, A.; Stagni, F.; Luzzi, C.

2015-12-01

The LHCb experiment has been running production jobs in virtual machines since 2013 as part of its DIRAC-based infrastructure. We describe the architecture of these virtual machines and the steps taken to replicate the WLCG worker node environment expected by user and production jobs. This relies on the uCernVM system for providing root images for virtual machines. We use the CernVM-FS distributed filesystem to supply the root partition files, the LHCb software stack, and the bootstrapping scripts necessary to configure the virtual machines for us. Using this approach, we have been able to minimise the amount of contextualisation which must be provided by the virtual machine managers. We explain the process by which the virtual machine is able to receive payload jobs submitted to DIRAC by users and production managers, and how this differs from payloads executed within conventional DIRAC pilot jobs on batch queue based sites. We describe our operational experiences in running production on VM based sites managed using Vcycle/OpenStack, Vac, and HTCondor Vacuum. Finally we show how our use of these resources is monitored using Ganglia and DIRAC.

Virtual neutron scattering experiments - Training and preparing students for large-scale facility experiments

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Julie Hougaard Overgaard

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Dansk Vi beskriver, hvordan virtuelle eksperimenter kan udnyttes i et læringsdesign ved at forberede de studerende til hands-on-eksperimenter ved storskalafaciliteter. Vi illustrerer designet ved at vise, hvordan virtuelle eksperimenter bruges på Niels Bohr Institutets kandidatkursus om neutronspredning. I den sidste uge af kurset, rejser studerende til et storskala neutronspredningsfacilitet for at udføre neutronspredningseksperimenter. Vi bruger studerendes udsagn om deres oplevelser til at argumentere for, at arbejdet med virtuelle experimenter forbereder de studerende til at engagere sig mere frugtbart med eksperimenter ved at lade dem fokusere på fysikken og relevante data i stedet for instrumenternes funktion. Vi hævder, at det er, fordi de kan overføre deres erfaringer med virtuelle eksperimenter til rigtige eksperimenter. Vi finder dog, at læring stadig er situeret i den forstand, at kun kendskab til bestemte eksperimenter overføres. Vi afslutter med at diskutere de muligheder, som virtuelle eksperimenter giver. English We describe how virtual experiments can be utilized in a learning design that prepares students for hands-on experiments at large-scale facilities. We illustrate the design by showing how virtual experiments are used at the Niels Bohr Institute in a master level course on neutron scattering. In the last week of the course, students travel to a large-scale neutron scattering facility to perform real neutron scattering experiments. Through student interviews and survey answers, we argue, that the virtual training prepares the students to engage more fruitfully with experiments by letting them focus on physics and data rather than the overwhelming instrumentation. We argue that this is because they can transfer their virtual experimental experience to the real-life situation. However, we also find that learning is still situated in the sense that only knowledge of particular experiments is transferred. We proceed to

The efficacy of playing a virtual reality game in modulating pain for children with acute burn injuries: A randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN87413556

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McRae Sarah E

2005-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The management of burn injuries is reported as painful, distressing and a cause of anxiety in children and their parents. Child's and parents' pain and anxiety, often contributes to extended time required for burns management procedures, in particular the process of changing dressings. The traditional method of pharmacologic analgesia is often insufficient to cover the burnt child's pain, and it can have deleterious side effects 12. Intervention with Virtual Reality (VR games is based on distraction or interruption in the way current thoughts, including pain, are processed by the brain. Research on adults supports the hypothesis that virtual reality has a positive influence on burns pain modulation. Methods This study investigates whether playing a virtual reality game, decreases procedural pain in children aged 5–18 years with acute burn injuries. The paper reports on the findings of a pilot study, a randomised trial, in which seven children acted as their own controls though a series of 11 trials. Outcomes were pain measured using the self-report Faces Scale and findings of interviews with parent/carer and nurses. Results The average pain scores (from the Faces Scale for pharmacological analgesia only was, 4.1 (SD 2.9, while VR coupled with pharmacological analgesia, the average pain score was 1.3 (SD 1.8 Conclusion The study provides strong evidence supporting VR based games in providing analgesia with minimal side effects and little impact on the physical hospital environment, as well as its reusability and versatility, suggesting another option in the management of children's acute pain.

Virtual geotechnical laboratory experiments using a simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Penumadu, Dayakar; Zhao, Rongda; Frost, David

2000-04-01

The details of a test simulator that provides a realistic environment for performing virtual laboratory experimentals in soil mechanics is presented. A computer program Geo-Sim that can be used to perform virtual experiments, and allow for real-time observations of material response is presented. The results of experiments, for a given set of input parameters, are obtained with the test simulator using well-trained artificial neural-network-based soil models for different soil types and stress paths. Multimedia capabilities are integrated in Geo-Sim, using software that links and controls a laser disc player with a real-time parallel processing ability. During the simulation of a virtual experiment, relevant portions of the video image of a previously recorded test on an actual soil specimen are dispalyed along with the graphical presentation of response from the feedforward ANN model predictions. The pilot simulator developed to date includes all aspects related to performing a triaxial test on cohesionless soil under undrained and drained conditions. The benefits of the test simulator are also presented.

Assessing the perception of trunk movements in military personnel with chronic non-specific low back pain using a virtual mirror

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roosink, M.; McFadyen, B.J.; Hebert, L.J.; Jackson, P.L.; Bouyer, L.J.; Mercier, C.

2015-01-01

Chronic pain, including chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP), is often associated with body perception disturbances, but these have generally been assessed under static conditions. The objective of this study was to use a "virtual mirror" that scaled visual movement feedback to assess body

Virtual Visual Effect of Hospital Waiting Room on Pain Modulation in Healthy Subjects and Patients with Chronic Migraine

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Marina de Tommaso

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Environmental context has an important impact on health and well being. We aimed to test the effects of a visual distraction induced by classical hospital waiting room (RH versus an ideal room with a sea view (IH, both represented in virtual reality (VR, on subjective sensation and cortical responses induced by painful laser stimuli (LEPs in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic migraine (CM. Sixteen CM and 16 controls underwent 62 channels LEPs from the right hand, during a fully immersive VR experience, where two types of waiting rooms were simulated. The RH simulated a classical hospital waiting room while the IH represented a room with sea viewing. CM patients showed a reduction of laser pain rating and vertex LEPs during the IH vision. The sLORETA analysis confirmed that in CM patients the two VR simulations induced a different modulation of bilateral parietal cortical areas (precuneus and superior parietal lobe, and superior frontal and cingulate girus, in respect to controls. The architectural context may interfere with pain perception, depending upon the status of subject. Many variables may change patients’ outcome and support the use of VR technology to test the best conditions for their management.

European pharmacy students' experience with virtual patient technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavaco, Afonso Miguel; Madeira, Filipe

2012-08-10

To describe how virtual patients are being used to simulate real-life clinical scenarios in undergraduate pharmacy education in Europe. One hundred ninety-four participants at the 2011 Congress of the European Pharmaceutical Students Association (EPSA) completed an exploratory cross-sectional survey instrument. Of the 46 universities and 23 countries represented at the EPSA Congress, only 12 students from 6 universities in 6 different countries reported having experience with virtual patient technology. The students were satisfied with the virtual patient technology and considered it more useful as a teaching and learning tool than an assessment tool. Respondents who had not used virtual patient technology expressed support regarding its potential benefits in pharmacy education. French and Dutch students were significantly less interested in virtual patient technology than were their counterparts from other European countries. The limited use of virtual patients in pharmacy education in Europe suggests the need for initiatives to increase the use of virtual patient technology and the benefits of computer-assisted learning in pharmacy education.

Can hazard risk be communicated through a virtual experience?

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, J T

1997-09-01

Cyberspace, defined by William Gibson as a consensual hallucination, now refers to all computer-generated interactive environments. Virtual reality, one of a class of interactive cyberspaces, allows us to create and interact directly with objects not available in the everyday world. Despite successes in the entertainment and aviation industries, this technology has been called a 'solution in search of a problem'. The purpose of this commentary is to suggest such a problem: the inability to acquire experience with a hazard to motivate mitigation. Direct experience with a hazard has been demonstrated as a powerful incentive to adopt mitigation measures. While we lack the ability to summon hazard events at will in order to gain access to that experience, a virtual environment can provide an arena where potential victims are exposed to a hazard's effects. Immersion as an active participant within the hazard event through virtual reality may stimulate users to undertake mitigation steps that might otherwise remain undone. This paper details the possible direction in which virtual reality may be applied to hazards mitigation through a discussion of the technology, the role of hazard experience, the creation of a hazard stimulation and the issues constraining implementation.

Virtual experiments: a new approach for improving process conceptualization in hillslope hydrology

Science.gov (United States)

Weiler, Markus; McDonnell, Jeff

2004-01-01

We present an approach for process conceptualization in hillslope hydrology. We develop and implement a series of virtual experiments, whereby the interaction between water flow pathways, source and mixing at the hillslope scale is examined within a virtual experiment framework. We define these virtual experiments as 'numerical experiments with a model driven by collective field intelligence'. The virtual experiments explore the first-order controls in hillslope hydrology, where the experimentalist and modeler work together to cooperatively develop and analyze the results. Our hillslope model for the virtual experiments (HillVi) in this paper is based on conceptualizing the water balance within the saturated and unsaturated zone in relation to soil physical properties in a spatially explicit manner at the hillslope scale. We argue that a virtual experiment model needs to be able to capture all major controls on subsurface flow processes that the experimentalist might deem important, while at the same time being simple with few 'tunable parameters'. This combination makes the approach, and the dialog between experimentalist and modeler, a useful hypothesis testing tool. HillVi simulates mass flux for different initial conditions under the same flow conditions. We analyze our results in terms of an artificial line source and isotopic hydrograph separation of water and subsurface flow. Our results for this first set of virtual experiments showed how drainable porosity and soil depth variability exert a first order control on flow and transport at the hillslope scale. We found that high drainable porosity soils resulted in a restricted water table rise, resulting in more pronounced channeling of lateral subsurface flow along the soil-bedrock interface. This in turn resulted in a more anastomosing network of tracer movement across the slope. The virtual isotope hydrograph separation showed higher proportions of event water with increasing drainable porosity. When

Putting pain out of mind with an 'out of body' illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Pamment, J; Aspell, J E

2017-02-01

Chronic pain is a growing societal concern that warrants scientific investigation, especially given the ineffectiveness of many treatments. Given evidence that pain experience relies on multisensory integration, there is interest in using body ownership illusions for reducing acute pain. In the present study, we investigate whether patients' experience of chronic pain could be reduced by full body illusions (FBIs) that cause participants to dissociate from their own body. Participants with chronic pain (including sciatica, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, muscular pain, IBS and back pain) viewed their own 'virtual' bodies via a video camera and head-mounted display for two minutes. In the 'back-stroking FBI', their backs were stroked with a stick while they viewed synchronous or asynchronous stroking on the virtual body and in the 'front-stroking FBI', they were stroked near their collarbone while viewing the stick approach their field of view in a synchronous or asynchronous fashion. Illusion strength and pain intensity were measured with self-report questionnaires. We found that full body illusions were experienced by patients with chronic pain and further, that pain intensity was reduced by an average of 37% after illusion (synchronous) conditions. These findings add support to theories that high-level multisensory body representations can interact with homeostatic regulation and pain perception. Pain intensity in chronic pain patients was reduced by 37% by 'out of body' illusions. These data demonstrate the potential of such illusions for the management of chronic pain. © 2016 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Results of a massive experiment on virtual currency endowments and money demand.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nenad Živić

Full Text Available We use a 575,000-subject, 28-day experiment to investigate monetary policy in a virtual setting. The experiment tests the effect of virtual currency endowments on player retention and virtual currency demand. An increase in endowments of a virtual currency should lower the demand for the currency in the short run. However, in the long run, we would expect money demand to rise in response to inflation in the virtual world. We test for this behavior in a virtual field experiment in the football management game Top11. 575,000 players were selected at random and allocated to different "shards" or versions of the world. The shards differed only in terms of the initial money endowment offered to new players. Money demand was observed for 28 days as players used real money to purchase additional virtual currency. The results indicate that player money purchases were significantly higher in the shards where higher endowments were given. This suggests that a positive change in the money supply in a virtual context leads to inflation and increased money demand, and does so much more quickly than in real-world economies. Differences between virtual and real currency behavior will become more interesting as virtual currency becomes a bigger part of the real economy.

Results of a massive experiment on virtual currency endowments and money demand.

Science.gov (United States)

Živić, Nenad; Andjelković, Igor; Özden, Tolga; Dekić, Milovan; Castronova, Edward

2017-01-01

We use a 575,000-subject, 28-day experiment to investigate monetary policy in a virtual setting. The experiment tests the effect of virtual currency endowments on player retention and virtual currency demand. An increase in endowments of a virtual currency should lower the demand for the currency in the short run. However, in the long run, we would expect money demand to rise in response to inflation in the virtual world. We test for this behavior in a virtual field experiment in the football management game Top11. 575,000 players were selected at random and allocated to different "shards" or versions of the world. The shards differed only in terms of the initial money endowment offered to new players. Money demand was observed for 28 days as players used real money to purchase additional virtual currency. The results indicate that player money purchases were significantly higher in the shards where higher endowments were given. This suggests that a positive change in the money supply in a virtual context leads to inflation and increased money demand, and does so much more quickly than in real-world economies. Differences between virtual and real currency behavior will become more interesting as virtual currency becomes a bigger part of the real economy.

Assessing the perception of trunk movements in military personnel with chronic non-specific low back pain using a virtual mirror.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meyke Roosink

Full Text Available Chronic pain, including chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP, is often associated with body perception disturbances, but these have generally been assessed under static conditions. The objective of this study was to use a "virtual mirror" that scaled visual movement feedback to assess body perception during active movement in military personnel with CNSLBP (n = 15 as compared to military healthy control subjects (n = 15. Subjects performed a trunk flexion task while sitting and standing in front of a large screen displaying a full-body virtual mirror-image (avatar in real-time. Avatar movements were scaled to appear greater, identical, or smaller than the subjects' actual movements. A total of 126 trials with 11 different scaling factors were pseudo-randomized across 6 blocks. After each trial, subjects had to decide whether the avatar's movements were "greater" or "smaller" than their own movements. Based on this two-alternative forced choice paradigm, a psychophysical curve was fitted to the data for each subject, and several metrics were derived from this curve. In addition, task adherence (kinematics and virtual reality immersion were assessed. Groups displayed a similar ability to discriminate between different levels of movement scaling. Still, subjects with CNSLBP showed an abnormal performance and tended to overestimate their own movements (a right-shifted psychophysical curve. Subjects showed adequate task adherence, and on average virtual reality immersion was reported to be very good. In conclusion, these results extend previous work in patients with CNSLBP, and denote an important relationship between body perception, movement and pain. As such, the assessment of body perception during active movement can offer new avenues for understanding and managing body perception disturbances and abnormal movement patterns in patients with pain.

The experiment editor: supporting inquiry-based learning with virtual labs

Science.gov (United States)

Galan, D.; Heradio, R.; de la Torre, L.; Dormido, S.; Esquembre, F.

2017-05-01

Inquiry-based learning is a pedagogical approach where students are motivated to pose their own questions when facing problems or scenarios. In physics learning, students are turned into scientists who carry out experiments, collect and analyze data, formulate and evaluate hypotheses, and so on. Lab experimentation is essential for inquiry-based learning, yet there is a drawback with traditional hands-on labs in the high costs associated with equipment, space, and maintenance staff. Virtual laboratories are helpful to reduce these costs. This paper enriches the virtual lab ecosystem by providing an integrated environment to automate experimentation tasks. In particular, our environment supports: (i) scripting and running experiments on virtual labs, and (ii) collecting and analyzing data from the experiments. The current implementation of our environment supports virtual labs created with the authoring tool Easy Java/Javascript Simulations. Since there are public repositories with hundreds of freely available labs created with this tool, the potential applicability to our environment is considerable.

Fish welfare: Fish capacity to experience pain

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Vučinić Marijana

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Teleost fish possess similar nociceptive processing systems to those found in terrestrial vertebrates. It means that they react to potential painful stimuli in a similar manner as mammals and birds. However, the welfare of fish has been the focus of less research than that of higher vertebrates. Humans may affect the welfare of fish through fisheries, aquaculture and a number of other activities. There is scientific evidence to support the assumption that fish have the capacity to experience pain because they possess functional nociceptors, endogenous opioids and opioid receptors, brain structures involved in pain processing and pathways leading from nociceptors to higher brain structures. Also, it is well documented that some anaesthetics and analgesics may reduce nociceptive responses in fish. Behavioural indicators in fish such as lip-rubbing and rocking behaviours are the best proof that fish react to potential painful stimuli. This paper is an overview of some scientific evidence on fish capacity to experience pain.

Ethnic Differences in Cancer Pain Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Eun-ok

2008-01-01

Background Inconsistent findings on ethnic differences in cancer pain experience suggest the need for further studies on this topic for adequate cancer pain management. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine ethnic differences in cancer pain experience of 4 ethnic groups in the U.S. Methods A feminist perspective provided the theoretical basis. This was a survey of a multiethnic sample of 480 cancer patients asking questions on sociodemographic characteristics and health/illness status, 3 unidimensional cancer pain scales, 2 multidimensional cancer pain scales, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results The results indicated certain ethnic differences in types of pain and symptoms that patients experienced. Also, the results demonstrated significant ethnic differences in cancer pain and functional status. The VDS, VAS, FS, MPQ, and BPI scores of Non-Hispanic (N-H) Asian participants were significantly lower than those of Hispanic and N-H White participants (p<.01). The VAS and MPQ scores of N-H African American participants were significantly lower than those of Hispanic and N-H White participants (p<.01). The FACT-G scores of N-H Asian participants were significantly lower than Hispanic participants (p<.01). The findings also indicated that being N-H Asian or not was a significant predictor of the VDS, FS, and BPI scores. Discussion The findings suggest further in-depth qualitative exploration on cultural values and beliefs related to cancer pain in each ethnic group and national-scope studies with a larger number of ethnic minorities on this topic. PMID:17846550

Experiences with a synchronous virtual classroom in distance education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koppelman, Hermannus; Vranken, H.

2008-01-01

Modern technology offers the tools for having synchronous virtual classes. This paper reports about experiences of such a class in the context of distance education. The paper focuses on the tool as well as on the pedagogy. It outlines the pedagogical approach of the virtual class, which is an

'Virtual lesion' in pain research; a study on magnetic stimulation of the primary motor cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Granovsky, Y; Liem, K S; Weissman-Fogel, I; Yarnitsky, D; Chistyakov, A; Sinai, A

2016-02-01

'Virtual lesion' ('VL') is a transient disruption of cortical activity during task performance. It can be induced by single pulses or short trains of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) directed to functionally relevant brain areas. We applied 'VL' methodology of a short train of TMS given on top of experimental tonic pain, expecting to see changes in pain scores. Thirty young healthy subjects (15 women) were assessed with active ('VL') or 'sham' TMS in different sessions, randomly. In each session, 30 sec-long contact heat (47.5 °C, right forearm) was applied stand-alone ('baseline') and with 5 sec-long 10 Hz-TMS over left primary motor cortex (M1) starting at 17 sec of the heat stimulation. Pain scores decreased after 'VL' or 'sham' (p < 0.001). Independently of the type of TMS, pain reduction was stronger in women (p = 0.012). A triple Sex x Stimulation type ('VL' or 'sham') x Condition ('baseline' heat pain vs. heat pain with TMS) interaction (p = 0.027) indicated stronger pain reduction by 'VL' in women (p = 0.008) and not in men (p = 0.78) as compared to 'baseline'. Pain catastrophizing and perceived stress ratings affected the model (p = 0.010 and p < 0.001, respectively), but without sex differences. This study indicates that interactions between cortical excitability of the motor cortex and nociceptive processing may be gender-related. © 2015 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

[The pain experience according to a phenomenological view on palliative care].

Science.gov (United States)

Fromage, B; Hatti, M

2015-12-01

In palliative care, people with advanced or terminal phase cancer represent a significant proportion of patients. Persuaded that the pain and suffering they experience will never disappear from their daily life, patients are exposed to successive fracture triggered by psychosocial/physical factors. Furthermore, the difficulty in palliative care is that the pain is also a subjective phenomenon. However, the only information available to indicate pain remains the quantitative assessment of the patient or the observation of his/her behaviour. Pain caused by cancer optimally exhibits the difficulty of pain assessment, where a patient may properly assess, through their somatic pain, their own experience of pain expressed according to the consequence of illness on their history and personality. This exploratory study aims to show how the development of analogical subjective speech has an effect on the pain experience in patients with cancer. Indeed, the hypothesis is that one can reduce the sensation of pain by transforming the emotional experience via a figurative/discursive activity due to an elaboration work and clarification of the painful experience. Method-Four terminally ill patients passed the "L'Épreuve des Trois Arbres" (three-tree test) (ETA), which consisted in drawing trees and telling their story. The ETA aims to facilitate the expression of the overall experience according to a person's perspective on a specific situation. In this experiment, quantitative and qualitative data were collected. More specifically, the quantitative data was based on the assessment of somatic pain using the visual analog scale (VAS) of 1 to 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = unbearable pain) and a qualitative analysis assessed with the ETA, which focused on the meaning of pain, a subjective component that can increase the expression of somatic pain. The pain experience is assessed before and after the execution of the ETA using the VAS. The results show a reduction of painful sensation and

Treatment efficacy of virtual reality distraction in the reduction of pain and anxiety during cystoscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Marc R; Kallingal, George J S; Musser, John E; Folen, Raymond; Stetz, Melba C; Clark, Joseph Y

2014-08-01

Assessment of virtual reality (VR) distraction for alleviating pain and anxiety during flexible cystoscopy. Cystoscopy is a common ambulatory procedure performed in Urology and can be associated with moderate pain and anxiety. Sophisticated distraction techniques are not used with cystoscopy and VR has not been studied for this procedure. We designed a prospective, randomized, controlled trial assessing the efficacy of VR for alleviating pain and anxiety during flexible cystoscopy. Adult men referred for cystoscopy were randomized into a control or VR group. Subjects were given preprocedure and postprocedure questionnaires addressing anxiety, pain, and time spent thinking about pain. Vitals signs and galvanic skin monitors were used as objective measures. The control group underwent routine cystoscopy and the VR group underwent cystoscopy with VR. Physicians answered a postprocedure questionnaire assessing the difficulty of the exam. All questionnaires used a visual analog score for assessment. 23 patients enrolled in the control group and 22 in the VR group. Mean scores and Student's t-test were employed to analyze the data. No data endpoints showed a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. We concluded no benefit to VR distraction mitigating pain in male patients during cystoscopy. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Feeling the pain of others is associated with self-other confusion and prior pain experience

OpenAIRE

Derbyshire, Stuart W. G.; Osborn, Jody; Brown, Steven

2013-01-01

Some chronic pain patients and healthy individuals experience pain when observing injury or others in pain. To further understand shared pain, we investigated perspective taking, bodily ownership and tooth pain sensitivity. First, participants who reported shared pain (responders) and those who did not (non-responders) viewed an avatar on a screen. Intermittently, 0-3 circles appeared. Sometimes the participant's and avatar's perspective were consistent, both directly viewed the same ...

Feasibility of articulated arm mounted Oculus Rift Virtual Reality goggles for adjunctive pain control during occupational therapy in pediatric burn patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Hunter G; Meyer, Walter J; Ramirez, Maribel; Roberts, Linda; Seibel, Eric J; Atzori, Barbara; Sharar, Sam R; Patterson, David R

2014-06-01

For daily burn wound care and therapeutic physical therapy skin stretching procedures, powerful pain medications alone are often inadequate. This feasibility study provides the first evidence that entering an immersive virtual environment using very inexpensive (∼$400) wide field of view Oculus Rift Virtual Reality (VR) goggles can elicit a strong illusion of presence and reduce pain during VR. The patient was an 11-year-old male with severe electrical and flash burns on his head, shoulders, arms, and feet (36 percent total body surface area (TBSA), 27 percent TBSA were third-degree burns). He spent one 20-minute occupational therapy session with no VR, one with VR on day 2, and a final session with no VR on day 3. His rating of pain intensity during therapy dropped from severely painful during no VR to moderately painful during VR. Pain unpleasantness dropped from moderately unpleasant during no VR to mildly unpleasant during VR. He reported going "completely inside the computer generated world", and had more fun during VR. Results are consistent with a growing literature showing reductions in pain during VR. Although case studies are scientifically inconclusive by nature, these preliminary results suggest that the Oculus Rift VR goggles merit more attention as a potential treatment for acute procedural pain of burn patients. Availability of inexpensive but highly immersive VR goggles would significantly improve cost effectiveness and increase dissemination of VR pain distraction, making VR available to many more patients, potentially even at home, for pain control as well as a wide range of other VR therapy applications. This is the first clinical data on PubMed to show the use of Oculus Rift for any medical application.

A Virtual Reality System for Treatment of Phantom Limb Pain using Game Training and Motion Tracking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Bartal; Nielsen, Ronni Nedergaard; Szabo, Laszlo

2016-01-01

This paper describes the implementation of a phantom limb pain (PLP) home-based system using virtual reality (VR) and a motion sensor to immerse the users in a virtual environment (VE). The work is inspired by mirror therapy (MT), which has been used to relieve PLP. The target patient group focuses...... are conveyed in the VR as three games: (1) A bending game, where the patients have to bend a rod, (2) a box game where the patients pick up and place boxes with their hands, (3) and a button memory game where the patients have to push buttons in a given sequence. These games were tested on twelve healthy...

Learning design thinking online : studying students' learning experience in shared virtual reality

OpenAIRE

Lau, Kung Wong

2010-01-01

Learning Design Thinking Online: Studying Students' Learning Experience in Shared Virtual Reality My study attempts to deepen understanding about the learning experiences of design students in undertaking design-thinking exercises in a shared virtual reality. This study has identified the areas of an appropriate pedagogy for E-Learning and the use of a shared virtual environment for students in tertiary design education. Specific questions arising ji"Om this research are: (1...

Using voice input and audio feedback to enhance the reality of a virtual experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miner, N.E.

1994-04-01

Virtual Reality (VR) is a rapidly emerging technology which allows participants to experience a virtual environment through stimulation of the participant`s senses. Intuitive and natural interactions with the virtual world help to create a realistic experience. Typically, a participant is immersed in a virtual environment through the use of a 3-D viewer. Realistic, computer-generated environment models and accurate tracking of a participant`s view are important factors for adding realism to a virtual experience. Stimulating a participant`s sense of sound and providing a natural form of communication for interacting with the virtual world are equally important. This paper discusses the advantages and importance of incorporating voice recognition and audio feedback capabilities into a virtual world experience. Various approaches and levels of complexity are discussed. Examples of the use of voice and sound are presented through the description of a research application developed in the VR laboratory at Sandia National Laboratories.

Virtual Reality Simulation of the International Space Welding Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, James A.

1996-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) is a set of breakthrough technologies that allow a human being to enter and fully experience a 3-dimensional, computer simulated environment. A true virtual reality experience meets three criteria: (1) It involves 3-dimensional computer graphics; (2) It includes real-time feedback and response to user actions; and (3) It must provide a sense of immersion. Good examples of a virtual reality simulator are the flight simulators used by all branches of the military to train pilots for combat in high performance jet fighters. The fidelity of such simulators is extremely high -- but so is the price tag, typically millions of dollars. Virtual reality teaching and training methods are manifestly effective, and we have therefore implemented a VR trainer for the International Space Welding Experiment. My role in the development of the ISWE trainer consisted of the following: (1) created texture-mapped models of the ISWE's rotating sample drum, technology block, tool stowage assembly, sliding foot restraint, and control panel; (2) developed C code for control panel button selection and rotation of the sample drum; (3) In collaboration with Tim Clark (Antares Virtual Reality Systems), developed a serial interface box for the PC and the SGI Indigo so that external control devices, similar to ones actually used on the ISWE, could be used to control virtual objects in the ISWE simulation; (4) In collaboration with Peter Wang (SFFP) and Mark Blasingame (Boeing), established the interference characteristics of the VIM 1000 head-mounted-display and tested software filters to correct the problem; (5) In collaboration with Peter Wang and Mark Blasingame, established software and procedures for interfacing the VPL DataGlove and the Polhemus 6DOF position sensors to the SGI Indigo serial ports. The majority of the ISWE modeling effort was conducted on a PC-based VR Workstation, described below.

Virtual community centre for power wheelchair training: Experience of children and clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Torkia, Caryne; Ryan, Stephen E; Reid, Denise; Boissy, Patrick; Lemay, Martin; Routhier, François; Contardo, Resi; Woodhouse, Janet; Archambault, Phillipe S

2017-11-02

To: 1) characterize the overall experience in using the McGill immersive wheelchair - community centre (miWe-CC) simulator; and 2) investigate the experience of presence (i.e., sense of being in the virtual rather than in the real, physical environment) while driving a PW in the miWe-CC. A qualitative research design with structured interviews was used. Fifteen clinicians and 11 children were interviewed after driving a power wheelchair (PW) in the miWe-CC simulator. Data were analyzed using the conventional and directed content analysis approaches. Overall, participants enjoyed using the simulator and experienced a sense of presence in the virtual space. They felt a sense of being in the virtual environment, involved and focused on driving the virtual PW rather than on the surroundings of the actual room where they were. Participants reported several similarities between the virtual community centre layout and activities of the miWe-CC and the day-to-day reality of paediatric PW users. The simulator replicated participants' expectations of real-life PW use and promises to have an effect on improving the driving skills of new PW users. Implications for rehabilitation Among young users, the McGill immersive wheelchair (miWe) simulator provides an experience of presence within the virtual environment. This experience of presence is generated by a sense of being in the virtual scene, a sense of being involved, engaged, and focused on interacting within the virtual environment, and by the perception that the virtual environment is consistent with the real world. The miWe is a relevant and accessible approach, complementary to real world power wheelchair training for young users.

Virtual reality-augmented neurorehabilitation improves motor function and reduces neuropathic pain in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Villiger, Michael; Bohli, Dominik; Kiper, Daniel; Pyk, Pawel; Spillmann, Jeremy; Meilick, Bruno; Curt, Armin; Hepp-Reymond, Marie-Claude; Hotz-Boendermaker, Sabina; Eng, Kynan

2013-10-01

Neurorehabilitation interventions to improve lower limb function and neuropathic pain have had limited success in people with chronic, incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). We hypothesized that intense virtual reality (VR)-augmented training of observed and executed leg movements would improve limb function and neuropathic pain. Patients used a VR system with a first-person view of virtual lower limbs, controlled via movement sensors fitted to the patient's own shoes. Four tasks were used to deliver intensive training of individual muscles (tibialis anterior, quadriceps, leg ad-/abductors). The tasks engaged motivation through feedback of task success. Fourteen chronic iSCI patients were treated over 4 weeks in 16 to 20 sessions of 45 minutes. Outcome measures were 10 Meter Walking Test, Berg Balance Scale, Lower Extremity Motor Score, Spinal Cord Independence Measure, Locomotion and Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS), obtained at the start and at 4 to 6 weeks before intervention. In addition to positive changes reported by the patients (Patients' Global Impression of Change), measures of walking capacity, balance, and strength revealed improvements in lower limb function. Intensity and unpleasantness of neuropathic pain in half of the affected participants were reduced on the NPS test. Overall findings remained stable 12 to 16 weeks after termination of the training. In a pretest/posttest, uncontrolled design, VR-augmented training was associated with improvements in motor function and neuropathic pain in persons with chronic iSCI, several of which reached the level of a minimal clinically important change. A controlled trial is needed to compare this intervention to active training alone or in combination.

Pelvic examination experiences in women with and without chronic pain during intercourse.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Stéphanie C; Pukall, Caroline F

2014-12-01

Although pelvic examinations (PEs) are an important component of women's health, some women experience difficulty during PEs due to anxiety and pain. These difficulties may be heightened in women with chronic pain during sexual intercourse. Some evidence suggests that this population experiences pain and distress during PEs, but their experiences in this context have not been empirically investigated from a multidimensional perspective. The aims of this study were to compare the PE experiences of women with and without pain during intercourse and to examine predictors of negative experiences in each group. Women with vulvovaginal pain (n = 90), pelvic pain (n = 89), and women without current intercourse pain (n = 207) completed an online survey including sections assessing demographics, gynecological and medical history, and PE experiences. Respondents completed questionnaires assessing vaginal penetration cognitions and body image. Participants rated their most recent PE on numerical scales for pain, embarrassment, anxiety, and the overall quality of the experience. Women with pelvic and vulvovaginal pain during intercourse reported significantly more pain and anxiety during their most recent PE compared with the no pain group, and women with a higher number of lifetime gynecological diagnoses reported significantly more pain. Multiple regression analyses indicated that various predisposing, examination-related, and psychological factors predicted specific PE ratings in each group. The results provide empirical support that PEs are more physically and emotionally difficult for women who experience chronic pain during intercourse. These findings have important clinical implications, as PEs are a critical part of complete reproductive care and play an essential role in the assessment/management of sexual pain, including Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Focus, locus, and sensus: the three dimensions of virtual experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Waterworth, E L; Waterworth, J A

2001-04-01

A model of virtual/physical experience is presented, which provides a three dimensional conceptual space for virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) comprising the dimensions of focus, locus, and sensus. Focus is most closely related to what is generally termed presence in the VR literature. When in a virtual environment, presence is typically shared between the VR and the physical world. "Breaks in presence" are actually shifts of presence away from the VR and toward the external environment. But we can also have "breaks in presence" when attention moves toward absence--when an observer is not attending to stimuli present in the virtual environment, nor to stimuli present in the surrounding physical environment--when the observer is present in neither the virtual nor the physical world. We thus have two dimensions of presence: focus of attention (between presence and absence) and the locus of attention (the virtual vs. the physical world). A third dimension is the sensus of attention--the level of arousal determining whether the observer is highly conscious or relatively unconscious while interacting with the environment. After expanding on each of these three dimensions of experience in relation to VR, we present a couple of educational examples as illustrations, and also relate our model to a suggested spectrum of evaluation methods for virtual environments.

Collaborative Virtual 3D Environment for Internet-Accessible Physics Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bettina Scheucher

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract—Immersive 3D worlds have increasingly raised the interest of researchers and practitioners for various learning and training settings over the last decade. These virtual worlds can provide multiple communication channels between users and improve presence and awareness in the learning process. Consequently virtual 3D environments facilitate collaborative learning and training scenarios. In this paper we focus on the integration of internet-accessible physics experiments (iLabs combined with the TEALsim 3D simulation toolkit in Project Wonderland, Sun's toolkit for creating collaborative 3D virtual worlds. Within such a collaborative environment these tools provide the opportunity for teachers and students to work together as avatars as they control actual equipment, visualize physical phenomenon generated by the experiment, and discuss the results. In particular we will outline the steps of integration, future goals, as well as the value of a collaboration space in Wonderland's virtual world.

Real behavior in virtual environments: psychology experiments in a simple virtual-reality paradigm using video games.

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Kozlov, Michail D; Johansen, Mark K

2010-12-01

The purpose of this research was to illustrate the broad usefulness of simple video-game-based virtual environments (VEs) for psychological research on real-world behavior. To this end, this research explored several high-level social phenomena in a simple, inexpensive computer-game environment: the reduced likelihood of helping under time pressure and the bystander effect, which is reduced helping in the presence of bystanders. In the first experiment, participants had to find the exit in a virtual labyrinth under either high or low time pressure. They encountered rooms with and without virtual bystanders, and in each room, a virtual person requested assistance. Participants helped significantly less frequently under time pressure but the presence/absence of a small number of bystanders did not significantly moderate helping. The second experiment increased the number of virtual bystanders, and participants were instructed to imagine that these were real people. Participants helped significantly less in rooms with large numbers of bystanders compared to rooms with no bystanders, thus demonstrating a bystander effect. These results indicate that even sophisticated high-level social behaviors can be observed and experimentally manipulated in simple VEs, thus implying the broad usefulness of this paradigm in psychological research as a good compromise between experimental control and ecological validity.

Virtually teaching virtual leadership

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Thomas Duus; Nielsen, Rikke Kristine; Børgesen, Kenneth

2017-01-01

This paper seeks to investigate the challenges to virtual collaboration and leadership on basis of findings from a virtual course on collaboration and leadership. The course used for this experiment was designed as a practical approach, which allowed participants to experience curriculum phenomena....... This experimental course provided insights into the challenges involved in virtual processes, and those experiences where used for addressing the challenges that virtual leadership is confronted with. Emphasis was placed on the reduction of undesired virtual distance and its consequences through affinity building....... We found that student scepticism appeared when a breakdown resulted in increasing virtual distance, and raises questions on how leaders might translate or upgrade their understandings of leadership to handling such increased distance through affinity building....

A threat to a virtual hand elicits motor cortex activation.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Franco, Mar; Peck, Tabitha C; Rodríguez-Fornells, Antoni; Slater, Mel

2014-03-01

We report an experiment where participants observed an attack on their virtual body as experienced in an immersive virtual reality (IVR) system. Participants sat by a table with their right hand resting upon it. In IVR, they saw a virtual table that was registered with the real one, and they had a virtual body that substituted their real body seen from a first person perspective. The virtual right hand was collocated with their real right hand. Event-related brain potentials were recorded in two conditions, one where the participant's virtual hand was attacked with a knife and a control condition where the knife only struck the virtual table. Significantly greater P450 potentials were obtained in the attack condition confirming our expectations that participants had a strong illusion of the virtual hand being their own, which was also strongly supported by questionnaire responses. Higher levels of subjective virtual hand ownership correlated with larger P450 amplitudes. Mu-rhythm event-related desynchronization in the motor cortex and readiness potential (C3-C4) negativity were clearly observed when the virtual hand was threatened-as would be expected, if the real hand was threatened and the participant tried to avoid harm. Our results support the idea that event-related potentials may provide a promising non-subjective measure of virtual embodiment. They also support previous experiments on pain observation and are placed into context of similar experiments and studies of body perception and body ownership within cognitive neuroscience.

Acute Postoperative Pain Therapy: Current State . Patient Experience

OpenAIRE

Lončarić-Katušin, Mirjana; Persoli-Gudelj, Marijana; Šimić-Korać, Nataša; Blažanin, Božidar; Žunić, Josip; Korać, Želimir

2006-01-01

In effective control of acute postoperative pain, it is essential to respect the principles of multimodal balanced analgesia, and to apply them within organized units for the management of acute postoperative pain (acute pain service). The aim of the study was to find out patient expectations and experience in the intensity of acute postoperative pain, and the efficiency of therapy they received. Between October 11, 2002 and December 14, 2002, 103 patients having undergone elective operative ...

Experience with dental pain and fear of dental pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Wijk, A.J.; Hoogstraten, J.

