Lateralisation of facial emotion recognition

Cilj istraživanja bio je provjeriti dvije pretpostavke o lateralizaciji obrade emocionalnih izraza lica: pretpostavku o dominaciji desne mozgovne hemisfere (DH) i pretpostavku o valenciji, uz dodatnu provjeru utjecaja roda i emocionalnog stanja sudionika – anksioznosti i depresivnosti. Uzorak se sastojao od 110 studenata, dešnjaka, prosječne dobi 21 godinu (43 muškarca i 67 žena). Sudionici su najprije na računalu rješavali test himera, a potom ispunjavali Anettin upitnik dominantnosti ruke (1967) te DASS-21 (Lovibond i Lovibond, 1995) upitnik simptoma anksioznosti i depresivnosti. Potvrđena je pretpostavka o dominaciji DH za obje zavisne varijable – točnost i vrijeme reakcije: sudionici su bili uspješniji u prepoznavanju emocija prezentiranih na lijevoj strani lica. Točnost prepoznavanja izraza lica bila je veća, a vrijeme reakcije kraće za prepoznavanje tužnih himera u odnosu na sretne, no interakcija strane lica i valencije nije se pokazala značajnom, tako da pretpostavka o valenciji nije potvrđena. Žene su bile uspješnije u prepoznavanju emocija od muškaraca, te je utvrđena značajna interakcija strane lica, valencije i roda za vrijeme reakcije. Manje depresivni i anksiozni sudionici značajno su brže prepoznavali emocionalne izraze lica od depresivnijih i anksioznijih. Postoji značajna interakcija valencije i depresivnosti za vrijeme reakcijeThe aim of this research was to examine two main hypotheses of cerebral lateralization of facial emotion perception: the right-hemisphere hypothesis and valence-specific hypothesis, and additionaly to examine the roll of participants' gender and emotional states – anxiety and depression. The sample comprised 110 right-handed students, mean age 21 years (43 males and 67 females). All the participants first completed a computerised version of the chimeric faces test, and afterwards they filled out the Anett handedness questionnaire (1967) and DASS-21 (Lovibond i Lovibond, 1995) scale for measuring anxiety and depression. The right-hemisphere hypothesis was confirmed for both dependent variables – accuracy and reaction time: participants were more successful in facial emotion recognition of the emotions presented on the left side of the face. Accuracy was higher and reaction time shorter for recognizing sad chimeric faces than happy ones, but as valence*side of presentation interaction failed to reach significance, the valence hypothesis was not confirmed. There was a statisticaly significant interaction between side, valence and gender for reaction time. The dominance of right hemisphere for processing emotional faces was higher in women than men. Less depressive and anxious participants were faster in recognizing emotional faces than more depressive and anxious ones. There was significant interaction between valence and depression for reaction time

The Biological Basis of The Placebo Effect

Teorijski neutralan tretman koji dovodi do pozitivnih ishoda naziva se placebo-učinak. Takav je učinak opažen i dokumentiran kako u laboratorijskim tako i u kliničkim istraživanjima, kod različitih zdravstvenih simptoma i patoloških stanja. U tradicionalnom poimanju placebo-učinka podrazumijevali su se učinci koje primarno treba metodološki kontrolirati kako bi se što točnije procijenio učinak teorijski utemeljenih terapijskih pristupa. U modernijim shvaćanjima riječ je o realnom učinku koji ima svoje opažljive psihološke procese i fiziološke mehanizme. Može biti samostalan ili pak dio svih drugih terapijskih postupaka. Na temelju toga, u zdravstvenom kontekstu cilj ne bi trebao biti tek kontrolirati takav učinak, već ga što bolje razumjeti kako bi se eventualno mogao primjenjivati uz poznate i teorijski utemeljene zdravstvene tretmane. U ovom tekstu naglasak je na opisu bioloških mehanizama i procesa koji pridonose placebo-učinku. Dominantno je opisano područje placebo-učinka kod boli, ali su opisani i slučajevi placebo-učinka i kod nekih drugih patoloških stanja gdje su istraživani biološki mehanizmi placeba, poput psihičkih bolesti i poremećaja te Parkinsonove bolesti. Kod svih placebo-učinaka postoji dosta indikatora da je riječ o složenom odnosu psiholoških čimbenika koji u interakciji s fiziološkim procesima pridonose realnom poboljšanju zdravstvenih ishoda.Theoretically neutral treatment that leads to positive outcomes is called the placebo effect. Such an effect has been observed and documented in both laboratory and clinical studies in a variety of health symptoms and pathological conditions. In the traditional notion of the placebo effect, those were considered effects that should be primarily methodologically controlled in order to assess the effect of theoretically grounded therapeutic approaches as precisely as possible. In more modern approaches, it is a real effect that has its observable psychological and physiological mechanisms and processes. It can be independent or a part of all other therapeutic procedures. Based on this, in a health context, the goal should not be only to control such an effect but to understand it as well as possible so it could possibly be used with known and theoretically based health treatments. In this article the emphasis is on describing biological mechanisms and processes that contribute to the placebo effect. The area of an analgesic placebo effect is dominantly described, but cases of the placebo effect have also been described in cases of some other pathological conditions where the biological mechanisms of a placebo effect have been investigated, such as mental illnesses and disorders, or Parkinson’s disease. For all placebo effects, there have been many indicators that there is a complex relation between psychological factors which, in the interaction with physiological processes, contribute a real improvement in health outcomes

