Genital Skin Diseases and Their Expression in Sexual Functionality

Sexual functionality acts as an important function of the individual, acting both physically and mentally to create a state of well-being and permitting procreation. A large number of mucosal and cutaneous ailments may affect the genial areas in both males and females, generally leading to local symptoms that impede the sexual act. Genital diseases, sometimes even without impairing the sexual function, may still alter the dynamics just because of the enormous psychological impact that occurs in these situations. We aim to review main dermatological disorders that alter normal function of the genitalia, as well as their physical mechanism by which the sexual functionality is changed

Propuesta de intervención basada en la psicología positiva para mejorar la gestión del estrés en la población adulta

Treball Final de Grau en Psicologia. Codi: PS1048. Curs: 2020/2021Los efectos dañinos provocados por el estrés sobre la salud y el desarrollo social han causado un gran interés en diferentes campos de investigación, como la Medicina y la Psicología. Considerando que el estrés es una barrera para la armonía entre el cuerpo y la mente del ser humano, así como los beneficios de las fortalezas del carácter y de las emociones positivas en la calidad de vida, el objetivo general de este trabajo fue diseñar y desarrollar una propuesta de intervención basada en psicología positiva para mejorar la gestión del estrés en población adulta. Se pretende que la propuesta de intervención se aplique de forma grupal, con un máximo de 30 participantes. La intervención está formada por 10 sesiones semanales, con una duración aproximada de 45 minutos, y su objetivo terapéutico es promover la utilización de estrategias de psicología positiva para mejorar la gestión del estrés y reducir sus efectos perjudiciales. Para ello se propone el uso de técnicas basadas en la identificación y uso de las fortalezas del carácter: “optimismo”, “sentido del humor” y “creatividad”. Se realizó una evaluación de la propuesta de intervención por parte de expertos clínicos. Los resultados fueron satisfactorios con respecto a la metodología del programa, el desarrollo de las sesiones y las técnicas de intervención a utilizar. Siendo todas ellas coherentes con las evidencias científicas encontradas en la revisión de la literatura

The Connections Between Androgens and Adipose Tissue Function in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Patients

Few studies reported that androgens levels could be among the regulators of adipose tissue hormones. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by both increased adiposity and hyperandrogenism, but the relationship between androgens levels and adipokines in PCOS has not been well characterized. Our aim was to study the relationship between leptin, adiponectin, total testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and free androgen index (FAI) in PCOS patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 131 PCOS patients (mean age 24 [6] yrs, mean body mass index (BMI) 25.8 [10.44] kg/m2) diagnosed based on Rotterdam Consensus criteria. All the patients were evaluated by clinical, paraclinical and hormonal exam. HOMA-IR was calculated for all the patients. Leptin was positively associated with age (p<0.05), BMI (p<0,0001), waist-hip ratio (WHR) (p<0.0001), waist circumference (WC) (p<0,0001), HOMA-IR (p<0,0001), insulinemia (p<0.0001) and FAI (p<0,0001) and negatively with SHBG (p<0.0001). Adiponectin was negatively associated with age (p<0.05), BMI (p<0,0001), WC (p<0,0001), WHR (p<0,0001), HOMA-IR (p<0,0001), insulinemia (p<0.0001) and FAI (p<0,005) and positively associated with SHBG (p<0,0001). Both adipokines were not correlated with total testosterone. The association between serum leptin and FAI/SHBG was lost after adjustment for age and body mass index. In turn the relationship between leptin and FAI, but not SHBG was independent of HOMA-IR. Circulating adiponectin was associated with SHBG independently of adiposity and HOMA-IR, but the association with FAI was lost after adjustment for HOMA-IR. In conlusion, circulating adipokines are correlated with FAI and SHBG serum levels. This association seems to be mediated by adiposity for leptin. Although the link between adiponectin and FAI is probably due to insulin resistance, SHBG seems to directly modulate adiponectin production

Personal Autonomy as Quality of Life Predictor for Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, severe disease, characterized by a progressive alteration in neuronal transmission, which decreases personal independence and quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between QoL and personal autonomy in patients with MS, as well as its correlation with age, educational level, and diseases severity. Twenty-six MS patients were followed-up for six months. All patients completed the 15D questionnaire two times: at T0, when they started a new treatment, and at T1 after six months of treatment. At the end point, all patients completed the Personal Autonomy Questionnaire. The average patient age was 43 years (SD = 10), and 89% of them were female. The mean severity and duration of MS were 3.5 (SD = 1.75) and 9.5 (SD = 5.1), respectively. The average QoL of MS patients at T0 was 0.66 (SD = 0.18), and that at T1 was 0.71 (SD = 0.16). The scores of patients with different types of MS, i.e., relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) or secondary progressive MS (SPMS), were compared. SPMS patients were older than RRMS patients (mean age 47.5 vs. 39.7 years; p = 0.032), and more RRMS patients were working (0.014). SPMS patients described the same QoL and personal autonomy as RRMS patients. Results from bivariate correlation analyses showed a significant relationship between QoL and age, education, and severity of MS. Also, the analysis showed no significant correlation between QoL and personal autonomy