2005-01-01

Anxious people tend to overestimate the intensity of aversive events such as fear and pain. When an aversive event has been experienced personally, prediction is based on experience and is possibly less subject to bias due to anxiety. Therefore, it was hypothesized that subjects will overestimate

Improving Dental Experiences by Using Virtual Reality Distraction: A Simulation Study

Science.gov (United States)

Tanja-Dijkstra, Karin; Pahl, Sabine; P. White, Mathew; Andrade, Jackie; Qian, Cheng; Bruce, Malcolm; May, Jon; Moles, David R.

2014-01-01

Dental anxiety creates significant problems for both patients and the dental profession. Some distraction interventions are already used by healthcare professionals to help patients cope with unpleasant procedures. The present study is novel because it a) builds on evidence that natural scenery is beneficial for patients, and b) uses a Virtual Reality (VR) representation of nature to distract participants. Extending previous work that has investigated pain and anxiety during treatment, c) we also consider the longer term effects in terms of more positive memories of the treatment, building on a cognitive theory of memory (Elaborated Intrusions). Participants (n = 69) took part in a simulated dental experience and were randomly assigned to one of three VR conditions (active vs. passive vs. control). In addition, participants were distinguished into high and low dentally anxious according to a median split resulting in a 3×2 between-subjects design. VR distraction in a simulated dental context affected memories a week later. The VR distraction had effects not only on concurrent experiences, such as perceived control, but longitudinally upon the vividness of memories after the dental experience had ended. Participants with higher dental anxiety (for whom the dental procedures were presumably more aversive) showed a greater reduction in memory vividness than lower dental-anxiety participants. This study thus suggests that VR distractions can be considered as a relevant intervention for cycles of care in which people’s previous experiences affect their behaviour for future events. PMID:24621518

Improving dental experiences by using virtual reality distraction: a simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanja-Dijkstra, Karin; Pahl, Sabine; White, Mathew P; Andrade, Jackie; Qian, Cheng; Bruce, Malcolm; May, Jon; Moles, David R

2014-01-01

Dental anxiety creates significant problems for both patients and the dental profession. Some distraction interventions are already used by healthcare professionals to help patients cope with unpleasant procedures. The present study is novel because it a) builds on evidence that natural scenery is beneficial for patients, and b) uses a Virtual Reality (VR) representation of nature to distract participants. Extending previous work that has investigated pain and anxiety during treatment, c) we also consider the longer term effects in terms of more positive memories of the treatment, building on a cognitive theory of memory (Elaborated Intrusions). Participants (n = 69) took part in a simulated dental experience and were randomly assigned to one of three VR conditions (active vs. passive vs. control). In addition, participants were distinguished into high and low dentally anxious according to a median split resulting in a 3×2 between-subjects design. VR distraction in a simulated dental context affected memories a week later. The VR distraction had effects not only on concurrent experiences, such as perceived control, but longitudinally upon the vividness of memories after the dental experience had ended. Participants with higher dental anxiety (for whom the dental procedures were presumably more aversive) showed a greater reduction in memory vividness than lower dental-anxiety participants. This study thus suggests that VR distractions can be considered as a relevant intervention for cycles of care in which people's previous experiences affect their behaviour for future events.

Improving dental experiences by using virtual reality distraction: a simulation study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin Tanja-Dijkstra

Full Text Available Dental anxiety creates significant problems for both patients and the dental profession. Some distraction interventions are already used by healthcare professionals to help patients cope with unpleasant procedures. The present study is novel because it a builds on evidence that natural scenery is beneficial for patients, and b uses a Virtual Reality (VR representation of nature to distract participants. Extending previous work that has investigated pain and anxiety during treatment, c we also consider the longer term effects in terms of more positive memories of the treatment, building on a cognitive theory of memory (Elaborated Intrusions. Participants (n = 69 took part in a simulated dental experience and were randomly assigned to one of three VR conditions (active vs. passive vs. control. In addition, participants were distinguished into high and low dentally anxious according to a median split resulting in a 3×2 between-subjects design. VR distraction in a simulated dental context affected memories a week later. The VR distraction had effects not only on concurrent experiences, such as perceived control, but longitudinally upon the vividness of memories after the dental experience had ended. Participants with higher dental anxiety (for whom the dental procedures were presumably more aversive showed a greater reduction in memory vividness than lower dental-anxiety participants. This study thus suggests that VR distractions can be considered as a relevant intervention for cycles of care in which people's previous experiences affect their behaviour for future events.

Normalizing suffering: A meta-synthesis of experiences of and perspectives on pain and pain management in nursing homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaismoradi, Mojtaba; Skär, Lisa; Söderberg, Siv; Bondas, Terese E

2016-01-01

Older people who live in nursing homes commonly suffer from pain. Therefore, relieving suffering among older people that stems from pain demands knowledge improvement through an integration of international knowledge. This study aimed to integrate current international findings and strengthen the understanding of older people's experiences of and perspectives on pain and pain management in nursing homes. A meta-synthesis study using Noblit and Hare's interpretative meta-ethnography approach was conducted. Empirical research papers from journals were collected from various databases. The search process and appraisal determined six articles for inclusion. Two studies were conducted in the US and one each in Iceland, Norway, the UK, and Australia. The older people's experiences of pain as well as perspectives on pain management from all involved (older people, their family members, and healthcare staff) were integrated into a theoretical model using three themes of "identity of pain," "recognition of pain," and "response to pain." The metaphor of "normalizing suffering" was devised to illustrate the meaning of pain experiences and pain management in nursing homes. Society's common attitude that pain is unavoidable and therefore acceptable in old age in society-among older people themselves as well as those who are responsible for reporting, acknowledging, and relieving pain-must change. The article emphasizes that pain as a primary source of suffering can be relieved, provided that older people are encouraged to report their pain. In addition, healthcare staff require sufficient training to take a person-centered approach towards assessment and management of pain that considers all elements of pain.

Perception of Affordances and Experience of Presence in Virtual Reality

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Paweł Grabarczyk

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Recent developments in virtual reality technology raise a question about the experience of presence and immersion in virtual environments. What is immersion and what are the conditions for inducing the experience of virtual presence? In this paper, we argue that crucial determinants of presence are perception of affordances and sense of embodiment. In the first section of this paper, we define key concepts and introduce important distinctions such as immersion and presence. In the second and third sections, we respectively discuss presence, immersion and their determinants in detail. In the fourth and fifth sections, we argue for the importance of perception of affordances and sense of embodiment in increasing the degree of presence. Finally, we show the consequences of our view and discuss possible future implications.

Pain relief at the end of life: nurses' experiences regarding end-of-life pain relief in patients with dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Brorson, Hanna; Plymoth, Henrietta; Örmon, Karin; Bolmsjö, Ingrid

2014-03-01

Patients with dementia receive suboptimal palliative care, and this patient group is at risk to have pain at the end of life. Because communicative impairments are common in this patient group, nurses play an important caregiver role in identifying, assessing, and relieving patients' pain. This study aimed to describe nurses' experiences regarding end-of-life pain relief in patients with dementia. This descriptive exploratory qualitative study was based on seven semistructured interviews. Burnard's content analysis inspired the data analysis. Two main categories were identified: (1) nurses' experience of difficulties concerning pain relief and (2) nurses' experience of resources concerning pain relief. Nurses experienced difficulties, such as feeling of powerlessness because of difficulties in obtaining adequate prescriptions for analgesics, ethical dilemmas, feeling of inadequacy because analgesia did not have the desired effect, and a feeling of not being able to connect with the patient. Factors, including knowledge about the patient, professional experience, utilization of pain assessment tools, interpersonal relationships, and interprofessional cooperation, served as resources and enabled end-of-life pain relief. The results of this study highlight the complexity of pain relief in patients with dementia at the end of life from a nursing perspective. The inability of patients with dementia to verbally communicate their pain makes them a vulnerable patient group, dependent on their caregivers. Knowing the life story of the patient, professional experience, teamwork based on good communication, and use of a pain assessment tool were reported by the nurses to improve pain relief at the end of life for patients with dementia. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Virtual Reality as a Distraction Intervention to Relieve Pain and Distress During Medical Procedures: A Comprehensive Literature Review.

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Indovina, Paola; Barone, Daniela; Gallo, Luigi; Chirico, Andrea; De Pietro, Giuseppe; Antonio, Giordano

2018-02-26

This review aims to provide a framework for evaluating the utility of virtual reality (VR) as a distraction intervention to alleviate pain and distress during medical procedures. We firstly describe the theoretical bases underlying the VR analgesic and anxiolytic effects and define the main factors contributing to its efficacy, which largely emerged from studies on healthy volunteers. Then, we provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical trials using VR distraction during different medical procedures, such as burn injury treatments, chemotherapy, surgery, dental treatment, and other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A broad literature search was performed using as main terms "virtual reality", "distraction" and "pain". No date limit was applied and all the retrieved studies on immersive VR distraction during medical procedures were selected. VR has proven to be effective in reducing procedural pain, as almost invariably observed even in patients subjected to extremely painful procedures, such as patients with burn injuries undergoing wound care and physical therapy. Moreover, VR seemed to decrease cancer-related symptoms in different settings, including during chemotherapy. Only mild and infrequent side effects were observed. Despite these promising results, future long-term randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and evaluating not only self-report measures but also physiological variables are needed. Further studies are also required both to establish predictive factors to select patients who can benefit from VR distraction and to design hardware/software systems tailored to the specific needs of different patients and able to provide the greatest distraction at the lowest cost.

Virtual worlds. Meta-analysis of educational experiences from its beginnings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Manuel DÍAZ FERNÁNDEZ

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Over a decade has passed since the specialized scientific literature presented in 2004 the first educational experience with virtual worlds. An evolutionary period that requires analysis to determine the adequacy of the developed experiences so far, enabling the formulation of guidelines and / or aspects to consider in future experiences to achieve better adjustment and adaptation to the specific framework.The investigation lies within the meta-analytic paradigm, with a quantitative and systematic review of the results of the 36 experiences that have been accessed, projecting an analysis and review of the same by using a form of observation, new and validated, in which a number of desirable compliance parameters are set, based on the current framework established by different experts.The results show a high degree of adaptation in didactic and pedagogical aspects, as well as communication and interaction, being lower in technical and support aspects, which can influence the work in virtual worlds. On the other hand, errors not meet the characteristics of the participants are detected. Failure to take into account their degree of socialization, their digital knowledge or communication skills in these environments, determines the validity of the designs and implementations, being important to consider in future experiences with virtual worlds.

Designing Shared Virtual Reality Gaming Experiences in Local Multi-platform Games

OpenAIRE

Liszio , Stefan; Masuch , Maic

2016-01-01

Part 4: Short Papers; International audience; Designing multiplayer virtual reality games is a challenging task since immersion is easily destroyed by real world influences. However, providing fun and social virtual reality experiences is inevitable for establishing virtual reality gaming as a convincing new medium. We propose a design approach to integrate social interactions into the game design while retaining immersion, and present design methods to implement this approach. Furthermore, w...

Feeling the pain of others is associated with self-other confusion and prior pain experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Derbyshire, Stuart W G; Osborn, Jody; Brown, Steven

2013-01-01

Some chronic pain patients and healthy individuals experience pain when observing injury or others in pain. To further understand shared pain, we investigated perspective taking, bodily ownership and tooth pain sensitivity. First, participants who reported shared pain (responders) and those who did not (non-responders) viewed an avatar on a screen. Intermittently, 0-3 circles appeared. Sometimes the participant's and avatar's perspective were consistent, both directly viewed the same circles, and sometimes inconsistent, both directly viewed different circles. Responders were faster than non-responders to identify the number of circles when adopting a consistent perspective. Second, participants sat with their left hand hidden while viewing a rubber hand. All participants reported an illusory sensation of feeling stroking in the rubber hand and a sense of ownership of the rubber hand during synchronous stroking of the rubber and hidden hand. The responders also reported feeling the stroking and a sense of ownership of the rubber hand during asynchronous stroking. For experiment three, participants with either low, moderate, or high tooth sensitivity observed a series of images depicting someone eating an ice-popsicle. Low sensitivity participants never reported pain. In contrast, moderate and high sensitivity participants reported pain in response to an image depicting someone eating an ice popsicle (4 and 19% of the time, respectively) and depicting someone eating an ice-popsicle and expressing pain (23 and 40%, respectively). In summary, responders have reduced ability to distinguish their own and others' visual perspective and enhanced ability to integrate a foreign arm into their bodily representation. The tendency to share pain is also enhanced when an observed pain is commonly experienced by the observer. Shared pain may therefore involve reactivation of pain memories or pain schema that are readily integrated into a self perspective and bodily representation.

Feeling the pain of others is associated with self-other confusion and prior pain experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stuart W G Derbyshire

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Some chronic pain patients and healthy individuals experience pain when observing injury or others in pain. To further understand shared pain, we investigated perspective taking, bodily ownership and tooth pain sensitivity. First, participants who reported shared pain (responders and those who did not (non-responders viewed an avatar on a screen. Intermittently, 0-3 circles appeared. Sometimes the participant's and avatar's perspective were consistent, both directly viewed the same circles, and sometimes inconsistent, both directly viewed different circles. Responders were faster than non-responders to identify the number of circles when adopting a consistent perspective. Second, participants sat with their left hand hidden while viewing a rubber hand. All participants reported an illusory sensation of feeling stroking in the rubber hand and a sense of ownership of the rubber hand during synchronous stroking of the rubber and hidden hand. The responders also reported feeling the stroking and a sense of ownership of the rubber hand during asynchronous stroking. For experiment three, participants with either low, moderate or high tooth sensitivity observed a series of images depicting someone eating an ice-popsicle. Low sensitivity participants never reported pain. In contrast, moderate and high sensitivity participants reported pain in response to an image depicting someone eating an ice popsicle (4% and 19% of the time, respectively and depicting someone eating an ice-popsicle and expressing pain (23% and 40%, respectively. In summary, responders have reduced ability to distinguish their own and others' visual perspective and enhanced ability to integrate a foreign arm into their bodily representation. The tendency to share pain is also enhanced when an observed pain is commonly experienced by the observer. Shared pain may therefore involve reactivation of pain memories or pain schema that are readily integrated into a self perspective and

Virtual parameter-estimation experiments in Bioprocess-Engineering education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sessink, O.D.T.; Beeftink, H.H.; Hartog, R.J.M.; Tramper, J.

2006-01-01

Cell growth kinetics and reactor concepts constitute essential knowledge for Bioprocess-Engineering students. Traditional learning of these concepts is supported by lectures, tutorials, and practicals: ICT offers opportunities for improvement. A virtual-experiment environment was developed that

Parents' perceptions of their infant's pain experience in the NICU.

Science.gov (United States)

Gale, Gay; Franck, Linda S; Kools, Susan; Lynch, Mary

2004-01-01

Despite numerous advances in the recognition, assessment, and management of pain in neonates over the past two decades, there has been limited improvement in the knowledge base regarding parental responses to their infant's pain. This study examined parents' views of their experiences observing and coping with their infant's pain in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Twelve participants were recruited using purposive sampling from two groups: (a) parents who had infants currently receiving care in the NICU (n=6); and (b) parents whose infants had been discharged from the NICU and were enrolled in the outpatient follow-up clinic at each hospital (n=6). An exploratory, semi-structured format was used to interview parents individually (n=5) or in focus groups (n=7) regarding their infant's clinical course, infant pain experiences, and the parenting experience during and after the NICU stay. Thematic content analysis was used to develop conceptual categories. Two broad themes were identified: (a) infant pain as a source of parental distress and (b) relief of parental distress due to infant's pain.

A strategic map for high-impact virtual experience design

Science.gov (United States)

Faste, Haakon; Bergamasco, Massimo

2009-02-01

We have employed methodologies of human centered design to inspire and guide the engineering of a definitive low-cost aesthetic multimodal experience intended to stimulate cultural growth. Using a combination of design research, trend analysis and the programming of immersive virtual 3D worlds, over 250 innovative concepts have been brainstormed, prototyped, evaluated and refined. These concepts have been used to create a strategic map for the development of highimpact virtual art experiences, the most promising of which have been incorporated into a multimodal environment programmed in the online interactive 3D platform XVR. A group of test users have evaluated the experience as it has evolved, using a multimodal interface with stereo vision, 3D audio and haptic feedback. This paper discusses the process, content, results, and impact on our engineering laboratory that this research has produced.

Teachers' experiences of adolescents' pain in everyday life: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohde, Gudrun; Westergren, Thomas; Haraldstad, Kristin; Johannessen, Berit; Høie, Magnhild; Helseth, Sølvi; Fegran, Liv; Slettebø, Åshild

2015-09-03

More adolescents report pain now than previously. In Norway, episodic pain problems have been reported by 60% of children and adolescents aged 8-18 years, with 21% reporting duration of pain of more than 3 months. Since adolescents spend much time at school, the attitude and behaviour of teachers play important roles regarding the experience of pain felt by adolescents in everyday life. Yet research on how teachers perceive the pain experienced by adolescents in a school setting is limited. We therefore seek to gain insight to teachers' classroom experiences with (1) adolescent's self-reported pain symptoms; (2) adolescents management of their pain and (3) how to help adolescents manage their pain. Teachers in 5 junior high schools in Norway representing municipalities in 3 rural areas and 2 cities. A qualitative study with an explorative design comprising 5 focus group interviews. Each group consisted of 3-8 junior high school teachers. A semistructured interview guide was used to cover the issues. The transcribed text was analysed with qualitative content analysis. 22 teachers participated (5 men, 17 women; age range 29-62 years) with teaching experience ranging from 3 to nearly 40 years. The main theme describing the experience of teachers with adolescents' pain in everyday life is that pain and management of pain is a social, physical and psychological interwoven phenomenon. Through empirical analyses, 3 subcategories emerged: (1) everyday pain--expressing strenuous life; (2) managing pain--escaping struggle and (3) strategies of teachers--support and normalisation. Teachers have a biopsychosocial understanding and approach to pain experienced by adolescents. This understanding influences the role of teachers as significant others in the lives of adolescents with regard to pain and management of their pain in a school setting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to

Self-Reported Presence and Experience of Pain in Adults with Down Syndrome.

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de Knegt, Nanda C; Lobbezoo, Frank; Schuengel, Carlo; Evenhuis, Heleen M; Scherder, Erik J A

2017-07-01

The aim was to examine whether the presence of pain (based on physical conditions and participants' report) and self-reported pain experience in adults with Down syndrome (DS) differ from general population controls. Cross-sectional study of 224 adults with DS (mean age = 38.1 years, mild-severe intellectual disabilities) and 142 age-matched controls (median age = 40.5 years, mean estimated IQ = 105.7) in the Netherlands. File-based medical information was evaluated. Self-reported presence and experience of pain were assessed in rest and after movement during a test session (affect with facial affective scale (FAS: 0.04-0.97), intensity assessed with numeric rating scale (NRS: 0-10). Compared with controls, more DS participants had physical conditions that may cause pain and/or discomfort ( p  = .004, 50% vs 35%), but fewer DS participants reported pain during the test session ( p  = .003, 58% vs 73%). Of the participants who indicated pain and comprehended self-reporting scales ( n  = 198 FAS, n  = 161 NRS), the DS group reported a higher pain affect and intensity than the controls ( p  painful/discomforting physical conditions reported pain. Those who did indicated a higher pain experience than adults from the general population. Research into spontaneous self-report of pain, repeated pain assessment, and acute pain is needed in people with DS for more insight into pain experience and mismatches between self-report and medical information. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Middle school students' learning of mechanics concepts through engagement in different sequences of physical and virtual experiments

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Sullivan, Sarah; Gnesdilow, Dana; Puntambekar, Sadhana; Kim, Jee-Seon

2017-08-01

Physical and virtual experimentation are thought to have different affordances for supporting students' learning. Research investigating the use of physical and virtual experiments to support students' learning has identified a variety of, sometimes conflicting, outcomes. Unanswered questions remain about how physical and virtual experiments may impact students' learning and for which contexts and content areas they may be most effective. Using a quasi-experimental design, we examined eighth grade students' (N = 100) learning of physics concepts related to pulleys depending on the sequence of physical and virtual labs they engaged in. Five classes of students were assigned to either the: physical first condition (PF) (n = 55), where students performed a physical pulley experiment and then performed the same experiment virtually, or virtual first condition (VF) (n = 45), with the opposite sequence. Repeated measures ANOVA's were conducted to examine how physical and virtual labs impacted students' learning of specific physics concepts. While we did not find clear-cut support that one sequence was better, we did find evidence that participating in virtual experiments may be more beneficial for learning certain physics concepts, such as work and mechanical advantage. Our findings support the idea that if time or physical materials are limited, using virtual experiments may help students understand work and mechanical advantage.

Videogame distraction using virtual reality technology for children experiencing cold pressor pain: the role of cognitive processing.

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Law, Emily F; Dahlquist, Lynnda M; Sil, Soumitri; Weiss, Karen E; Herbert, Linda Jones; Wohlheiter, Karen; Horn, Susan Berrin

2011-01-01

This study examined whether increasing the demand for central cognitive processing involved in a distraction task, by involving the child in ongoing, effortful interaction with the distraction stimulus, would increase children's tolerance for cold pressor pain. Seventy-nine children ages 6-15 years underwent a baseline cold pressor trial followed by two cold pressor trials in which they received interactive distraction (i.e., used voice commands to play a videogame) or passive distraction (in which they merely watched the output from the same videogame segment) in counterbalanced order. Both distraction conditions were presented via a virtual reality-type helmet. As expected, children demonstrated significant improvement in pain tolerance during distraction relative to baseline. Children showed the greatest improvement during the interactive distraction task. The effects of distraction on children's cold pressor pain tolerance are significantly enhanced when the distraction task also includes greater demands for central cognitive processing.

Is the Experience of Thermal Pain Genetics Dependent?

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Emilia Horjales-Araujo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available It is suggested that genetic variations explain a significant portion of the variability in pain perception; therefore, increased understanding of pain-related genetic influences may identify new targets for therapies and treatments. The relative contribution of the different genes to the variance in clinical and experimental pain responses remains unknown. It is suggested that the genetic contributions to pain perception vary across pain modalities. For example, it has been suggested that more than 60% of the variance in cold pressor responses can be explained by genetic factors; in comparison, only 26% of the variance in heat pain responses is explained by these variations. Thus, the selection of pain model might markedly influence the magnitude of the association between the pain phenotype and genetic variability. Thermal pain sensation is complex with multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms operating alone and in combination within the peripheral and central nervous system. It is thus highly probable that the thermal pain experience is affected by genetic variants in one or more of the pathways involved in the thermal pain signaling. This review aims to present and discuss some of the genetic variations that have previously been associated with different experimental thermal pain models.

Postoperative pain management experiences among school-aged children: a qualitative study.

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Sng, Qian Wen; Taylor, Beverley; Liam, Joanne Lw; Klainin-Yobas, Piyanee; Wang, Wenru; He, Hong-Gu

2013-04-01

To explore postoperative pain management experiences among school-aged children. Ineffective postoperative pain management among children has been commonly reported. School-aged children are able to evaluate how their pain is managed and what their preferred strategies are. Most studies in pain management have adopted quantitative methods and have overlooked children's pain management experiences. This is a qualitative study using face-to-face interviews. Data were collected from 15 school-aged children admitted to a tertiary hospital in Singapore by in-depth interviews conducted between November 2010 and January 2011. Data were analysed by thematic analysis. Five themes were identified: children's self-directed actions to relieve their postoperative pain (e.g. using cognitive-behavioural methods of distraction and imagery, physical method of positioning, sleeping and drinking, seeking other people's help by informing parents and crying and using pain medications); children's perceptions of actions parents take for their postoperative pain relief (assessing pain, administering pain medications, using various cognitive-behavioural, physical methods and emotional support strategies, assisting in activities and alerting health professionals); children's perception of actions nurses take for their postoperative pain relief (administering medication, using cognitive-behavioural methods, emotional support strategies and helping with activities of daily living) and suggestions for parents (using distraction and presence) and nurses (administering medications, distraction and positioning) for their postoperative pain relief improvement. This study contributed to the existing knowledge about children's postoperative pain management based on their own experiences. Children, their parents and nurses used various strategies, including pain medication and non-pharmacological methods, especially distraction, for children's postoperative pain relief. This study provides evidence

Virtual Nursing Intervention Adjunctive to Conventional Care: The Experience of Persons Living With HIV

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Rouleau, Geneviève; Ramirez-Garcia, Pilar; Bourbonnais, Anne

2015-01-01

Background Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) must adhere optimally to antiretroviral therapy (ART) on a daily basis and for their lifetime to maintain an undetectable viral load, allowing them to preserve their health. Taking advantage of the opportunity that information and communication technologies provide to broaden intervention modalities and intensify clinical follow-up, a virtual nursing intervention consisting of four interactive computer sessions was developed to empower PLHIV to manage their ART and symptoms optimally. Compared with other types of information and communication technologies-assisted interventions such as text messages, HIV Treatment, Virtual Nursing Assistance and Education (VIH-TAVIE) requires a certain degree of active engagement on the part of the user to develop and strengthen the self-management skills to optimize adherence. After the intervention’s impact on ART adherence was measured quantitatively, a qualitative study was undertaken to describe how users experience the intervention. Understanding how PLHIV perceive being assisted asynchronously by a virtual nurse was of particular interest. Objective The objective of the study was to explore and describe how PLHIV experience VIH-TAVIE, that is, receiving customized asynchronous accompaniment via a virtual nurse. Methods A qualitative study was conducted with 26 PLHIV (20 men, 6 women) who received all four VIH-TAVIE sessions. Participants had been diagnosed with HIV 14 years earlier on average and had been on ART for a mean period of 10 years. The sessions lasted 20-30 minutes each and were received two weeks apart. They are hosted by a virtual nurse who engages the user in a self-management skills-learning process for the purpose of treatment adherence. Semistructured interviews were conducted lasting 30-40 minutes to get participants to share their experience of the intervention through personal stories and what they thought and felt during their participation. Data were analyzed

Virtual Nursing Intervention Adjunctive to Conventional Care: The Experience of Persons Living With HIV.

Science.gov (United States)

Côté, José; Rouleau, Geneviève; Ramirez-Garcia, Pilar; Bourbonnais, Anne

2015-10-20

Persons living with HIV (PLHIV) must adhere optimally to antiretroviral therapy (ART) on a daily basis and for their lifetime to maintain an undetectable viral load, allowing them to preserve their health. Taking advantage of the opportunity that information and communication technologies provide to broaden intervention modalities and intensify clinical follow-up, a virtual nursing intervention consisting of four interactive computer sessions was developed to empower PLHIV to manage their ART and symptoms optimally. Compared with other types of information and communication technologies-assisted interventions such as text messages, HIV Treatment, Virtual Nursing Assistance and Education (VIH-TAVIE) requires a certain degree of active engagement on the part of the user to develop and strengthen the self-management skills to optimize adherence. After the intervention's impact on ART adherence was measured quantitatively, a qualitative study was undertaken to describe how users experience the intervention. Understanding how PLHIV perceive being assisted asynchronously by a virtual nurse was of particular interest. The objective of the study was to explore and describe how PLHIV experience VIH-TAVIE, that is, receiving customized asynchronous accompaniment via a virtual nurse. A qualitative study was conducted with 26 PLHIV (20 men, 6 women) who received all four VIH-TAVIE sessions. Participants had been diagnosed with HIV 14 years earlier on average and had been on ART for a mean period of 10 years. The sessions lasted 20-30 minutes each and were received two weeks apart. They are hosted by a virtual nurse who engages the user in a self-management skills-learning process for the purpose of treatment adherence. Semistructured interviews were conducted lasting 30-40 minutes to get participants to share their experience of the intervention through personal stories and what they thought and felt during their participation. Data were analyzed using Miles and Huberman

The Virtual Shopping Experience: using virtual presence to motivate online shopping

OpenAIRE

Carolyn Chin; Paula Swatman; Paula Swatman

2005-01-01

Online shopping has thus far tended to be a niche business – highly successful in selling digital products such as shares, software and, increasingly, music and films, it has been less successful in persuading the purchasers of ‘traditional’ goods such as cars, clothes, toiletries, or household appliances to forsake their physical retailers and move into cyberspace. In this wide-ranging review paper we investigate the issue of the virtual experience – endeavouring to understand what is nee...

Construction of Virtual-Experiment Systems for Information Science Education

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She, Jin-Hua; Amano, Naoki

Practice is very important in education because it not only can stimulate the motivation of learning, but also can deepen the understanding of theory. However, due to the limitations on the time and experiment resources, experiments cannot be simply introduced in every lesson. To make the best use of multimedia technology, this paper designs five virtual experiment systems, which are based on the knowledge of physics at the high-school lever, to improve the effectiveness of teaching data processing. The systems are designed by employing the cognitive theory of multimedia learning and the inner game principle to ensure the easy use and to reduce the cognitive load. The learning process is divided into two stages: the first stage teaches the basic concepts of data processing; and the second stage practices the techniques taught in the first stage and uses them to build a linear model and to carry out estimation. The virtual experiment systems have been tested in an university's data processing course, and have demonstrated their validity.

Neuropathic Pain Experiences of Spinal Cord Injury Patients.

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Li, Chin-Ching; Lin, Hung-Ru; Tsai, Ming-Dar; Tsay, Shiow-Luan

2017-11-09

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common, severe problem that affects spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Only SCI patients truly understand the impact and extent of this type of pain. The aim of this study was to understand the NP experienced by SCI patients and the influence of this type of pain on their daily life. A qualitative design was used. An interview guide including a semistructured questionnaire and in-depth interviews was conducted with SCI patients with NP in a neurorehabilitation department at a medical center in northern Taiwan. The data were collected using a purposive sampling method. Content analysis was performed on the interview data, which were obtained from 13 SCI patients with NP. Three themes and eight subthemes were identified that described the NP experience of the participants and the influence of NP on their daily life. The three themes included elusive pain (changing and individual pain sensations, erratically haunting threat, and phantom limb sensations), complicated feelings about pain (converting depression into an active attitude toward life, having feelings of anticipation and anxiety about future pain relief, and facing and experiencing pain), and renewed hope (bravely fighting pain and seeking pain relief methods). This study revealed three important themes of NP experienced by SCI patients, including elusive pain, complicated feelings about pain, and renewed hope. Nurses should understand the nature of NP, provide a thorough pain assessment, and design a proper pain management plan to care effectively for patients with NP.

Viscosity Measurement: A Virtual Experiment - Abstract of Issues 9907W

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Papadopoulos, N.; Pitta, A. T.; Markopoulos, N.; Limniou, M.; Lemos, M. A. N. D. A.; Lemos, F.; Freire, F. G.

1999-11-01

Viscosity Measurement: A Virtual Experiment simulates a series of viscosity experiments. Viscosity is an important subject in chemistry and chemical engineering. It is important when dealing with intermolecular forces in liquids and gases and it has enormous relevance in all technological aspects of equipment dealing with liquids or gases. Most university-level chemistry courses include viscosity to some extent. Viscosity Measurement includes three virtual experiments: an Ostwald viscometer simulator, a falling-ball viscometer simulator, and a balance simulator for a simple determination of the density of a liquid. The Ostwald viscometer simulator and the balance simulator allow the student to find out how composition and temperature influence the density and viscosity of an ethanol-water mixture. The falling-ball viscometer simulator allows the student to determine experimentally the size and density of the ball required to measure viscosity of various liquids. Each virtual experiment includes a corresponding theoretical section. Support from the program is sufficient to enable the students to carry out a virtual experiment sensibly and on their own. Preparation is not essential. Students can use the program unsupervised, thus saving staff time and allowing flexibility in students' time. The design of the program interface plays a key role in the success of a simulated experiment. Direct manipulation has greater intuitive appeal than alternative interface forms such as menus and has been observed to provide performance and learning advantages (1). We tried to design an interface that is visually attractive, is user friendly with simple and intuitive navigation, and provides appropriate schematic animations to clarify the principles of the laboratory procedures. The opening screen presents the virtual experiments that can be selected. Clicking an icon takes the student to the appropriate section. Viscosity Measurement allows the student to concentrate on the

Virtual laryngoscopy-preliminary experience

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Byrne, A.T. [Departments of Radiology, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin 24 (Ireland); Walshe, P. [Departments of Otolaryngology, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin 24 (Ireland); McShane, D. [Departments of Otolaryngology, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin 24 (Ireland); Hamilton, S. [Departments of Radiology, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin 24 (Ireland)]. E-mail: samuel.hamilton@amnch.ie

2005-10-01

Purpose: Computed tomographic virtual laryngoscopy is a non-invasive radiological technique that allows visualisation of intra-luminal surfaces by three-dimensional reconstruction of air/soft tissue interfaces. It is particularly useful when the patient cannot tolerate clinical examination, when infection, neoplasm or congenital defects compromise the lumen and for assessment of the sub-glottic region. We have performed virtual laryngoscopy on patients referred because of upper airway symptoms, and compared the findings with those at conventional laryngoscopy. Materials and methods: Axial scans were obtained using a Toshiba Xpress helical scanner. Virtual laryngoscopy was then performed on a workstation using Toshiba 'Fly-thru' software and was completed within 5 min. Results: Pathology included vocal cord nodules, laryngeal cysts, Reinke's oedema, laryngeal neoplasms and leukoplakia. Conclusions: Virtual laryngoscopy displays anatomical detail comparable to conventional endoscopy. Impassable obstructions are no hindrance and all viewing directions are possible. It is especially useful for providing views of the larynx from below.

How does pain experience relate to the need for pain relief? A secondary exploratory analysis in a large sample of cancer patients.

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Johnsen, Anna Thit; Petersen, Morten A; Snyder, Claire F; Pedersen, Lise; Groenvold, Mogens

2016-10-01

To explore (1) the information obtained from related but conceptually different approaches to pain assessment and (2) the extent to which the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) can be used as a screening tool to predict patient-reported need for pain relief. Cancer patients randomly sampled from 56 hospital departments were included. Questionnaire items assessed patients' (a) pain experience using the EORTC QLQ-C30 pain scale and its two pain items separately (pain intensity and pain interference) and (b) pain burden and (c) need for pain relief using the Three-Levels-of-Needs Questionnaire (3LNQ). Of the 2364 patients contacted by mail, 1447 (61 %) completed the questionnaires. Among these, 51 % reported at least "a little" pain on the pain intensity item. The number of patients reporting pain to be a burden was similar, and pain experience and pain burden were highly correlated (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.85 to 0.91). Pain experience and pain burden were moderately correlated with the need for pain relief. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the EORTC QLQ-C30 discriminated between patients with and without a need for pain relief to an acceptable degree (area under the curve (AUC) 0.73-0.77). The cut-point a little gave a sensitivity of 84 % and specificity of 59 % for the item "Have you had pain?" and a sensitivity of 72 % and a specificity of 72 % for the pain scale. The majority of patients who experienced pain felt it to be a problem. Pain experience and pain burden were substantially related to need for pain relief, and the latter could be predicted from the EORTC QLQ-C30.

Pain experiences and non-pharmacological strategies for pain management after tonsillectomy: a qualitative interview study of children and parents.

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Idvall, Ewa; Holm, Charlotta; Runeson, Ingrid

2005-09-01

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common paediatric surgical procedures. This study aimed to investigate children's experience of pain and the nonpharmacological strategies that they used to manage pain after tonsillectomy. A further aim was to investigate parental views on these same phenomena. Six children (aged seven to 18 years) and their parents (four mothers and two fathers) were interviewed separately on the day after tonsillectomy. The data were analysed using a qualitative approach. Pain experiences were divided into the categories of physiological pain and psychological pain. Children rated their 'worst pain' during the past 24 hours between 6 and 10 (visual analogue scale, 0-10). The non-pharmacological strategies used most frequently to manage pain were thermal regulation (physical method) and distraction (cognitive-behavioural method) according to the framework used. Specific non-pharmacological strategies for pain management relative to different surgical procedures need to be considered.

Pain and disgust: the facial signaling of two aversive bodily experiences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miriam Kunz

Full Text Available The experience of pain and disgust share many similarities, given that both are aversive experiences resulting from bodily threat and leading to defensive reactions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether facial expressions are distinct enough to encode the specific quality of pain and disgust or whether they just encode the similar negative valence and arousal level of both states. In sixty participants pain and disgust were induced by heat stimuli and pictures, respectively. Facial responses (Facial Action Coding System as well as subjective responses were assessed. Our main findings were that nearly the same single facial actions were elicited during pain and disgust experiences. However, these single facial actions were displayed with different strength and were differently combined depending on whether pain or disgust was experienced. Whereas pain was mostly encoded by contraction of the muscles surrounding the eyes (by itself or in combination with contraction of the eyebrows; disgust was mainly accompanied by contraction of the eyebrows and--in contrast to pain--by raising of the upper lip as well as the combination of upper lip raise and eyebrow contraction. Our data clearly suggests that facial expressions seem to be distinct enough to encode not only the general valence and arousal associated with these two bodily aversive experiences, namely pain and disgust, but also the specific origin of the threat to the body. This implies that the differential decoding of these two states by an observer is possible without additional verbal or contextual information, which is of special interest for clinical practice, given that raising awareness in observers about these distinct differences could help to improve the detection of pain in patients who are not able to provide a self-report of pain (e.g., patients with dementia.

Dissociation of past and present experience in problem solving using a virtual environment.

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Sturz, Bradley R; Bodily, Kent D; Katz, Jeffrey S

2009-02-01

An interactive 3D desktop virtual environment task was created to investigate learning mechanisms in human problem solving. Participants were assessed for previous video game experience, divided into two groups (Training and Control), and matched for gender and experience. The Training group learned specific skills within the virtual environment before being presented a problem. The Control group was presented the problem only. Completion time was faster for the Training group and was affected by level of previous video game experience. Results indicated problem solving was a function of specific and general experience and demonstrated a method for dissociating these two facets of experience.

Mobile Virtual Learning Object for the Assessment of Acute Pain as a Learning Tool to Assess Acute Pain in Nursing: An Analysis of the Mental Workload.

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Alvarez, Ana Graziela; Sasso, Grace; Iyengar, Sriram

2015-11-06

The inclusion of new technologies in education has motivated the development of studies on mental workload. These technologies are now being used in the teaching and learning process. The analysis enables identification of factors intervening in this workload as well as planning of overload prevention for educational activities using these technologies. To analyze the mental workload of an educational intervention with the Mobile Virtual Learning Object for the Assessment of Acute Pain in adults and newborns, according to the NASA Task Load Index criteria. A methodological study with data collected from 5 nurses and 75 students, from November of 2013 to February of 2014. The highest students' and specialists' means were in the dimensions of "Mental demand" (57.20 ± 22.27; 51 ± 29.45) and "Performance" (58.47 ± 24.19; 73 ± 28.85). The specialists' mental workload index was higher (50.20 ± 7.28) when compared with students' (47.87 ± 16.85) on a scale from 0 to 100 (P=.557). The instrument allowed for the assessment of mental workload after an online educational intervention with a mobile learning virtual object. An excessive overload was not identified among participants. Assessing mental workload from the use of educational technologies at the end of a task is a key to their applicability, with the aim of providing a more effective, stimulating, and long-lasting experience of the learning process.

Pain experiences of patients with advanced cancer: A qualitative descriptive study.