SATISFACTION OF FEMALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH THEIR STAY IN WOMEN’S SHELTER

Usluge za žrtve obiteljskog nasilja počele su se polako razvijati krajem 19. st., a na našim prostorima su iste zaživjele početkom devedesetih godina prošlog stoljeća i to zahvaljujući feminističkom pokretu koji se tada počeo razvijati na području Hrvatske. Danas možemo reći da je situacija bolja, svjedoci smo kako se sve više usluga razvija, a s ciljem pomoći i podrške žrtvama obiteljskog nasilja i njihove psihosocijalne rehabilitacije. Međutim, pristup i dostupnost tih usluga i dalje nisu zadovoljavajući, s obzirom na potrebe našeg društva. Jedna od važnih usluga žrtvama obiteljskog nasilja, u kriznim situacijama i situacijama velikih eskalacija nasilja, su upravo sigurne kuće, čiji je cilj pružanje zaštite žrtvama obiteljskog nasilja i njihova psihosocijalna rehabilitacija. Dom »Duga Zagreb«, kao ustanova socijalne skrbi, otvara svoja vrata 2007. godine, a osnivač joj je Grad Zagreb koji je prepoznao potrebu za ovakvim oblikom usluge. Nakon 10 godina rada, želimo dobiti uvid u zadovoljstvo smještajem u sigurnoj kući i na taj način potaknuti temu važnosti provođenja procesne evaluacije, odnosno evaluacije programa, čiji je krajnji cilj dobiti uvid u kvalitetu pruženih usluga i mogućnosti poboljšanja istih. Rezultati pokazuju kako većina korisnica iskazuje zadovoljstvo boravkom u sigurnoj kući, nisu se pokazale statistički značajne razlike u zadovoljstvu s obzirom na prethodno iskustvo boravka ili trajanja smještaja, ali su prijedlozi za unaprjeđenje raznoliki i mogu pomoći u poboljšanju pruženih usluga.Services for victims of domestic violence slowly began to develop in late 19th century, while in our area they started operating in the early 1990s due to the feminist movement that began its development in Croatia at the time. Today the situation has improved as we are witnessing a growing number of services aimed at assisting and supporting victims of domestic violence and their psycho-social rehabilitation. However, given the needs of our society, access to and availability of these services is still unsatisfactory. Women’s shelters are one of the key services for victims of domestic violence, in crisis situations and situations of major escalation of violence, and are aimed at offering protection to victims of domestic violence and psycho-social rehabilitation. The shelter »Duga Zagreb«, a social care facility established in 2007, was founded by the City of Zagreb, which recognised the need for this type of service. After 10 years of work, we want to gain insight into the level of satisfaction with stay in the shelter and thus raise the topic of the necessity of process evaluation and programme evaluation, aimed at gaining insight into the quality of provided services and opportunities for improvement. The results show that most beneficiaries are satisfied with their stay in the shelter, and there were no statistically significant differences in the level of satisfaction when compared to the previous experience or duration of stay, but suggestions for improvement are various and can help improve the services provided

THE IMPACT OF SHIFT WORK ON PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG HOSPITAL-EMPLOYED NURSES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL COMPARATIVE STUDY