Personal Autonomy as Quality of Life Predictor for Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, severe disease, characterized by a progressive alteration in neuronal transmission, which decreases personal independence and quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between QoL and personal autonomy in patients with MS, as well as its correlation with age, educational level, and diseases severity. Twenty-six MS patients were followed-up for six months. All patients completed the 15D questionnaire two times: at T0, when they started a new treatment, and at T1 after six months of treatment. At the end point, all patients completed the Personal Autonomy Questionnaire. The average patient age was 43 years (SD = 10), and 89% of them were female. The mean severity and duration of MS were 3.5 (SD = 1.75) and 9.5 (SD = 5.1), respectively. The average QoL of MS patients at T0 was 0.66 (SD = 0.18), and that at T1 was 0.71 (SD = 0.16). The scores of patients with different types of MS, i.e., relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) or secondary progressive MS (SPMS), were compared. SPMS patients were older than RRMS patients (mean age 47.5 vs. 39.7 years; p = 0.032), and more RRMS patients were working (0.014). SPMS patients described the same QoL and personal autonomy as RRMS patients. Results from bivariate correlation analyses showed a significant relationship between QoL and age, education, and severity of MS. Also, the analysis showed no significant correlation between QoL and personal autonomy

Selected Characteristics of Multifloral Honeys from North-Eastern Romania

The aim of this research was to evaluate some characteristics (moisture, total solid substances, specific gravity, pH, FA, ash, electrical conductivity, TPC and TFC, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, nickel, cobalt, and lead) of fifteen multifloral honey samples. The quality of the investigated honey was confirmed by the obtained results: moisture, FA, and EC values were below the limit value regulated by the legislation. The average content of total polyphenols and total flavonoids of 29.91 mg GAE/100 g and 2.13 mg QE/100 g confirm the antioxidant properties of honey. Determination of minerals showed that potassium (101.4–1212.6 mg kg−1) was the most abundant mineral in honey, followed by sodium (40.7–302.3 mg kg−1) and calcium (41.8–230.9 mg kg−1). Lead was found in two samples, with a content under the limit stipulation by legislation; nickel was found in one sample of 0.10 mg kg−1, and the content of cobalt was below the detection limit. Significant correlations (p < 0.001) were observed between mm Pfund and electrical conductivity, TPC, TFC, P, Ca, and Zn; strong correlations (p < 0.001) were between electrical conductivity with Ash, TPC, TFC, K, and P. FTIR analysis confirmed the differences obtained by analyzing multifloral honey samples

Standard comparison of local mental health care systems in eight European countries

Aims. There is a need of more quantitative standardised data to compare local Mental Health Systems (MHSs) across international jurisdictions. Problems related to terminological variability and commensurability in the evaluation of services hamper like-with-like comparisons and hinder the development of work in this area. This study was aimed to provide standard assessment and comparison of MHS in selected local areas in Europe, contributing to a better understanding of MHS and related allocation of resources at local level and to lessen the scarcity in standard service comparison in Europe. This study is part of the Seventh Framework programme REFINEMENT (Research on Financing Systems' Effect on the Quality of Mental Health Care in Europe) project. Methods. A total of eight study areas from European countries with different systems of care (Austria, England, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain) were analysed using a standard open-access classification system (Description and Evaluation of Services for Long Term Care in Europe, DESDE-LTC). All publicly funded services universally accessible to adults (>= 18 years) with a psychiatric disorder were coded. Care availability, diversity and capacity were compared across these eight local MHS. Results. The comparison of MHS revealed more community-oriented delivery systems in the areas of England (Hampshire) and Southern European countries (Verona - Italy and Girona - Spain). Community-oriented systems with a higher proportion of hospital care were identified in Austria (Industrieviertel) and Scandinavian countries (Sor-Trondelag in Norway and Helsinki-Uusimaa in Finland), while Loiret (France) was considered as a predominantly hospital-based system. The MHS in Suceava (Romania) was still in transition to community care. Conclusions. There is a significant variation in care availability and capacity across MHS of local areas in Europe. This information is relevant for understanding the process of implementation of community-oriented mental health care in local areas. Standard comparison of care provision in local areas is important for context analysis and policy planning.Peer reviewe

Adaption of the Beginner Teachers in Primary and Pre-school Education

This research's main objective was to identify the main difficulties encountered by beginning teachers in the first five years of their careers, for which we have used quantitative research with a questionnaire-based survey. The population involved in the research consisted of 62 people, being represented by the Adventus University graduates, and the statistical tests applied were Independent Samples T-Test and Bivariate Correlations. The results obtained from the research, after applying the T-test, show that there are no statistical differences determined by the teaching degree, no statistical differences given by the place of activity, nor differences generated by the specifics of the institution. There were statistical differences between male participants, who tend to approach activities more confidently and make better use of activity management than female participants. Other statistical differences were recorded between teachers working in state institutions, tending to consider that the management of activities is less important and teachers working in private institutions, where greater importance is given to the management of activities. There were also statistical differences between teachers employed for a certain period, who tend to believe that the tenure exam is a challenging test and teachers who are employed for an indefinite period

Implications of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory on Healthcare Employees’ Performance

The purpose of this study is to provide a new perspective of the motivation-performance link, and the influence of satisfying each basic human needs, described by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, on employees’ professional performance. We assumed that the positive relationship between each dimension of motivation and professional performance is mediated by work satisfaction. The proposed conceptual model was operationalized by seven latent constructs (the five dimensions of motivation, inspired by the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, job satisfaction and the professional performance), each of them measured by several observed indicators. The survey conducted for this occasion, was filled in by 824 employees from Romanian health organizations.Based on the research results, we can state that the Romanian health system employees are mostly motivated by meeting the needs of higher level, especially the need of self-actualization, and to a lesser extent by meeting the lower level ones. Those findings may serve as useful insights for health system policy makers and managerial practices in designing and implementing the most effective motivational strategies, able to generate increased professional performance.</p