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Erol, Ozgul; Unsar, Serap; Yacan, Lale; Pelin, Meryem; Kurt, Seda; Erdogan, Bülent

2018-04-01

Uncontrolled pain, especially in patients with advanced cancer, affects quality of life negatively and causes negative physical and psychological conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the pain experiences of patients with advanced cancer and how they manage with pain, and to present a view of pain management approaches of nurses from the perspectives of the patients. This was a qualitative descriptive study of sixteen hospitalized patients with advanced cancer. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with patients. Data were analysed by Colaizzi's phenomenological method. This study found that patients with advanced cancer who had pain experienced anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness and many restrictions in daily life as well as inability to manage with pain. Most of the patients with advanced cancer were not satisfied with their nursing care with regard to pain management. The themes that emerged were pain perception and experiences, effects of pain on daily life, pain management and management strategies and the patients' perspectives about nursing approaches to pain. This study demonstrated the difficulties of patients with advanced cancer who experienced pain in their daily lives, yet lack pain management strategies. Furthermore, nurses' caring approaches to patients with advanced cancer who experienced pain was found inadequate. Oncology nurses should provide educational interventions in order to enhance knowledge and skills about pain assessment and non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic strategies used in pain management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reform and practice for photoelectric specialty experimental teaching based on virtual simulation experiment platform

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Ye, Yan; Lv, Qingsong; Wu, Maocheng; Xu, Yishen; Gu, Jihua

2017-08-01

In view of some problems about the traditional photoelectric specialty experimental teaching process, such as separation of theoretical teaching and practical teaching, immobilization of experimental teaching contents, low quality of experiments and no obvious effect, we explored and practiced a new experimental teaching model of "theoretical teaching, virtual simulation and physical experiment", which combined the characteristics of photoelectric information science and engineering major and the essential requirements of engineering innovation talents cultivation. The virtual simulation experiment platform has many advantages, such as high performance-to-price ratio, easy operation and open experimental process, which makes virtual simulation combine physical experiment, complete each other with virtual for practical. After the users log into the virtual simulation experimental platform, they will first study the contents of the experiment, clarify the purpose and requirements of the experiment, master the method of using the instrument and the relevant notes, and then use the experimental instruments provided by the platform to build the corresponding experimental system. Once the experimenter's optical path is set incorrectly or the instrument parameters are set incorrectly, the error or warning message will be automatically triggered, and the reference information will be given instructing the student to complete the correct experimental operation. The results of our practice in recent years show that the teaching reform of the photoelectric specialty experiments has not only brought great convenience to the experimental teaching management, broadened the students' thinking and vision, enhanced the students' experimental skills and comprehensive qualities, but also made the students participate in the experiment with their enthusiasm. During the construction of experiment programs, the students' engineering practical ability and independent innovation awareness

A virtual reality catchment for data assimilation experiments

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Schalge, Bernd; Rihani, Jehan; Haese, Barbara; Baroni, Gabriele; Erdal, Daniel; Neuweiler, Insa; Hendricks-Franssen, Harrie-Jan; Geppert, Gernot; Ament, Felix; Kollet, Stefan; Cirpka, Olaf; Saavedra, Pablo; Han, Xujun; Attinger, Sabine; Kunstmann, Harald; Vereecken, Harry; Simmer, Clemens

2016-04-01

Current data assimilation (DA) systems often lack the possibility to assimilate measurements across compartments to accurately estimate states and fluxes in subsurface-land surface-atmosphere systems (SLAS). In order to develop a new DA framework that is able to realize this cross-compartmental assimilation a comprehensive testing environment is needed. Therefore a virtual reality (VR) catchment is constructed with the Terrestrial System Modeling Platform (TerrSysMP). This catchment mimics the Neckar catchment in Germany. TerrSysMP employs the atmospheric model COSMO, the land surface model CLM and the hydrological model ParFlow coupled with the external coupler OASIS. We will show statistical tests to prove the plausibility of the VR. The VR is running in a fully-coupled mode (subsurface - land surface - atmosphere) which includes the interactions of subsurface dynamics with the atmosphere, such as the effects of soil moisture, which can influence near-surface temperatures, convection patterns or the surface heat fluxes. A reference high resolution run serves as the "truth" from which virtual observations are extracted with observation operators like virtual rain gauges, synoptic stations and satellite observations (amongst others). This effectively solves the otherwise often encountered data scarcity issues with respect to DA. Furthermore an ensemble of model runs at a reduced resolution is performed. This ensemble serves also for open loop runs to be compared with data assimilation experiments. The model runs with this ensemble served to identify sets of parameters that are especially sensitive to changes and have the largest impact on the system. These parameters were the focus of subsequent ensemble simulations and DA experiments. We will show to what extend the VR states can be re-constructed using data assimilation methods with only a limited number of virtual observations available.

PENERAPAN VIRTUAL EXPERIMENT BERBASIS INKUIRI UNTUK MENGEMBANGKAN KEMANDIRIAN MAHASISWA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Yulianti

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Mahasiswa sebagai calon guru fisika bertugas sebagi pilar bagi perkembangan fisika di masyarakat, oleh karena itu dituntut menguasai fisika dan kemandirian di dalam mempelajari fisika. Kemandirian mahasiswa yang rendah perlu dilatih melalui penelitian tindakan kelas yang bersiklus. Penelitian Tindakan Kelas ini bertujuan mengembangkan kemandirian mahasiswa prodi Pendidikan Fisika melalui penerapan virtual experiment berbasis inkuiri pada pembelajaran Mekanika I Tujuan yang lain meningkatkan hasil belajar melalui pembelajaran inkuiri menggunakan virtual experiment  Penelitian  berlangsung tiga siklus, tiga pertemuan pada bahasan gerak parabola. Setiap siklus terdiri dari perencanaan, pelaksanaan, pengamatan dan refleksi. Data hasil belajar kognitif   diperoleh melalui, tes dan lembar pengamatan untuk mengukur hasil belajar afektif dan psikomotorik. Hasil yang diperoleh kemandirian mahasiswa dapat berkembang dan terjadi pe-ningkatan hasil belajar kognitif, afektif, dan psikomotorik mahasiswa prodi Pendidikan Fisika FMIPA Unnes semester III tahun 2011/2012This three-cycle classroom action research was aimed to develop physics education student autonomy and to increase students’ cognitive, afective and psychomotoric achievements by applying inquiry virtual experiment on Mechanics I lecture. Each cycle consists of planning, action, observing and reflection activity. The cognitive data was collected by using test, while the affective and psychomotoric ones were collected by using observation sheet. The result showed an increase of student autonomy and students’ cognitive, affective and psycomotoric achievements of third semester students of physics education of FMIPA Unnes year 2011/2012.

Exploring pain in the Andes--learning from the Quichua (Inca) people experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Incayawar, Mario; Saucier, Jean-François

2015-05-01

There is a mounting recognition that culture profoundly shapes human pain experience. The 28 million indigenous people of the Andes in South America, mainly the Quichua (Inca) people, share a distinctive culture. However, little is known about their pain experience and suffering. The aim of the present study was to explore how Quichua adults perceive, describe, and cope with the pain. An exploratory qualitative/descriptive study was conducted with a convenience sample of 40 Quichua adults, including 15 women and 25 men, in the Northern Highlands of Ecuador. Data were collected through structured interviews of approximately 3 h, using a Quichua questionnaire called "The Nature of Pain" [Nanay Jahua Tapuicuna]. The interviews covered the notions of causation of pain, vulnerability to pain, responses to pain, aggravating factors, frequent locations of pain, types of pain, duration, characteristics of pain, control of pain, pathways to care, and preventive measures of pain. Basic descriptive analyses were performed. The Quichuas' pain experience is complex and their strategies to cope with it are sophisticated. According to the Quichuas, emotions, life events, co-morbid conditions, and spirits, among others factors play an important role in the origin, diagnosis, and treatment of pain. They strongly embrace biomedicine and physicians as well as Quichua traditional medicine and traditional healers. Family members and neighbors are also valuable sources of health care and pain control. The pathway to pain care that the Quichua people prefer is inclusive and pluralistic. The knowledge of the Quichua ethnographic "emic" details of their belief system and coping strategies to control pain are clinically useful not only for the health professional working in the Andes, some Quichua cultural characteristics related to pain could be useful to the culturally competent health practitioner who is making efforts to provide high-quality medical care in rural and multicultural

Designing Interactive Storytelling: A Virtual Environment for Personal Experience Narratives

OpenAIRE

Ladeira , Ilda; Marsden , Gary; Green , Lesley

2011-01-01

Part 1: Long and Short Papers; International audience; We describe an ongoing collaboration with the District Six Museum, in Cape Town, aimed at designing a storytelling prototype for preserving personal experience narratives. We detail the design of an interactive virtual environment (VE) which was inspired by a three month ethnography of real-life oral storytelling. The VE places the user as an audience member in a virtual group listening to two storytelling agents capable of two forms of i...

Thematic web portals for different user profiles in a virtual health science library: Bibliosalut's experience

OpenAIRE

Páez, Virgili; Font, Mònica; Pastor-Ramon, Elena; Sastre-Suárez, Sílvia; Costa-Marin, Maria

2016-01-01

Normally users of a virtual health library have different professional profiles (physicians, nurses, pharmacists...) and/or they are from different specialties (Primary Health Care, Internal Medicine, Oncology...). This poster shows the experience of the Virtual Health Sciences Library of the Balearic Islands (Bibliosalut) of creating thematic web portals, which aims is to improve the experience of our users to browse and query to information resources and services of the virtual library and ...

A meta-ethnography of patients' experiences of chronic pelvic pain: struggling to construct chronic pelvic pain as 'real'.

Science.gov (United States)

Toye, Francine; Seers, Kate; Barker, Karen

2014-12-01

To review systematically and integrate the findings of qualitative research to increase our understanding of patients' experiences of chronic pelvic pain. Chronic pelvic pain is a prevalent pain condition with a high disease burden for men and women. Its multifactorial nature makes it challenging for clinicians and patients. Synthesis of qualitative research using meta-ethnography. Five electronic bibliographic databases from inception until March 2014 supplemented by citation tracking. Of 488 papers retrieved, 32 met the review aim. Central to meta-ethnography is identifying 'concepts' and developing a conceptual model through constant comparison. Concepts are the primary data of meta-ethnography. Two team members read each paper to identify and collaboratively describe the concepts. We next compared concepts across studies and organized them into categories with shared meaning. Finally, we developed a conceptual model, or line of argument, to explain the conceptual categories. Our findings incorporate the following categories into a conceptual model: relentless and overwhelming pain; threat to self; unpredictability, struggle to construct pain as normal or pathological; a culture of secrecy; validation by diagnosis; ambiguous experience of health care; elevation of experiential knowledge and embodiment of knowledge through a community. The innovation of our model is to demonstrate, for the first time, the central struggle to construct 'pathological' vs. 'normal' chronic pelvic pain, a struggle that is exacerbated by a culture of secrecy. More research is needed to explore men's experience and to compare this with women's experience. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Virtual experiences in business administration learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse Alves Amâncio

2007-09-01

Full Text Available In Business Administration, the question about contents’ specialization has arisen, which would difficult the construction of student’s global view and promote detachment between those contents and their application, compromising his professional performance. Considering Theory of Experiential Learning KOLB, 1984 which relates concrete experience and abstract conceptualization, the overcoming of those problems is searched by using a free simulation software that provides a virtual environment for those experiences – in this case, for business plan formulation including all organizational aspects. This paper reports one of those experiences and highlights as important innovations: the appreciation of contents’ integration; the student’s active and critical participation; and the teacher’s essential role as a facilitator of all the process. The incorporation of a new didactical/technological resource to enhance Business Administration Teaching and Learning Process stands out as a contribution of this work.

Is the experience of pain in patients with temporomandibular disorder associated with the presence of comorbidity?

Science.gov (United States)

Visscher, Corine M; van Wesemael-Suijkerbuijk, Erin A; Lobbezoo, Frank

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to explore the association between the presence of comorbidities and the pain experience in individual patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). This clinical trial comprised 112 patients with TMD pain. For all participants the presence of the following comorbid factors was assessed: pain in the neck; somatization; impaired sleep; and depression. Pain experience was evaluated using the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). For each subject the TMD-pain experience was assessed for three dimensions - sensory, affective, and evaluative - as specified in the MPQ. The association between comorbid factors and these three dimensions of TMD-pain experience was then evaluated using linear regression models. Univariable regression analyses showed that all comorbid factors, except for one factor, were positively associated with the level of pain, as rated by the sensory description of pain, the affective component of pain, and the evaluative experience of pain. The multivariable regression analyses showed that for all MPQ dimensions, depression showed the strongest associations with pain experience. It was found that in the presence of comorbid disorders, patients with TMD experience elevated levels of TMD pain. This information should be taken into consideration in the diagnostic process, as well as in the choice of treatment. © 2016 Eur J Oral Sci.

Uniqueness of Experience and Virtual Playworlds: Playing Is Not Just for Fun

Science.gov (United States)

Talamo, Alessandra; Pozzi, Simone; Mellini, Barbara

2010-01-01

Social interactions within virtual communities are often described solely as being online experiences. Such descriptions are limited, for they fail to reference life external to the screen. The terms "virtual" and "real" have a negative connotation for many people and can even be interpreted to mean that something is "false" or "inauthentic."…

Japanese women's experiences of pharmacological pain relief in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Doering, Keiko; Patterson, Jean; Griffiths, Christine R

2014-06-01

In Japan, most women manage labour pain without pharmacological interventions. However, New Zealand statistics show a high percentage of epidural use amongst Asian women. Entonox (a gas mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen) and pethidine are also available to women in New Zealand. This article investigates how Japanese women in New Zealand respond to the use of pharmacological pain relief in labour. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) How do Japanese women experience and manage labour pain in New Zealand? (2) How do they feel about the use of pharmacological pain relief? Thirteen Japanese women who had given birth in New Zealand were interviewed individually or in a focus group. The conversations were analysed using thematic analysis. Although in Japan very few women use pain relief, nine women received epidural and/or Entonox out of 11 women who experienced labour pain. The contrast between their Japanese cultural expectations and their birth experiences caused some of the women subsequent personal conflict. Japanese women's cultural perspectives and passive attitudes were demonstrated to influence the decision-making process concerning pain relief. It was concluded that understanding Japanese cultural worldviews and approaches to the role of pain in labour would help maternity providers in their provision of appropriate care for Japanese women. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concepts within the Chinese culture that influence the cancer pain experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lih-Mih; Miaskowski, Christine; Dodd, Marylin; Pantilat, Steven

2008-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe some of the concepts within the Chinese culture that influence the sociocultural dimension of the cancer pain experience. The major concepts that influence Chinese patients' perspectives on cancer pain and its management include Taoism/energy, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Within the beliefs of Taoism/energy, pain occurs if Qi, or blood circulation, is blocked. To relieve pain, the blockage of Qi/blood must be removed and the person needs to maintain harmony with the universe. Within the beliefs of Buddhism, pain/suffering is a power, unwanted but existent, that comes from a barrier in the last life; from the objective world; from a person's own sensation; or from other people, animals, and materials. Only by following the 8 right ways (ie, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration) can an individual end the path of pain/suffering. A Confucian believes that pain is an essential element of life, a "trial" or a "sacrifice." Therefore, when a person suffers with pain, he or she would rather endure the pain and not report it to a clinician until the pain becomes unbearable. Oncology nurses who care for Chinese patients need to understand the fundamental beliefs that influence the sociocultural dimension of the pain experience for these patients. This information will assist the oncology nurse in developing a more effective pain management plan.

Social dimensions of pain. Comment on “Facing the experience of pain: A neuropsychological perspective” by Fabbro and Crescentini

Science.gov (United States)

Avenanti, Alessio; Vicario, Carmelo Mario; Borgomaneri, Sara

2014-09-01

In this issue, Fabbro and Crescentini [1] provide an integrative review of neuroscientific, psychological, cultural and philosophical aspects of pain experience and discuss some critical examples of its regulation. Here we focus on the two main social phenomena that are addressed in the review, namely the 'pain of separation' and 'empathy for pain' and further support the idea that these phenomena are intrinsically linked to physical pain, which may provide a 'proximal' physiological base to further understand them. In addition, we discuss the evolutionary 'ultimate' bases of such phenomena and suggest that they are linked to the evolution of parental care in social animals and as such support the development of social bonds. We conclude by considering the effect that positive social relationships and empathy have on the experience of pain.

Enhancement of subjective pain experience and changes of brain function on sadness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshino, Atsuo; Takahashi, Terumichi; Okamoto, Yasumasa; Yoshimura, Shinpei; Kunisato, Yoshihiko; Okada, Go; Yamawaki, Shigeto; Onoda, Keiichi

2012-01-01

Pain is a multidimensional experience. Previous psychological studies have shown that a person's subjective pain threshold can change when certain emotions are recognized. We examined this association by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (15 healthy subjects) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) (19 healthy subjects). Subjects experienced pain stimuli in different emotional contexts induced by the presentation of sad, happy or neutral facial stimuli. They also rated their subjective pain intensity. We found: The intensity of subjective pain ratings increased in the sad emotional context, pain-related activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was more pronounced in the sad context, and we demonstrated amygdala to ACC connections during the experience of pain in the sad context, and event-related desynchronization (ERD) of lower beta bands in the right hemisphere after pain stimuli was larger in the sad emotional condition. These results show that emotional stimuli can modulate neural responses to pain stimuli, and that it may be relevant to understanding the broader relationship between somatic complaints and negative emotion. (author)

A rapid evidence assessment of immersive virtual reality as an adjunct therapy in acute pain management in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Garrett, Bernie; Taverner, Tarnia; Masinde, Wendy; Gromala, Diane; Shaw, Chris; Negraeff, Michael

2014-12-01

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) therapy has been explored as an adjunct therapy for the management of acute pain among children and adults for several conditions. Therapeutic approaches have traditionally involved medication and physiotherapy but such approaches are limited over time by their cost and side effects. This review seeks to critically evaluate the evidence for and against IVR as an adjunctive therapy for acute clinical pain applications. A rapid evidence assessment (REA) strategy was used. CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and the Cochrane Library databases were screened in from December 2012 to March 2013 to identify studies exploring IVR therapies as an intervention to assist in the management of pain. Main outcome measures were for acute pain and functional impairment. Seventeen research studies were included in total including 5 RCTs, 6 randomized crossover studies, 2 case series studies, and 4 single-patient case studies. This included a total of 337 patients. Of these studies only 4 had a low risk of bias. There was strong overall evidence for immediate and short-term pain reduction, whereas moderate evidence was found for short-term effects on physical function. Little evidence exists for longer-term benefits. IVR was not associated with any serious adverse events. This review found moderate evidence for the reduction of pain and functional impairment after IVR in patients with acute pain. Further high-quality studies are required for the conclusive judgment of its effectiveness in acute pain, to establish potential benefits for chronic pain, and for safety.

The Influence of Early Life Experience on Visceral Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabella M. Fuentes

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Pain is the most reported and troublesome symptom of nearly all functional disorders affecting the genitourinary and gastrointestinal organs. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS, vulvodynia, and/or chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS; collectively termed chronic pelvic pain syndromes report pain severe enough to impact quality of life and often suffer from symptoms of or are diagnosed with more than one of these syndromes. This increased comorbidity between chronic pelvic pain syndromes, and with pain disorders of disparate body regions, as well as with mood disorders, can be influenced by disruptions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis, which regulates the response to stress and influences the perception of pain. Experiencing trauma, neglect, or abuse in early life can permanently affect the functioning of the HPA axis. As such, a significant proportion of patients suffering from comorbid chronic pelvic pain syndromes report a history of early life stress or trauma. Here we will report on how these early life experiences influence chronic pelvic pain in patients. We will also discuss various rodent models that have been developed to study this phenomenon to understand the mechanisms underlying HPA axis dysfunction, as well as potential underlying mechanisms connecting these syndromes to one another.

The effects of coping style on virtual reality enhanced videogame distraction in children undergoing cold pressor pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sil, Soumitri; Dahlquist, Lynnda M; Thompson, Caitlin; Hahn, Amy; Herbert, Linda; Wohlheiter, Karen; Horn, Susan

2014-02-01

This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) enhanced interactive videogame distraction for children undergoing experimentally induced cold pressor pain and examined the role of avoidant and approach coping style as a moderator of VR distraction effectiveness. Sixty-two children (6-13 years old) underwent a baseline cold pressor trial followed by two cold pressor trials in which interactive videogame distraction was delivered both with and without a VR helmet in counterbalanced order. As predicted, children demonstrated significant improvement in pain tolerance during both interactive videogame distraction conditions. However, a differential response to videogame distraction with or without the enhancement of VR technology was not found. Children's coping style did not moderate their response to distraction. Rather, interactive videogame distraction with and without VR technology was equally effective for children who utilized avoidant or approach coping styles.

A prospective analysis of pain experience, beliefs and attitudes, and pain management of a cohort of Danish surgical patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorentzen, Vibeke; Hermansen, I.L.; Botti, M

2012-01-01

Abstract: ABSTRACT Background: Adequacy of pain management is a process indicator of health care quality with consequences for patient outcomes and satisfaction. The reported incidence of moderate to severe postoperative pain worldwide is between 20 to 80%. Objectives: The purpose was to assess...... the quality of pain management in a cohort of Danish postoperative patients by examining their pain experience, beliefs about pain and pain treatment, and relationships between pain intensity, its effect on function, and pharmacological pain management. Methods: The American Pain Society's Patient Outcome...... Questionnaire was used in a consecutive cohort of Danish patients who had undergone gastrointestinal, gynaecological, orthopaedic or urological surgery in the previous 48 hours. Results: Findings indicated uncontrolled pain in 45.5% of patients, who experienced moderate to severe intensity average pain...

Effects of videogame distraction and a virtual reality type head-mounted display helmet on cold pressor pain in young elementary school-aged children.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlquist, Lynnda M; Weiss, Karen E; Law, Emily F; Sil, Soumitri; Herbert, Linda Jones; Horn, Susan Berrin; Wohlheiter, Karen; Ackerman, Claire Sonntag

2010-07-01

This study examined the effects of videogame distraction and a virtual reality (VR) type head-mounted display helmet for children undergoing cold pressor pain. Fifty children between the ages of 6 and 10 years underwent a baseline cold pressor trial followed by two cold pressor trials in which interactive videogame distraction was delivered via a VR helmet or without a VR helmet in counterbalanced order. As expected, children demonstrated significant improvements in pain threshold and pain tolerance during both distraction conditions. However, the two distraction conditions did not differ in effectiveness. Using the VR helmet did not result in improved pain tolerance over and above the effects of interactive videogame distraction without VR technology. Clinical implications and possible developmental differences in elementary school-aged children's ability to use VR technology are discussed.

Using visuo-kinetic virtual reality to induce illusory spinal movement: the MoOVi Illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvie, Daniel S; Smith, Ross T; Hunter, Estin V; Davis, Miles G; Sterling, Michele; Moseley, G Lorimer

2017-01-01

Illusions that alter perception of the body provide novel opportunities to target brain-based contributions to problems such as persistent pain. One example of this, mirror therapy, uses vision to augment perceived movement of a painful limb to treat pain. Since mirrors can't be used to induce augmented neck or other spinal movement, we aimed to test whether such an illusion could be achieved using virtual reality, in advance of testing its potential therapeutic benefit. We hypothesised that perceived head rotation would depend on visually suggested movement. In a within-subjects repeated measures experiment, 24 healthy volunteers performed neck movements to 50 o of rotation, while a virtual reality system delivered corresponding visual feedback that was offset by a factor of 50%-200%-the Motor Offset Visual Illusion (MoOVi)-thus simulating more or less movement than that actually occurring. At 50 o of real-world head rotation, participants pointed in the direction that they perceived they were facing. The discrepancy between actual and perceived direction was measured and compared between conditions. The impact of including multisensory (auditory and visual) feedback, the presence of a virtual body reference, and the use of 360 o immersive virtual reality with and without three-dimensional properties, was also investigated. Perception of head movement was dependent on visual-kinaesthetic feedback ( p  = 0.001, partial eta squared = 0.17). That is, altered visual feedback caused a kinaesthetic drift in the direction of the visually suggested movement. The magnitude of the drift was not moderated by secondary variables such as the addition of illusory auditory feedback, the presence of a virtual body reference, or three-dimensionality of the scene. Virtual reality can be used to augment perceived movement and body position, such that one can perform a small movement, yet perceive a large one. The MoOVi technique tested here has clear potential for assessment and

Using visuo-kinetic virtual reality to induce illusory spinal movement: the MoOVi Illusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel S. Harvie

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background Illusions that alter perception of the body provide novel opportunities to target brain-based contributions to problems such as persistent pain. One example of this, mirror therapy, uses vision to augment perceived movement of a painful limb to treat pain. Since mirrors can’t be used to induce augmented neck or other spinal movement, we aimed to test whether such an illusion could be achieved using virtual reality, in advance of testing its potential therapeutic benefit. We hypothesised that perceived head rotation would depend on visually suggested movement. Method In a within-subjects repeated measures experiment, 24 healthy volunteers performed neck movements to 50o of rotation, while a virtual reality system delivered corresponding visual feedback that was offset by a factor of 50%–200%—the Motor Offset Visual Illusion (MoOVi—thus simulating more or less movement than that actually occurring. At 50o of real-world head rotation, participants pointed in the direction that they perceived they were facing. The discrepancy between actual and perceived direction was measured and compared between conditions. The impact of including multisensory (auditory and visual feedback, the presence of a virtual body reference, and the use of 360o immersive virtual reality with and without three-dimensional properties, was also investigated. Results Perception of head movement was dependent on visual-kinaesthetic feedback (p = 0.001, partial eta squared = 0.17. That is, altered visual feedback caused a kinaesthetic drift in the direction of the visually suggested movement. The magnitude of the drift was not moderated by secondary variables such as the addition of illusory auditory feedback, the presence of a virtual body reference, or three-dimensionality of the scene. Discussion Virtual reality can be used to augment perceived movement and body position, such that one can perform a small movement, yet perceive a large one. The Mo

Undergraduate Student Self-Efficacy and Perceptions of Virtual World Learning Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Lorraine May

2017-01-01

Virtual worlds are innovative teaching and learning methods that can provide immersive and engaging learning experiences (Lu, 2010). Though they have potential benefits, students sometimes experience a steep learning curve and discomfort with the technology (Warburton, 2009). This study explored how students in two American Studies classes using…

Exploring key determinants of virtual worlds business success based on users' experience and perception

OpenAIRE

Xu , Xiaobo (Bob)

2010-01-01

Given the growth and popularity of virtual worlds, companies have a strong interest in presenting themselves successfully in virtual worlds. We designed an experimental study to identify the key determinants of virtual worlds business success based on users’ experience and perception. The preliminary results indicate that Starbucks, McDonalds, and Paris are the 3 most favorite sites. Furthermore, 5 key determinants (entertainment, functionality, interactivity, reality, and s...

Alexithymic trait, painful heat stimulation and everyday pain experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga ePollatos

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Alexithymia was found to be associated with a variety of somatic complaints including somatoform pain symptoms. This study addressed the question of whether the different facets of alexithymia are related to responses in heat pain stimulation and its interrelations with levels of everyday pain as assessed by self report. Methods: In the study, sensitivity to heat pain was assessed in fifty healthy female participants. Alexithymia facets were assessed by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Pain threshold and tolerance were determined using a testing the limits procedure. Participants furthermore rated subjective intensities and unpleasantness of tonic heat stimuli (45.5 C to 47.5 C on visual analogue scales and on a questionnaire. Possible confounding with temperature sensitivity and mood was controlled. Everyday pain was assessed by self-report addressing everyday pain frequency, intensity and impairment experienced over the last two months. Results: Main results were that the facets of alexithymia were differentially associated with pain perception. The affective scale difficulties in describing feelings was associated with hyposensitivity to pain as indicated by higher pain tolerance scores. Furthermore, everyday pain frequency was related to increased alexithymia values on the affective scale difficulties in identifying feelings, whereas higher values on the cognitive alexithymia scale externally oriented thinking were related to lower pain impairment and intensity. Conclusions: We conclude that the different facets of alexithymia are related to alternations in pain processing. Further research on clinical samples is necessary to elucidate whether different aspects of alexithymia act as vulnerability factor for the development of pain symptoms.

A dyadic analysis of siblings' relationship quality, behavioural responses, and pain experiences during experimental pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Schinkel, Meghan G; Chambers, Christine T; Corkum, Penny; Jacques, Sophie

2018-04-16

Research on family factors in paediatric pain has primarily focused on parents; the role of siblings has been largely ignored. This study examined whether sibling relationship quality was related to siblings' behaviours during experimental pain, and whether the behaviours of an observing sibling were related to children's pain outcomes. Ninety-two sibling dyads between 8-12 years old completed both observational and questionnaire measures of sibling relationship quality. Children took turns completing the cold pressor task (CPT) in a counterbalanced order with their sibling present. Pain outcomes (intensity, fear, tolerance) were recorded for each sibling, and the behaviour of the observing and participating siblings during the CPT were coded as attending, non-attending, and coping/encouragement. Structural equation modelling, using the actor-partner interdependence model, was conducted to analyse the dyadic data. While participating in the CPT with their sibling present, greater levels of warmth and positivity in the sibling relationship were related to children engaging in more non-attending behaviours and less attending behaviours. Greater levels of attending behaviours by the observing child was related to the sibling having a lower pain tolerance, and greater levels of coping/encouragement behaviours by the observing child was related to the sibling reporting greater pain intensity and fear during the CPT. Children with warmer/positive sibling relationships were more likely to respond to acute pain by shifting the focus away from their pain experience (e.g., through distraction) when a sibling was present. Pain-focused behaviours by an observing sibling are related to greater child pain and fear during experimental pain.

Emergency pulpotomy in relieving acute dental pain among Tanzanian patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon Elison NM

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Tanzania, oral health services are mostly in the form of dental extractions aimed at alleviating acute dental pain. Conservative methods of alleviating acute dental pain are virtually non-existent. Therefore, it was the aim of this study to determine treatment success of emergency pulpotomy in relieving acute dental pain. Methods Setting: School of Dentistry, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Study design: Longitudinal study. Participants: 180 patients who presented with dental pain due to acute irreversible pulpitis during the study period between July and August 2001. Treatment and evaluation: Patients were treated by emergency pulpotomy on permanent posterior teeth and were evaluated for pain after one, three and six week's post-treatment. Pain, if present, was categorised as either mild or acute. Results Of the patients with treated premolars, 25 (13.9% patients did not experience pain at all while 19 (10.6% experienced mild pain. None of the patients with treated premolars experienced acute pain. Among 136 patients with treated molars 56 (31% did not experience any pain, 76 (42.2% experienced mild pain and the other 4 (2.2% suffered acute pain. Conclusion The short term treatment success of emergency pulpotomy was high being 100% for premolars and 97.1% for molars, suggesting that it can be recommended as a measure to alleviate acute dental pain while other conservative treatment options are being considered.

Social stress exacerbates the aversion to painful experiences in rats exposed to chronic pain: the role of the locus coeruleus.

Science.gov (United States)

Bravo, Lidia; Alba-Delgado, Cristina; Torres-Sanchez, Sonia; Mico, Juan Antonio; Neto, Fani L; Berrocoso, Esther

2013-10-01

Stressful experiences seem to negatively influence pain perception through as yet unknown mechanisms. As the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) nucleus coordinates many components of the stress response, as well as nociceptive transmission, we evaluated whether the sensory and affective dimension of chronic neuropathic pain worsens in situations of stress due to adaptive changes of LC neurons. Accordingly, male rats were socially isolated for 5 weeks, and in the last 2 weeks, neuropathic pain was induced by chronic constriction injury. In this situation of stress, chronic pain selectively heightened the animal's aversion to painful experiences (affective pain), as measured in the place escape/avoidance test, although no changes were observed in the sensory dimension of pain. In addition, electrophysiological recordings of LC neurons showed a low tonic but exacerbated nociceptive-evoked activity when the injured paw was stimulated. These changes were accompanied by an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase and gephyrin expression in the LC. Furthermore, intra-LC administration of bicuculline, a γ-aminobutyric acid-A receptor antagonist, attenuated the negative affective effects of pain. These data show that changes in the LC are greater than those expected from the simple summation of each independent factor (pain and stress), revealing mechanisms through which stressors may exacerbate pain perception without affecting the sensorial dimension. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fusion virtual laboratory: The experiments' collaboration platform in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakanishi, H., E-mail: nakanisi@nifs.ac.jp [National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu 509-5292 (Japan); Kojima, M.; Takahashi, C.; Ohsuna, M.; Imazu, S.; Nonomura, M. [National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu 509-5292 (Japan); Hasegawa, M. [RIAM, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8560 (Japan); Yoshikawa, M. [PRC, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Nagayama, Y.; Kawahata, K. [National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu 509-5292 (Japan)

2012-12-15

'Fusion virtual laboratory (FVL)' is the experiments' collaboration platform covering multiple fusion projects in Japan. Major Japanese fusion laboratories and universities are mutually connected through the dedicated virtual private network, named SNET, on SINET4. It has 3 different categories; (i) LHD remote participation, (ii) bilateral experiments' collaboration, and (iii) remote use of supercomputer. By extending the LABCOM data system developed at LHD, FVL supports (i) and (ii) so that it can deal with not only LHD data but also the data of two remote experiments: QUEST at Kyushu University and GAMMA10 at University of Tsukuba. FVL has applied the latest 'cloud' technology for both data acquisition and storage architecture. It can provide us high availability and performance scalability of the whole system. With a well optimized TCP data transferring method, the unified data access platform for both experimental data and numerical computation results could become realistic on FVL. The FVL project will continue demonstrating the ITER-era international collaboration schemes and the necessary technology.

A time for psycho-spiritual transcendence: The experiences of Iranian women of pain during childbirth.

Science.gov (United States)

Taghizdeh, Z; Ebadi, A; Dehghani, M; Gharacheh, M; Yadollahi, P

2017-12-01

The description of women's experiences of childbirth improves our understandings of the nature of childbirth, women's suffering and pain during childbirth. This study aimed to explore women's experiences of pain during childbirth. A qualitative study was conducted using a conventional content analysis method proposed by Graneheim and Lundman (2004). In-depth face to face semi-structured interviews were held with 17 women who met inclusion criteria for participation in this study. The women's experiences of pain during childbirth was described as 'a time for psycho-spiritual transcendence'. Categories developed during the data analysis were 'conflicting emotions towards pain', 'new insight towards labor pain', 'self-actualization' and 'spiritual development'. Most participants had positive experiences and attitudes towards pain during childbirth influenced by cultural, context and religious factors. According to this study, 'transcendental progression' was an eminent feeling that created positive inner feelings along with self-actualization in women. This provides a new insight on labor pain and helps healthcare providers understand the effect of pain during childbirth on women's spiritual, mental and psychological needs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Communication, Community, and Disconnection: Pre-Service Teachers in Virtual School Field Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkens, Christian; Eckdahl, Kelli; Morone, Mike; Cook, Vicki; Giblin, Thomas; Coon, Joshua

2014-01-01

This study examined the experiences of 11 graduate-level pre-service teachers completing Virtual School Field Experiences (VSFEs) with cooperating teachers in fully online, asynchronous high school courses in New York State. The VSFEs included a 7-week online teacher training course, and a 7-week online field experience. Pre-service teachers…

How incorporation of scents could enhance immersive virtual experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthieu Jeremiah Ischer

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Under normal everyday conditions, senses all work together to create experiences that fill a typical person´s life. Unfortunately for behavioral and cognitive researchers who investigate such experiences, standard laboratory tests are usually conducted in a nondescript room in front of a computer screen. They are very far from replicating the complexity of real world experiences. Recently, immersive virtual reality (IVR environments became promising methods to immerse people into an almost real environment that involves more senses. IVR environments provide many similarities to the complexity of the real world and at the same time allow experimenters to constrain experimental parameters to obtain empirical data. This can eventually lead to better treatment options and/or new mechanistic hypotheses. The idea that increasing sensory modalities improve the realism of immersive virtual reality environments has been empirically supported, but the senses used did not usually include olfaction. In this technology report, we will present an odor delivery system applied to a state-of-the-art IVR technology. The platform provides a three-dimensional, immersive, and fully interactive visualization environment called Brain and Behavioral Laboratory - Immersive System (BBL-IS. The solution we propose can reliably deliver various complex scents during different virtual scenarios, at a precise time and space and without contamination of the environment. The main features of this platform are: i the limited cross-contamination between odorant streams with a fast odor delivery (< 500 ms, ii the ease of use and control, and iii the possibility to synchronize the delivery of the odorant with pictures, videos or sounds. How this unique technology could be used to investigate typical research questions in olfaction (e.g., emotional elicitation, memory encoding or attentional capture by scents will also be addressed.

NASA Virtual Glovebox: An Immersive Virtual Desktop Environment for Training Astronauts in Life Science Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Twombly, I. Alexander; Smith, Jeffrey; Bruyns, Cynthia; Montgomery, Kevin; Boyle, Richard

2003-01-01

The International Space Station will soon provide an unparalleled research facility for studying the near- and longer-term effects of microgravity on living systems. Using the Space Station Glovebox Facility - a compact, fully contained reach-in environment - astronauts will conduct technically challenging life sciences experiments. Virtual environment technologies are being developed at NASA Ames Research Center to help realize the scientific potential of this unique resource by facilitating the experimental hardware and protocol designs and by assisting the astronauts in training. The Virtual GloveboX (VGX) integrates high-fidelity graphics, force-feedback devices and real- time computer simulation engines to achieve an immersive training environment. Here, we describe the prototype VGX system, the distributed processing architecture used in the simulation environment, and modifications to the visualization pipeline required to accommodate the display configuration.

The relationship between ethnicity and the pain experience of cancer patients: A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wingfai Kwok

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cancer pain is a complex multidimensional construct. Physicians use a patient-centered approach for its effective management, placing a great emphasis on patient self-reported ratings of pain. In the literature, studies have shown that a patient′s ethnicity may influence the experience of pain as there are variations in pain outcomes among different ethnic groups. At present, little is known regarding the effect of ethnicity on the pain experience of cancer patients; currently, there are no systematic reviews examining this relationship. Materials and Methods: A systematic search of the literature in October 2013 using the keywords in Group 1 together with Group 2 and Group 3 was conducted in five online databases (1 Medline (1946-2013, (2 Embase (1980-2012, (3 The Cochrane Library, (4 Pubmed, and (5 Psycinfo (1806-2013. The search returned 684 studies. Following screening by inclusion and exclusion criteria, the full text was retrieved for quality assessment. In total, 11 studies were identified for this review. The keywords used for the search were as follows: Group 1-Cancer; Group 2- Pain, Pain measurement, Analgesic, Analgesia; Group 3- Ethnicity, Ethnic Groups, Minority Groups, Migrant, Culture, Cultural background, Ethnic Background. Results: Two main themes were identified from the included quantitative and qualitative studies, and ethnic differences were found in: (1 The management of cancer pain and (2 The pain experience. Six studies showed that ethnic groups face barriers to pain treatment and one study did not. Three studies showed ethnic differences in symptom severity and one study showed no difference. Interestingly, two qualitative studies highlighted cultural differences in the perception of cancer pain as Asian patients tended to normalize pain compared to Western patients who engage in active health-seeking behavior. Conclusion: There is an evidence to suggest that the cancer pain experience is different between

Virtual reality, immersion, and the unforgettable experience

Science.gov (United States)

Morie, Jacquelyn F.