Background: Approximately 20% of the European labour force is involved in some type of shift work, with nurses being on the forefront. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a specific work scheme is pervasive in the health care arena, where all nurses involved in shift work are committed to eight night shifts per month – unlike other European countries that restrict the number of night shifts. Accordingly, we aimed to investigate whether such shift work significantly affects psychosocial functioning and the quality of life of hospital nursing personnel in this country. Subjects and methods: A comparative cross-sectional study design was applied on a total of 157 hospital nursing professionals at the University Clinical Hospital Mostar during 2019. Subjects were divided into two groups: a total of 51% study subjects worked in specific shifts (12-hour day shift / 24 hours off / 12-hour night shift / 48 hours off), while 49% subjects worked in accordance with the regular 7-hour daily schedule. Standard Shiftwork Index (SSI) questionnaire was used, alongside comprehensive socio-demographic and quality of life appraisal. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were applied, and statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: This study demonstrated increased amounts of stress, reduced coping abilities and reduced levels of life enjoyment in shift work nurses in comparison to day work nurses. Furthermore, increased anxiety, stress, psychoorganic symptoms and sleep disturbances were significantly more common in shift work hospital nursing staff. In our study, nurses that worked in shifts have experienced negative externalities such as decreased social functioning, as well as reduced family and leisure time. Conversely, significantly higher satisfaction rates with shift work were only shown in regards to compensation. Conclusions: Our results reveal many detrimental effects of shift work and contribute to the field of research that is still laden with gaps in understanding its exact impact on the overall health of nursing personnel. Going forward, prospective (and even interventional) studies will be needed to disentangle the exact interplay between work-related factors in various health care systems and subsequent psychosocial disorders in health personnel

Što kada bi cijepljenje bilo stvar izbora? Istraživanje o stavovima, znanjima i drugim aspektima odluke o cijepljenju u Republici Hrvatskoj

U Republici Hrvatskoj je, unatoč zakonskoj regulativi i brojnim dobrobitima koje cijepljenje donosi, zamjetan značajan porast broja roditelja koji odbijaju cijepiti svoju djecu. Ovim smo istraživanjem htjeli ispitati zašto je tome tako, koliko su roditelji informirani o cijepljenju i od kuda dobivaju informacije; jesu li osobine ličnosti i druge karakteristike roditelja povezane s donošenjem odluke o necijepljenju te koji su najbolji prediktori njihovih znanja i stavova prema cijepljenju. Podatci su prikupljeni online anketom tijekom rujna 2014. godine, koju su popunjavali roditelji i budući roditelji djece (N = 833). Četiri glavne skupine sudionika u istraživanju dobili smo na temelju čestice koja ispituje odabir načina cijepljenja djece u situaciji mogućnosti slobodnog izbora pri donošenju te odluke. Skupine smo usporedili analizom varijance na sljedećim varijablama: stavovi prema cijepljenju, vjerovanje u teorije zavjere, lokus kontrole, osobine ličnosti, znanje o cjepivima i alternativne zdravstvene navike. Na planu ličnosti, nizak neuroticizam, nešto viša savjesnost i otvorenost ka iskustvu karakteristike su onih koji odabiru ne cijepiti svoju djecu. Također, skloniji su vjerovanju u teorije zavjera, kao i u to da je zdravlje posljedica vlastitih izbora i ponašanja, a ne posljedica slučaja. Odabrani prediktori objašnjavaju 48,4% varijance stavova prema cijepljenju, a značajni prediktori su vjerovanje u medicinske autoritete, sklonost teorijama zavjere i alternativne zdravstvene navike. Na temelju dobivenih nalaza moguće je izvesti preporuke vezane uz stvaranje slike o cjepivima u javnosti i medijima te promoviranju ovog zdravstvenog ponašanja kod roditelja.In Croatia, despite the legislation and numerous benefits that come from vaccination, there is a growing number of parents who decide not to vaccinate their children. The aim of this study was to explore how well parents are informed about vaccination procedures, where do they get their information, and whether personality traits and other parental characteristics are related to making a negative decision about vaccinating their children. Furthermore, the authors tried to explore which are the best predictors of their knowledge and their attitudes towards vaccination. Data was gathered using an online survey in September 2014. The survey was filled out by parents, and future parents (N = 833). Four main groups of participants were categorized based on their given answer on an item questioning their decision on vaccinating their child in a situation of free choice. The groups were compared according to the following variables: attitudes towards vaccination, believing in conspiracy theories, locus of control, personality traits, knowledge about vaccination and alternative health practices. In terms of personality traits, low neuroticism, somewhat higher conscientiousness and openness toward experiencewerecharacteristicsof vaccine-declining parents. Also, they are more inclined to conspiracy theories as well to believe that the health consequences are caused by their own choices and behavior, and are not the result of chance. The selected predictors explained 48.4% of the variance of attitudes toward vaccination, and significant predictors were belief in medicine, tendency towards believing in conspiracy theories and alternative health practices. Based on the findings it is possible to derive recommendations regarding the creation of the image of vaccines in public and the media, and the promotion of health behavior among parents

