This scoping review assesses the current use of simulation-based design optimization (SBDO) in marine engineering, focusing on identifying research trends, methodologies, and application areas. Analyzing 277 studies from Scopus and Web of Science, the review finds that SBDO is predominantly applied to optimizing marine vessel hulls, including both surface and underwater types, and extends to key components like bows, sterns, propellers, and fins. It also covers marine structures and renewable energy systems. A notable trend is the preference for deterministic single-objective optimization methods, indicating potential growth areas in multi-objective and stochastic approaches. The review points out the necessity of integrating more comprehensive multidisciplinary optimization methods to address the complex challenges in marine environments. Despite the extensive application of SBDO in marine engineering, there remains a need for enhancing the methodologies’ efficiency and robustness. This review offers a critical overview of SBDO’s role in marine engineering and highlights opportunities for future research to advance the field.

Background: To improve outcomes in children and young adults (CYAs) with chronic conditions, it is important to promote self-care through education and support. Aims: (1) to retrieve the literature describing theories or conceptual models of self-care in CYAs with chronic conditions and (2) to develop a comprehensive framework. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on nine databases, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All peer-reviewed papers describing a theory or a conceptual model of self-care in CYAs (0–24 years) with chronic conditions were included. Results: Of 2674 records, 17 met the inclusion criteria. Six papers included a theory or a model of self-care, self-management, or a similar concept. Six papers developed or revised pre-existing models or theories, while five papers did not directly focus on a specific model or a theory. Patients were CYAs, mainly with type 1 diabetes mellitus and asthma. Some relevant findings about self-care in CYAs with neurocognitive impairment and in those living with cancer may have been missed. Conclusions: By aggregating the key elements of the 13 self-care conceptual models identified in the review, we developed a new overarching model emphasizing the shift of self-care agency from family to patients as main actors of their self-management process. The model describes influencing factors, self-care behaviors, and outcomes; the more patients engaged in self-care behaviors, the more the outcomes were favorable.

Dermatoporosis is a chronic skin fragility syndrome, caused by age and environmental factors. People with dermatoporosis have skin whose protective mechanical function is reduced and which has a decreased tolerance for friction and shearing forces. Skin tears are another clinical consequence of age-associated skin vulnerability and people with dermatoporosis are at increased risk of skin tears. Dermatoporosis may also delay the healing of skin tears, making it vital that healthcare professionals are aware of this condition. Skin tears have profound effects on the health and well-being of older people, and these kinds of injuries are being seen more frequently in clinical practice as the average age of the population increases. The treatment of skin tears in three older people with dermatoporosis is discussed and the clinical decisions made in each case.

Skin tears are acute wounds, often mismanaged and misdiagnosed that can convert to chronic wounds, representing a common but relevant burden to both the individual and the health care system. The implementation of prevention protocols and training programs is essential to manage these wounds in the community. Managing a skin tear-related problem at home represents a challenge, due to some critical issues and specific conditions. A multifaceted prevention programme should consider the involvement of relatives, caregivers and personal care aides in order to promote patients' safety, to minimise the risk of trauma and to improve patients' outcomes following a skin injury.

The aim of this study was to compare nurses' attitudes and practices regarding the nutrition of patients in medical and surgical units. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among 282 nurses in acute care hospitals, including 180 nurses in medical and 102 in surgical units. A convenience sampling method was used for data collection between June 2024 and September 2024. Nurses' attitudes toward nutrition were assessed using the validated Italian version of the Staff Attitudes to Nutritional Nursing Geriatric Care (SANN-G) scale. An inferential analysis has been performed. Most nurses exhibited neutral or negative attitudes toward nutrition. Only 3.2% of nurses demonstrated a positive attitude. Significant differences emerged in the specific attitude dimensions between medical and surgical units, with nurses in surgical units reporting higher scores toward nutritional care than those in medical units (P = 0.029). Regression analysis showed that working in the surgical unit was associated with higher scores on the SANN-G scale (P = 0.042), while having received training in nutrition was associated with higher scores (P = 0.004). Malnutrition in hospitalized patients, particularly older adults, is a critical issue requiring a comprehensive approach that includes nutritional assessment, dietary education, and individualized dietary plans, with active involvement of family members and caregivers. Targeted nutrition training programs should be integrated into continuing education for nurses to enhance their role in nutritional care and improve patient outcomes.