2006-02-01

Virtual reality has been in the public eye for nearly forty years. Its early promise was vast: worlds we could visit and live in, if we could bend the technology to our desires. Progress was made, but along the way the original directions and challenges of fully immersive VR took a back seat to more ubiquitous technology such as games that provided many of the same functions. What was lost in this transition was the potential for VR to become a stage for encounters that are meaningful, those experiences that tap into what it means to be human. This paper describes examples of such experiences using VR technology and puts forward several avenues of thought concerning how we might reinvigorate these types of VR explorations.

Innovative application of virtual display technique in virtual museum

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jiankang

2017-09-01

Virtual museum refers to display and simulate the functions of real museum on the Internet in the form of 3 Dimensions virtual reality by applying interactive programs. Based on Virtual Reality Modeling Language, virtual museum building and its effective interaction with the offline museum lie in making full use of 3 Dimensions panorama technique, virtual reality technique and augmented reality technique, and innovatively taking advantages of dynamic environment modeling technique, real-time 3 Dimensions graphics generating technique, system integration technique and other key virtual reality techniques to make sure the overall design of virtual museum.3 Dimensions panorama technique, also known as panoramic photography or virtual reality, is a technique based on static images of the reality. Virtual reality technique is a kind of computer simulation system which can create and experience the interactive 3 Dimensions dynamic visual world. Augmented reality, also known as mixed reality, is a technique which simulates and mixes the information (visual, sound, taste, touch, etc.) that is difficult for human to experience in reality. These technologies make virtual museum come true. It will not only bring better experience and convenience to the public, but also be conducive to improve the influence and cultural functions of the real museum.

The effectiveness of virtual reality on reducing pain and anxiety in burn injury patients: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Linzette Deidré; Louw, Quinette Abegail; Grimmer-Somers, Karen

2009-01-01

To systematically review the current evidence for the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR), in conjunction with pharmacologic analgesia on reducing pain and anxiety in burn injury patients undergoing wound dressing changes and physiotherapy management compared with pharmacologic analgesia alone or other forms of distraction. A comprehensive search was conducted between December 2007 and January 2008, and updated in January 2009, before publication. Computerized bibliographic databases were individually searched using specifically developed search strategies to identify eligible studies. Nine studies were deemed eligible for inclusion in this review. Wound dressing changes was the most common procedure during which VR was trialed. Pain was the primary outcome measure in all of the studies included. Anxiety was a secondary outcome measure in 3 of the 9 included studies. VR, in conjunction with pharmacologic analgesics, significantly reduced pain experienced by burn injury patients during wound dressing changes and physiotherapy. There is equivocal evidence for the effect of VR in conjunction with pharmacologic analgesics on reducing anxiety in burn injury patients during wound dressing changes and physiotherapy. This is the first known systematic review to report on the effectiveness of VR, in conjunction with pharmacologic analgesia on reducing pain and anxiety in burn injury patients undergoing wound dressing changes and physiotherapy management compared with pharmacologic analgesia alone or other forms of distraction. Used as an adjunct to the current burn pain management regimens, VR could possibly assist health professionals in making the rehabilitation process for burn patients less excruciating, thereby improving functional outcomes. Further research investigating the effect of VR on anxiety in burn injury patients is warranted.

Agreed Discoveries: Students' Negotiations in a Virtual Laboratory Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson, Goran; Ivarsson, Jonas; Lindstrom, Berner

2013-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of the scientific reasoning of a dyad of secondary school students about the phenomenon of dissolution of gases in water as they work on this in a simulated laboratory experiment. A web-based virtual laboratory was developed to provide learners with the opportunity to examine the influence of physical factors on gas…

Patients' experiences and actions when describing pain after surgery--a critical incident technique analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksson, Kerstin; Wikström, Lotta; Fridlund, Bengt; Årestedt, Kristofer; Broström, Anders

2016-04-01

Postoperative pain assessment remains a significant problem in clinical care despite patients wanting to describe their pain and be treated as unique individuals. Deeper knowledge about variations in patients' experiences and actions could help healthcare professionals to improve pain management and could increase patients' participation in pain assessments. The aim of this study was, through an examination of critical incidents, to describe patients' experiences and actions when needing to describe pain after surgery. An explorative design involving the critical incident technique was used. Patients from one university and three county hospitals in both urban and rural areas were included. To ensure variation of patients a strategic sampling was made according to age, gender, education and surgery. A total of 25 patients who had undergone orthopaedic or general surgery was asked to participate in an interview, of whom three declined. Pain experiences were described according to two main areas: "Patients' resources when in need of pain assessment" and "Ward resources for performing pain assessments". Patients were affected by their expectations and tolerance for pain. Ability to describe pain could be limited by a fear of coming into conflict with healthcare professionals or being perceived as whining. Furthermore, attitudes from healthcare professionals and their lack of adherence to procedures affected patients' ability to describe pain. Two main areas regarding actions emerged: "Patients used active strategies when needing to describe pain" and "Patients used passive strategies when needing to describe pain". Patients informed healthcare professionals about their pain and asked questions in order to make decisions about their pain situation. Selfcare was performed by distraction and avoiding pain or treating pain by themselves, while others were passive and endured pain or refrained from contact with healthcare professionals due to healthcare professionals

Virtual Reality in the Medical Field

OpenAIRE

Motomatsu, Haruka

2014-01-01

The objective is to analyze the use of the emerging 3D computer technology of VirtualReality in the use of relieving pain in physically impaired conditions such as burn victims,amputees, and phantom limb patients, during therapy and medical procedures. Virtualtechnology generates a three dimensional visual virtual world in which enables interaction.Comparison will be made between the emerging technology of the Virtual Reality and methodsusually used, which are the use of medicine. Medicine ha...

The pain experience of patients with sickle cell anemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, E

2001-09-01

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in 600 black infants in the United States. The painful crisis is one of its most characteristic manifestations and consists of pain in the extremities, back, abdomen, or chest. It may occur in 4 phases and may be precipitated by a variety of factors. The frequency, location, duration, severity, and character of pain differ both within and among patients. The pain may be localized, involve several areas, be diffuse, or be migratory. The intensity of pain varies from mild to excruciating and is perceived to be more intense by those who have experienced other forms of pain such as postoperative pain. Patients with sickle cell anemia who experience frequent painful crises exhibit problems with self-concept and low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction with body image, poor school performance, social isolation, decreased participation in normal activities of daily living, and poor peer and family relationships. The periodic and unpredictable episodes can be incapacitating and may affect the way children see and feel about themselves, the way they relate to other people, the goals they set for themselves, and the way they approach a range of activities and situations. Research is very limited, and most of the available literature is based on personal observations, opinions, and anecdotal reports. The purpose of this report is to describe the phases of a painful episode as well as to examine the predisposing factors to, defining characteristics of, and patient outcomes associated with a painful crisis from sickle cell anemia.

Virtual experiment instrument of nuclear pulse measuring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shan Jian; Zhao Xiuliang; Yu Hong; Zhang Meiqin

2009-01-01

Study on the scheme of application of virtual instrument(VI) technique in measuring of nuclear pulse. The system of Counter based on technology of LabVIEW and NI company's products USB-6009-DAQ is developed. Virtual nuclear instrument-Virtual Counter is realized. This system extends the application of technology of virtual instrument. The experimental results indicate that the system of Counter had the good counting measuring function of Nuclear Pulse. (authors)

Enhancing Experiment Central Service Reliability: from delivery to security and virtualization

CERN Document Server

Donno, Flavia; Buzykaev, Alexey; Saiz Santos, Maria Dolores

2011-01-01

The four LHC experiments rely on experiment specific services running on machines mainly located at CERN. Some of these services have been rated by the experiments as very critical: any loss or degradation of performance has a major impact on the experiment's production and analysis activities. It is therefore important to provide a reliable and robust operational environment. In this work we describe the strategy based on service deployment, security and virtualization adopted to enhance the reliability of ATLAS and CMS central services.

Evaluating virtual STEM mentoring programs: The SAGANet.org experience

Science.gov (United States)

Som, S. M.; Walker, S. I.; Miller, E.; Anbar, M.; Kacar, B.; Forrester, J. H.

2014-12-01

Many school districts within the United States continue to seek new ways of engaging students within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. SAGANet.org, a web-based 501c3 Astrobiology outreach initiative, works with a number of schools, partnering K-12 students and their families with professional scientist mentors from around the world to teach and inspire students using virtual technology platforms. Current programs include two mentoring partnerships: pairing scientist-mentors with at-risk youth at the Pittsburg Community School in Pittsburg CA, and pairing scientist-mentors with families from the Kyrene del Cielo Elementary School in Chandler AZ. These programs represent two very different models for utilizing the virtual media platform provided by SAGANet.org to engage K-12 students and their families in STEM. For the former, scientists mentor the students of the Pittsburg School as part of the formal in-class curriculum. For the latter, scientists work with K-5 students and their families through Cielo's Science & Engineering Discovery Room to develop a science project as part of an informal learning experience that is independent of the formal curriculum. In this presentation, we (1) discuss the challenges and successes of engaging these two distinct audiences through virtual media, (2) present the results of how these two very-different mentoring partnership impact K-12 students science self-efficacy, interest in science, and STEM career awareness, and (3) share the impact of the mentoring experience on the mentor's confidence and self-efficacy with communicating science to the public.

Pain as social glue: shared pain increases cooperation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastian, Brock; Jetten, Jolanda; Ferris, Laura J

2014-11-01

Even though painful experiences are employed within social rituals across the world, little is known about the social effects of pain. We examined the possibility that painful experiences can promote cooperation within social groups. In Experiments 1 and 2, we induced pain by asking some participants to insert their hands in ice water and to perform leg squats. In Experiment 3, we induced pain by asking some participants to eat a hot chili pepper. Participants performed these tasks in small groups. We found evidence for a causal link: Sharing painful experiences with other people, compared with a no-pain control treatment, promoted trusting interpersonal relationships by increasing perceived bonding among strangers (Experiment 1) and increased cooperation in an economic game (Experiments 2 and 3). Our findings shed light on the social effects of pain, demonstrating that shared pain may be an important trigger for group formation. © The Author(s) 2014.

The situation-specific theory of pain experience for Asian American cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Eun-Ok

2008-01-01

Studies have indicated the need for theories that explain and target ethnic-specific cancer pain experiences, including those of Asian Americans. In this article, I present a situation-specific theory that explains the unique cancer pain experience of Asian Americans. Unlike other existing theories, this situation-specific theory was developed on the basis of evidence, including a systematic literature review and research findings, making it comprehensive and highly applicable to research and practice with Asian American patients with cancer. Thus, this theory would strengthen the interconnections among theory, evidence, and practice in pain management for Asian American cancer patients.

Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Relate to Distinct Components of Pain Experience among Patients with Breast Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah K. Galloway

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Breast cancer is a leading cancer diagnosis among women worldwide, with more than 210,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths per year in the United States. Pain, anxiety, and depression can be significant factors during the course of breast cancer. Pain is a complex experience with sensory, affective, and cognitive dimensions. While depression and anxiety symptoms are relatively common among breast cancer patients, little is known about the relation between these psychiatric factors and distinct components of the pain experience. In the present study 60 females presenting to an NCI-designated Cancer Center with newly diagnosed breast cancer completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies 10-item Depression Scale, the State Instrument of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Findings indicate that anxiety and depression are common among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients; furthermore, patients experience an appreciable amount of pain even before oncologic treatment starts. State anxiety serves as a predictor of the sensory dimension of the pain experience, whereas depression serves as a predictor of the affective dimension of the pain experience.

THE VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: A REPORT OF BLENDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

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Paulo Roberto Prado Constantino

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an experiment in uses of virtual learning environments (VLE in the vocational education, evaluated by the Educational Supervision of Vocational and Secondary Schools of Paula Souza Center. The experience occurred in Etec "Jacinto Ferreira de Sá", São Paulo, Brazil, between 2009 and 2011, where the reported activities were organized and developed in the degree of Music, with students of different ages. Using specifics instruments to qualitative research for data collection were selected class record books, the reports to the virtual environment, the records of the participants' personal reflections, interviews and examination of the minutes of class councils involved. The experience has served as a basis for replication in other contexts and vocational courses presented by the institution.

Effects of Web Experience factors on virtual retail purchase preferences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lorenzo, Carlota; Constantinides, Efthymios; Gomez-Borja, Miguel Angel

2009-01-01

This article examines the effects of different elements of the Web Experience (WE) on the buying behaviour of virtual consumers, specifically on the choice of the online retail vendor. The purpose of the study is to empirically test the theoretical findings as to the main parameters of the online

Can virtual nature improve patient experiences and memories of dental treatment? A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanja-Dijkstra, Karin; Pahl, Sabine; White, Mathew P; Andrade, Jackie; May, Jon; Stone, Robert J; Bruce, Malcolm; Mills, Ian; Auvray, Melissa; Gabe, Rhys; Moles, David R

2014-03-22

Dental anxiety and anxiety-related avoidance of dental care create significant problems for patients and the dental profession. Distraction interventions are used in daily medical practice to help patients cope with unpleasant procedures. There is evidence that exposure to natural scenery is beneficial for patients and that the use of virtual reality (VR) distraction is more effective than other distraction interventions, such as watching television. The main aim of this randomized controlled trial is to determine whether the use of VR during dental treatment can improve the overall dental experience and recollections of treatment for patients, breaking the negative cycle of memories of anxiety leading to further anxiety, and avoidance of future dental appointments. Additionally, the aim is to test whether VR benefits dental patients with all levels of dental anxiety or whether it could be especially beneficial for patients suffering from higher levels of dental anxiety. The third aim is to test whether the content of the VR distraction can make a difference for its effectiveness by comparing two types of virtual environments, a natural environment and an urban environment. The effectiveness of VR distraction will be examined in patients 18 years or older who are scheduled to undergo dental treatment for fillings and/or extractions, with a maximum length of 30 minutes. Patients will be randomly allocated into one of three groups. The first group will be exposed to a VR of a natural environment. The second group will be exposed to a VR of an urban environment. A third group consists of patients who receive standard care (control group). Primary outcomes relate to patients' memories of the dental treatment one week after treatment: (a) remembered pain, (b) intrusive thoughts and (c) vividness of memories. Other measures of interest are the dental experience, the treatment experience and the VR experience. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN41442806.

Development, Implementation, and Assessment of General Chemistry Lab Experiments Performed in the Virtual World of Second Life

Science.gov (United States)

Winkelmann, Kurt; Keeney-Kennicutt, Wendy; Fowler, Debra; Macik, Maria

2017-01-01

Virtual worlds are a potential medium for teaching college-level chemistry laboratory courses. To determine the feasibility of conducting chemistry experiments in such an environment, undergraduate students performed two experiments in the immersive virtual world of Second Life (SL) as part of their regular General Chemistry 2 laboratory course.…

Experiences with spinal cord stimulator in patients with chronic neuropathic back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gjesdal, Kine; Furnes, Bodil; Dysvik, Elin

2014-09-01

Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic, and disabling condition that has physical, functional, and psychosocial repercussions. Although the estimated prevalence of neuropathic pain in the general population ranges from 1.5% to 8%, neuropathic pain is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated. The aims of this study were to examine the experience of patients treated with spinal cord stimulation as a pain-relieving treatment and how this may influence the patient's ability to participate in everyday life activities. A qualitative approach based on seven telephone interviews was performed. The participants were recruited from a university hospital in Norway, and all used spinal cord stimulation as a pain-relieving treatment. Qualitative content analysis was used. Two thematic findings emerged: (1) pain relief with spinal cord stimulation as a complex and individual experience and (2) challenges in adaptations in everyday life with spinal cord stimulation. Findings indicate that spinal cord stimulation can offer pain relief that can help patients achieve a meaningful life despite chronic pain. Spinal cord stimulation also may have disadvantages that should be considered before offering this treatment. It seems evident that extended information needs about working mechanism of SCS and precautions as well as follow-up are required to meet unexpected challenges in adaptation. Here the nurse has an important role when informing and following this patient group. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Sleepless nights and sore operation site": patients' experiences of nursing pain management after surgery in Jordan.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoqirat, Noordeen

2014-09-01

Internationally, it is agreed that pain management is a central component of nursing care. Although much has been written about pain prevalence among patients after surgery, research is scant on patients' experiences of nursing pain management and factors involved. This study explores patients' experiences of nursing pain management in Jordan and identifies contributing factors. A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected through focus group discussions (n = 4). A total of 31 patients were purposively selected. Two main themes emerged. The first theme was living in pain and comprised two categories: from sleep disturbances to the fear of addiction and from dependence to uncertainty. The second theme was about barriers that affect nursing pain management. Patients' experiences of nursing pain management were not up to their expectations; their needs were largely ignored and were dealt with in a mechanistic way. Barriers precipitating this situation were referred to in this study as the three "nots," including not being well-informed, not being believed, and not being privileged. The study concluded that patients' experiences of nursing pain management are a complex world that goes beyond medically orientated care. Nurses, therefore, are urged to look beyond standardized assessment tools and use patients' experiences and voices as valuable evidence contributing to more effective pain management. Unless this occurs in their daily encounters with patients, another decade will pass with little change in the practice of pain management. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interaction with virtual crowd in Immersive and semi‐Immersive Virtual Reality systems

OpenAIRE

Kyriakou, Marios; Pan, Xueni; Chrysanthou, Yiorgos

2016-01-01

This study examines attributes of virtual human behavior that may increase the plausibility of a simulated crowd and affect the user's experience in Virtual Reality. Purpose-developed experiments in both Immersive and semi-Immersive Virtual Reality systems queried the impact of collision and basic interaction between real-users and the virtual crowd and their effect on the apparent realism and ease of navigation within Virtual Reality (VR). Participants' behavior and subjective measurements i...

Projector-based virtual reality dome environment for procedural pain and anxiety in young children with burn injuries: a pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khadra C

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Christelle Khadra,1,2 Ariane Ballard,1,2 Johanne Déry,1,3 David Paquin,4 Jean-Simon Fortin,5 Isabelle Perreault,6 David R Labbe,7 Hunter G Hoffman,8 Stéphane Bouchard,9 Sylvie LeMay1,2 1Faculty of Nursing, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; 2Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada; 3Direction of Nursing, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada; 4Department in Creation and New Media, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Canada; 5Emergency Department, Hôpital de Granby, Granby, QC, Canada; 6Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada; 7Department of Software and IT Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, Montreal, QC, Canada; 8Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; 9Department of Psychoeducation and Psychology, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau, QC, Canada Background: Virtual reality (VR is a non-pharmacological method to distract from pain during painful procedures. However, it was never tested in young children with burn injuries undergoing wound care.Aim: We aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the study process and the use of VR for procedural pain management.Methods: From June 2016 to January 2017, we recruited children from 2 months to 10 years of age with burn injuries requiring a hydrotherapy session in a pediatric university teaching hospital in Montreal. Each child received the projector-based VR intervention in addition to the standard pharmacological treatment. Data on intervention and study feasibility and acceptability in addition to measures on pain (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale, baseline (Modified Smith Scale and procedural (Procedure Behavior Check List anxiety, comfort (OCCEB-BECCO [behavioral observational scale of comfort level for child burn

Optimism and the experience of pain: benefits of seeing the glass as half full

Science.gov (United States)

Goodin, Burel R.; Bulls, Hailey W.

2014-01-01

There is a strong body of literature that lends support to the health-promoting effects of an optimistic personality disposition, observed across various physical and psychological dimensions. In accordance with this evidence base, it has been suggested that optimism may positively influence the course and experience of pain. Although the associations among optimism and pain outcomes have only recently begun to be adequately studied, emerging experimental and clinical research links optimism to lower pain sensitivity and better adjustment to chronic pain. This review highlights recent studies that have examined the effects of optimism on the pain experience using samples of individuals with clinically painful conditions as well as healthy samples in laboratory settings. Furthermore, factors such as catastrophizing, hope, acceptance and coping strategies, which are thought to play a role in how optimism exerts its beneficial effects on pain, are also addressed. PMID:23519832

Interactive screen experiments-innovative virtual laboratories for distance learners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatherly, P A; Jordan, S E; Cayless, A

2009-01-01

The desirability and value of laboratory work for physics students is a well-established principle and issues arise where students are inherently remote from their host institution, as is the case for the UK's Open University. In this paper, we present developments from the Physics Innovations Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (piCETL) in the production and technology of the virtual laboratory resources, interactive screen experiments, and the benefits and drawbacks of such resources. We also explore the motivations behind current implementation of interactive screen experiments and examine evaluation strategies and outcomes through a series of case studies

Procedural Pain: Systematic Review of Parent Experiences and Information Needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Allison; Shave, Kassi; Featherstone, Robin; Buckreus, Kelli; Ali, Samina; Scott, Shannon D; Hartling, Lisa

2018-06-01

Parents wish to reduce their child's pain during medical procedures but may not know how to do so. We systematically reviewed the literature on parents' experiences and information needs related to managing their child's pain for common medical procedures. Of 2678 records retrieved through database searching, 5 were included. Three additional records were identified by scanning reference lists. Five studies were qualitative, and 3 were quantitative. Most took place in North America or Europe (n = 7) and described neonatal intensive care unit experiences (n = 5). Procedures included needle-related medical procedures (eg, venipuncture, phlebotomy, intravenous insertion), sutures, and wound repair and treatment, among others. Generally, parents desired being present during procedures, wanted to remain stoic for their child, and thought that information would be empowering and relieve stress but felt unsupported in taking an active role. Supporting and educating parents may empower them to lessen pain for their children while undergoing medical procedures.

SPINAL CORD STIMULATION IN TREATMENT OF THE NEUROPATHIC PAIN SYNDROMES: INITIAL EXPERIENCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. A. Rzaev

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In the article initial experience of spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain syndromes is described. The trial was done for 62 patients, in 52 cases trial was successful and subcutaneous pulse generator were implanated. Maximal follow-up is 26 months. The level of pain evaluates at VAS. Permanent pain-relieve results were achieved in 46 patients (74,2%. These results correspond to literature data.

A Virtual Rock Physics Laboratory Through Visualized and Interactive Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Vanorio, T.; Di Bonito, C.; Clark, A. C.

2014-12-01

As new scientific challenges demand more comprehensive and multidisciplinary investigations, laboratory experiments are not expected to become simpler and/or faster. Experimental investigation is an indispensable element of scientific inquiry and must play a central role in the way current and future generations of scientist make decisions. To turn the complexity of laboratory work (and that of rocks!) into dexterity, engagement, and expanded learning opportunities, we are building an interactive, virtual laboratory reproducing in form and function the Stanford Rock Physics Laboratory, at Stanford University. The objective is to combine lectures on laboratory techniques and an online repository of visualized experiments consisting of interactive, 3-D renderings of equipment used to measure properties central to the study of rock physics (e.g., how to saturate rocks, how to measure porosity, permeability, and elastic wave velocity). We use a game creation system together with 3-D computer graphics, and a narrative voice to guide the user through the different phases of the experimental protocol. The main advantage gained in employing computer graphics over video footage is that students can virtually open the instrument, single out its components, and assemble it. Most importantly, it helps describe the processes occurring within the rock. These latter cannot be tracked while simply recording the physical experiment, but computer animation can efficiently illustrate what happens inside rock samples (e.g., describing acoustic waves, and/or fluid flow through a porous rock under pressure within an opaque core-holder - Figure 1). The repository of visualized experiments will complement lectures on laboratory techniques and constitute an on-line course offered through the EdX platform at Stanford. This will provide a virtual laboratory for anyone, anywhere to facilitate teaching/learning of introductory laboratory classes in Geophysics and expand the number of courses

Virtual machines & volunteer computing: Experience from LHC@Home: Test4Theory project

CERN Document Server

Lombraña González, Daniel; Blomer, Jakob; Buncic, Predrag; Harutyunyan, Artem; Marquina, Miguel; Segal, Ben; Skands, Peter; Karneyeu, Anton

2012-01-01

Volunteer desktop grids are nowadays becoming more and more powerful thanks to improved high end components: multi-core CPUs, larger RAM memories and hard disks, better network connectivity and bandwidth, etc. As a result, desktop grid systems can run more complex experiments or simulations, but some problems remain: the heterogeneity of hardware architectures and software (library dependencies, code length, big repositories, etc.) make it very difficult for researchers and developers to deploy and maintain a software stack for all the available platforms. In this paper, the employment of virtualization is shown to be the key to solve these problems. It provides a homogeneous layer allowing researchers to focus their efforts on running their experiments. Inside virtual custom execution environments, researchers can control and deploy very complex experiments or simulations running on heterogeneous grids of high-end computers. The following work presents the latest results from CERN’s LHC@home Test4Theory p...

CHRONIC UNEXPLAINED OROFACIAL PAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleš Vesnaver

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Background. Chronic unexplained orofacial pain is frequently the cause of prolonged suffering for the patient and an unsolvable problem for the therapist. Pathophysiology of the onset of this type of pain is virtually unknown. Still, it is possible to divide chronic orofacial pain into several separate categories, according to its onset, symptoms and therapy. All forms of this type of pain have a strong psychological component.Methods. A retrograde review was conducted, in which patients’ records, treated in 1994 for chronic unexplained orofacial pain, were followed through a 5 year period. The modalities of treatment then and at present were compared.Conclusions. Except for trigeminal neuralgia, where carbamazepine remains the first choice drug, treatment of chronic facial pain has changed considerably.

Old and in pain: Enduring and situational effects of cultural aging stereotypes on older people's pain experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardes, S F; Marques, S; Matos, M

2015-08-01

This study aimed to investigate the interplay between enduring and situational aging stereotype (AS) effects in older adults' self-reports of clinical and experimentally induced pain. We expected that, as compared with the situational activation of positive AS or a neutral condition, the activation of negative AS would lead to more severe self-reports of clinical pain (H1, hypothesis 1), higher cold pressor task (CPT) pain threshold (H2) and lower CPT pain tolerance (H3), especially among older adults who more strongly endorsed AS. This was a prospective study across two moments in time. At time 1 (T1), 52 older adults (Mage  = 74.7; 51.9% women) filled out measures of cultural AS endorsement, clinical pain severity and interference. Three months afterwards (T2), some of these participants collaborated in an experimental study on the effects of AS activation on reported clinical pain (n = 40) and experimentally induced (using CPT) pain threshold and tolerance (n = 35). Our results supported H2, i.e., as compared with the activation of positive AS or a neutral condition, when negative AS were activated older adults showed higher CPT pain thresholds, but this effect was more salient among those who more strongly endorsed AS at T1. This study stresses the influence of cultural AS in older adults' pain experiences showing that the situational activation of negative AS greatly increases experimentally induced pain thresholds of elders who more strongly endorse those stereotypes. It also highlights the relevance of interventions at the level of the physical and/or social environments surrounding elders in pain. © 2014 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

Experiência subjetiva de idosas durante exercício em ambiente virtual

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Mayara do Nascimento

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Os objetivos desse estudo quali-quantitativo foram verificar as experiências subjetivas relacionadas ao exercício em idosas antes e depois da realização de atividade física em ambientes real e virtual, bem como a preferência pelo ambiente. A amostra foi composta por 20 idosas (71,1±6,5 anos que executaram sessões de dança nos dois ambientes e responderam ao instrumento Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale (SEES antes e depois da prática. Na situação virtual foi utilizado o jogo Just Dance I do console Wii® da Nintendo. Na situação real, cada participante reproduziu os mesmos movimentos demonstrados pela pesquisadora. Para a análise dos dados da SEES foram utilizados os testes Wilcoxon e Mann-Whitney (p<0,05. Houve redução significativa na pontuação da subescala distress psicológico da SEES após ambas as situações experimentais e aumento no bem-estar positivo apenas em ambiente virtual. A maioria das idosas escolheu o ambiente real como o preferido.

Risks and opportunities of virtual learning: the experience of UOC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adela Ros Híjar

2001-06-01

Full Text Available In this article, I have tried to give answers to the question of what the risks and opportunities of virtual learning are. In this sense, the UOC's experience has been of great value to analyse several key issues such as the new ways of accessing quality education, the new ways of participation, the new values of educational processes as well as some of the structural factors on which e-learning is based, but which place its very model in jeopardy. Direct observation of some key processes as well as contact with the main actors (e.g. students, teachers and technicians have provided valuable information about some factors to consider when analysing the social implications of virtual learning.

Patient narratives in Yelp reviews offer insight into opioid experiences and the challenges of pain management.

Science.gov (United States)

Graves, Rachel L; Goldshear, Jesse; Perrone, Jeanmarie; Ungar, Lyle; Klinger, Elissa; Meisel, Zachary F; Merchant, Raina M

2018-03-01

To characterize Yelp reviews about pain management and opioids. We manually coded and applied natural language processing to 836 Yelp reviews of US hospitals mentioning an opioid medication. Yelp reviews by patients and caregivers describing experiences with pain management and opioids had lower ratings compared with other reviews. Negative descriptions of pain management and opioid-related experiences were more commonly described than positive experiences, and the number of themes they reflected was more diverse. Yelp reviews offer insights into pain management and opioid use that are not assessed by traditional surveys. As a free, highly utilized source of unstructured narratives, Yelp may allow ongoing assessment of policies related to pain management and opioid use.

Virtual navigation performance: the relationship to field of view and prior video gaming experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Anthony E; Collaer, Marcia L

2011-04-01

Two experiments examined whether learning a virtual environment was influenced by field of view and how it related to prior video gaming experience. In the first experiment, participants (42 men, 39 women; M age = 19.5 yr., SD = 1.8) performed worse on a spatial orientation task displayed with a narrow field of view in comparison to medium and wide field-of-view displays. Counter to initial hypotheses, wide field-of-view displays did not improve performance over medium displays, and this was replicated in a second experiment (30 men, 30 women; M age = 20.4 yr., SD = 1.9) presenting a more complex learning environment. Self-reported video gaming experience correlated with several spatial tasks: virtual environment pointing and tests of Judgment of Line Angle and Position, mental rotation, and Useful Field of View (with correlations between .31 and .45). When prior video gaming experience was included as a covariate, sex differences in spatial tasks disappeared.

Parents' Experiences of Pain and Discomfort in People with Learning Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Zara Jane; Thompson, Andrew R.; Buchan, Linda; Combes, Helen

2008-01-01

There are few measures of pain for people with limited ability to communicate. Eight parents of adults with a known learning disability and associated physical health complaint were interviewed to explore their experience of identifying and managing the pain felt by their children. The parents did not often perceive their son or daughter to be in…

The cost of survival: an exploration of colorectal cancer survivors' experiences of pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, Amanda; Payne, Sheila; Brady, Anne-Marie

2017-02-01

The Institute of Medicine report 'From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor' has drawn widespread attention to the experiences of cancer survivors. Research examining the symptom experiences of survivors are proliferative within the literature but limited by samples which include multiple tumor groups and varying inclusion criteria. This cross-sectional quantitative study seeks to examine pain and quality of life (QoL) in the context of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivorship, as defined by the Institute of Medicine. A purposive sample of CRC survivors (n = 252) attending hospitals and cancer support centers in the Republic of Ireland were recruited between September 2014 and January 2016. Self-rated health (SRH), QoL and pain were assessed in the sample using the EuroQOL questionnaire, the Functional Assessment of Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) questionnaire, and symptom experience items. One hundred participants (40%) indicated they had pain on the day of the survey or in the past week. Of those with pain, many also experienced a lack of energy (95%), bowel dysfunction (74%), sleep disturbance (76%) or interference with their ability to enjoy life (75%). Pain was associated with younger age, female gender, current chemotherapy treatment, and previous radiotherapy treatment. Although participants reported positive QoL scores, statistical analysis revealed pain was linked to significantly poorer SRH and overall QoL, and poorer physical, emotional, functional, social/family and CRC-specific wellbeing, compared to those who did not indicate pain. Pain was experienced by almost two fifths of CRC survivors up to five years after treatment and was associated with poorer SRH and QoL. In light of these findings, healthcare professionals must endeavor to manage cancer survivors' needs in a manner which is cognizant of the burden of pain and in the context of other symptoms and morbidities experienced by long-term cancer survivors.

Non-specific chronic orofacial pain patients' experiences of everyday life situations: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Eva; Nilner, Maria; Petersson, Kerstin

2016-01-01

Chronic orofacial pain is a complex condition with consequences that affect daily living. The aim was to analyse nonspecific chronic orofacial pain patients'experiences of everyday life situations, using a qualitative approach. Eleven women and 3 men (21 to 77years) were selected through a purposive sampling among chronic orofacial pain patients referred to the Faculty of Odontology's orofacial pain unit at Malmö University, Malmö Sweden. All selected subjects agreed to participate. Data were obtained via two thematic in-depth interviews with each subject. Interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim.Text dealing with the subjects' daily experiences was identified in all interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis that focused on manifest content. In everyday life situations, the analysis of nonspecific chronic orofacial pain patients' narrations exposed a fear of conflict, of personal weakness, and of the intangible; they also exposed self-blame and avoidance of fear-triggering situations. Eight of the 14 subjects did not spontaneously mention any situation in which they were content during daily living. When the patients spoke about everyday life experiences, the main finding was that unpleasant emotions dominated the subjects'experiences. In conclusion, the chronic orofacial pain condition cannot be understood as an isolated phenomenon; it must be considered in rela- tion to the person who is suffering from the condition.

Virtual synchrotron experiments for deep Earth studies

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, J. M.; Alp, E. E.; Zhao, J.; Alatas, A.; Sturhahn, W.

2011-12-01

National facilities offer one-of-a-kind opportunities to apply state-of-the-art experimental techniques to the pressing scientific problems of today. Yet, few students are able to experience research projects at national facilities due to limited accessibility caused in part by limited involvement in the local academic institution, constrained working areas at the experimental stations, and/or travel costs. We present a virtual and remote beam-line for deep Earth mineral physics studies using nuclear resonant and inelastic x-ray scattering methods at Sector 3 of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Off-site students have the capability of controlling their measurements via secure internet connections and webcams. Students can access a 'view only mode' for ease of interaction and safety-control. More experienced users have exclusive control of the experiment and can remotely change variables within the experimental setup.

Effects of Virtual Reality and External Cold and Vibration on Pain in 7- to 12-Year-Old Children During Phlebotomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerçeker, Gülçin Ö; Binay, Şeyda; Bilsin, Elif; Kahraman, Ayşe; Yılmaz, Hatice B

2018-03-17

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the virtual reality (VR) and external cold and vibration methods on pain scores in children aged 7 to 12 years during phlebotomy. A randomized controlled study. The sample of children (n = 121) was allocated to the groups (group 1, VR; group 2, external cold and vibration; group 3, control) by blocked randomization. Pain scores were assessed after the phlebotomy using self-report, parent's reports, report from the nurse who attempted the phlebotomy, and researchers' report with the Wong-Baker FACES scale. Pain scores were determined to be lower in groups 1 and 2. Although there was no difference between the groups 1 and 2, a statistically significant difference was found between groups 1 or 2 and group 3 based on all pain scores. Results suggest that VR and external cold and vibration are effective in reducing the pain in 7- to 12-year-old children during phlebotomy. VR can be used safely for the pain management of children who are growing up in the age of technology. Copyright © 2018 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nurses' perceptions and experiences regarding Morphine usage in burn pain management.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayuo, J; Agbenorku, P

2015-06-01

Morphine, a classical example of opioid has been described as one of the analgesics of choice for burn pain management but there have been reports of under utilization of the medication and subsequent poor pain management. Nurses have a pivotal role in successful burn pain management and should therefore possess positive perception as well as strong knowledge base of pain care. In light of this realization, this study sought to investigate the perception and experiences of nurses working in the burns unit possess towards the medication. Purposive sampling approach was used to select twenty (20) nurses. Descriptive and themed content analysis approaches were used to analyze data. Mean years in general nursing practice and practice in the burns unit were obtained as 7.4 and 3.4 years respectively. Results indicate that nurses have a clear understanding of the intensity of burn pain but perception towards morphine was mixed and some respondents were unsure about some of the pertinent facts of morphine and thus, would prefer other medications such as paracetamol, diclofenac and pethidine. Addiction to the medication and morphine causing death were major themes identified. The resultant effect of these perception and experiences imply and confirm the under usage of morphine. It is therefore recommended that nurses within the burn unit be taken through training modules on the suitability of morphine in burn pain management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Virtual Reality Conferencing: Multi-user immersive VR experiences on the web

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gunkel, S.N.B.; Stokking, H.M.; Prins, M.J.; Stap, N. van der; Haar, F.B. ter; Niamut, O.A.

2018-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) and 360-degree video are set to become part of the future social environment, enriching and enhancing the way we share experiences and collaborate remotely. While Social VR applications are getting more momentum, most services regarding Social VR focus on animated avatars. In

Evaluating Experiences in Different Virtual Reality Setups

OpenAIRE

Settgast , Volker; Pirker , Johanna; Lontschar , Stefan; Maggale , Stefan; Gütl , Christian

2016-01-01

Part 2: Use and Evaluation of Digital Entertainment; International audience; This paper describes the evaluation of three different scenarios in the fully immersive room-based virtual environment DAVE (Definitely Affordable Virtual Environment) and a head-mounted display, the Oculus Rift. The evaluation focuses on comparing the two immersive environments and three different scenarios (observation, emotion in a roller coaster, and interaction) in regards to typical virtual-reality characterist...

The Immersive Virtual Reality Experience: A Typology of Users Revealed Through Multiple Correspondence Analysis Combined with Cluster Analysis Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Pedro J; Morais, Diogo; Gamito, Pedro; Oliveira, Jorge; Saraiva, Tomaz

2016-03-01

Immersive virtual reality is thought to be advantageous by leading to higher levels of presence. However, and despite users getting actively involved in immersive three-dimensional virtual environments that incorporate sound and motion, there are individual factors, such as age, video game knowledge, and the predisposition to immersion, that may be associated with the quality of virtual reality experience. Moreover, one particular concern for users engaged in immersive virtual reality environments (VREs) is the possibility of side effects, such as cybersickness. The literature suggests that at least 60% of virtual reality users report having felt symptoms of cybersickness, which reduces the quality of the virtual reality experience. The aim of this study was thus to profile the right user to be involved in a VRE through head-mounted display. To examine which user characteristics are associated with the most effective virtual reality experience (lower cybersickness), a multiple correspondence analysis combined with cluster analysis technique was performed. Results revealed three distinct profiles, showing that the PC gamer profile is more associated with higher levels of virtual reality effectiveness, that is, higher predisposition to be immersed and reduced cybersickness symptoms in the VRE than console gamer and nongamer. These findings can be a useful orientation in clinical practice and future research as they help identify which users are more predisposed to benefit from immersive VREs.