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND LISTENING TO CLASSICAL MUSIC WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN IN CHILDBIRTH AND THE OCCURRENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN PUERPERIUM

Introduction: Pregnancy is a unique experience accompanied by significant physiological, biochemical, and psychological changes that may affect a women\u27s health status.With the development of a holistic approach midwives have became continuous support during pregnancy and childbirth. Childbirth education is an intervention that affects delivery outcomes and the experience of childbirth. Music therapy has been proven to be a safe and effective non - pharmacological method to gain in pregnancy and puerperium. The study aimed to prove the impact of educating pregnant women and listening to classical music on the experience of childbirth pains and the occurrence of psychological symptoms during puerperium. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial (n=198) was conducted. The experimental group of pregnant women was educated during pregnancy and listened to classical music the rest of the pregnancy, while the control group received the usual care. The VAS scale was used to assess pain, and the 90 - point scale was used to assess the incidence of psychological symptoms. Results: The difference in pain assessment between the experimental and control groups was significant (p<0.001). The experimental group rated their childbirth pain as moderate (M=5.98), while the control group experienced severe pain (M=8.42). A significant difference in the incidence of psychological symptoms between groups was found in the dimensions of interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideations (p=0.042; p=0.014; p=0.013; p=0.008). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the impact of midwifery education and listening to classical music on the perception of childbirth pain and mental health in the puerperium. The experimental group rated childbirth pain significantly lower compared to the control group and had significantly fewer psychological symptoms 6 weeks after delivery

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND LISTENING TO CLASSICAL MUSIC WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN IN CHILDBIRTH AND THE OCCURRENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN PUERPERIUM

Introduction: Pregnancy is a unique experience accompanied by significant physiological, biochemical, and psychological changes that may affect a women\u27s health status.With the development of a holistic approach midwives have became continuous support during pregnancy and childbirth. Childbirth education is an intervention that affects delivery outcomes and the experience of childbirth. Music therapy has been proven to be a safe and effective non - pharmacological method to gain in pregnancy and puerperium. The study aimed to prove the impact of educating pregnant women and listening to classical music on the experience of childbirth pains and the occurrence of psychological symptoms during puerperium. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial (n=198) was conducted. The experimental group of pregnant women was educated during pregnancy and listened to classical music the rest of the pregnancy, while the control group received the usual care. The VAS scale was used to assess pain, and the 90 - point scale was used to assess the incidence of psychological symptoms. Results: The difference in pain assessment between the experimental and control groups was significant (p<0.001). The experimental group rated their childbirth pain as moderate (M=5.98), while the control group experienced severe pain (M=8.42). A significant difference in the incidence of psychological symptoms between groups was found in the dimensions of interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideations (p=0.042; p=0.014; p=0.013; p=0.008). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the impact of midwifery education and listening to classical music on the perception of childbirth pain and mental health in the puerperium. The experimental group rated childbirth pain significantly lower compared to the control group and had significantly fewer psychological symptoms 6 weeks after delivery