Sound Design in Virtual Reality Concert Experiences using a Wave Field Synthesis Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lind, Rasmus Bloustrød; Milesen, Victor; Smed, Dina Madsen

2017-01-01

In this paper we propose an experiment that evaluates the influence of audience noise on the feeling of presence and the perceived quality in a virtual reality concert experience delivered using Wave Field Synthesis. A 360 degree video of a live rock concert from a local band was recorded. Single...

Virtual goods recommendations in virtual worlds.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods.

Virtually numbed: immersive video gaming alters real-life experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Weger, Ulrich W; Loughnan, Stephen

2014-04-01

As actors in a highly mechanized environment, we are citizens of a world populated not only by fellow humans, but also by virtual characters (avatars). Does immersive video gaming, during which the player takes on the mantle of an avatar, prompt people to adopt the coldness and rigidity associated with robotic behavior and desensitize them to real-life experience? In one study, we correlated participants' reported video-gaming behavior with their emotional rigidity (as indicated by the number of paperclips that they removed from ice-cold water). In a second experiment, we manipulated immersive and nonimmersive gaming behavior and then likewise measured the extent of the participants' emotional rigidity. Both studies yielded reliable impacts, and thus suggest that immersion into a robotic viewpoint desensitizes people to real-life experiences in oneself and others.

Meta-ethnography to understand healthcare professionals’ experience of treating adults with chronic non-malignant pain

Science.gov (United States)

Seers, Kate; Barker, Karen L

2017-01-01

Objectives We aimed to explore healthcare professionals’ experience of treating chronic non-malignant pain by conducting a qualitative evidence synthesis. Understanding this experience from the perspective of healthcare professionals will contribute to improvements in the provision of care. Design Qualitative evidence synthesis using meta-ethnography. We searched five electronic bibliographic databases from inception to November 2016. We included studies that explore healthcare professionals’ experience of treating adults with chronic non-malignant pain. We used the GRADE-CERQual framework to rate confidence in review findings. Results We screened the 954 abstracts and 184 full texts and included 77 published studies reporting the experiences of over 1551 international healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses and other health professionals. We abstracted six themes: (1) a sceptical cultural lens, (2) navigating juxtaposed models of medicine, (3) navigating the geography between patient and clinician, (4) challenge of dual advocacy, (5) personal costs and (6) the craft of pain management. We rated confidence in review findings as moderate to high. Conclusions This is the first qualitative evidence synthesis of healthcare professionals’ experiences of treating people with chronic non-malignant pain. We have presented a model that we developed to help healthcare professionals to understand, think about and modify their experiences of treating patients with chronic pain. Our findings highlight scepticism about chronic pain that might explain why patients feel they are not believed. Findings also indicate a dualism in the biopsychosocial model and the complexity of navigating therapeutic relationships. Our model may be transferable to other patient groups or situations. PMID:29273663

Importance of music for facing the experience of pain. Comment on “Facing the experience of pain: A neuropsychological perspective” by Fabbro and Crescentini

Science.gov (United States)

Masataka, Nobuo

2014-09-01

Attempts to cope with the experience of pain have been numerous and have had a long history. Among others, mindfulness meditation is one of the oldest of them. It first emerged in ancient India and since then has been practiced up to the present, possibly as one of the most prevalent methods. There is a general consensus that the practice of such meditation can lead to a reduction of perceived pain most effectively, as argued by Fabbro and Crescentini [1]. As a first step of the attempt to practice such meditation, one is required not to defend oneself when faced with a painful experience, or to avoid or withdraw from the experience. However, this is not an easy task for anyone because humans, as Homo loquense[3], are born with an almost predispositional tendency to discard or to devalue conflicting knowledge because simultaneously holding conflicting cognitions makes them feel discomfort. Ancient Greeks already knew that, and in Aesop's fable, when a fox sees high-hanging grapes, his desire to eat grapes and inability to reach them are in conflict. The fox then overcomes this conflict by deciding that the grapes are sour and not worth eating. This conflict is the phenomenon referred to as cognitive dissonance in the field of psychology, and is closely connected to the entirety of human evolution. That is, the emergence of language must have led to the proliferation of cognitive dissonances, and if they had not been overcome, language and knowledge would have been discarded and further human evolution would have been stopped in its tracks. Thus, difficulty of facing pain is a "burden" imposed upon humans, who acquired language as a way to construct divergent and highly sophisticated cultures for their living.

Rapid prototyping, astronaut training, and experiment control and supervision: distributed virtual worlds for COLUMBUS, the European Space Laboratory module

Science.gov (United States)

Freund, Eckhard; Rossmann, Juergen

2002-02-01

In 2004, the European COLUMBUS Module is to be attached to the International Space Station. On the way to the successful planning, deployment and operation of the module, computer generated and animated models are being used to optimize performance. Under contract of the German Space Agency DLR, it has become IRF's task to provide a Projective Virtual Reality System to provide a virtual world built after the planned layout of the COLUMBUS module let astronauts and experimentators practice operational procedures and the handling of experiments. The key features of the system currently being realized comprise the possibility for distributed multi-user access to the virtual lab and the visualization of real-world experiment data. Through the capabilities to share the virtual world, cooperative operations can be practiced easily, but also trainers and trainees can work together more effectively sharing the virtual environment. The capability to visualize real-world data will be used to introduce measured data of experiments into the virtual world online in order to realistically interact with the science-reference model hardware: The user's actions in the virtual world are translated into corresponding changes of the inputs of the science reference model hardware; the measured data is than in turn fed back into the virtual world. During the operation of COLUMBUS, the capabilities for distributed access and the capabilities to visualize measured data through the use of metaphors and augmentations of the virtual world may be used to provide virtual access to the COLUMBUS module, e.g. via Internet. Currently, finishing touches are being put to the system. In November 2001 the virtual world shall be operational, so that besides the design and the key ideas, first experimental results can be presented.

Virtual Experiments on the Neutron Science TeraGrid Gateway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynch, Vickie E; Cobb, John W; Farhi, Emmanuel N; Miller, Stephen D; Taylor, M

2008-01-01

The TeraGrid's outreach effort to the neutron science community is creating an environment that is encouraging the exploration of advanced cyberinfrastructure being incorporated into facility operations in a way that leverages facility operations to multiply the scientific output of its users, including many NSF supported scientists in many disciplines. The Neutron Science TeraGrid Gateway serves as an exploratory incubator for several TeraGrid projects. Virtual neutron scattering experiments from one exploratory project will be highlighted

Patient Preferences for Pain Management in Advanced Cancer: Results from a Discrete Choice Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Meads, David M; O'Dwyer, John L; Hulme, Claire T; Chintakayala, Phani; Vinall-Collier, Karen; Bennett, Michael I

2017-10-01

Pain from advanced cancer remains prevalent, severe and often under-treated. The aim of this study was to conduct a discrete choice experiment with patients to understand their preferences for pain management services and inform service development. Focus groups were used to develop the attributes and levels of the discrete choice experiment. The attributes were: waiting time, type of healthcare professional, out-of-pocket costs, side-effect control, quality of communication, quality of information and pain control. Patients completed the discrete choice experiment along with clinical and health-related quality of life questions. Conditional and mixed logit models were used to analyse the data. Patients with cancer pain (n = 221) and within palliative care services completed the survey (45% were female, mean age 64.6 years; age range 21-92 years). The most important aspects of pain management were: good pain control, zero out-of-pocket costs and good side-effect control. Poor or moderate pain control and £30 costs drew the highest negative preferences. Respondents preferred control of side effects and provision of better information and communication, over access to certain healthcare professionals. Those with lower health-related quality of life were less willing to wait for treatment and willing to incur higher costs. The presence of a carer influenced preferences. Outcome attributes were more important than process attributes but the latter were still valued. Thus, supporting self-management, for example by providing better information on pain may be a worthwhile endeavour. However, service provision may need to account for individual characteristics given the heterogeneity in preferences.

Virtual Teams and International Business Teaching and Learning: The Case of the Global Enterprise Experience (GEE)

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Perez, Maria Alejandra; Velez-Calle, Andres; Cathro, Virginia; Caprar, Dan V.; Taras, Vasyl

2014-01-01

The increasing importance of global virtual teams in business is reflected in the classroom by the increased adoption of activities that facilitate real-time cross-cultural interaction. This article documents the experience of students from two Colombian universities who participated in a collaborative international project using virtual teams as…

The Virtual GloveboX (VGX: a Semi-immersive Virtual Environment for Training Astronauts in Life Sciences Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Alexander Twombly

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The International Space Station will soon provide an unparalleled research facility for studying the near- and longer-term effects of microgravity on living systems. Using the Space Station Glovebox Facility - a compact, fully contained reach-in environment - astronauts will conduct technically challenging life sciences experiments. Virtual environment technologies are being developed at NASA Ames Research Center to help realize the scientific potential of this unique resource by facilitating the experimental hardware and protocol designs and by assisting the astronauts in training. The "Virtual GloveboX" (VGX integrates high-fidelity graphics, force-feedback devices and real-time computer simulation engines to achieve an immersive training environment. Here, we describe the prototype VGX system, the distributed processing architecture used in the simulation environment, and modifications to the visualization pipeline required to accommodate the display configuration.

Projector-based virtual reality dome environment for procedural pain and anxiety in young children with burn injuries: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khadra, Christelle; Ballard, Ariane; Déry, Johanne; Paquin, David; Fortin, Jean-Simon; Perreault, Isabelle; Labbe, David R; Hoffman, Hunter G; Bouchard, Stéphane; LeMay, Sylvie

2018-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) is a non-pharmacological method to distract from pain during painful procedures. However, it was never tested in young children with burn injuries undergoing wound care. We aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the study process and the use of VR for procedural pain management. From June 2016 to January 2017, we recruited children from 2 months to 10 years of age with burn injuries requiring a hydrotherapy session in a pediatric university teaching hospital in Montreal. Each child received the projector-based VR intervention in addition to the standard pharmacological treatment. Data on intervention and study feasibility and acceptability in addition to measures on pain (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale), baseline (Modified Smith Scale) and procedural (Procedure Behavior Check List) anxiety, comfort (OCCEB-BECCO [behavioral observational scale of comfort level for child burn victims]), and sedation (Ramsay Sedation Scale) were collected before, during, and after the procedure. Data analyses included descriptive and non-parametric inferential statistics. We recruited 15 children with a mean age of 2.2±2.1 years and a mean total body surface area of 5% (±4). Mean pain score during the procedure was low (2.9/10, ±3), as was the discomfort level (2.9/10, ±2.8). Most children were cooperative, oriented, and calm. Assessing anxiety was not feasible with our sample of participants. The prototype did not interfere with the procedure and was considered useful for procedural pain management by most health care professionals. The projector-based VR is a feasible and acceptable intervention for procedural pain management in young children with burn injuries. A larger trial with a control group is required to assess its efficacy.

Pain and pain tolerance in professional ballet dancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tajet-Foxell, B; Rose, F D

1995-01-01

Pain experience in sport had been the subject of increasing research in recent years. While sports professionals have generally been found to have higher pain thresholds than control subjects the reasons for this are not entirely clear. The present study seeks to investigate one possible explanatory factor, the importance of the popular image of the physical activity and of the self-image of its participants, by examining pain experience in professional ballet dancers. Like sports professionals, dancers were found to have higher pain and pain tolerance thresholds than age matched controls in the Cold Pressor Test. However, they also reported a more acute experience of the sensory aspects of the pain. Explanations of this apparent paradox are discussed both in terms of the neuroticism scores of the two groups and in terms of the dancers' greater experience of pain and its relationship with physical activity. The results illustrated the importance of using multidimensional measures of pain in this type of investigation. PMID:7788215

NEDE: an open-source scripting suite for developing experiments in 3D virtual environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Jangraw, David C; Johri, Ansh; Gribetz, Meron; Sajda, Paul

2014-09-30

As neuroscientists endeavor to understand the brain's response to ecologically valid scenarios, many are leaving behind hyper-controlled paradigms in favor of more realistic ones. This movement has made the use of 3D rendering software an increasingly compelling option. However, mastering such software and scripting rigorous experiments requires a daunting amount of time and effort. To reduce these startup costs and make virtual environment studies more accessible to researchers, we demonstrate a naturalistic experimental design environment (NEDE) that allows experimenters to present realistic virtual stimuli while still providing tight control over the subject's experience. NEDE is a suite of open-source scripts built on the widely used Unity3D game development software, giving experimenters access to powerful rendering tools while interfacing with eye tracking and EEG, randomizing stimuli, and providing custom task prompts. Researchers using NEDE can present a dynamic 3D virtual environment in which randomized stimulus objects can be placed, allowing subjects to explore in search of these objects. NEDE interfaces with a research-grade eye tracker in real-time to maintain precise timing records and sync with EEG or other recording modalities. Python offers an alternative for experienced programmers who feel comfortable mastering and integrating the various toolboxes available. NEDE combines many of these capabilities with an easy-to-use interface and, through Unity's extensive user base, a much more substantial body of assets and tutorials. Our flexible, open-source experimental design system lowers the barrier to entry for neuroscientists interested in developing experiments in realistic virtual environments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examination of pain experiences of cancer patients in western Turkey: a phenomenological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Akin Korhan, Esra; Yildirim, Yasemin; Uyar, Meltem; Eyigör, Can; Uslu, Ruçhan

2013-01-01

This study aims to explore the individual experience of living with cancer pain. This qualitative study was performed by using a phenomenological research design. In-depth and open interviews with participants were conducted to collect the data and a qualitative Colaizzi method of analysis was performed. Following the analysis of the data, the expressions made by the cancer patients during the interviews were grouped under 5 themes. Consistent with the questionnaire format, 5 themes and 19 subthemes of responses were determined describing the pain of the cancer patients. The results of our study have demonstrated that cancer patients go through negative physical, psychological, and social experiences due to the pain they suffered.

Influence of communal and private folklore on bringing meaning to the experience of persistent pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendricks, Joyce Marie

2015-11-01

To provide an overview of the relevance and strengths of using the literary folkloristic methodology to explore the ways in which people with persistent pain relate to and make sense of their experiences through narrative accounts. Storytelling is a conversation with a purpose. The reciprocal bond between researcher and storyteller enables the examination of the meaning of experiences. Life narratives, in the context of wider traditional and communal folklore, can be analysed to discover how people make sense of their circumstances. This paper draws from the experience of the author, who has previously used this narrative approach. It is a reflection of how the approach may be used to understand those experiencing persistent pain without a consensual diagnosis. Using an integrative method, peer-reviewed research and discussion papers published between January 1990 and December 2014 and listed in the CINAHL, Science Direct, PsycINFO and Google Scholar databases were reviewed. In addition, texts that addressed research methodologies such as literary folkloristic methodology and Marxist literary theory were used. The unique role that nurses play in managing pain is couched in the historical and cultural context of nursing. Literary folkloristic methodology offers an opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation of how the experience of pain is constructed and to connect with sufferers. Literary folkloristic methodology reveals that those with persistent pain are often rendered powerless to live their lives. Increasing awareness of how this experience is constructed and maintained also allows an understanding of societal influences on nursing practice. Nurse researchers try to understand experiences in light of specific situations. Literary folkloristic methodology can enable them to understand the inter-relationship between people in persistent pain and how they construct their experiences.

Experiences of acute pain in children who present to a healthcare facility for treatment: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Nicole; Tallon, Mary; McConigley, Ruth; Leslie, Gavin; Wilson, Sally

2017-06-01

Pain is a universal and complex phenomenon that is personal, subjective and specific. Despite growing knowledge in pediatric pain, management of children's pain remains sub-optimal and is linked to negative behavioral and physiological consequences later in life. As there is no synthesis of these studies, it was timely to undertake a systematic review. To identify, evaluate and synthesize the existing qualitative evidence on children's experiences of acute pain, including pain management, within a healthcare facility. Children aged four to 18 years (inclusive) attending a healthcare facility who experienced acute pain associated with any injury, medical condition or treatment. Children's experiences and perceptions of their acute pain, pain management and expectations of others in managing their pain. Studies on children's experiences of pain in the postoperative context were excluded as a systematic review exploring this phenomenon had previously been published. Studies reporting on children's experiences of chronic pain were also excluded. Any healthcare facility including general practitioners' surgeries, hospitals, emergency departments and outpatient clinics. Qualitative studies including phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research designs. Using a three-step search strategy, databases were searched in December 2015 to identify both published and unpublished articles from 2000 to 2015. Studies published in languages other than English were excluded. All studies that met the inclusion criteria were assessed by at least two independent reviewers for methodological quality using a standardized critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI). Data were extracted from the papers included in the review using standardized data extraction tool from JBI-QARI. Findings were pooled using JBI-QARI. Findings were rated according to their level of credibility and

Transforming Experience: The Potential of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Enhancing Personal and Clinical Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Riva, Giuseppe; Baños, Rosa M; Botella, Cristina; Mantovani, Fabrizia; Gaggioli, Andrea

2016-01-01

During life, many personal changes occur. These include changing house, school, work, and even friends and partners. However, the daily experience shows clearly that, in some situations, subjects are unable to change even if they want to. The recent advances in psychology and neuroscience are now providing a better view of personal change, the change affecting our assumptive world: (a) the focus of personal change is reducing the distance between self and reality (conflict); (b) this reduction is achieved through (1) an intense focus on the particular experience creating the conflict or (2) an internal or external reorganization of this experience; (c) personal change requires a progression through a series of different stages that however happen in discontinuous and non-linear ways; and (d) clinical psychology is often used to facilitate personal change when subjects are unable to move forward. Starting from these premises, the aim of this paper is to review the potential of virtuality for enhancing the processes of personal and clinical change. First, the paper focuses on the two leading virtual technologies - augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) - exploring their current uses in behavioral health and the outcomes of the 28 available systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Then the paper discusses the added value provided by VR and AR in transforming our external experience by focusing on the high level of personal efficacy and self-reflectiveness generated by their sense of presence and emotional engagement. Finally, it outlines the potential future use of virtuality for transforming our inner experience by structuring, altering, and/or replacing our bodily self-consciousness. The final outcome may be a new generation of transformative experiences that provide knowledge that is epistemically inaccessible to the individual until he or she has that experience, while at the same time transforming the individual's worldview.

Transforming Experience: The Potential of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Enhancing Personal and Clinical Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Riva

2016-09-01

Full Text Available During our life we undergo many personal changes: we change our house, our school, our work and even our friends and partners. However, our daily experience shows clearly that in some situations subjects are unable to change even if they want to. The recent advances in psychology and neuroscience are now providing a better view of personal change, the change affecting our assumptive world: a the focus of personal change is reducing the distance between self and reality (conflict; b this reduction is achieved through (1 an intense focus on the particular experience creating the conflict or (2 an internal or external reorganization of this experience; c personal change requires a progression through a series of different stages; d clinical psychology is often used to facilitate personal change when subjects are unable to move forward. Starting from these premises, the aim of this paper is to review the potential of virtuality for enhancing the processes of personal and clinical change. First, the paper will focus on the two leading virtual technologies – Augmented Reality (AR and Virtual Reality (VR – exploring their current uses in behavioral health and the outcomes of the 28 available systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Then the paper discusses the added value provided by VR and AR in transforming our external experience, by focusing on the high level of self-reflectiveness and personal efficacy induced by their emotional engagement and sense of presence. Finally, it outlines the potential future use of virtuality for transforming our inner experience by structuring, altering and/or replacing our bodily self-consciousness. The final outcome may be a new generation of transformative experiences that provide knowledge that is epistemically inaccessible to the individual until he or she has that experience, while at the same time transforming the individual’s worldview.

Nursing Faculty Experiences of Virtual Learning Environments for Teaching Clinical Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Zacharzuk-Marciano, Tara

2017-01-01

Nurses need sharp, clinical reasoning skills to respond to critical situations and to be successful at work in a complex and challenging healthcare system. While past research has focused on using virtual learning environments to teach clinical reasoning, there has been limited research on the experiences of nursing faculty and there is a need for…

Differentiating levels of surgical experience on a virtual reality temporal bone simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yi C; Kennedy, Gregor; Hall, Richard; O'Leary, Stephen

2010-11-01

Virtual reality simulation is increasingly being incorporated into surgical training and may have a role in temporal bone surgical education. Here we test whether metrics generated by a virtual reality surgical simulation can differentiate between three levels of experience, namely novices, otolaryngology residents, and experienced qualified surgeons. Cohort study. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Twenty-seven participants were recruited. There were 12 experts, six residents, and nine novices. After orientation, participants were asked to perform a modified radical mastoidectomy on the simulator. Comparisons of time taken, injury to structures, and forces exerted were made between the groups to determine which specific metrics would discriminate experience levels. Experts completed the simulated task in significantly shorter time than the other two groups (experts 22 minutes, residents 36 minutes, and novices 46 minutes; P = 0.001). Novices exerted significantly higher average forces when dissecting close to vital structures compared with experts (0.24 Newton [N] vs 0.13 N, P = 0.002). Novices were also more likely to injure structures such as dura compared to experts (23 injuries vs 3 injuries, P = 0.001). Compared with residents, the experts modulated their force between initial cortex dissection and dissection close to vital structures. Using the combination of these metrics, we were able to correctly classify the participants' level of experience 90 percent of the time. This preliminary study shows that measurements of performance obtained from within a virtual reality simulator can differentiate between levels of users' experience. These results suggest that simulator training may have a role in temporal bone training beyond foundational training. Copyright © 2010 American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The experiences of acute non-surgical pain of children who present to a healthcare facility for treatment: a systematic review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Nicole; Tallon, Mary; McConigley, Ruth; Wilson, Sally

2015-10-01

The qualitative objective of this systematic review is to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on experiences of acute non-surgical pain, including pain management, of children (between four to 18 years) when they present to a healthcare facility for treatment.The specific objectives are to identify: The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage". The pain experience is multifaceted and complex, extending beyond the physiological interpretation of a noxious stimulus, encompassing other dimensions, including; psychological, cognitive, sociocultural, affective and emotional factors. Pain can be described as chronic (persisting for three months or more) or acute (a time limited response to a noxious stimuli). Over the past 50 years clinical research has made revolutionary contributions to better understanding pediatric pain. The once pervasive erroneous notion that infants do not experience pain the same way as adults has been firmly dispelled. We now know that nervous system structures associated with the physiological interpretation of pain are functional as early as fetal development. Despite this critical knowledge and the growing global commitment to improving pediatric pain management in clinical practice, evidence repeatedly suggests that pain management remains suboptimal and inconsistent, a phenomenon commonly referred to as oligoanalgesia. Research evidence has linked poorly managed pain in the pediatric population to negative behavioral and physiological consequences later in life. Effective pain management is therefore a priority area for health care professionals. Improved understanding of children's experiences of acute non-surgical pain may lead to improved pain management and a reduction in oligoanalgesia.In the 1970s and 1980s, studies began exploring the subjective experiences of

Virtual reality visualization algorithms for the ALICE high energy physics experiment on the LHC at CERN

Science.gov (United States)

Myrcha, Julian; Trzciński, Tomasz; Rokita, Przemysław

2017-08-01

Analyzing massive amounts of data gathered during many high energy physics experiments, including but not limited to the LHC ALICE detector experiment, requires efficient and intuitive methods of visualisation. One of the possible approaches to that problem is stereoscopic 3D data visualisation. In this paper, we propose several methods that provide high quality data visualisation and we explain how those methods can be applied in virtual reality headsets. The outcome of this work is easily applicable to many real-life applications needed in high energy physics and can be seen as a first step towards using fully immersive virtual reality technologies within the frames of the ALICE experiment.

Women's experiences of pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackenzie, Jo; Murray, Esther; Lusher, Joanne

2018-01-01

to systematically review the available studies which relay the experience of pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain and how this affects women psychologically and emotionally. a systematic review and meta-synthesis of the experiences of pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain was conducted for qualitative studies dated between 2005 and 2016. Predefined terms were used to search nine central databases and hand searches of two reference lists of identified studies were carried out. 614 records were identified, eight studies met the inclusion criteria for review. Pain from pelvic girdle pain impacted on women's daily lives both at home and the workplace. This had a negative emotional and psychological impact on women as it took away their feeling of independence. Women reported feelings of frustration, guilt, irritability and upset at being unable to carry out their normal roles. Pelvic girdle pain also affected the women's sense of identity and ability to care for their children. Health professionals working with pregnant and postnatal women need to be aware of the anger, frustration and negative emotions resulting from PGP. These women may become socially isolated and there is a risk they could abuse analgesics in attempt to manage the pain especially if they do not have the social support. For women with young children, it is important to be aware of safety issues they face with carrying babies and controlling toddlers. It is therefore important that health professionals recognise PGP as a serious health issue, approach this condition sensitively and refer to appropriate treatment as soon as PGP is suspected. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sobre objetos y experiencias virtuales

OpenAIRE

Pacho, Julián

2009-01-01

This paper analyses basic onto-epistemological properties of the virtual reality and suggests these theses. First, the virtual reality establishes a new nature; its essential feature is to be an organic world of emancipated techno-theories. Second, the virtual reality doesn’t substitutes the traditional book; it substitutes the world. Third, the experience of the world in the virtual reality excludes the natural world experience. Fourth, the ontology of virtual reality is build without an act...

Experiences and unmet needs of women with physical disabilities for pain relief during labor and delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Long-Bellil, Linda; Mitra, Monika; Iezzoni, Lisa I; Smeltzer, Suzanne C; Smith, Lauren D

2017-07-01

Childbirth is widely acknowledged as one of the most painful experiences most women will undergo in their lifetimes. Alleviating labor and delivery pain for women with physical disabilities can involve an additional level of complexity beyond that experienced by most women, but little research has explored their experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of women with physical disabilities with respect to pain relief during labor and delivery with the goal of informing their care. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with twenty-five women with physical disabilities from across the United States. Women expressed specific preferences for the method of pain relief. Some confronted systemic barriers in exploring their options for pain relief, while others were given a choice. At times, anesthesiologists lacked knowledge and experience in caring for women with disabilities. Conversely, some women described how the administration of anesthesia was meticulously planned and attributed their positive labor and delivery experiences to this careful planning. Advanced, individualized planning and evaluation of their options for pain relief was most satisfying to women and enabled them to make an informed choice. This approach is consistent with the recommendations of clinicians who have successfully provided pain relief during labor to women with complex physical disabilities. Clinicians who have successfully delivered babies of women with these and similar disabilities emphasize the importance of a team approach where the anesthesiologist and other specialists are involved early on in a woman's care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Talking with a Virtual Human : Controlling the Human Experience and Behavior in a Virtual Conversation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Qu, C.

2014-01-01

Virtual humans are often designed to replace real humans in virtual reality applications for e.g., psychotherapy, education and entertainment. In general, applications with virtual humans are created for modifying a person's knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, emotions or behaviors. Reaching these

DO PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN EXPERIENCE PAIN REDUCTION AND FUNCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT AFTER TREATMENT AT A MULTIDISCIPLINARY OUTPATIENT CLINIC?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norbye Anja

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Low back pain is the most common affliction of the musculoskeletal system. Patients with chronic low back pain cost the society great expenses in treatments and other social benefits; however, the effects of interventions are discussed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with chronic low back pain experience pain reduction and functional improvement after treatment at a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic. Methods: A prospective study design was used, including 446 patients who participated in follow-up questionnaires with data collection at 6 and 12 months after treatment. The primary outcome was alterations in pain and function. Result: By 12 months after treatment, 71.3 % of the included patients had completed the follow-up questionnaires. Based on these questionnaires, we identified statistically significant changes from baseline at all end points, with clinically significant changes in approximately half of the participants (p = 0.000. Conclusion: Treatment of chronic low back pain at a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic resulted in clinically significant pain reduction and functional improvement within 12 months for approximately half of affected patients.

Taking Science Online: Evaluating Presence and Immersion through a Laboratory Experience in a Virtual Learning Environment for Entomology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Annetta, Leonard; Klesath, Marta; Meyer, John

2009-01-01

A 3-D virtual field trip was integrated into an online college entomology course and developed as a trial for the possible incorporation of future virtual environments to supplement online higher education laboratories. This article provides an explanation of the rationale behind creating the virtual experience, the Bug Farm; the method and…

EXPERIENCE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF VIRTUAL LABORATORIES ON THE BASIS OF TECHNOLOGIES OF CLOUD COMPUTING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Oleksyuk

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The article investigated the concept of «virtual laboratory». This paper describes models of deploying of cloud technologies in IT infrastructure. The hybrid model is most recent for higher educational institution. The author suggests private cloud platforms to deploying the virtual laboratory. This paper describes the experience of the deployment enterprise cloud in IT infrastructure of Department of Physics and Mathematics of Ternopil V. Hnatyuk National Pedagogical University. The object of the research are virtual laboratories as components of IT infrastructure of higher education. The subject of the research are clouds as base of deployment of the virtual laboratories. Conclusions. The use of cloud technologies in the development virtual laboratories of the is an actual and need of the development. The hybrid model is the most appropriate in the deployment of cloud infrastructure of higher educational institution. It is reasonable to use the private (Cloudstack, Eucalyptus, OpenStack cloud platform in the universities.

Virtual Learning Environments and Learning Forms -experiments in ICT-based learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helbo, Jan; Knudsen, Morten

2004-01-01

This paper report the main results of a three year experiment in ICT-based distance learning. The results are based on a full scale experiment in the education, Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII) and is one of many projects deeply rooted in the project Virtual Learning Environments...... didactic model has until now been a positive experience........ The main problem is that we do not find the same self regulatoring learning effect in the group work among the off-campus students as is the case for on-campus students. Based on feedback from evaluation questionnaires and discussions with the students didactic adjustments have been made. The revised...

Game controller modification for fMRI hyperscanning experiments in a cooperative virtual reality environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Trees, Jason; Snider, Joseph; Falahpour, Maryam; Guo, Nick; Lu, Kun; Johnson, Douglas C; Poizner, Howard; Liu, Thomas T

2014-01-01

Hyperscanning, an emerging technique in which data from multiple interacting subjects' brains are simultaneously recorded, has become an increasingly popular way to address complex topics, such as "theory of mind." However, most previous fMRI hyperscanning experiments have been limited to abstract social interactions (e.g. phone conversations). Our new method utilizes a virtual reality (VR) environment used for military training, Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2), to create realistic avatar-avatar interactions and cooperative tasks. To control the virtual avatar, subjects use a MRI compatible Playstation 3 game controller, modified by removing all extraneous metal components and replacing any necessary ones with 3D printed plastic models. Control of both scanners' operation is initiated by a VBS2 plugin to sync scanner time to the known time within the VR environment. Our modifications include:•Modification of game controller to be MRI compatible.•Design of VBS2 virtual environment for cooperative interactions.•Syncing two MRI machines for simultaneous recording.

Virtualized endoscope system. An application of virtual reality technology to diagnostic aid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Kensaku; Urano, Akihiro; Toriwaki, Jun-ichiro; Hasegawa, Jun-ichi; Anno, Hirofumi; Katada, Kazuhiro.

1996-01-01

In this paper we propose a new medical image processing system called 'Virtualized Endoscope System (VES)', which can examine the inside of a virtualized human body. The virtualized human body is a 3-D digital image which is taken by such as X-ray CT scanner or MRI scanner. VES consists of three modules; (1) imaging, (2) segmentation and reconstruction and (3) interactive operation. The interactive operation module has following three major functions; (a) display of, (b) measurement from, and (c) manipulation to the virtualized human body. The user of the system can observe freely both the inside and the outside of a target organ from any point and any direction freely, and can perform necessary measurement interactively concerning angle and length at any time during observation. VES enables to observe repeatedly an area where the real endoscope can not enter without pain from any direction which the real endoscope can not. We applied this system to real 3-D X-ray CT images and obtained good result. (author)

Enabling Field Experiences in Introductory Geoscience Classes through the Use of Immersive Virtual Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Moysey, S. M.; Smith, E.; Sellers, V.; Wyant, P.; Boyer, D. M.; Mobley, C.; Brame, S.

2015-12-01

Although field experiences are an important aspect of geoscience education, the opportunity to provide physical world experiences to large groups of introductory students is often limited by access, logistical, and financial constraints. Our project (NSF IUSE 1504619) is investigating the use of immersive virtual reality (VR) technologies as a surrogate for real field experiences in introductory geosciences classes. We are developing a toolbox that leverages innovations in the field of VR, including the Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard, to enable every student in an introductory geology classroom the opportunity to have a first-person virtual field experience in the Grand Canyon. We have opted to structure our VR experience as an interactive game where students must explore the Canyon to accomplish a series of tasks designed to emphasize key aspects of geoscience learning. So far we have produced two demo products for the virtual field trip. The first is a standalone "Rock Box" app developed for the iPhone, which allows students to select different rock samples, examine them in 3D, and obtain basic information about the properties of each sample. The app can act as a supplement to the traditional rock box used in physical geology labs. The second product is a fully functioning VR environment for the Grand Canyon developed using satellite-based topographic and imagery data to retain real geologic features within the experience. Players can freely navigate to explore anywhere they desire within the Canyon, but are guided to points of interest where they are able to complete exercises that will be aligned with specific learning goals. To this point we have integrated elements of the "Rock Box" app within the VR environment, allowing players to examine 3D details of rock samples they encounter within the Grand Canyon. We plan to provide demos of both products and obtain user feedback during our presentation.

Doubling Your Payoff: Winning Pain Relief Engages Endogenous Pain Inhibition

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Susanne; Gandhi, Wiebke; Kwan, Saskia; Ahmed, Alysha-Karima; Schweinhardt, Petra

2015-01-01

When in pain, pain relief is much sought after, particularly for individuals with chronic pain. In analogy to augmentation of the hedonic experience ("liking") of a reward by the motivation to obtain a reward ("wanting"), the seeking of pain relief in a motivated state might increase the experience of pain relief when obtained. We tested this hypothesis in a psychophysical experiment in healthy human subjects, by assessing potential pain-inhibitory effects of pain relief "won" in a wheel of fortune game compared with pain relief without winning, exploiting the fact that the mere chance of winning induces a motivated state. The results show pain-inhibitory effects of pain relief obtained by winning in behaviorally assessed pain perception and ratings of pain intensity. Further, the higher participants scored on the personality trait novelty seeking, the more pain inhibition was induced. These results provide evidence that pain relief, when obtained in a motivated state, engages endogenous pain-inhibitory systems beyond the pain reduction that underlies the relief in the first place. Consequently, such pain relief might be used to improve behavioral pain therapy, inducing a positive, perhaps self-amplifying feedback loop of reduced pain and improved functionality.

Children's experiences of procedural pain management in conjunction with trauma wound dressings.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Stefan; Hallqvist, Carina; Sidenvall, Birgitta; Enskär, Karin

2011-07-01

This paper is a report of the experiences of children (5-10 years) of procedural pain when they underwent a trauma wound care session. Procedural pain in conjunction with trauma wound care often induces anxiety and distress in children. Children need to alleviate pain and avoid the development of fear in conjunction with examinations and treatments. The nurse could help children to reach this goal by using the comfort theory, which describes holistic nursing in four contexts: physical, psychospiritual, environmental and sociocultural. Few studies have focused on children's experiences of comforting activities in conjunction with trauma wound dressings. This study was conducted between May 2008 and January 2010. Thirty-nine participants aged 5-10 were consecutively included in this study. The wound care session was standardized for all the participants, and semi-structured qualitative interviews with open-ended questions were conducted with all the children in conjunction with the procedure. All the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed with qualitative content analysis. Four themes were identified: clinical competence, distraction, participation and security. The children were helped to reach comforting activities to enhance pain management. Children require more than just analgesics in wound care. They also need to experience security and participation in this context. When children feel clinical competence in wound care, they trust the nurse to carry out the wound dressing and instead can focus on the distraction that increases their positive outcomes. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Experiences of chronic low back pain: a meta-ethnography of qualitative research.

Science.gov (United States)

MacNeela, Padraig; Doyle, Catherine; O'Gorman, David; Ruane, Nancy; McGuire, Brian E

2015-01-01

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is associated with a number of costly disability-related outcomes. It has received increasing attention from qualitative researchers studying its consequences for personal, social, and health care experiences. As research questions and methods diversify, there is a growing need to integrate findings emerging from these studies. A meta-ethnography was carried out to synthesise the findings of 38 separate qualitative articles published on the subjective experience of CLBP between 1994 and 2011. Studies were identified following a literature search and quality appraisal. Four themes were proposed after a process of translating the meaning of text extracts from the findings sections across all the articles. The themes referred to the undermining influence of pain, its disempowering impact on all levels, unsatisfying relationships with health care professionals, and learning to live with the pain. The findings are dominated by wide-ranging distress and loss but also acknowledge self-determination and resilience. Implications of the meta-ethnography for clinicians and future qualitative research are outlined, including the need to study relatively unexamined facets of subjective experience such as illness trajectory and social identity.

Evaluating Burning Mouth Syndrome as a Comorbidity of Atypical Odontalgia: The Impact on Pain Experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Trang T H; Miura, Anna; Shinohara, Yukiko; Mikuzuki, Lou; Kawasaki, Kaoru; Sugawara, Shiori; Suga, Takayuki; Watanabe, Takeshi; Watanabe, Motoko; Umezaki, Yojiro; Yoshikawa, Tatsuya; Motomura, Haruhiko; Takenoshita, Miho; Toyofuku, Akira

2018-06-01

This study aimed (1) to investigate the differences in clinical characteristics of patients between 2 groups, those who have atypical odontalgia (AO) only and those who have AO with burning mouth syndrome (BMS), and (2) to assess the influence of psychiatric comorbidity factors on patients' experiences. Medical records and psychiatric referral forms of patients visiting the Psychosomatic Dentistry Clinic of Tokyo Medical and Dental University between 2013 and 2016 were reviewed. The final sample included 2 groups of 355 patients: those who have AO only (n = 272) and those who have AO with BMS (AO-BMS; n = 83). Clinicodemographic variables (gender, age, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and history of headache or sleep disturbances) and pain variables (duration of illness, pain intensity, and severity of accompanying depression) were collected. Initial pain assessment was done using the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, and depressive state was determined using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The average age, female ratio, and sleep disturbance prevalence in the AO-only group were significantly lower than those in AO-BMS group. AO-BMS patients rated overall pain score and present pain intensity significantly higher than did the AO-only patients (P = 0.033 and P = 0.034, respectively), emphasizing sharp (P = 0.049), hot-burning (P = 0.000), and splitting (P = 0.003) characteristics of pain. Patients having comorbid psychiatric disorders had a higher proportion of sleep disturbance in both groups and a higher proportion of depressive state in the AO-only group. AO-BMS patients have different epidemiological characteristics, sleep quality, and pain experiences compared to AO-only patients. The presence of psychiatric comorbidities in both groups may exacerbate sleep quality. We suggest that BMS as a comorbid oral disorder in AO patients contributes to a more intensively painful experience. © 2017 The Authors. Pain Practice published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc

The pain experience of inpatients in a teaching hospital: revisiting a strategic priority.

Science.gov (United States)

Jabusch, Kimberly M; Lewthwaite, Barbara J; Mandzuk, Lynda L; Schnell-Hoehn, Karen N; Wheeler, Barbara J

2015-02-01

For hospital executives and clinicians to improve pain management, organizations must examine the current pain experience of in-patients beyond simply measuring patient satisfaction. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of pain among adult in-patients and the degree of interference pain had on daily activities. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was undertaken in a 530 bed tertiary care, teaching hospital in central Canada. A convenience sample (N = 88) of adult medical-surgical patients completed the Short Form-Brief Pain Inventory survey. Pain prevalence was 70.4%. The mean pain severity score was 3.76 (standard deviation, SD = 2.88) and mean pain interference score on daily activities was 4.56 (SD = 3.93). The most frequently identified site of pain was the lower extremities (n = 15, 28%). Women had higher mean scores on pain "right now" compared to men (p < 0.05). The sample majority (n = 81) indicated hospital staff asked about the presence of pain. Seventy-nine percent (n = 57) reported hospital staff "always" did everything they could to help manage pain. Eighty-four percent (n = 61) selected "always" or "usually" to describe their ability to be involved in deciding pain treatments. The mean pain relief score from treatments was 61% (SD = 34.79). Significant positive correlations were found between pain intensity ratings and pain interference on all daily activities (p < 0.001). Pain prevalence remains high with a significant relationship between pain and activities of daily living. The study provides baseline data to direct future initiatives at improving pain management. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Virtual Dressing Room

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holte, Michael Boelstoft; Gao, Yi; Petersson, Eva

2015-01-01

This paper presents the design and evaluation of a usability and user experience test of a virtual dressing room. First, we motivate and introduce our recent developed prototype of a virtual dressing room. Next, we present the research and test design grounded in related usability and user...... experience studies. We give a description of the experimental setup and the execution of the designed usability and user experience test. To this end, we report interesting results and discuss the results with respect to user-centered design and development of a virtual dressing room....

Women's experiences of coping with pain during childbirth: a critical review of qualitative research.

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Gucht, Natalie; Lewis, Kiara

2015-03-01

to identify and analyse qualitative literature exploring women's experiences of coping with pain during childbirth. critical review of qualitative research. ten studies were included, conducted in Australia, England, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran and Sweden. Eight of the studies employed a phenomenological perspective with the remaining two without a specific qualitative methodological perspective. Thematic analysis was used as the approach for synthesising the data in this review. Two main themes emerged as the most significant influences upon a woman's ability to cope with pain: (i) the importance of individualised, continuous support and (ii) an acceptance of pain during childbirth. This review found that women felt vulnerable during childbirth and valued the relationships they had with health professionals. Many of the women perceived childbirth pain as challenging, however, they described the inherent paradox for the need for pain to birth their child. This allowed them to embrace the pain subsequently enhancing their coping ability. women's experience of coping with pain during childbirth is complex and multifaceted. Many women felt the need for effective support throughout childbirth and described the potential implications where this support failed to be provided. Feeling safe through the concept of continuous support was a key element of care to enhance the coping ability and avoid feelings of loneliness and fear. A positive outlook and acceptance of pain was acknowledged by many of the women, demonstrating the beneficial implications for coping ability. These findings were consistent despite the socio-economic, cultural and contextual differences observed within the studies suggesting that experiences of coping with pain during childbirth are universal. the findings suggest there is a dissonance between what women want in order to enhance their ability to cope with pain and the reality of clinical practice. This review found women would like health

Pain experience during internal spermatic vein embolization for varicocele: comparison of two cyanoacrylate glues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heye, Sam; Maleux, Geert; Wilms, Guido [University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Department of Radiology, Leuven (Belgium)

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible pain sensation differences in patients after retrograde varicocele embolization either with n-butyl-(2)-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) or with n-butyl-(2)-cyanoacrylate + methacryloxysulfolane (NBCA-MS). Transcatheter varicocele embolization was performed in 64 consecutive patients (62 left, two bilateral). Embolization was done with NBCA (n=32) or NBCA-MS (n=32). Immediately after the procedure, patients were asked to evaluate pain during embolization using a visual analog scale (VAS). Statistical analysis was done with Student's t test. Mean pain score on VAS was 3.23 (range: 0-8) for NBCA and 3.28 (range 0-9) for NBCA-MS. This difference was not significant (P=0.932). Independently of the type of glue, no difference in pain sensation (P value 0.421) was found between patients younger than 18 (n=29) and patients older than 18 years of age (n=35) (younger than18, mean 3.52; older than 18, mean 3.05). No difference in mean pain experience level (P=0.323) was seen in 11 patients with vessel wall perforation (23.4%) during the procedure (3.89; range: 0-8.5) in comparison with those without perforation (mean pain sensation level: 3.13; range: 0-9). No difference in pain experience was found after transcatheter varicocele embolization either with NBCA or NBCA-MS. Age and vessel wall perforation have no influence on pain sensation independently of the type of glue. (orig.)

Pain experience during internal spermatic vein embolization for varicocele: comparison of two cyanoacrylate glues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heye, Sam; Maleux, Geert; Wilms, Guido

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate possible pain sensation differences in patients after retrograde varicocele embolization either with n-butyl-(2)-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) or with n-butyl-(2)-cyanoacrylate + methacryloxysulfolane (NBCA-MS). Transcatheter varicocele embolization was performed in 64 consecutive patients (62 left, two bilateral). Embolization was done with NBCA (n=32) or NBCA-MS (n=32). Immediately after the procedure, patients were asked to evaluate pain during embolization using a visual analog scale (VAS). Statistical analysis was done with Student's t test. Mean pain score on VAS was 3.23 (range: 0-8) for NBCA and 3.28 (range 0-9) for NBCA-MS. This difference was not significant (P=0.932). Independently of the type of glue, no difference in pain sensation (P value 0.421) was found between patients younger than 18 (n=29) and patients older than 18 years of age (n=35) (younger than18, mean 3.52; older than 18, mean 3.05). No difference in mean pain experience level (P=0.323) was seen in 11 patients with vessel wall perforation (23.4%) during the procedure (3.89; range: 0-8.5) in comparison with those without perforation (mean pain sensation level: 3.13; range: 0-9). No difference in pain experience was found after transcatheter varicocele embolization either with NBCA or NBCA-MS. Age and vessel wall perforation have no influence on pain sensation independently of the type of glue. (orig.)

Exposure to Virtual Social Stimuli Modulates Subjective Pain Reports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob M Vigil

2014-01-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Contextual factors, including the gender of researchers, influence experimental and patient pain reports. It is currently not known how social stimuli influence pain percepts, nor which types of sensory modalities of communication, such as auditory, visual or olfactory cues associated with person perception and gender processing, produce these effects.

Nurses' Experiences of Patients with Substance-Use Disorder in Pain: A Phenomenological Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Morley, Georgina; Briggs, Emma; Chumbley, Gillian

2015-10-01

Patients with substance-use disorder and pain are at risk of having their pain underestimated and undertreated. Unrelieved pain can exacerbate characteristics that are believed to be 'drug-seeking' and in turn, perceived drug-seeking behavior can contribute to a patient being stigmatized and labeled 'difficult'. Previous literature has indicated that negative attitudes towards patients with substance-use disorder may affect their pain management but little is known about the specific barriers. This study explored nurses' experiences of working with patients with substance-use disorder in pain, providing an in-depth insight into their perspective. Descriptive phenomenology was employed as a framework for conducting semi-structured interviews to reveal the experiences of registered nurses. A convenience sample of registered nurses from a variety of clinical backgrounds were recruited and interviewed. This rich data was analyzed according to Giorgi's five-stage approach. Participants described feelings of powerlessness and frustration due to patient non-compliance, discrepancies in patient management amongst team members and external pressures effecting pain management. Participants described characteristics believed to be common, including psychosocial factors such as complex social backgrounds or mental health issues. Nurses' education and support needs were identified. Stereotyping and stigmatism were found to potentially still exist, yet there was also a general awareness of some specific clinical issues such as opioid tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Further emphasis is required on interprofessional education and communication to improve patient management, alongside an appreciation of patient's rights facilitated by a concordance model of care. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An 'In the Wild' Experiment on Presence and Embodiment using Consumer Virtual Reality Equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Steed, Anthony; Frlston, Sebastian; López, María Murcia; Drummond, Jason; Pan, Ye; Swapp, David

2016-04-01

Consumer virtual reality systems are now becoming widely available. We report on a study on presence and embodiment within virtual reality that was conducted 'in the wild', in that data was collected from devices owned by consumers in uncontrolled settings, not in a traditional laboratory setting. Users of Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard devices were invited by web pages and email invitation to download and run an app that presented a scenario where the participant would sit in a bar watching a singer. Each participant saw one of eight variations of the scenario: with or without a self-avatar; singer inviting the participant to tap along or not; singer looking at the participant or not. Despite the uncontrolled situation of the experiment, results from an in-app questionnaire showed tentative evidence that a self-avatar had a positive effect on self-report of presence and embodiment, and that the singer inviting the participant to tap along had a negative effect on self-report of embodiment. We discuss the limitations of the study and the platforms, and the potential for future open virtual reality experiments.

Journey to confidence: women's experiences of pain in labour and relational continuity of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Leap, Nicky; Sandall, Jane; Buckland, Sara; Huber, Ulli

2010-01-01

An evaluation carried out at King's College Hospital Foundation National Health Service Trust in London identified that women who received continuity of carer from the Albany Midwifery Practice were significantly less likely to use pharmacological pain relief when comparisons were made with eight other midwifery group practices and the local maternity service as a whole. This study was designed to explore women's views of this phenomenon. We conducted a thematic analysis of semistructured, audiotaped, in-depth interviews with 10 women who reflected on their experiences of preparation and support for pain in labour and midwifery continuity of carer with Albany midwives, using a qualitative descriptive methodological approach. Women reflected positively on how, throughout pregnancy and labour, their midwives promoted a sense of their ability to cope with the challenge of labour pain. This building of confidence was enabled through a relationship of trust that developed with their midwives and the value of hearing other women's stories during antenatal groups. These experiences enhanced women's ability to overcome fears and self-doubt about coping with pain and led to feelings of pride, elation, and empowerment after birth. Women valued being encouraged and supported to labour without using pharmacological pain relief by midwives with whom they developed a trusting relationship throughout pregnancy. Features of midwifery approaches to pain in labour and relational continuity of care have important implications for promoting normal birth and a positive experience of pregnancy, labour, and birth for women. Copyright (c) 2010 American College of Nurse-Midwives. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence of virtual patients as a facilitative learning tool on an anesthesia course.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Joseph Y C; Critchley, Lester A H; Yung, Alex L K; Kumta, Shekhar M

2015-10-01

Virtual patients are computerised representations of realistic clinical cases. They were developed to teach clinical reasoning skills through delivery of multiple standardized patient cases. The anesthesia course at The Chinese University of Hong Kong developed two novel types of virtual patients, formative assessment cases studies and storyline, to teach its final year medical students on a 2 week rotational course. Acute pain management cases were used to test if these two types of virtual patient could enhance student learning. A 2 × 2 cross over study was performed in academic year 2010-2011 on 130 students divided into four groups of 32-34. Performance was evaluated by acute pain management items set within three examinations; an end of module 60-item multiple choice paper, a short answer modified essay paper and the end of year final surgery modified essay paper. The pain management case studies were found to enhanced student performance in all three examinations, whilst the storyline virtual patient had no demonstrable effect. Student-teaching evaluation questionnaires showed that the case studies were favored more than the storyline virtual patient. Login times showed that students on average logged onto the case studies for 6 h, whereas only half the students logged on and used the storyline virtual patient. Formative assessment case studies were well liked by the students and reinforced learning of clinical algorithms through repetition and feedback, whereas the educational role of the more narrative and less interactive storyline virtual patient was less clear .

Pain Experience in Hemophilia Patients: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoume Rambod

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Pain, as a crucial subsequence of joint hemorrhages in hemophilia patients, is chronic, debilitating, and distracting. This study aimed to describe and interpret pain experiences of hemophilia patients in their lives. Methods: This qualitative study with hermeneutic phenomenological approach was conducted on fourteen hemophilia patients who had been referred to a hemophiliacenter affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. The study question was “what is the meaning of pain in hemophilia patients’ lives? The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes through purposeful sampling. Then, thematic analysis with van Manen’s six-step methodological framework was used. MAX.QDA qualitative software package, 2010, was used to analyze the data. Results: The three main themes that emerged in this study were “alteration in physical health”, “engagement in psychological problems”, and “impairment in social relationships”. Alteration in physical health consisted of three subthemes, namely “impairment of physical function”, “change in body physics”, and “disturbance in sleep quality”. In addition, two subthemes including “nostalgia of pain in adults with hemophilia” and “psychological distress” emerged from engagement in psychological problems. Finally, “loss of social activity” and “change in relationships” were related to impairment in social relationships. Conclusion: The present study highlighted alteration in physical health, engagement in psychological problems, and impairment in social relationship as a result of pain in hemophilia patients. Thus, healthcare providers and family members have to pay special attention to these problems. Besides, providing complementary therapy interventions is suggested for reducing these issues.

Virtual Bystanders in a Language Lesson: Examining the Effect of Social Evaluation, Vicarious Experience, Cognitive Consistency and Praising on Students' Beliefs, Self-Efficacy and Anxiety in a Virtual Reality Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Chao; Ling, Yun; Heynderickx, Ingrid; Brinkman, Willem-Paul

2015-01-01

Bystanders in a real world's social setting have the ability to influence people’s beliefs and behavior. This study examines whether this effect can be recreated in a virtual environment, by exposing people to virtual bystanders in a classroom setting. Participants (n = 26) first witnessed virtual students answering questions from an English teacher, after which they were also asked to answer questions from the teacher as part of a simulated training for spoken English. During the experiment the attitudes of the other virtual students in the classroom was manipulated; they could whisper either positive or negative remarks to each other when a virtual student was talking or when a participant was talking. The results show that the expressed attitude of virtual bystanders towards the participants affected their self-efficacy, and their avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the experience of witnessing bystanders commenting negatively on the performance of other students raised the participants’ heart rate when it was their turn to speak. Two-way interaction effects were also found on self-reported anxiety and self-efficacy. After witnessing bystanders’ positive attitude towards peer students, participants’ self-efficacy when answering questions received a boost when bystanders were also positive towards them, and a blow when bystanders reversed their attitude by being negative towards them. Still, inconsistency, instead of consistency, between the bystanders’ attitudes towards virtual peers and the participants was not found to result in a larger change in the participants’ beliefs. Finally the results also reveal that virtual flattering or destructive criticizing affected the participants’ beliefs not only about the virtual bystanders, but also about the neutral teacher. Together these findings show that virtual bystanders in a classroom can affect people’s beliefs, anxiety and behavior. PMID:25884211

Virtual bystanders in a language lesson: examining the effect of social evaluation, vicarious experience, cognitive consistency and praising on students' beliefs, self-efficacy and anxiety in a virtual reality environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Chao; Ling, Yun; Heynderickx, Ingrid; Brinkman, Willem-Paul

2015-01-01

Bystanders in a real world's social setting have the ability to influence people's beliefs and behavior. This study examines whether this effect can be recreated in a virtual environment, by exposing people to virtual bystanders in a classroom setting. Participants (n = 26) first witnessed virtual students answering questions from an English teacher, after which they were also asked to answer questions from the teacher as part of a simulated training for spoken English. During the experiment the attitudes of the other virtual students in the classroom was manipulated; they could whisper either positive or negative remarks to each other when a virtual student was talking or when a participant was talking. The results show that the expressed attitude of virtual bystanders towards the participants affected their self-efficacy, and their avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the experience of witnessing bystanders commenting negatively on the performance of other students raised the participants' heart rate when it was their turn to speak. Two-way interaction effects were also found on self-reported anxiety and self-efficacy. After witnessing bystanders' positive attitude towards peer students, participants' self-efficacy when answering questions received a boost when bystanders were also positive towards them, and a blow when bystanders reversed their attitude by being negative towards them. Still, inconsistency, instead of consistency, between the bystanders' attitudes towards virtual peers and the participants was not found to result in a larger change in the participants' beliefs. Finally the results also reveal that virtual flattering or destructive criticizing affected the participants' beliefs not only about the virtual bystanders, but also about the neutral teacher. Together these findings show that virtual bystanders in a classroom can affect people's beliefs, anxiety and behavior.

Virtual bystanders in a language lesson: examining the effect of social evaluation, vicarious experience, cognitive consistency and praising on students' beliefs, self-efficacy and anxiety in a virtual reality environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao Qu

Full Text Available Bystanders in a real world's social setting have the ability to influence people's beliefs and behavior. This study examines whether this effect can be recreated in a virtual environment, by exposing people to virtual bystanders in a classroom setting. Participants (n = 26 first witnessed virtual students answering questions from an English teacher, after which they were also asked to answer questions from the teacher as part of a simulated training for spoken English. During the experiment the attitudes of the other virtual students in the classroom was manipulated; they could whisper either positive or negative remarks to each other when a virtual student was talking or when a participant was talking. The results show that the expressed attitude of virtual bystanders towards the participants affected their self-efficacy, and their avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the experience of witnessing bystanders commenting negatively on the performance of other students raised the participants' heart rate when it was their turn to speak. Two-way interaction effects were also found on self-reported anxiety and self-efficacy. After witnessing bystanders' positive attitude towards peer students, participants' self-efficacy when answering questions received a boost when bystanders were also positive towards them, and a blow when bystanders reversed their attitude by being negative towards them. Still, inconsistency, instead of consistency, between the bystanders' attitudes towards virtual peers and the participants was not found to result in a larger change in the participants' beliefs. Finally the results also reveal that virtual flattering or destructive criticizing affected the participants' beliefs not only about the virtual bystanders, but also about the neutral teacher. Together these findings show that virtual bystanders in a classroom can affect people's beliefs, anxiety and behavior.

[Virtual + 1] * Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Beckhaus, Steffi

Virtual Reality aims at creating an artificial environment that can be perceived as a substitute to a real setting. Much effort in research and development goes into the creation of virtual environments that in their majority are perceivable only by eyes and hands. The multisensory nature of our perception, however, allows and, arguably, also expects more than that. As long as we are not able to simulate and deliver a fully sensory believable virtual environment to a user, we could make use of the fully sensory, multi-modal nature of real objects to fill in for this deficiency. The idea is to purposefully integrate real artifacts into the application and interaction, instead of dismissing anything real as hindering the virtual experience. The term virtual reality - denoting the goal, not the technology - shifts from a core virtual reality to an “enriched” reality, technologically encompassing both the computer generated and the real, physical artifacts. Together, either simultaneously or in a hybrid way, real and virtual jointly provide stimuli that are perceived by users through their senses and are later formed into an experience by the user's mind.

Advanced server virtualization VMware and Microsoft platforms in the virtual data center

CERN Document Server

Marshall, David; McCrory, Dave

2006-01-01

Executives of IT organizations are compelled to quickly implement server virtualization solutions because of significant cost savings. However, most IT professionals tasked with deploying virtualization solutions have little or no experience with the technology. This creates a high demand for information on virtualization and how to properly implement it in a datacenter. Advanced Server Virtualization: VMware® and Microsoft® Platforms in the Virtual Data Center focuses on the core knowledge needed to evaluate, implement, and maintain an environment that is using server virtualization. This boo

[Psychotherapies for the Treatment of Phantom Limb Pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Cárdenas, Katherine; Aranda, Mariana

The phantom limb pain has been described as a condition in which patients experience a feeling of itching, spasm or pain in a limb or body part that has been previously amputated. Such pain can be induced by a conflict between the representation of the visual and proprioceptive feedback of the previously healthy limb. The phantom limb pain occurs in at least 42 to 90% of amputees. Regular drug treatment of phantom limb pain is almost never effective. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in Medline and Cochrane using the MESH terms "phantom limb pain" and "psychotherapy", published in the last 10 years, in English and Spanish, finding 49 items. After reviewing the abstracts, 25 articles were excluded for not being related to the objective of the research. Additionally cross references of included articles and literature were reviewed. To describe the psychotherapies used in the management of phantom limb pain, their effectiveness and clinical application reported in the literature. The mechanisms underlying phantom limb pain were initially explained, as were the published studies on the usefulness of some psychotherapies such as mirror visual feedback and immersive virtual reality, visual imagery, desensitization and reprocessing eye movements and hypnosis. The phantom limb pain is a complex syndrome that requires pharmacological and psychotherapeutic intervention. The psychotherapies that have been used the most as adjuvants in the treatment of phantom limb pain are mirror visual feedback, desensitization and reprocessing eye movements, imagery and hypnosis. Studies with more representative samples, specifically randomized trials are required. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Virtual Workshop

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buus, Lillian; Bygholm, Ann

In relation to the Tutor course in the Mediterranean Virtual University (MVU) project, a virtual workshop “Getting experiences with different synchronous communication media, collaboration, and group work” was held with all partner institutions in January 2006. More than 25 key-tutors within MVU...

Virtual Reality Design: How Head-Mounted Displays Change Design Paradigms of Virtual Reality Worlds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Stein

2016-09-01

Full Text Available With the upcoming generation of virtual reality HMDs, new virtual worlds, scenarios, and games are created especially for them. These are no longer bound to a remote screen or a relatively static user, but to an HMD as a more immersive device. This article discusses requirements for virtual scenarios implemented in new-generation HMDs to achieve a comfortable user experience. Furthermore, the effects of positional tracking are introduced and the relation between the user’s virtual and physical body is analyzed. The observations made are exemplified by existing software prototypes. They indicate how the term “virtual reality,” with all its loaded connotations, may be reconceptualized to express the peculiarities of HMDs in the context of gaming, entertainment, and virtual experiences.

[Virtual reality therapy in anxiety disorders].

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrousia, V; Giotakos, O

2016-01-01

During the last decade a number of studies have been conducted in order to examine if virtual reality exposure therapy can be an alternative form of therapy for the treatment of mental disorders and particularly for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Imaginal exposure therapy, which is one of the components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, cannot be easily applied to all patients and in cases like those virtual reality can be used as an alternative or a supportive psychotherapeutic technique. Most studies using virtual reality have focused on anxiety disorders, mainly in specific phobias, but some extend to other disorders such as eating disorders, drug dependence, pain control and palliative care and rehabilitation. Main characteristics of virtual reality therapy are: "interaction", "immersion", and "presence". High levels of "immersion" and "presence" are associated with increased response to exposure therapy in virtual environments, as well as better therapeutic outcomes and sustained therapeutic gains. Typical devices that are used in order patient's immersion to be achieved are the Head-Mounted Displays (HMD), which are only for individual use, and the computer automatic virtual environment (CAVE), which is a multiuser. Virtual reality therapy's disadvantages lie in the difficulties that arise due to the demanded specialized technology skills, devices' cost and side effects. Therapists' training is necessary in order for them to be able to manipulate the software and the hardware and to adjust it to each case's needs. Devices' cost is high but as technology continuously improves it constantly decreases. Immersion during virtual reality therapy can induce mild and temporary side effects such as nausea, dizziness or headache. Until today, however, experience shows that virtual reality offers several advantages. Patient's avoidance to be exposed in phobic stimuli is reduced via the use of virtual reality since the patient is exposed to them as many times as he

Using virtual Lustre clients on the WAN for analysis of data from high energy physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourilkov, D; Avery, P; Cheng, M; Fu, Y; Kim, B; Palencia, J; Budden, R; Benninger, K; Shrum, D; Wilgenbusch, J

2012-01-01

We describe the work on creating system images of Lustre virtual clients in the ExTENCI project (Extending Science Through Enhanced National Cyberlnfrastructure), using several virtual technologies (Xen, VMware, VirtualBox, KVM). These virtual machines can be built at several levels, from a basic Linux installation (we use Scientific Linux 5 as an example), adding a Lustre client with Kerberos authentication, and up to complete clients including local or distributed (based on CernVM-FS) installations of the full CERN and project specific software stack for typical LHC experiments. The level, and size, of the images are determined by the users on demand. Various sites and individual users can just download and use them out of the box on Linux/UNIX, Windows and Mac OS X based hosts. We compare the performance of virtual clients with that of real physical systems for typical high energy physics applications like Monte Carlo simulations or analysis of data stored in ROOT trees.

Emulation-Based Virtual Laboratories: A Low-Cost Alternative to Physical Experiments in Control Engineering Education

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, G. C.; Medioli, A. M.; Sher, W.; Vlacic, L. B.; Welsh, J. S.

2011-01-01

This paper argues the case for emulation-based virtual laboratories in control engineering education. It demonstrates that such emulation experiments can give students an industrially relevant educational experience at relatively low cost. The paper also describes a particular emulation-based system that has been developed with the aim of giving…

Providing guidance in virtual lab experimentation : the case of an experiment design tool

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Efstathiou, Charalampos; Hovardas, Tasos; Xenofontos, Nikoletta A.; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; de Jong, Ton A.J.M.; Anjewierden, Anjo; van Riesen, Siswa A.N.

2018-01-01

The present study employed a quasi-experimental design to assess a computer-based tool, which was intended to scaffold the task of designing experiments when using a virtual lab for the process of experimentation. In particular, we assessed the impact of this tool on primary school students’

Reconsidering the International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Milton; Quintner, John; van Rysewyk, Simon

2018-03-01

The definition of pain promulgated by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is widely accepted as a pragmatic characterisation of that human experience. Although the Notes that accompany it characterise pain as "always subjective," the IASP definition itself fails to sufficiently integrate phenomenological aspects of pain. This essay reviews the historical development of the IASP definition, and the commentaries and suggested modifications to it over almost 40 years. Common factors of pain experience identified in phenomenological studies are described, together with theoretical insights from philosophy and biology. A fuller understanding of the pain experience and of the clinical care of those experiencing pain is achievable through greater attention to the phenomenology of pain, the social "intersubjective space" in which pain occurs, and the limitations of language. Based on these results, a revised definition of pain is offered: Pain is a mutually recognizable somatic experience that reflects a person's apprehension of threat to their bodily or existential integrity.

Ride comfort optimization of a multi-axle heavy motorized wheel dump truck based on virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bian Gong

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The optimization of hydro-pneumatic suspension parameters of a multi-axle heavy motorized wheel dump truck is carried out based on virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model in this article. The root mean square of vertical vibration acceleration, in the center of sprung mass, is assigned as the optimization objective. The constraints are the natural frequency, the working stroke, and the dynamic load of wheels. The suspension structure for the truck is the adjustable hydro-pneumatic suspension with ideal vehicle nonlinear characteristics, integrated with elastic and damping elements. Also, the hydraulic systems of two adjacent hydro-pneumatic suspension are interconnected. Considering the high complexity of the engineering model, a novel kind of meta-model called virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging is proposed in this article. The interpolation principle and the construction of virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model were elucidated. Being different from traditional Kriging, virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging combines the respective advantages of actual test and Computer Aided Engineering simulation. Based on the virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging model, the optimization results, obtained by experimental verification, showed significant improvement in the ride comfort by 12.48% for front suspension and 11.79% for rear suspension. Compared with traditional Kriging, the optimization effect was improved by 3.05% and 3.38% respectively. Virtual and real prototype experiment integrated Kriging provides an effective way to approach the optimal solution for the optimization of high-complexity engineering problems.

Experiments at The Virtual National Laboratory for Heavy Ion Fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seidl, P.A.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Celata, C.M.; Faltens, A.; Kwan, J.W.; MacLaren, S.A.; Ponce, D.; Shuman, D.; Yu, S.; Ahle, L.; Lund, S.; Molvik, A.; Sangster, T.C.

2000-01-01

An overview of experiments is presented, in which the physical dimensions, emittance and perveance are scaled to explore driver-relevant beam dynamics. Among these are beam merging, focusing to a small spot, and bending and recirculating beams. The Virtual National Laboratory for Heavy Ion Fusion (VNL) is also developing two driver-scale beam experiments involving heavy-ion beams with I(sub beam) about 1 Ampere to provide guidance for the design of an Integrated Research Experiment (IRE) for driver system studies within the next 5 years. Multiple-beam sources and injectors are being designed and a one-beam module will be built and tested. Another experimental effort will be the transport of such a beam through about 100 magnetic quadrupoles. The experiment will determine transport limits at high aperture fill factors, beam halo formation, and the influence on beam properties of secondary electron Research into driver technology will be briefly presented, including the development of ferromagnetic core materials, induction core pulsers, multiple-beam quadrupole arrays and plasma channel formation experiments for pinched transport in reactor chambers

More in hope than expectation: a systematic review of women's expectations and experience of pain relief in labour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Macphail Sheila

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Childbirth is one of the most painful events that a woman is likely to experience, the multi-dimensional aspect and intensity of which far exceeds disease conditions. A woman's lack of knowledge about the risks and benefits of the various methods of pain relief can heighten anxiety. Women are increasingly expected, and are expecting, to participate in decisions about their healthcare. Involvement should allow women to make better-informed decisions; the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has stated that we need effective ways of supporting pregnant women in making informed decisions during labour. Our aim was to systematically review the empirical literature on women's expectations and experiences of pain and pain relief during labour, as well as their involvement in the decision-making process. Methods A systematic review was conducted using the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL, Bath Information and Database Service (BIDS, Excerpta Medica Database Guide (EMBASE, Midwives Information and Resource (MIDIRS, Sociological Abstracts and PsychINFO. Studies that examined experience and expectations of pain, and its relief in labour, were appraised and the findings were integrated into a systematic review. Results Appraisal revealed four key themes: the level and type of pain, pain relief, involvement in decision-making and control. Studies predominantly showed that women underestimated the pain they would experience. Women may hope for a labour free of pain relief, but many found that they needed or benefited from it. There is a distinction between women's desire for a drug-free labour and the expectation that they may need some sort of pain relief. Inaccurate or unrealistic expectations about pain may mean that women are not prepared appropriately for labour. Many women acknowledged that they wanted to

Pain Experience in Hemophilia Patients: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Science.gov (United States)

Rambod, Masoume; Sharif, Farkhondeh; Molazem, Zahra; Khair, Kate

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Pain, as a crucial subsequence of joint hemorrhages in hemophilia patients, is chronic, debilitating, and distracting. This study aimed to describe and interpret pain experiences of hemophilia patients in their lives. Methods: This qualitative study with hermeneutic phenomenological approach was conducted on fourteen hemophilia patients who had been referred to a hemophilia center affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. The study question was “what is the meaning of pain in hemophilia patients’ lives? The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes through purposeful sampling. Then, thematic analysis with van Manen’s six-step methodological framework was used. MAX.QDA qualitative software package, 2010, was used to analyze the data. Results: The three main themes that emerged in this study were “alteration in physical health”, “engagement in psychological problems”, and “impairment in social relationships”. Alteration in physical health consisted of three subthemes, namely “impairment of physical function”, “change in body physics”, and “disturbance in sleep quality”. In addition, two subthemes including “nostalgia of pain in adults with hemophilia” and “psychological distress” emerged from engagement in psychological problems. Finally, “loss of social activity” and “change in relationships” were related to impairment in social relationships. Conclusion: The present study highlighted alteration in physical health, engagement in psychological problems, and impairment in social relationship as a result of pain in hemophilia patients. Thus, healthcare providers and family members have to pay special attention to these problems. Besides, providing complementary therapy interventions is suggested for reducing these issues. PMID:27713894

Virtuality and efficiency - overcoming past antinomy in the remote collaboration experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, Joao; Bjorkli, Knut; Clavo, David Martin; Baron, Thomas

2010-01-01

Several recent initiatives have been put in place by the CERN IT Department to improve the user experience in remote dispersed meetings and remote collaboration at large in the LHC communities worldwide. We will present an analysis of the factors which were historically limiting the efficiency of remote dispersed meetings and describe the consequent actions which were undertaken at CERN to overcome these limitations. After giving a status update of the different equipment available at CERN to enable the virtual sessions and the various collaborative tools which are currently proposed to users, we will focus on the evolution of this market: how can the new technological trends (among others, HD videoconferencing, Telepresence, Unified Communications, etc.) impact positively the user experience and how to attain the best usage of them. Finally, by projecting ourselves in the future, we will give some hints as to how to answer the difficult question of selecting the next generation of collaborative tools: which set of tools among the various offers (systems like Vidyo H264 SVC, next generation EVO, Groupware offers, standard H323 systems, etc.) is best suited for our environment and how to unify this set for the common user. This will finally allow us to definitively overcome the past antinomy between virtuality and efficiency.

Art in virtual reality 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Ben

2010-01-01

For decades, virtual reality artwork has existed in a small but highly influential niche in the world of electronic and new media art. Since the early 1990's, virtual reality installations have come to define an extreme boundary point of both aesthetic experience and technological sophistication. Classic virtual reality artworks have an almost mythological stature - powerful, exotic, and often rarely exhibited. Today, art in virtual environments continues to evolve and mature, encompassing everything from fully immersive CAVE experiences to performance art in Second Life to the use of augmented and mixed reality in public space. Art in Virtual Reality 2010 is a public exhibition of new artwork that showcases the diverse ways that contemporary artists use virtual environments to explore new aesthetic ground and investigate the continually evolving relationship between our selves and our virtual worlds.

Virtual Learning Environments and Learning Forms -experiments in ICT-based learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helbo, Jan; Knudsen, Morten

2004-01-01

This paper report the main results of a three year experiment in ICT-based distance learning. The results are based on a full scale experiment in the education, Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII) and is one of many projects deeply rooted in the project Virtual Learning Environments...... and Learning forms (ViLL). The experiment was to transfer a well functioning on-campus engineering program based on project organized collaborative learning to a technology supported distance education program. After three years the experiments indicate that adjustments are required in this transformation....... The main problem is that we do not find the same self regulatoring learning effect in the group work among the off-campus students as is the case for on-campus students. Based on feedback from evaluation questionnaires and discussions with the students didactic adjustments have been made. The revised...

Virtual School Startups: Founder Processes in American K-12 Public Virtual Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Brett D.; McNair, Delores E.

2018-01-01

Traditional school districts do not have a lot of experience with virtual schools and have lost students to state and charter virtual schools. To retain students and offer alternative learning opportunities, more public districts are starting their own virtual schools. This study was an examination of foundational processes at three California…

Patient's experience with comorbidity management in primary care: a qualitative study of comorbid pain and obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Janke, E Amy; Ramirez, Michelle L; Haltzman, Brittany; Fritz, Megan; Kozak, Andrea T

2016-01-01

The aim of this research is to examine perceptions of those with comorbid chronic pain and obesity regarding their experience of comorbidity management in primary care settings. Chronic pain and obesity are common comorbidities frequently managed in primary care settings. Evidence suggests individuals with this comorbidity may be at risk for suboptimal clinical interactions; however, treatment experiences and preferences of those with comorbid chronic pain and obesity have received little attention. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 30 primary care patients with mean body mass index=36.8 and comorbid persistent pain. The constant comparative method was used to analyze data. Participants discussed frustration with a perceived lack of information tailored to their needs and a desire for a personalized treatment experience. Participants found available medical approaches unsatisfying and sought a more holistic approach to management. Discussions also focused around the need for providers to initiate efforts at education and motivation enhancement and to show concern for and understanding of the unique difficulties associated with comorbidity. Findings suggest providers should engage in integrated communication regarding weight and pain, targeting this multimorbidity using methods aligned with priorities discussed by patients.

Electronic diary assessment of pain-related fear, attention to pain, and pain intensity in chronic low back pain patients.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roelofs, J.; Peters, M.L.; Patijn, J.; Schouten, E.G.; Vlaeyen, J.W.

2004-01-01

The present study investigated the relationships between pain-related fear, attention to pain, and pain intensity in daily life in patients with chronic low back pain. An experience sampling methodology was used in which electronic diary data were collected by means of palmtop computers from 40

Certified nursing assistants' perspectives of nursing home residents' pain experience: communication patterns, cultural context, and the role of empathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobbs, Debra; Baker, Tamara; Carrion, Iraida V; Vongxaiburana, Elizabeth; Hyer, Kathryn

2014-03-01

This study explored the following issues related to pain management among nursing home (NH) residents: 1) communication patterns between NH residents and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) about pain; 2) how race and ethnicity influence NH residents' pain experiences; and 3) CNAs' personal experiences with pain that may affect their empathy toward the resident's pain experience. The study consisted of a convenience sample of four focus groups (n = 28) from a NH in central Florida. A content analysis approach was used. Data were analyzed with the use of Atlas.ti version 6.2. The content analysis identified four main themes: 1) attitudes as barriers to communication about resident pain care; 2) cultural, religious, and gender influences of resident pain care by CNAs; 3) the role of empathy in CNAs care of residents with pain; and 4) worker strategies to detect pain. Attitudes among CNAs about resident cognitive status and perceived resident burden need to be recognized as barriers to the detection and reporting of pain by CNAs and should be addressed. In addition, NHs should consider a person-centered approach to pain that is culturally competent given the cultural influences of both residents and staff. Finally, educational programs for CNAs that include empathy-inducing scenarios could potentially improve the care provided by CNAs when dealing with residents' pain. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Does early-life family income influence later dental pain experience? A prospective 14-year study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorbani, Z; Peres, M A; Liu, P; Mejia, G C; Armfield, J M; Peres, K G

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between early-life family income and dental pain experience from childhood to early adulthood. Data came from a 14-year prospective study (1991/1992-2005/2006) carried out in South Australia, which included children and adolescents aged 4-17 years (N = 9875) at baseline. The outcome was dental pain experience obtained at baseline, 14 years later in adulthood and at a middle point of time. The main explanatory variable was early-life family income collected at baseline. The prevalence of dental pain was 22.8% at baseline, 19.3% at 'middle time' and 39.3% at follow up. The proportion of people classified as 'poor' at baseline was 27.7%. Being poor early in life was significantly associated with dental pain at 14-year follow up (odds ratio = 1.45; 95% confidence interval = 1.27-1.66). Early-life relative poverty is associated with more frequent dental pain across the 14-year follow up and may be a key exposure variable for later dental conditions. © 2017 Australian Dental Association.

Virtual Reality: Principles and Applications

OpenAIRE

MÉRIENNE , Frédéric

2017-01-01

Virtual reality aims at immersing a user in a virtual environment. Dedicated virtual reality technologies of human–computer interaction enable to make the link between the user and a virtual environment in capturing the user’s motion, acting on his senses as well as computing the virtual experience in real-time. The immersion in virtual environment is evaluated through the user’s perception and reaction. Virtual reality is used in a large variety of application domains which need multisensory...

Cognitive Components Predict Virtual Reality-Induced Analgesia: Repeated Measures in Healthy Subjects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naor Demeter

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Virtual reality (VR is an advanced and useful technology in the distraction from pain. The efficacy of VR for reducing pain is well established. Yet, the literature analyzing the unique attributes of VR which impact pain reduction is scarce. The present study evaluated the effect of two VR environments on experimental pain levels. Both VR environments are games used with an EyeToy application which is part of the video capture VR family. The VR environments were analyzed by expert occupational therapists using a method of activity analysis, allowing for a thorough evaluation of the VR activity performance requirements. The VR environments were found to differ in the cognitive load (CL demands they apply upon subjects. Sixty-two healthy students underwent psychophysical thermal pain tests, followed by exposure to tonic heat stimulation under one of three conditions: Low CL (LCL VR, high CL (HCL VR, and control. In addition, following participation in VR, the subjects completed a self-feedback inventory evaluating their experience in VR. The results showed significantly greater pain reduction during both VR conditions compared to the control condition (p = 0.001. Hierarchical regression revealed cognitive components which were evaluated in the self-feedback inventory to be predictive factors for pain reduction only during the high cognitive load (HCL VR environment (20.2%. CL involved in VR may predict the extent of pain decrease, a finding that should be considered in future clinical and laboratory research.