A series of picture books about a Wolf and a interest in reading

Ovaj rad se bavi proučavanjem slikovnica o Vuku za predškolski uzrast francuske autorice Oriane Lallemand i njihovim utjecajem na dječji razvoj. U radu se potvrđuje da ove slikovnice ne samo da zabavljaju djecu, već imaju i značajan pedagoški potencijal. U prvom dijelu rada, istaknuta je važnost poticanja na čitanje od najranije dobi te se rad dotiče i problema čitanja u Republici Hrvatskoj. Raspravlja se o važnosti programa i promoviranju čitanja kako bi se potaknula ljubav prema knjigama kod djece. Nakon toga, rad se usredotočuje na ulogu vuka u pedagogiji i istražuje utjecaj serije slikovnica o vuku na dječju edukaciju. Uspoređeni su hrvatski i francuski kurikulum u vezi s ovom temom. Najvažniji dio mog rada bio je posvećen seriji slikovnica o Vuku. Analizirane su teme, pouke i način uređivanja slikovnica te ih podijeljene prema dobi djece. Slikovnice o Vuku pomažu u razvoju dječjih emocionalnih, socijalnih i kognitivnih vještina. Kroz Vukove priče, djeca imaju priliku upoznati se s različitim emocijama i naučiti kako razumjeti i izražavati svoje osjećaje. Vuk kao lik pruža dječjoj publici primjere situacija s kojima se mogu poistovjetiti i daje im alate za suočavanje s izazovima. Osim emocionalnog razvoja, slikovnice o Vuku također potiču socijalne vještine kod djece. Kroz priče o Vuku, djeca uče o važnosti empatije, suradnje i komunikacije. Razvijajući ove vještine, djeca stječu sposobnost razumijevanja i poštovanja drugih, što je ključno za njihovu socijalnu integraciju i uspješno funkcioniranje u zajednici. Uz to, slikovnice o Vuku pružaju i poticaj za razvoj kognitivnih vještina kod djece. Kroz Vukove avanture, djeca razvijaju kritičko razmišljanje, logičko zaključivanje i sposobnost rješavanja problema.This paper deals with the study of the Wolf picture books for preschoolers by the French author Oriana Lallemand and their impact on children's development. The paper confirms that these picture books not only entertain children, but also have significant pedagogical potential. In the first part of the paper, the importance of encouraging reading from an early age is highlighted, and the paper also touches on the problem of reading in the Republic of Croatia. The importance of the program and promoting reading to encourage a love of books in children is discussed. After that, the paper focuses on the role of the wolf in pedagogy and investigates the impact of the wolf picture book series on children's education. The Croatian and French curricula were compared in relation to this topic. The most important part of my work was dedicated to the series of picture books about the Wolf. Topics, lessons and the way of editing picture books were analyzed and divided according to the age of the children. Wolf picture books help develop children's emotional, social and cognitive skills. Through Vuk's stories, children have the opportunity to learn about different emotions and learn how to understand and express their feelings. The wolf as a character provides the children's audience with examples of situations they can identify with and gives them tools to face challenges. In addition to emotional development, Wolf picture books also encourage social skills in children. Through stories about the Wolf, children learn about the importance of empathy, cooperation and communication. By developing these skills, children acquire the ability to understand and respect others, which is essential for their social integration and successful functioning in the community. In addition, picture books about the Wolf provide an incentive for the development of cognitive skills in children. Through Vuk's adventures, children develop critical thinking, logical reasoning and problem-solving skills

Stability of natural food colorants

Cilj ovoga rada bio je odrediti utjecaj povišene temperature i vremena zagrijavanja te određene pH vrijednosti na stabilnost prirodnih prehrambenih bojila. Promjene parametara boje te apsorpcijski spektri određivani su pri 50° i 70°C nakon 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 i 180 minuta pri pH vrijednosti 5 i 7.Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da vrijeme zagrijavanja, povišena temperatura i pH vrijednost utječu na stabilnost prirodnih prehrambenih bojila. Prirodno prehrambeno bojilo žute boje (kurkumin) najstabilnije je pri temperaturi 50°C i pH 5, a ostatak apsorbancije nakon 180 minuta iznosi 84,60%, dok je prirodno prehrambeno bojilo zelene boje (klorofilin) najstabilnije pri temperaturi 50°C i pH 7, a ostatak apsorbancije nakon 180 minuta iznosi 91,15%. Prirodno prehrambeno bojilo crvene boje (red beet) najmanje je stabilno u primijenjenim uvjetima obrade. Stabilnost mu je najveća je pri temperaturi 50°C i pH 5, a nakon 180 minuta ostatak apsorbancije iznosi 63,69%.The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of elevated temperature and heating time as well as pH value on the stability of natural food colorants. The color changes and absorption spectra were measured at temperatures 50 and 70°C after 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes at pH value 5 and 7. The obtained results have show that heat treatment and pH affect the stability of natural food colorants. Yellow natural food colorant (curcumin) was stable at a temperature of 50°C and pH 5 and remaining absorbance after 180 minutes was 84.60%, while the green natural food colorant (chlorophyllin) was stable at a temperature of 50°C and pH 7 and showed remaining absorbance after 180 minutes 91.15%. Red natural food colorant (red beet) was the most sensitive investigated colorant in the applied processing conditions. It has shown the highest stability at 50°C and pH 5 and after 180 minutes the remaining absorbance was 63.69%