Variation in Quality of Urgent Health Care Provided During Commercial Virtual Visits.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenfeld, Adam J; Davies, Jason M; Marafino, Ben J; Dean, Mitzi; DeJong, Colette; Bardach, Naomi S; Kazi, Dhruv S; Boscardin, W John; Lin, Grace A; Duseja, Reena; Mei, Y John; Mehrotra, Ateev; Dudley, R Adams

2016-05-01

Commercial virtual visits are an increasingly popular model of health care for the management of common acute illnesses. In commercial virtual visits, patients access a website to be connected synchronously-via videoconference, telephone, or webchat-to a physician with whom they have no prior relationship. To date, whether the care delivered through those websites is similar or quality varies among the sites has not been assessed. To assess the variation in the quality of urgent health care among virtual visit companies. This audit study used 67 trained standardized patients who presented to commercial virtual visit companies with the following 6 common acute illnesses: ankle pain, streptococcal pharyngitis, viral pharyngitis, acute rhinosinusitis, low back pain, and recurrent female urinary tract infection. The 8 commercial virtual visit websites with the highest web traffic were selected for audit, for a total of 599 visits. Data were collected from May 1, 2013, to July 30, 2014, and analyzed from July 1, 2014, to September 1, 2015. Completeness of histories and physical examinations, the correct diagnosis (vs an incorrect or no diagnosis), and adherence to guidelines of key management decisions. Sixty-seven standardized patients completed 599 commercial virtual visits during the study period. Histories and physical examinations were complete in 417 visits (69.6%; 95% CI, 67.7%-71.6%); diagnoses were correctly named in 458 visits (76.5%; 95% CI, 72.9%-79.9%), and key management decisions were adherent to guidelines in 325 visits (54.3%; 95% CI, 50.2%-58.3%). Rates of guideline-adherent care ranged from 206 visits (34.4%) to 396 visits (66.1%) across the 8 websites. Variation across websites was significantly greater for viral pharyngitis and acute rhinosinusitis (adjusted rates, 12.8% to 82.1%) than for streptococcal pharyngitis and low back pain (adjusted rates, 74.6% to 96.5%) or ankle pain and recurrent urinary tract infection (adjusted rates, 3.4% to 40

Virtual Reality Lab Assistant

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Hrishikesh; Palmer, Timothy A.

1996-01-01

Virtual Reality Lab Assistant (VRLA) demonstration model is aligned for engineering and material science experiments to be performed by undergraduate and graduate students in the course as a pre-lab simulation experience. This will help students to get a preview of how to use the lab equipment and run experiments without using the lab hardware/software equipment. The quality of the time available for laboratory experiments can be significantly improved through the use of virtual reality technology.

VIRTUAL MODELING OF PHYSICAL EXPERIMENT FOR DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEMS IN THE SECONDARY AND HIGHER PEDAGOGICAL SCHOOLS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mykola V. Holovko

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The article investigates the state of the educational computer simulation and its modern features. It deals with psychological and didactic approaches to modeling in physics education and school physical experiment. It was considered the possible classification of computer models for distance learning system, as well as proposed the ways of implementing virtual experiment in distance education in physics. The main types of virtual modeling, the most widely used computer systems support in teaching physics, their possible application in teaching secondary school students were characterized. The peculiarities of distance education of future physics teachers by means of electronic teaching methods as a combination of integrated electronic educational resources and services were highlighted.

The photoelectric effect and study of the diffraction of light: Two new experiments in UNILabs virtual and remote laboratories network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sánchez, Juan Pedro; Carreras, Carmen; Yuste, Manuel; Dormido, Sebastián; Sáenz, Jacobo; De la Torre, Luis; Rubén, Heradio

2015-01-01

This work describes two experiments: 'study of the diffraction of light: Fraunhofer approximation' and 'the photoelectric effect'. Both of them count with a virtual, simulated, version of the experiment as well as with a real one which can be operated remotely. The two previous virtual and remote labs (built using Easy Java(script) Simulations) are integrated in UNILabs, a network of online interactive laboratories based on the free Learning Management System Moodle. In this web environment, students can find not only the virtual and remote labs but also manuals with related theory, the user interface description for each application, and so on.

Pain and systemic lupus erythematosus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Di Franco

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE is an autoimmune disease characterized by heterogeneous clinical manifestations involving virtually the entire body. The pain in SLE can have different causes. The SLE classification criteria include mainly the musculoskeletal manifestations of pain, which are commonly reported as initial symptoms of SLE, such as arthralgia, arthritis and/or myalgia. Chronic widespread pain, which is typical of fibromyalgia (FM, is frequently associated with SLE. The aim of this review is to describe widespread pain and fatigue in SLE, and the association of SLE and FM. Although secondary FM is not correlated with the disease activity, it may interfere with the daily activities of SLE patients. Therefore it is necessary to identify its symptoms and treat them promptly to improve the quality of life of patients. In conclusion, it is essential to identify the origin of pain in SLE in order to avoid dangerous over-treatment in patients with co-existing widespread pain and FM.

A narrative inquiry into women’s perception and experience of labour pain: A study in the western region of ghana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelyn Asamoah Ampofo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available There is a general notion among Ghanaian women that the labour is a painful process that must be endured. Regardless of this notion, labour pain experience overwhelms most women. The aim of this study was to inquire into women’s perceptions and experience of labour pain and how women cope with pain. Using the narrative inquiry methodology, five low risk pregnant Ghanaian women; two nulliparous and three multiparas were purposefully selected. Tape-recorded conversations, writing of field notes and journals were used as the main source of data collection before delivery and within one week after delivery. The women’s perception of pain before and after delivery was used to construct narrative accounts from which the findings of the study were generated. To ensure credibility of each narrative account, the interim narrative accounts constructed by the researcher were sent to the women to read and respond to. The findings revealed that before the labour experience, women perceived labour as a painful experience expected to be endured. Antenatal education on labour pain management was inadequate. Additionally use of pain relief methods was lacking although women expressed need for pain relief. Furthermore the findings revealed inadequate physical and emotional support for women in labour to help cope with labour pain. In conclusion the researcher recommends that midwives in consultation with clients adopt a more active method of assessing labour pain. Also antenatal education on pain relief options must be provided. A more conscious effort to provide support for women in labour should be promoted.

Living with chronic neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of community experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Hearn, Jasmine H; Cotter, Imogen; Fine, Philip; A Finlay, Katherine

2015-01-01

This article presents an in-depth, idiographic study examining the lived experience of chronic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain (NP) occurs in a large majority of the SCI population and is particularly intractable to treatment. It can be both psychologically and physically debilitating. This study examines how the experience of NP is mediated by its meaning to the sufferer. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people with SCI and chronic NP, attending outpatient clinics at a specialist SCI Centre in the UK. Verbatim transcripts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis to further understand the experience. Analysis suggested that NP has powerful consequences upon the sufferer's physical, psychological and social well-being, in line with a biopsychosocial understanding of pain. Three super-ordinate themes were identified: a perceived gap between treatments received and participants' views of what they wanted and needed; a fight for life control and acceptance; and feeling understood by others with SCI, but isolated from the non-understanding able-bodied. The results are discussed in terms of the possible application of acceptance-based therapy to NP and the potential for the alleviation of the debilitating consequences of NP. Chronic NP after SCI is often described as worse than the injury itself, often impacting upon the sufferers physical and psychological health. The experiences of persons with SCI-specific NP highlight the impact of pain on their physical, psychological and social health. This indicates that healthcare professionals should incorporate a biopsychosocial approach for managing pain post-SCI. Routine clinical follow-up of SCI patients with chronic NP, as well as comprehensive pain management treatment programmes, could address the three themes evidenced in the current study, by moving routine intervention with NP away from pain relief, towards pain management. Continued education for patients

Staff Experience of Pain Management: An Improvement in Palliative Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Unné

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Palliative care involves helping patients to achieve best possible quality of life by alleviating symptoms and suffering. The aim of the study was to describe and analyze staff member’s experience of working with evidence-based guidelines for pain management in palliative care. The study comprised a total of eight group interviews and 93 narratives from 22 staff members, all of who worked in palliative care. Data was analyzed using manifest qualitative content analysis and deductive perspectives according to SOC (sense of coherence. Three categories, “Awareness of Pain Management”, “Participation in Pain Management”, and “Safety at Pain Management”, were identified. The result showed an increased awareness of the value of a deeper understanding of policy documents and local guidelines. A key factor in improvement work was that team members were given the opportunity to repeat and continuously reflect on their performed work together within the team in dialog form. Teamwork may contribute to a better knowledge and understanding of how to develop high quality in healthcare by learning from each other in everyday work and by using evidence-based practices. Consistency in the working group could improve healthcare by using the espoused theory and theory-in-use for develop procedures and guidelines at work.

Review: Psychogenic Aspect of Pain & Coceptualization of Psychogenic Pain in Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Reza Jazayeri

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Pain is the sensory and emotional experience of discomfort whiehis usually associated with actual or threatened physical damsge or irritation . Virtvally all people experience pain at all ages. Children also experience pain from the moment of birth through childhood years. Underestaning pain in children is very important , because of treatment implication and its influence in child physical and psychological development . Experienced researchers have found that pain is a concequence of emotional disorder which is observed in some patients . in many cases we have seen that a patient says to his / her clinician that she has no pain because there is no evidence of somatic disease. Dicomfont involved in psychogenic pain seems to resort primerly from psychological process. Many of physicion are familiar with unpleasant and avoidant concequences of these distortions . In these cases , it s better for us to agree with patients , experience of pain and not to prob somatic risk factors and their mechanism all the time. The researches hove recognized that psychological factors cam cause pain which is named psychogenic pain. It means that the cause of pain has psychological roots , versus organic pain which is related to discomfort is caused by tissue damage . In this study , theorical , psychological , psychoanalytical and psycho social approaches and personality characteristics description related to pain and the relations among these approaches in this area have been studied . Also, the perception of pain among children with different gender have been probed

Patients' experiences of the impact of chronic back pain on family life and work.

Science.gov (United States)

De Souza, Lorraine; Frank, Andrew Oliver

2011-01-01

The emotional distress caused by pain is one of the most disruptive aspects of living with the condition. This study investigates how individuals experience pain and its consequences for family life and work. Unstructured interviews, using the 'Framework' approach with topic guide, were recorded and transcribed. Patients were sampled for age, sex, ethnicity and occupation from new referrals with spinal pain (SP) to a rheumatology outpatient clinic. Eleven patients (five males and six females) were interviewed in English (n = 9) or their preferred language (n = 2). Interviews were read in depth twice to identify the topics. Data were extracted in phrases and sentences using thematic content analysis. Emergent themes reported were relationships with: spouses and partners (n = 7), children/parents (n = 6), with other family and friends (n = 7) and work-related issues (n = 11). Patients valued support from family but expressed concerns about causing them worry. Work-related issues included physical and emotional efforts to keep working when in pain, fear of losing employment and financial problems. Patients expressed anxiety about how their pain affected other family members, regret at losing full work capacity and worry about financial consequences. The lived experience of chronic SP has ramifications that go beyond the individual, reaching into work and social relationships.

Cognitive modulation of pain and predictive coding. Comment on “Facing the experience of pain: A neuropsychological perspective” by Fabbro and Crescentini

Science.gov (United States)

Pagnoni, Giuseppe; Porro, Carlo A.

2014-09-01

Pain is a phenomenologically complex experience whose sensory and psychological dimensions are deeply intertwined. In their perspective article, Fabbro and Crescentini [1] review the physiological and neural mechanisms underlying nociception and its cognitive modulation within the broader concept of suffering, which includes psychological pain [2] in its culturally mediated and existentially nuanced forms. The tight link between affective and cognitive processes, on the one hand, and pain, on the other, is illustrated by examining in turn the placebo effect, empathy for other people's afflictions, clinical depression, and the role that mindfulness-based practices may play in alleviating suffering.

A pain in the bud? Implications of cross-modal sensitivity for pain experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Monica; de Bruyne, Marien; Giummarra, Melita J

2016-11-01

There is growing evidence that enhanced sensitivity to painful clinical procedures and chronic pain are related to greater sensitivity to other sensory inputs, such as bitter taste. We examined cross-modal sensitivities in two studies. Study 1 assessed associations between bitter taste sensitivity, pain tolerance, and fear of pain in 48 healthy young adults. Participants were classified as non-tasters, tasters and super-tasters using a bitter taste test (6-n-propythiouracil; PROP). The latter group had significantly higher fear of pain (Fear of Pain Questionnaire) than tasters (p=.036, effect size r = .48). There was only a trend for an association between bitter taste intensity ratings and intensity of pain at the point of pain tolerance in a cold pressor test (p=.04). In Study 2, 40 healthy young adults completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile before rating intensity and unpleasantness of innocuous (33 °C), moderate (41 °C), and high intensity (44 °C) thermal pain stimulations. The sensory-sensitivity subscale was positively correlated with both intensity and unpleasantness ratings. Canonical correlation showed that only sensitivity to audition and touch (not taste/smell) were associated with intensity of moderate and high (not innocuous) thermal stimuli. Together these findings suggest that there are cross-modal associations predominantly between sensitivity to exteroceptive inputs (i.e., taste, touch, sound) and the affective dimensions of pain, including noxious heat and intolerable cold pain, in healthy adults. These cross-modal sensitivities may arise due to greater psychological aversion to salient sensations, or from shared neural circuitry for processing disparate sensory modalities.

Doing Textiles Experiments in Game-Based Virtual Reality: A Design of the Stereoscopic Chemical Laboratory (SCL) for Textiles Education

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Kung Wong; Kan, Chi Wai; Lee, Pui Yuen

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of stereoscopic virtual technology in textile and fashion studies in particular to the area of chemical experiment. The development of a designed virtual platform, called Stereoscopic Chemical Laboratory (SCL), is introduced. Design/methodology/approach: To implement the suggested…

Clinical experience with a chronic pain management programme in Hong Kong Chinese patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Man, Alice K Y; Chu, M C; Chen, P P; Ma, M; Gin, Tony

2007-10-01

To describe experience with a chronic pain management programme in Hong Kong Chinese patients. Prospective study. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. Patients with chronic pain who participated in the first six Comprehensive Out-patient Pain Engagement programmes between 2002 and 2005. Comprehensive Out-patient Pain Engagement is a 14-day structured, multidisciplinary out-patient programme conducted over 6 weeks. It includes pain education, cognitive re-conceptualisation, training in communication skills and coping strategies, graded physical exercises and functional activities training. It aims to improve patient function and quality of life, despite persistent pain. Changes in scores from baseline values after joining the programme, with respect to several assessment tools. These included the following: visual analogue pain scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Patient Self-efficacy Questionnaire, Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Medical Outcome Survey-Short Form 36 Questionnaire, and duration of physical tolerances, medication utilisation, and work status records. Forty-five patients were available for analysis. After the Comprehensive Out-patient Pain Engagement programme, improvements in Medical Outcome Survey-Short Form 36 Questionnaire (role physical and vitality), Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Patient Self-efficacy Questionnaire, and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure were demonstrated (P<0.05). The duration of standing and sitting tolerances increased (P<0.05). An improvement in employment rate was also evident (P=0.01). The initial results of our management programme in Chinese patients with chronic pain are encouraging. This type of programme should be promoted more widely in this group of patients, as it appears to improve physical function, psychological well-being, and productivity.

On the potential for using immersive virtual environments to support laboratory experiment contextualisation

Science.gov (United States)

Machet, Tania; Lowe, David; Gütl, Christian

2012-12-01

This paper explores the hypothesis that embedding a laboratory activity into a virtual environment can provide a richer experimental context and hence improve the understanding of the relationship between a theoretical model and the real world, particularly in terms of the model's strengths and weaknesses. While an identified learning objective of laboratories is to support the understanding of the relationship between models and reality, the paper illustrates that this understanding is hindered by inherently limited experiments and that there is scope for improvement. Despite the contextualisation of learning activities having been shown to support learning objectives in many fields, there is traditionally little contextual information presented during laboratory experimentation. The paper argues that the enhancing laboratory activity with contextual information affords an opportunity to improve students' understanding of the relationship between the theoretical model and the experiment (which is effectively a proxy for the complex real world), thereby improving their understanding of the relationship between the model and reality. The authors propose that these improvements can be achieved by setting remote laboratories within context-rich virtual worlds.

Zero time tunneling: macroscopic experiments with virtual particles

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Nimtz Günter

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Feynman introduced virtual particles in his diagrams as intermediate states of an interaction process. They represent necessary intermediate states between observable real states. Such virtual particles were introduced to describe the interaction process between an electron and a positron and for much more complicated interaction processes. Other candidates for virtual particles are evanescent modes in optics and in elastic fields. Evanescent modes have a purely imaginary wave number, they represent the mathematical analogy of the tunneling solutions of the Schrödinger equation. Evanescent modes exist in the forbidden frequency bands of a photonic lattice and in undersized wave guides, for instance. The most prominent example for the occurrence of evanescent modes is the frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR at double prisms. Evanescent modes and tunneling lie outside the bounds of the special theory of relativity. They can cause faster than light (FTL signal velocities. We present examples of the quantum mechanical behavior of evanescent photons and phonons at a macroscopic scale. The evanescent modes of photons are described by virtual particles as predicted by former QED calculations.

Emotional pain: surviving mental health problems related to childhood experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Holm, A L; Bégat, I; Severinsson, E

2009-09-01

Emotional pain is described as intense by women who suffer from borderline personality disorder (BPD), and a high prevalence of reported childhood abuse was found in the literature and in research. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of women suffering from BPD with focus on emotional pain related to childhood. An explorative design was used. Data were collected from in-depth interviews consisting of women suffering from BPD (n = 13) and an interpretive content analysis was used to analyse the text. The findings revealed two main themes: 'Power' and 'Assessment of vulnerability'. The main theme 'Power' resulted in two categories: 'Surviving the feeling of being forced' and 'Surviving the feeling of having to assume responsibility'. The other main theme 'Assessment of vulnerability' had two categories: 'Surviving the feeling of being victimized' and 'Surviving the feeling of not being loved'. The findings suggest that nursing care need to develop an understanding of how these women endure their emotional pain, and try to survive as fighting spirits and how struggling became their way of life.

Ethics at the Boundaries of the Virtual

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ess, Charles

2014-01-01

I summarize emerging ethical issues and challenges evoked by rapidly developing and diffusing technologies for creating virtual experiences, especially as these developments increasingly blur the ethically foundational distinction between real and virtual.......I summarize emerging ethical issues and challenges evoked by rapidly developing and diffusing technologies for creating virtual experiences, especially as these developments increasingly blur the ethically foundational distinction between real and virtual....

Understanding the role of culture in pain: Māori practitioner perspectives of pain descriptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnusson, Jane E; Fennell, Joyce A

2011-01-21

There is growing interest in the role of cultural diversity within healthcare settings yet minority ethnic groups are underrepresented in the healthcare literature, including the literature on pain. To better assess and treat pain in different cultures the perspectives and experiences of that culture must be taken into consideration and therefore the present study was undertaken to better understand Māori perspectives of pain. Māori healthcare providers and kaumātua (tribal leaders/elders) completed questionnaires relating to the experience of pain and were asked to provide feedback regarding the suitability of words and phrases typically used to describe symptoms of pain and pain-related disability. Participants were also asked to provide words, or phrases (in te reo Māori or English) representing characteristics of pain which had not been provided but would be useful in the assessment of pain in a Māori population. All of the pain descriptors, and 92% of the phrases regarding the experience of pain, provided were endorsed by the majority of participants demonstrating that, as in many cultures, Māori perceive pain as a multidimensional experience impacting them on physiological, psychological, and social dimensions and that the terms and phrases of measures commonly used to assess pain appropriately capture their pain experiences. The implications of these findings are that established measures can be used when assessing pain in Māori. However, it is beneficial to confirm that the descriptors used in those measures accurately capture the experiences being measured.

A hierarchical model of virtual experience and its influences on the perceived value and loyalty of customers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Piyathasanan, B; Mathies, C; Wetzels, M.G.M.; Patterson, P.; de Ruyter, J.C.

2015-01-01

Many businesses use virtual experience (VE) to enhance the overall customer experience, though extant research offers little guidance for how to improve consumers' VE. This study, anchored in activity theory, examines key drivers of VE and its influences on value perceptions and customer loyalty. A

Impulsivity and suicidality: the mediating role of painful and provocative experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Bender, Theodore W; Gordon, Kathryn H; Bresin, Konrad; Joiner, Thomas E

2011-03-01

Multiple studies have reported a link between high levels of impulsivity and suicidal behavior. Joiner's (2005) explanation for this link is that impulsive individuals have a greater tendency to experience painful and provocative events that habituate them to fear and pain, which leads to an acquired capability for engaging in suicidal behavior. Study 1 tested Joiner's (2005) hypothesis in a sample of 182 undergraduate students who completed self-report questionnaires on impulsivity, frequency of painful and provocative events, and acquired capability for suicide. In addition to self-report, pain tolerance (an aspect of acquired capability for suicide) was measured with a pressure algometer. Study 2 sought to replicate our findings from Study 1 in a sample of 516 clinical outpatients using a multi-faceted measure of impulsivity. Consistent with prediction, product of coefficients tests for mediation (MacKinnon et al., 2002) revealed that impulsivity has an indirect relationship with acquired capability for suicidal behavior, and that this relationship is mediated by painful and provocative events. Data from our studies are cross-sectional in nature, which does not allow for conclusions about the temporal ordering of our variables. In addition, self-report was used to measure most variables. Future research may benefit from a longitudinal design and the inclusion of other modes of assessment (e.g., behavioral measures of impulsivity). Our findings suggest that the link between impulsivity and suicidal behavior occurs because impulsive people tend to have a greater capability for suicidal behavior, which they have acquired through experiencing painful and provocative events. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Parent experiences and information needs relating to procedural pain in children: a systematic review protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Gates, Allison; Shave, Kassi; Featherstone, Robin; Buckreus, Kelli; Ali, Samina; Scott, Shannon; Hartling, Lisa

2017-06-06

There exist many evidence-based interventions available to manage procedural pain in children and neonates, yet they are severely underutilized. Parents play an important role in the management of their child's pain; however, many do not possess adequate knowledge of how to effectively do so. The purpose of the planned study is to systematically review and synthesize current knowledge of the experiences and information needs of parents with regard to the management of their child's pain and distress related to medical procedures in the emergency department. We will conduct a systematic review using rigorous methods and reporting based on the PRISMA statement. We will conduct a comprehensive search of literature published between 2000 and 2016 reporting on parents' experiences and information needs with regard to helping their child manage procedural pain and distress. Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed will be searched. We will also search reference lists of key studies and gray literature sources. Two reviewers will screen the articles following inclusion criteria defined a priori. One reviewer will then extract the data from each article following a data extraction form developed by the study team. The second reviewer will check the data extraction for accuracy and completeness. Any disagreements with regard to study inclusion or data extraction will be resolved via discussion. Data from qualitative studies will be summarized thematically, while those from quantitative studies will be summarized narratively. The second reviewer will confirm the overarching themes resulting from the qualitative and quantitative data syntheses. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Research Checklist and the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies will be used to assess the quality of the evidence from each included study. To our knowledge, no published review exists that comprehensively reports on the experiences and information needs of parents

Acute pain assessment

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Clear, Elaine

2016-05-01

The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage” (IASP, 1997). This definition of pain emphasises that it is neither a sensory nor an emotional experience, but a combination of both. It is a subjective experience influenced by physical, psychological and environmental factors that is assessed from a biopsychosocial perspective. The gold standard in assessing pain however is always what the patient says it is.

The UFRJ-UERJ group: interdisciplinary virtual reality experiments in neuropsychiatry.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Rosa Maria E M; de Carvalho, Luis Alfredo V; Drummond, Ricardo; Wauke, Ana Paula T; de Sá Guimarães, Marcele

2002-10-01

This paper describes the research lines of an interdisciplinary group composed by two government universities in Rio de Janeiro. The first research line, a Virtual Environment for testing the acceptance of Virtual Reality equipment by schizophrenia patients, has stimulated a growing interest in this area in the country and abroad. The second research line, in progress now, develops a virtual environment to improve the learning abilities of children with Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Another study is related to the use of Virtual Reality in the cognitive treatment of common city phobias, beginning with the reproduction of some tunnels of our city to treatment of claustrophobic patients. The last of the research lines in progress in this group develops a virtual square for stimulating autistic patients.

[Virtual CT-pneumocystoscopy: indications, advantages and limitations. Our experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Regine, Giovanni; Atzori, Maurizio; Buffa, Vitaliano; Miele, Vittorio; Ialongo, Pasquale; Adami, Loredana

2003-09-01

The use of CT volume-rendering techniques allows the evaluation of visceral organs without the need for endoscopy. Conventional endoscopic evaluation of the bladder is limited by the invasiveness of the technique and the difficulty exploring the entire bladder. Virtual evaluation of the bladder by three-dimensional CT reconstruction offers potential advantages and can be used in place of endoscopy. This study investigates the sensitivity of virtual CT in assessing lesion of the bladder wall to compare it with that of conventional endoscopy, and outlines the indications, advantages and disadvantages of virtual CT-pneumocystography. Between September 2001 and May 2002, 21 patients with haematuria and positive cystoscopic findings were studied. After an initial assessment by ultrasound, the patients underwent pelvic CT as a single volumetric scan after preliminary air distension of the bladder by means of 12 F Foley catheter. The images were processed on an independent workstation (Advantage 3.0 GE) running dedicated software for endoluminal navigation. The lesions detected by endoscopy were classified as sessile or pedunculated, and according to size (more or less than 5 mm). Finally, the results obtained at virtual cystoscopy were evaluated by two radiologists blinded to the conventional cystoscopy results. Thirty lesions (24 pedunculated, 6 sessile) were detected at conventional cystoscopy in 16 patients (multiple polyposis in 3 cases). Virtual cystoscopy identified 23 lesions (19 pedunculated and 4 sessile). The undetected lesions were pedunculated <5 mm (5 cases) and sessile (2 cases). One correctly identified pedunculated lesion was associated with a bladder stone. Good quality virtual images were obtained in all of the patients. In only one patient with multiple polyposis the quality of the virtual endoscopic evaluation was limited by the patient's intolerance to bladder distension, although identification of the lesions was not compromised. The overall

A comparison of the postoperative pain experience in children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Science.gov (United States)

Rosander, Sondra; Nause-Osthoff, Rebecca; Voepel-Lewis, Terri; Tait, Alan R

2015-10-01

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may experience pain differently compared to other children, yet the evidence is equivocal regarding whether pain is heightened or dampened. This prospective observational study, therefore, was designed to compare the postoperative pain experiences in children with and without ADHD. Children aged 7-17 years with a diagnosis of ADHD (n = 119) who were scheduled for a surgical procedure requiring postoperative pain management and a matched cohort of children without ADHD were recruited (n = 122). Postoperative pain scores and analgesic use were recorded for 1 week, as was parents' estimate of their child's return to normal activity. There were no differences in highest pain scores between children with ADHD (3.3 ± 2.5, 0-10 numerical rating scale) and those without (2.8 ± 1.9). Postoperative opioid use was also similar on day 1 following surgery (0.12 ± 0.3 mg·kg(-1) vs 0.08 mg·kg(-1 ) ± 0.1 morphine equivalents, respectively). Children with ADHD, however, had a significantly longer return to normal activity (4.9 ± 3.8 vs 3.8 ± 3.0 days; P children with and without ADHD. However, the observation that children with ADHD took longer to return to baseline activity will be important in educating parents regarding their child's postoperative experience. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pelvic girdle pain affects the whole life--a qualitative interview study in Norway on women's experiences with pelvic girdle pain after delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Engeset, Jorun; Stuge, Britt; Fegran, Liv

2014-10-03

The aim of this study was to explore how pelvic girdle pain after delivery influences women's daily life in Norway. Knowledge about living with post-partum pelvic girdle pain is lacking. A phenomenological-hermeneutical design with qualitative semi-structured interviews was used. A strategic selection procedure was chosen to recruit participants from physiotherapy clinics and a regional hospital in Norway. Five women with clinically verified pelvic girdle pain after delivery were included. Data were imported into NVivo9 and analysed in three steps: naïve reading, structural analysis and comprehensive understanding of the text. Three themes influencing the women's daily life were identified: 1) activity and pain, 2) lack of acknowledgment of pain and disability, and 3) changed roles. A daily life with pain and limited physical activity was difficult to accept and made some of the women feel discouraged, isolated and lonely. Despite this, the women had a positive attitude to their problems, which may have positively increased their ability to cope. The findings also revealed the importance of a reciprocal influence between the woman and her environment, and that social support was crucial. Pelvic girdle pain may influence women's lives for months and years after delivery. Health care professionals should appreciate and focus on the patient's knowledge and skills. Understanding the daily experiences of women with pelvic girdle pain might help improve rehabilitation strategies for these patients.

Older Adults' Experiences with Audiovisual Virtual Reality: Perceived Usefulness and Other Factors Influencing Technology Acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Amy Restorick; Schutter, Bob De; Franks, Kelley; Radina, M Elise

2018-02-21

This study explores how older adults respond to audiovisual virtual reality (VR) and perceive its usefulness to their lives. Focus groups were conducted with residents of a retirement community after they viewed two audiovisual VR simulations (n = 41). Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in responses. Older adults described positive and negative emotional reactions to aspects of the VR experience, articulated content preferences, shared ideas to improve the usability of the equipment, and identified facilitators and barriers that influenced perceived usefulness. Recommendations for improving this technology include maximizing the positive aspects of VR through increasing interactivity, facilitating socializing with friends or family, and enhancing older adults' ease of use. Desired content of simulations involved travel, continuing education, reminiscence, and self-care/therapy. Virtual reality was reviewed positively, yet modifications are necessary to facilitate optimal user experience and potential benefit for this population. As older adults are interested in using VR, especially if poor health prevents the continuation of desirable activities or new experiences, it is important to respond to older adults' preferences and remove barriers that limit use and enjoyment.

Doubling Your Payoff: Winning Pain Relief Engages Endogenous Pain Inhibition1,2,3

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Saskia; Schweinhardt, Petra

2015-01-01

Abstract When in pain, pain relief is much sought after, particularly for individuals with chronic pain. In analogy to augmentation of the hedonic experience (“liking”) of a reward by the motivation to obtain a reward (“wanting”), the seeking of pain relief in a motivated state might increase the experience of pain relief when obtained. We tested this hypothesis in a psychophysical experiment in healthy human subjects, by assessing potential pain-inhibitory effects of pain relief “won” in a wheel of fortune game compared with pain relief without winning, exploiting the fact that the mere chance of winning induces a motivated state. The results show pain-inhibitory effects of pain relief obtained by winning in behaviorally assessed pain perception and ratings of pain intensity. Further, the higher participants scored on the personality trait novelty seeking, the more pain inhibition was induced. These results provide evidence that pain relief, when obtained in a motivated state, engages endogenous pain-inhibitory systems beyond the pain reduction that underlies the relief in the first place. Consequently, such pain relief might be used to improve behavioral pain therapy, inducing a positive, perhaps self-amplifying feedback loop of reduced pain and improved functionality. PMID:26464995

Material and Virtuality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse Aagaard, Anders

2015-01-01

Through tangible experiments this paper discusses the dialogues between digital architectural drawing and the process of materialisation. The paper sets op the spans between virtual and actual and control and uncertainty making these oppositions a combined spaces where information between a digital...... world and a physical world can interchange. The paper suggest an approach where an overlapping of virtuality and the tangible material output from digital fabrication machines create a method of using materialisation tools as instruments to connect the reality of materials and to an exploring process...... through these experiments is both tangible and directly connected to real actions in digital drawing or material processing but also the base for theoretical contemplations of the relation between virtual and actual and control and uncertainty....

A virtual experimenter to increase standardization for the investigation of placebo effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bjoern Horing

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Placebo effects are mediated by expectancy, which is highly influenced by psychosocial factors of a treatment context. These factors are difficult to standardize. Furthermore, dedicated placebo research often necessitates single-blind deceptive designs where biases are easily introduced. We propose a study protocol employing a virtual experimenter – a computer program designed to deliver treatment and instructions – for the purpose of standardization and reduction of biases when investigating placebo effects. Methods To evaluate the virtual experimenter’s efficacy in inducing placebo effects via expectancy manipulation, we suggest a partially blinded, deceptive design with a baseline/retest pain protocol (hand immersions in hot water bath. Between immersions, participants will receive an (actually inert medication. Instructions pertaining to the medication will be delivered by one of three metaphors: The virtual experimenter, a human experimenter, and an audio/text presentation (predictor “Metaphor”. The second predictor includes falsely informing participants that the medication is an effective pain killer, or correctly informing them that it is, in fact, inert (predictor “Instruction”. Analysis will be performed with hierarchical linear modelling, with a sample size of N = 50. Results from two pilot studies are presented that indicate the viability of the pain protocol (N = 33, and of the virtual experimenter software and placebo manipulation (N = 48. Discussion It will be challenging to establish full comparability between all metaphors used for instruction delivery, and to account for participant differences in acceptance of their virtual interaction partner. Once established, the presence of placebo effects would suggest that the virtual experimenter exhibits sufficient cues to be perceived as a social agent. He could consequently provide a convenient platform to investigate effects of

A Heterogeneous Distributed Virtual Geographic Environment—Potential Application in Spatiotemporal Behavior Experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shen Shen

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Due to their strong immersion and real-time interactivity, helmet-mounted virtual reality (VR devices are becoming increasingly popular. Based on these devices, an immersive virtual geographic environment (VGE provides a promising method for research into crowd behavior in an emergency. However, the current cheaper helmet-mounted VR devices are not popular enough, and will continue to coexist with personal computer (PC-based systems for a long time. Therefore, a heterogeneous distributed virtual geographic environment (HDVGE could be a feasible solution to the heterogeneous problems caused by various types of clients, and support the implementation of spatiotemporal crowd behavior experiments with large numbers of concurrent participants. In this study, we developed an HDVGE framework, and put forward a set of design principles to define the similarities between the real world and the VGE. We discussed the HDVGE architecture, and proposed an abstract interaction layer, a protocol-based interaction algorithm, and an adjusted dead reckoning algorithm to solve the heterogeneous distributed problems. We then implemented an HDVGE prototype system focusing on subway fire evacuation experiments. Two types of clients are considered in the system: PC, and all-in-one VR. Finally, we evaluated the performances of the prototype system and the key algorithms. The results showed that in a low-latency local area network (LAN environment, the prototype system can smoothly support 90 concurrent users consisting of PC and all-in-one VR clients. HDVGE provides a feasible solution for studying not only spatiotemporal crowd behaviors in normal conditions, but also evacuation behaviors in emergency conditions such as fires and earthquakes. HDVGE could also serve as a new means of obtaining observational data about individual and group behavior in support of human geography research.

Building Productivity in Virtual Project Teams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bill Hamersly

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The steady increase in project failure rates is leaving businesses searching for better integration techniques to virtualize their project environments. Through virtualization, organizations may have positive impacts on communities across geographical boundaries and resource constraints. The focus of this phenomenological study was to explore, via the experiences of successful project management practitioners, best practice strategies for integrating virtual project teams through data analysis. The conceptual framework included von Bertalanffy’s general systems theory, decomposition model of business process and project management frameworks, and the recomposition approach. Twenty-two senior project managers with more than 5 years of experience managing virtual project environments participated in semistructured telephone interviews. The van Kaam process employing normalization and bracketing approaches in data analysis resulted in the emergence of 34 thematic categories. The 10 most common themes culminated in the identification of strategies relevant for virtual project teams. The major themes pertained to 3 broad areas: (a structure that accommodates skills and technology for virtual team success, (b governance leading to efficient virtual project team management, and (c collaboration practices across diverse environments. This study involved the exploration of the experiences of the participants. Using the van Kaam method for normalization of the data and clustering like experiences into thematic statements, the study provided a plethora of new information concentrated on 10 themes that emerged.

A Systematic Review of the Processes Underlying the Main and the Buffering Effect of Social Support on the Experience of Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Che, Xianwei; Cash, Robin; Ng, Sin Ki; Fitzgerald, Paul; Fitzgibbon, Bernadette M

2018-04-24

This review aimed to explore the processes that underlie the main and the buffering effect of social support on decreased pain experience. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Online databases of PubMed and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed articles using keywords (("social support", OR "interpersonal", OR "social presence", OR "spouse", OR "couple", OR "marriage") AND "pain"). Articles were included if they examined the cognitive or behavioural processes linking social support to any aspects of reduced pain experience. The database search identified 38 studies, of which 33 were cognitive-behavioural studies and 5 were neurobiological. Cognitive-behavioural studies generated a total of 57 findings of the analgesic influence of social support. This effect was further categorized as social support decreasing the adverse influence of pain-related stress (28/44 findings), reappraising pain-related stress (7/9 findings), and facilitating coping attempts (2/4 findings). Of the 5 neurobiological studies, the influence of social support on pain reduction was associated with reduced neural and physiological stress systems in response to painful stimuli. This review presents evidence that the stress-buffering effect is more often able to account for the relationship between social support and pain experience. Moreover, findings suggest the critical significance of stress appraisal and attenuated stress systems in linking social support to aspects of reduced pain experience. Findings implicate the role of integrating perceived support and intimacy in support-oriented interventional trials for chronic pain.

Managing virtual machines with Vac and Vcycle

Science.gov (United States)

McNab, A.; Love, P.; MacMahon, E.

2015-12-01

We compare the Vac and Vcycle virtual machine lifecycle managers and our experiences in providing production job execution services for ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, and the GridPP VO at sites in the UK, France and at CERN. In both the Vac and Vcycle systems, the virtual machines are created outside of the experiment's job submission and pilot framework. In the case of Vac, a daemon runs on each physical host which manages a pool of virtual machines on that host, and a peer-to-peer UDP protocol is used to achieve the desired target shares between experiments across the site. In the case of Vcycle, a daemon manages a pool of virtual machines on an Infrastructure-as-a-Service cloud system such as OpenStack, and has within itself enough information to create the types of virtual machines to achieve the desired target shares. Both systems allow unused shares for one experiment to temporarily taken up by other experiements with work to be done. The virtual machine lifecycle is managed with a minimum of information, gathered from the virtual machine creation mechanism (such as libvirt or OpenStack) and using the proposed Machine/Job Features API from WLCG. We demonstrate that the same virtual machine designs can be used to run production jobs on Vac and Vcycle/OpenStack sites for ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, and GridPP, and that these technologies allow sites to be operated in a reliable and robust way.

A Remote and Virtual Lab with Experiments for Secondary Education, Engineering and Lifelong Learning Courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Cardoso

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The Information and Communication Technology tools are nowadays invaluable to support e-learning and b-learning programs. The Remote and Virtual Laboratory in development at the Department of Informatics Engineering of the University of Coimbra (Portugal, RVL@DEI-UC, is a web-based platform that allows users to perform a large set of experiments in different areas and contexts, such as in education or training. This paper aims to describe the inherent potential of this platform in secondary education, engineering and lifelong learning courses. The conceptualization, architecture and implementation of the web platform for real and virtual experiments, which is remotely accessed using the Internet, are presented and the relevance of the lab’s integration in an intelligent tutoring system is also highlighted, mainly in what regards the requirements of adaptation and customization to different users’ profile in different learning contexts.

Evaluation for the design of experience in virtual environments: modeling breakdown of interaction and illusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, T; Wright, P; Smith, S

2001-04-01

New and emerging media technologies have the potential to induce a variety of experiences in users. In this paper, it is argued that the inducement of experience presupposes that users are absorbed in the illusion created by these media. Looking to another successful visual medium, film, this paper borrows from the techniques used in "shaping experience" to hold spectators' attention in the illusion of film, and identifies what breaks the illusion/experience for spectators. This paper focuses on one medium, virtual reality (VR), and advocates a transparent or "invisible style" of interaction. We argue that transparency keeps users in the "flow" of their activities and consequently enhances experience in users. Breakdown in activities breaks the experience and subsequently provides opportunities to identify and analyze potential causes of usability problems. Adopting activity theory, we devise a model of interaction with VR--through consciousness and activity--and introduce the concept of breakdown in illusion. From this, a model of effective interaction with VR is devised and the occurrence of breakdown in interaction and illusion is identified along a continuum of engagement. Evaluation guidelines for the design of experience are proposed and applied to usability problems detected in an empirical study of a head-mounted display (HMD) VR system. This study shows that the guidelines are effective in the evaluation of VR. Finally, we look at the potential experiences that may be induced in users and propose a way to evaluate user experience in virtual environments (VEs) and other new and emerging media.

Autologous Fat Grafting Reduces Pain in Irradiated Breast: A Review of Our Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Caviggioli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Pain syndromes affect women after conservative and radical breast oncological procedures. Radiation therapy influences their development. We report autologous fat grafting therapeutical role in treating chronic pain in irradiated patients. Materials and Methods. From February 2006 to November 2014, we collect a total of 209 patients who meet the definition of “Postmastectomy Pain Syndrome” (PMPS and had undergone mastectomy with axillary dissection (113 patients or quadrantectomy (96 patients. Both procedures were followed by radiotherapy. We performed fat grafting following Coleman’s procedure. Mean amount of adipose tissue injected was 52 cc (±8.9 cc per breast. Seventy-eight in 209 patients were not treated surgically and were considered as control group. Data were gathered through preoperative and postoperative VAS questionnaires; analgesic drug intake was recorded. Results. The follow-up was at 12 months (range 11.7–13.5 months. In 120 treated patients we detected pain decrease (mean ± SD point reduction, 3.19 ± 2.86. Forty-eight in 59 patients stopped their analgesic drug therapy. Controls reported a mean ± SD decrease of pain of 1.14 ± 2.72. Results showed that pain decreased significantly in patients treated (p<0.005, Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Conclusion. Our 8-year experience confirms fat grafting effectiveness in decreasing neuropathic pain.

Exploring Adult Learners Usage of Information Communication Technology during a Virtual Peer Coaching Experience

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Ladyshewsky, Richard; Pettapiece, Ronald G.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how post-graduate students in a fully online business course used information communication technology during a virtual peer coaching experience. In this exploration of technology use it was found students required additional guidance in the use of technologies such as email, telephone calling, and more…

Managing painful chronic wounds: the Wound Pain Management Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Price, Patricia; Fogh, Karsten; Glynn, Chris

2007-01-01

of the pain experience: location, duration, intensity, quality, onset and impact on activities of daily living. Holistic management must be based on a safe and effective mix of psychosocial approaches together with local and systemic pain management. It is no longer acceptable to ignore or inadequately...... to the wound should be handled as one of the main priorities in chronic wound management together with addressing the cause. Management of pain in chronic wounds depends on proper assessment, reporting and documenting patient experiences of pain. Assessment should be based on six critical dimensions...... document persistent wound pain and not to develop a treatment and monitoring strategy to improve the lives of persons with chronic wounds. Unless wound pain is optimally managed, patient suffering and costs to health care systems will increase. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-Apr...

Virtual hand: a 3D tactile interface to virtual environments

Science.gov (United States)

Rogowitz, Bernice E.; Borrel, Paul

2008-02-01

We introduce a novel system that allows users to experience the sensation of touch in a computer graphics environment. In this system, the user places his/her hand on an array of pins, which is moved about space on a 6 degree-of-freedom robot arm. The surface of the pins defines a surface in the virtual world. This "virtual hand" can move about the virtual world. When the virtual hand encounters an object in the virtual world, the heights of the pins are adjusted so that they represent the object's shape, surface, and texture. A control system integrates pin and robot arm motions to transmit information about objects in the computer graphics world to the user. It also allows the user to edit, change and move the virtual objects, shapes and textures. This system provides a general framework for touching, manipulating, and modifying objects in a 3-D computer graphics environment, which may be useful in a wide range of applications, including computer games, computer aided design systems, and immersive virtual worlds.

Possible applications of the LEAP motion controller for more interactive simulated experiments in augmented or virtual reality

Science.gov (United States)

Wozniak, Peter; Vauderwange, Oliver; Mandal, Avikarsha; Javahiraly, Nicolas; Curticapean, Dan

2016-09-01

Practical exercises are a crucial part of many curricula. Even simple exercises can improve the understanding of the underlying subject. Most experimental setups require special hardware. To carry out e. g. a lens experiments the students need access to an optical bench, various lenses, light sources, apertures and a screen. In our previous publication we demonstrated the use of augmented reality visualization techniques in order to let the students prepare with a simulated experimental setup. Within the context of our intended blended learning concept we want to utilize augmented or virtual reality techniques for stationary laboratory exercises. Unlike applications running on mobile devices, stationary setups can be extended more easily with additional interfaces and thus allow for more complex interactions and simulations in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The most significant difference is the possibility to allow interactions beyond touching a screen. The LEAP Motion controller is a small inexpensive device that allows for the tracking of the user's hands and fingers in three dimensions. It is conceivable to allow the user to interact with the simulation's virtual elements by the user's very hand position, movement and gesture. In this paper we evaluate possible applications of the LEAP Motion controller for simulated experiments in augmented and virtual reality. We pay particular attention to the devices strengths and weaknesses and want to point out useful and less useful application scenarios.

Virtual reality for the induction of positive emotions in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a pilot study over acceptability, satisfaction, and the effect of virtual reality on mood.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrero, Rocio; García-Palacios, Azucena; Castilla, Diana; Molinari, Guadalupe; Botella, Cristina

2014-06-01

One of the most important aspects of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is its impact on quality of life, increasing negative emotions and dysfunctional coping strategies. One of these strategies is to avoid activities, especially meaningful activities, which reduces positive reinforcement. Commencing significant daily activities could enable chronic patients to experience a more fulfilling life. However, the main difficulty found in FMS patients is their willingness to start those activities. Promoting positive emotions could enhance activity management. The aim of this paper is to present a description of a system along with data regarding the acceptability, satisfaction, and preliminary efficacy of a virtual reality (VR) environment for the promotion of positive emotions. The VR environment was especially designed for chronic pain patients. Results showed significant increases in general mood state, positive emotions, motivation, and self-efficacy. These preliminary findings show the potential of VR as an adjunct to the psychological treatment of such an important health problem as chronic pain.

An experiment on fear of public speaking in virtual reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Pertaub, D P; Slater, M; Barker, C

2001-01-01

Can virtual reality exposure therapy be used to treat people with social phobia? To answer this question it is vital to known if people will respond to virtual humans (avatars) in a virtual social setting in the same way they would to real humans. If someone is extremely anxious with real people, will they also be anxious when faced with simulated people, despite knowing that the avatars are computer generated? In [17] we described a small pilot study that placed 10 people before a virtual audience. The purpose was to assess the extent to which social anxiety, specifically fear of public speaking, was induced by the virtual audience and the extent of influence of degree of immersion (head mounted display or desktop monitor. The current paper describes a follow up study conducted with 40 subjects and the results clearly show that not only is social anxiety induced by the audience, but the degree of anxiety experienced is directly related to the type of virtual audience feedback the speaker receives. In particular, a hostile negative audience scenario was found to generate strong affect in speakers, regardless of whether or not they normally suffered from fear of public speaking.

Virtual School Counseling

Science.gov (United States)

Osborn, Debra S.; Peterson, Gary W.; Hale, Rebecca R.

2015-01-01

The advent of virtual schools opens doors to opportunity for delivery of student services via the Internet. Through the use of structured interviews with four practicing Florida virtual school counselors, and a follow-up survey, the authors examined the experiences and reflections of school counselors who are employed full time in a statewide…

Painful languages of the body: experiences of headache among women in two Peruvian communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Darghouth, Sarah; Pedersen, Duncan; Bibeau, Gilles; Rousseau, Cecile

2006-09-01

This exploratory study focuses on the understandings of and experiences with headache in two settings in Peru: the Quechua-speaking district of Ayacucho, in southern Peru, and a poor urban district of Lima Metropolitana. More specifically, it explores the personal and collective meanings constructed around women's headache experiences. Structured and open-ended interviews were administered to patients suffering headache to elicit interpretations of headache episodes. An analysis of the collected narratives suggests that headache is often comprehended in a polysemic framework, where meanings ascribed in bodily, emotional, family, and social terms articulate individual and shared notions of suffering within larger contexts of social dislocation. Often woven into experiences of solitude, headache accounts are lived and told in dynamic temporal spaces, and narrate dissolution of family ties and tensions associated with women's roles. The results underscore the significance of patients' subjective interpretations of painful experiences and underscore the connections between bodily and emotional pain and distress experienced at family, community, and larger social levels.

Virtualization for the LHCb Online system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonaccorsi, Enrico; Brarda, Loic; Moine, Gary; Neufeld, Niko

2011-01-01

Virtualization has long been advertised by the IT-industry as a way to cut down cost, optimise resource usage and manage the complexity in large data-centers. The great number and the huge heterogeneity of hardware, both industrial and custom-made, has up to now led to reluctance in the adoption of virtualization in the IT infrastructure of large experiment installations. Our experience in the LHCb experiment has shown that virtualization improves the availability and the manageability of the whole system. We have done an evaluation of available hypervisors / virtualization solutions and find that the Microsoft HV technology provides a high level of maturity and flexibility for our purpose. We present the results of these comparison tests, describing in detail, the architecture of our virtualization infrastructure with a special emphasis on the security for services visible to the outside world. Security is achieved by a sophisticated combination of VLANs, firewalls and virtual routing - the cost and benefits of this solution are analysed. We have adapted our cluster management tools, notably Quattor, for the needs of virtual machines and this allows us to migrate smoothly services on physical machines to the virtualized infrastructure. The procedures for migration will also be described. In the final part of the document we describe our recent R and D activities aiming to replacing the SAN-backend for the virtualization by a cheaper iSCSI solution - this will allow to move all servers and related services to the virtualized infrastructure, excepting the ones doing hardware control via non-commodity PCI plugin cards.

A Virtual Object-Location Task for Children: Gender and Videogame Experience Influence Navigation; Age Impacts Memory and Completion Time.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Andres, David; Mendez-Lopez, Magdalena; Juan, M-Carmen; Perez-Hernandez, Elena

2018-01-01

The use of virtual reality-based tasks for studying memory has increased considerably. Most of the studies that have looked at child population factors that influence performance on such tasks have been focused on cognitive variables. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of non-cognitive skills. In the present paper, we tested 52 typically-developing children aged 5-12 years in a virtual object-location task. The task assessed their spatial short-term memory for the location of three objects in a virtual city. The virtual task environment was presented using a 3D application consisting of a 120″ stereoscopic screen and a gamepad interface. Measures of learning and displacement indicators in the virtual environment, 3D perception, satisfaction, and usability were obtained. We assessed the children's videogame experience, their visuospatial span, their ability to build blocks, and emotional and behavioral outcomes. The results indicate that learning improved with age. Significant effects on the speed of navigation were found favoring boys and those more experienced with videogames. Visuospatial skills correlated mainly with ability to recall object positions, but the correlation was weak. Longer paths were related with higher scores of withdrawal behavior, attention problems, and a lower visuospatial span. Aggressiveness and experience with the device used for interaction were related with faster navigation. However, the correlations indicated only weak associations among these variables.

A Virtual Object-Location Task for Children: Gender and Videogame Experience Influence Navigation; Age Impacts Memory and Completion Time

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Andres, David; Mendez-Lopez, Magdalena; Juan, M.-Carmen; Perez-Hernandez, Elena

2018-01-01

The use of virtual reality-based tasks for studying memory has increased considerably. Most of the studies that have looked at child population factors that influence performance on such tasks have been focused on cognitive variables. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of non-cognitive skills. In the present paper, we tested 52 typically-developing children aged 5–12 years in a virtual object-location task. The task assessed their spatial short-term memory for the location of three objects in a virtual city. The virtual task environment was presented using a 3D application consisting of a 120″ stereoscopic screen and a gamepad interface. Measures of learning and displacement indicators in the virtual environment, 3D perception, satisfaction, and usability were obtained. We assessed the children’s videogame experience, their visuospatial span, their ability to build blocks, and emotional and behavioral outcomes. The results indicate that learning improved with age. Significant effects on the speed of navigation were found favoring boys and those more experienced with videogames. Visuospatial skills correlated mainly with ability to recall object positions, but the correlation was weak. Longer paths were related with higher scores of withdrawal behavior, attention problems, and a lower visuospatial span. Aggressiveness and experience with the device used for interaction were related with faster navigation. However, the correlations indicated only weak associations among these variables. PMID:29674988

Immersive journalism: immersive virtual reality for the first-person experience of news

OpenAIRE

Peña, Nonny de la; Weil, Peggy; Llobera, Joan; Giannopoulos, Elias; Pomés Freixa, Ausiàs; Spanlang, Bernhard; Friedman, Doron; Sánchez-Vives, María Victoria; Slater, Mel

2010-01-01

This paper introduces the concept, and discusses the implications of Immersive Journalism, that is the production of news in a form in which people can gain first- 2 person experiences of the events or situation described in news stories. The fundamental idea of Immersive Journalism is to allow the participant, typically represented as a digital avatar, to actually enter a virtually recreated scenario representing the news story. The sense of presence obtained through an immersive system (whe...

Development of a data management tool for investigating multivariate space and free will experiences in virtual reality.

Science.gov (United States)

Morie, Jacquelyn Ford; Iyer, Kumar; Luigi, Donat-Pierre; Williams, Josh; Dozois, Aimee; Rizzo, Albert Skip

2005-09-01

Virtual reality (VR) has become mature enough to be successfully used in clinical applications such as exposure therapy, pain distraction, and neuropsychological assessment. However, we now need to go beyond the outcome data from this research and conduct the detailed scientific investigations required to better understand what factors influence why VR works (or doesn't) in these types of clinical applications. This knowledge is required to guide the development of VR applications in the key areas of education, training, and rehabilitation and to further evolve existing VR approaches. One of the primary assets obtained with the use of VR is the ability to simulate the complexity of real world environments, within which human performance can be tested and trained. But this asset comes with a price in terms of the capture, quantification and analysis of large, multivariate and concurrent data sources that reflect the naturalistic behavioral interaction that is afforded in a virtual world. As well, while achieving realism has been a main goal in making convincing VR environments, just what constitutes realism and how much is needed is still an open question situated firmly in the research domain. Just as in real "reality," such factors in virtual reality are complex and multivariate, and the understanding of this complexity presents exceptional challenges to the VR researcher. For certain research questions, good behavioral science often requires consistent delivery of stimuli within tightly controlled lab-based experimental conditions. However, for other important research questions we do not want to constrain naturalistic behavior and limit VR's ability to replicate real world conditions, simply because it is easier to study human performance with traditional lab-based methodologies. By doing so we may compromise the very qualities that comprise VR's unique capacity to mimic the experiences and challenges that exist in everyday life. What is really needed to address

Pain experience during initial alignment with a self-ligating and a conventional fixed orthodontic appliance system. A randomized controlled clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, P S; Dibiase, A T; Sarri, G; Lee, R T

2009-01-01

To test the hypotheses that (1) there is no difference in the pain experience during the week following initial placement of two orthodontic appliances (SmartClip and Victory; 3M Unitek, Monrovia, Calif); and (2) there is no difference in the pain experience during removal and insertion of orthodontic archwires with these brackets. Sixty-six consecutive patients were treated with a self-ligating bracket system (SmartClip) or a conventional appliance (Victory) on the basis of computer-generated random allocation. After appliance placement and engagement of a 0.016'' nickel-titanium archwire, pain experience was recorded after 4, 24, and 72 hours and after 7 days with the use of a visual analog system (VAS) questionnaire. At a subsequent visit, participants documented pain experiences during removal and insertion of 0.019 x 0.025'' archwires on an additional 100 mm VAS questionnaire. Independent t-tests and analyses of covariance were used to analyze normally distributed data; the Mann-Whitney U-test was used for skewed distributions. Forty-eight (72.2%) and fifty-one (77.3%) subjects completed the first and second parts of the study, respectively. Bracket type had no influence on pain experience at 4 hours (P = .958), 24 hours (P = .289), 72 hours (P = .569), and 7 days (P = .756) following appliance placement. However, bracket type significantly influenced pain experience during archwire removal (P = .001) and insertion (P = .013). Hypothesis 1 cannot be rejected. The bracket type had no effect on subjective pain experience during the first week after initial placement of two preadjusted orthodontic appliances. Hypothesis 2 was rejected. Significantly greater discomfort was experienced during archwire insertion and removal with the SmartClip appliance.

Pain among professional orchestral musicians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nygaard Andersen, Lotte; Roessler, Kirsten K; Eichberg, Henning

2013-01-01

Professional musicians experience high rates of musculoskeletal pain, but only few studies have investigated how this pain is accepted by musicians.......Professional musicians experience high rates of musculoskeletal pain, but only few studies have investigated how this pain is accepted by musicians....

Presence and User Experience in a Virtual Environment under the Influence of Ethanol: An Explorative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Mario; Brade, Jennifer; Diamond, Lisa; Sjölie, Daniel; Busch, Marc; Tscheligi, Manfred; Klimant, Philipp; Heyde, Christoph-E; Hammer, Niels

2018-04-23

Virtual Reality (VR) is used for a variety of applications ranging from entertainment to psychological medicine. VR has been demonstrated to influence higher order cognitive functions and cortical plasticity, with implications on phobia and stroke treatment. An integral part for successful VR is a high sense of presence - a feeling of 'being there' in the virtual scenario. The underlying cognitive and perceptive functions causing presence in VR scenarios are however not completely known. It is evident that the brain function is influenced by drugs, such as ethanol, potentially confounding cortical plasticity, also in VR. As ethanol is ubiquitous and forms part of daily life, understanding the effects of ethanol on presence and user experience, the attitudes and emotions about using VR applications, is important. This exploratory study aims at contributing towards an understanding of how low-dose ethanol intake influences presence, user experience and their relationship in a validated VR context. It was found that low-level ethanol consumption did influence presence and user experience, but on a minimal level. In contrast, correlations between presence and user experience were strongly influenced by low-dose ethanol. Ethanol consumption may consequently alter cognitive and perceptive functions related to the connections between presence and user experience.

The use of virtual patients to teach medical students history taking and communication skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Amy; Hernandez, Jonathan; Johnsen, Kyle; Dickerson, Robert; Raij, Andrew; Harrison, Cyrus; DiPietro, Meredith; Allen, Bryan; Ferdig, Richard; Foti, Sebastian; Jackson, Jonathan; Shin, Min; Cendan, Juan; Watson, Robert; Duerson, Margaret; Lok, Benjamin; Cohen, Marc; Wagner, Peggy; Lind, D Scott

2006-06-01

At most institutions, medical students learn communication skills through the use of standardized patients (SPs), but SPs are time and resource expensive. Virtual patients (VPs) may offer several advantages over SPs, but little data exist regarding the use of VPs in teaching communication skills. Therefore, we report our initial efforts to create an interactive virtual clinical scenario of a patient with acute abdominal pain to teach medical students history-taking and communication skills. In the virtual scenario, a life-sized VP is projected on the wall of an examination room. Before the virtual encounter, the student reviews patient information on a handheld tablet personal computer, and they are directed to take a history and develop a differential diagnosis. The virtual system includes 2 networked personal computers (PCs), 1 data projector, 2 USB2 Web cameras to track the user's head and hand movement, a tablet PC, and a microphone. The VP is programmed with specific answers and gestures in response to questions asked by students. The VP responses to student questions were developed by reviewing videotapes of students' performances with real SPs. After obtaining informed consent, 20 students underwent voice recognition training followed by a videotaped VP encounter. Immediately after the virtual scenario, students completed a technology and SP questionnaire (Maastricht Simulated Patient Assessment). All participants had prior experience with real SPs. Initially, the VP correctly recognized approximately 60% of the student's questions, and improving the script depth and variability of the VP responses enhanced most incorrect voice recognition. Student comments were favorable particularly related to feedback provided by the virtual instructor. The overall student rating of the virtual experience was 6.47 +/- 1.63 (1 = lowest, 10 = highest) for version 1.0 and 7.22 +/- 1.76 for version 2.0 (4 months later) reflecting enhanced voice recognition and other

Virtual, augmented reality and serious games for healthcare

CERN Document Server

Jain, Lakhmi; Anderson, Paul

2014-01-01

There is a tremendous interest among researchers for the development of virtual, augmented reality and games technologies due to their widespread applications in medicine and healthcare. To date the major applications of these technologies include medical simulation, telemedicine, medical and healthcare training, pain control, visualisation aid for surgery, rehabilitation in cases such as stroke, phobia, and trauma therapies. Many recent studies have identified the benefits of using Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, or serious games in a variety of medical applications.   This research volume on Virtual, Augmented Reality and Serious Games for Healthcare 1 offers an insightful introduction to the theories, development and applications of virtual, augmented reality and digital games technologies in medical and clinical settings and healthcare in general. It is divided into six sections: section one presents a selection of applications in medical education and healthcare management; Section two relates to th...

Virtual Teams and Synchronous Presentations: An Online Class Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Adkins, Joni K.

2013-01-01

Global expansion, cost containment, and technology advances have all played a role in the increase of virtual teams in today's workplace. Virtual teams in an online graduate information technology management class prepared and presented synchronous presentations over a business or non-profit sector case. This paper includes a brief literature…

An integrated pipeline to create and experience compelling scenarios in virtual reality

Science.gov (United States)

Springer, Jan P.; Neumann, Carsten; Reiners, Dirk; Cruz-Neira, Carolina

2011-03-01

One of the main barriers to create and use compelling scenarios in virtual reality is the complexity and time-consuming efforts for modeling, element integration, and the software development to properly display and interact with the content in the available systems. Still today, most virtual reality applications are tedious to create and they are hard-wired to the specific display and interaction system available to the developers when creating the application. Furthermore, it is not possible to alter the content or the dynamics of the content once the application has been created. We present our research on designing a software pipeline that enables the creation of compelling scenarios with a fair degree of visual and interaction complexity in a semi-automated way. Specifically, we are targeting drivable urban scenarios, ranging from large cities to sparsely populated rural areas that incorporate both static components (e. g., houses, trees) and dynamic components (e. g., people, vehicles) as well as events, such as explosions or ambient noise. Our pipeline has four basic components. First, an environment designer, where users sketch the overall layout of the scenario, and an automated method constructs the 3D environment from the information in the sketch. Second, a scenario editor used for authoring the complete scenario, incorporate the dynamic elements and events, fine tune the automatically generated environment, define the execution conditions of the scenario, and set up any data gathering that may be necessary during the execution of the scenario. Third, a run-time environment for different virtual-reality systems provides users with the interactive experience as designed with the designer and the editor. And fourth, a bi-directional monitoring system that allows for capturing and modification of information from the virtual environment. One of the interesting capabilities of our pipeline is that scenarios can be built and modified on-the-fly as they are

Relationship of pain coping strategies and pain specific beliefs to pain experience in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thastum, Mikael; Herlin, Troels; Zachariae, R.

2005-01-01

compared using t-tests for independent samples. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the direct associations between each individual coping and belief scale, and the pain measure. RESULTS: Only the CHAQ and the cognitive belief composite factor score made statistically significant...... subscale of harm (mean +/- SD 2.7 +/- 0.6 and 1.8 +/- 0.7, respectively). Significant correlations were obtained between the pain measure and the pain-coping subscale of catastrophizing, the pain belief subscales of disability, harm, solicitude (inverse), control, and medical cure. CONCLUSION...

An exploration of Singaporean parental experiences in managing school-aged children's postoperative pain: a descriptive qualitative approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Siew Hoon; Mackey, Sandra; Liam, Joanne Li Wee; He, Hong-Gu

2012-03-01

To enhance understanding of the experience of parents in managing their children's postoperative pain in Singapore. Parents play a significant role in their hospitalised child's postoperative pain care. Their active involvement may contribute to accurate pain assessment and effective pain management for their child. However, there is a lack of in-depth research exploring the experience of parents involved in their children's postoperative pain management. This study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach, which is situated in the interpretive paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from 14 parents whose children were hospitalised in one of the three paediatric surgical wards in a hospital in Singapore in December 2009. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Three themes were identified: 'Actions used by parents to alleviate their child's postoperative pain', 'Factors influencing parents' management of their child's postoperative pain' and 'Parents' needs in the process of caring for their child's postoperative pain'. Parents used a range of non-pharmacological pain relief interventions for their child. Parental roles and expectations, bond between parent and child, support from nurses, family and own religious beliefs, as well as children's age and maturity level were factors which promoted parental participation, whereas parents' negative feelings, knowledge deficit and nurses' busy schedule were hindering factors. Parents expressed needs for more involvement in their child's care, adequate rest and information support from nurses. This study highlights the importance of involving parents in their child's postoperative pain management. It provides evidence for health care professionals to pay attention to factors that may influence parental participation and, therefore, guide their practice. Nurses need to provide parents with support and education to facilitate their roles and improve their child's postoperative pain

Crossing the Atlantic: Integrating Cross-Cultural Experiences into Undergraduate Business Courses Using Virtual Communities Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Luethge, Denise J.; Raska, David; Greer, Bertie M.; O'Connor, Christina

2016-01-01

Today's business school academics are tasked with pedagogy that offers students an understanding of the globalization of markets and the cross-cultural communication skills needed in today's business environment. The authors describe how a virtual cross-cultural experience was integrated into an undergraduate business course and used as an…

Pain increases during sympathetic arousal in patients with complex regional pain syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, P D; Finch, P M; Skipworth, S; Blockey, P

2001-10-09

To investigate the effect of sympathetic arousal on pain and vasomotor responses in healthy control subjects and patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and to determine whether pain increases in patients with particular symptoms. In experiments 1 and 2, capsaicin was applied to the forearm of 24 healthy subjects to induce thermal hyperalgesia. Vascular responses were monitored and subjects rated thermal hyperalgesia before and after being startled (experiment 1), and before, during, and after mental arithmetic, breath holding, forehead cooling, the Valsalva maneuver, and a cold pressor test in experiment 2. In a third experiment, sensitivity to heat, cold, and mechanical stimulation was investigated in 61 patients with CRPS. Pain ratings and vascular and electrodermal responses were recorded after patients were startled and during forehead cooling. In experiment 1, thermal hyperalgesia decreased in healthy control subjects after they were startled, and digital blood vessels constricted symmetrically. In experiment 2, thermal hyperalgesia decreased during and after other forms of sympathetic arousal. However, in experiment 3, ratings of clinical pain increased during forehead cooling or after being startled in over 70% of patients with CRPS. Pain increased most consistently during forehead cooling in patients with cold allodynia or punctate allodynia. Digital blood vessels constricted more intensely on the symptomatic than the nonsymptomatic side in patients with CRPS during sympathetic arousal. Normal inhibitory influences on pain during sympathetic arousal are compromised in the majority of patients with CRPS. The augmented vasoconstrictor response in the symptomatic limb during sympathetic arousal is consistent with adrenergic supersensitivity. An adrenergic sensitivity in nociceptive afferents might contribute to pain and hyperalgesia during sympathetic arousal in certain patients with CRPS.

Virtual planning of dental implant placement using CT double scan-technique - own experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojciechowski, W.; Urbanik, A.; Kownacki, P.; Kownacki, S.

2007-01-01

The correctness of CT performed with the use of a double-scan technique is the basis for achieving proper quality of 3D reconstructions of the maxilla or mandible and subsequent virtual planning of dental implant placement. The aim of this study was the presentation of the methodology of computed tomography scanning and own experience with the use of the double-scan technique. The study group included 26 individuals who underwent MDCT with a double-scan technique using a MDCT scanner SOMATOM Sensation (Siemens, Germany). The parameters of the examination: slice-collimation 10 x 0.75 mm, slice-thickness 0.75 mm. The first CT scan in the procedure was the scan of the patient wearing a radiological prosthesis and occlusal index, which was followed by a separate scan of the radiological prosthesis. These two CT scans were copied and transferred to PC with Procera Software program (Nobel Biocare, Sweden) where dental implant placement was virtually planned. In all 26 patients, precise three-dimensional reconstructions of the anatomical structure were obtained. In 11 patients, on the basis of the virtual planning, the implant placement was performed, 5 patients were referred to preparatory procedures, that is, restoration of the alveolar process, otolaryngological treatment of the maxillary sinuses. The remaining 10 patients did not qualify to the procedure because of unfavorable anatomical ideation's. Correct computed tomography with double-scan technique enables virtual planning of dental implant placement, on the basis of which the real procedure of implantation can be performed. (author)

Pain and anxiety experiences of South African adult burn injury patients during physiotherapy management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L.D. Morris

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A dequate management of procedural pain during physiotherapy management plays an important role in building a trusting relationship betweenthe burn victim and the physiotherapist, and in ensuring desirable functional outcomes. However, the burn pain management regimens currently utilized inburn units, primarily consist of traditional pharmacologic analgesics which areassociated with numerous side-effects and alone are often reported as inadequateto alleviate procedural pain, warranting safer and effective adjunct therapies.Prior to the introduction and implementation of adjunct therapies into a developing world, it is imperative that the current situation in a burn unit, in terms of whether or not the pain management regimens in place are adequate, is first assessed, due to cost concerns. The following short report exemplifies the pain and anxiety experiences of a small number of burn injury patients during physiotherapy at the Tygerberg Hospital adult burn unit, South A frica.  It was hypothesized that the results of this study would underpin whether adult burn injury patients in a developing countryrequire adjunct therapies during physiotherapy management to supplement traditional pharmacologic analgesics inmanaging their procedural pain and subsequent anxiety.

Using a Virtual Environment to Deliver Evidence-Based Interventions: The Facilitator's Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Villarruel, Antonia; Tschannen, Dana; Valladares, Angel; Yaksich, Joseph; Yeagley, Emily; Hawes, Armani

2015-01-01

Background Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) have the potential to maximize positive impact on communities. However, despite the quantity and quality of EBIs for prevention, the need for formalized training and associated training-related expenses, such as travel costs, program materials, and input of personnel hours, pose implementation challenges for many community-based organizations. In this study, the community of inquiry (CoI) framework was used to develop the virtual learning environment to support the adaptation of the ¡Cuídate! (Take Care of Yourself!) Training of Facilitators curriculum (an EBI) to train facilitators from community-based organizations. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of adapting a traditional face-to-face facilitator training program for ¡Cuídate!, a sexual risk reduction EBI for Latino youth, for use in a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). Additionally, two aims of the study were explored: the acceptability of the facilitator training and the level of the facilitators’ knowledge and self-efficacy to implement the training. Methods A total of 35 facilitators were trained in the virtual environment. We evaluated the facilitators' experience in the virtual training environment and determined if the learning environment was acceptable and supported the acquisition of learning outcomes. To this end, the facilitators were surveyed using a modified community of inquiry survey, with questions specific to the Second Life environment and an open-ended questionnaire. In addition, a comparison to face-to-face training was conducted using survey methods. Results Results of the community of inquiry survey demonstrated a subscale mean of 23.11 (SD 4.12) out of a possible 30 on social presence, a subscale mean of 8.74 (SD 1.01) out of a possible 10 on teaching presence, and a subscale mean of 16.69 (SD 1.97) out of a possible 20 on cognitive presence. The comparison to face-to-face training showed no

Virtual Reality As A Spatial Experience For Architecture Design: A Study of Effectiveness for Architecture Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sapto Pamungkas Luhur

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Studios. This ability gained through visual design thinking. The spatial experience honed by three dimensional thinking from the medium diversity. The spatial experience learned through a room layout, proportion, and composition. This research used an experimental method and the primary data obtained by a “Likert” scale questionnaire. The Respondents are 50 students of the Architectural Design Studio. Moreover, the analysis focuses on the VR for spatial experience. The result was a descriptive explanation of the effectiveness of Virtual Reality for a spatial experience of architecture students at Technology University of Yogyakarta.

A painful, never ending story: older women's experiences of living with an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, H K; Olofsson, E H; Karlsson, J; Hansson, T; Olsson, L-E

2016-05-01

Vertebral compression fractures (VCF) cause pain and decreased physical ability, with no known well-established treatment. The aim of this study was to illuminate the experience of living with a VCF. The results show that fear and concerns are a major part of daily life. The women's initial contact with health-care providers should focus on making them feel acknowledged by offering person-centered and tailored support. In the past decade, osteoporotic-related fractures have become an increasingly common and costly public health problem worldwide. Vertebral compression fracture (VCF) is the second most common osteoporotic fracture, and patients with VCF describe an abrupt descent into disability, with a subsequent desire to regain independence in everyday life; however, little is known of their situation. The aim of this study was to illuminate the lived experience of women with an osteoporotic VCF. Ten women were interviewed during 2012-2013, starting with an open-ended question: could you tell me what it is like to live with a vertebral compression fracture? The verbatim transcribed interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutical approach. The narrative provided descriptions of living in turmoil and chaos, unable to find stability in their life with little improvement regarding pain and physical function. Shifts from periods of constant pain to periods of fear of constant pain created a loss of confidence and an increased sense of confinement. The structural analysis revealed fear and concerns as the most prominent experience building on five themes: struggling to understand a deceiving body, breakthrough pain fueling fear, fearing a trajectory into isolation, concerns of dependency, and fearing an uncertain future. Until researchers find a successful prevention or medical/surgical treatment for osteoporotic VCFs, health-care providers and society abandon these women to remain in a painful and never ending story.

Interdisciplinary Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy as Part of Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery Rehabilitation: Experience of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindgreen, Pil; Rolving, Nanna; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Lomborg, Kirsten

2016-01-01

Patients receiving lumbar spinal fusion surgery often have persisting postoperative pain negatively affecting their daily life. These patients may be helped by interdisciplinary cognitive-behavioral therapy which is recognized as an effective intervention for improving beneficial pain coping behavior, thereby facilitating the rehabilitation process of patients with chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of patients recovering from lumbar spinal fusion surgery and to explore potential similarities and disparities in pain coping behavior between receivers and nonreceivers of interdisciplinary cognitive-behavioral group therapy. We conducted semistructured interviews with 10 patients; 5 receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy in connection with their lumbar spinal fusion surgery and 5 receiving usual care. We conducted a phenomenological analysis to reach our first aim and then conducted a comparative content analysis to reach our second aim. Patients' postoperative experience was characterized by the need to adapt to the limitations imposed by back discomfort (coexisting with the back), need for recognition and support from others regarding their pain, a relatively long rehabilitation period during which they "awaited the result of surgery", and ambivalence toward analgesics. The patients in both groups had similar negative perception of analgesics and tended to abstain from them to avoid addiction. Coping behavior apparently differed among receivers and nonreceivers of interdisciplinary cognitive-behavioral group therapy. Receivers prevented or minimized pain by resting before pain onset, whereas nonreceivers awaited pain onset before resting. The postoperative experience entailed ambivalence, causing uncertainty, worry and insecurity. This ambivalence was relieved when others recognized the patient's pain and offered support. Cognitive-behavioral therapy as part of rehabilitation may have encouraged beneficial pain coping

vSphere virtual machine management

CERN Document Server

Fitzhugh, Rebecca

2014-01-01

This book follows a step-by-step tutorial approach with some real-world scenarios that vSphere businesses will be required to overcome every day. This book also discusses creating and configuring virtual machines and also covers monitoring virtual machine performance and resource allocation options. This book is for VMware administrators who want to build their knowledge of virtual machine administration and configuration. It's assumed that you have some experience with virtualization administration and vSphere.

Virtual Vision

Science.gov (United States)

Terzopoulos, Demetri; Qureshi, Faisal Z.

Computer vision and sensor networks researchers are increasingly motivated to investigate complex multi-camera sensing and control issues that arise in the automatic visual surveillance of extensive, highly populated public spaces such as airports and train stations. However, they often encounter serious impediments to deploying and experimenting with large-scale physical camera networks in such real-world environments. We propose an alternative approach called "Virtual Vision", which facilitates this type of research through the virtual reality simulation of populated urban spaces, camera sensor networks, and computer vision on commodity computers. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach by developing two highly automated surveillance systems comprising passive and active pan/tilt/zoom cameras that are deployed in a virtual train station environment populated by autonomous, lifelike virtual pedestrians. The easily reconfigurable virtual cameras distributed in this environment generate synthetic video feeds that emulate those acquired by real surveillance cameras monitoring public spaces. The novel multi-camera control strategies that we describe enable the cameras to collaborate in persistently observing pedestrians of interest and in acquiring close-up videos of pedestrians in designated areas.

Experiences of Iranian Nurses on the Facilitators of Pain Management in Children: A Qualitative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvin Aziznejadroshan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Despite decades of research and the availability of effective analgesic approaches, many children continue to experience moderate-to-severe pain after hospitalization. Greater research efforts are needed to identify the factors that facilitate effective pain management. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of Iranian nurses on facilitators of pain management in children. Materials and Methods. This qualitative study collected the data profoundly through unstructured interviews with 19 nurses in Amirkola Children’s Hospital in Babol and Children’s Medical Center in Tehran, during 2013-2014. Purposeful sampling and analysis of the data were conducted using conventional qualitative content analysis. Results. Four themes were extracted through data analysis: mother and child participation in diagnosis and pain relief, the timely presence of medical staff and parents, proper communication, and training and supportive role of nurses. Conclusion. Mother and child participation in the report and diagnosis of pain and nonpharmacological interventions for pain by the mother, the timely presence of medical team at the patient’s bedside, and proper interaction along with the training and supportive role of a nurse enhanced the optimal pain management in hospitalized children.