Study of patients’ dehumanization in a hospital setting

This study aims to explore and compare the extent and the forms of patients’ dehumanization among Greek health professionals, mental health professionals and the general population

The building façade as an active skin: Water bio-remediation through a probiotic layer system

In 2020, the United Nations demonstrated that the building sector is responsible for 38% of all energy-related CO2 emissions [1]. Architecture as an invasive practice, bears a responsibility and the capacity to minimize its negative ecological impact. This study investigates alternative methodologies of architectural design that employ the upgrading of greywater through the building envelope to integrate the building in the environment’s metabolic cycles. The building façade may be treated as an active membrane that controls energy and material resources to carry out energy-related functions. Its performance may be modeled by the operational principles of cell membranes and living organisms. The activation of the membrane is achieved by managing greywater resources, while architectural design is informed by biotechnology and environmental engineering. On a different note, water is a vital resource for the sustenance of life whose scarcity increases rapidly. By upgrading greywater, the building membrane becomes a space for different species to inhabit. Considering the above, an interdisciplinary design method is proposed that: • Allows the envelope to circulate water in a controlled manner. • Incorporates the bio-remediation of greywater. • Adapts the envelope to create living “pockets” activated by water. These pockets host vegetation and microorganisms, serving as a probiotic layer that regulates the micro-climate and supports local fauna

Оцінка зв'язку між релігійністю, тривогою, депресією та психологічною стійкістю у медсестринського персоналу

The nursing profession is considered to be an emotionally demanding profession often lead to various psychological difficulties and extend level stress. Religiosity and religion in general, have been associated with positive outcomes in an individual’s life such as higher self-esteem, better quality of life and psychological wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between nurses’ religiosity, psychological resilience, and psychological wellbeing. In this cross-sectional study, 378 nurses participated. Dada were collected by using Centrality of Religiosity Scale, The Patient Health Questionnaire Two-Item Depression Scale, The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale 25. Percentages, means, and standard deviations were calculated. In addition the parametric t-test and ANOVA were used. Also, logistic regression analyses were used to determine which factors affect the depression and anxiety of nurses. Results indicated differences with a probability of less than or equal to 0.05 were accepted as significant. For statistical analysis, we used the statistical program SPSS 25. According to our results although religious practices can be a protective factor for both depression and anxiety, religious beliefs and experiences can increase the levels of depression and anxiety as well.Професія медичної сестри вважається емоційно-вимогливою професією, що часто призводить до різних психологічних труднощів і збільшує рівень стресу. Релігійність і релігія загалом асоціюються з позитивними результатами в житті людини, такими як вища самооцінка, краща якість життя та психологічний добробут. Метою цього дослідження було вивчити зв’язок між релігійністю медсестер, психологічною стійкістю та психологічним благополуччям. У цьому перехресному дослідженні взяли участь 378 медсестер. Дада були зібрані за допомогою шкали центральності релігійності, шкали депресії з двома пунктами опитувальника здоров’я пацієнта, опитувальника генералізованого тривожного розладу, шкали стійкості Коннора-Девідсона 25. Були розраховані відсотки, середні значення та стандартні відхилення. Крім того, використовували параметричний t-критерій та ANOVA. Крім того, логістичний регресійний аналіз використовувався, щоб визначити, які фактори впливають на депресію та тривожність медсестер. Результати, які вказували на відмінності з ймовірністю менше або рівною 0,05, були прийняті як значущі. Для статистичного аналізу ми використовували статистичну програму SPSS 25. Згідно з нашими результатами, хоча релігійні практики можуть бути захисним фактором як депресії, так і тривоги, релігійні переконання та переживання також можуть підвищити рівень депресії та тривоги

Exploring friendship quality and the practice of savoring in relation to the wellbeing of Greek adults

Previous research findings demonstrate that both savoring ability and the presence of high-quality friendships play a significant role in enhancing one’s overall sense of wellbeing. However, these associations have not been thoroughly investigated within a diverse range of adults across their lifespans, nor have they been explored in the specific cultural context of Greece. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to delve into the relationships between close friendship quality, the utilization of savoring techniques, and wellbeing within the Greek cultural framework. The study involved 771 adults from Greece with an average age of 38.35 years, who completed the McGill Friendship Functions Questionnaire, the PERMA Profiler, and the Abridged Ways of Savoring Checklist. Results revealed that there exists a positive correlation between friendship quality and savoring strategies with overall wellbeing. Moreover, the study identified a significant association wherein a greater employment of savoring strategies was linked to higher levels of friendship quality. While this study contributes valuable insights, it also has limitations that warrant acknowledgment. Furthermore, suggestions for potential future research directions are proposed, and the implications of these findings are discussed in relation to interventions aimed at enhancing both friendships and the practice of savoring across various contexts

Removing the humanness from the human: a study of perceptions, attitudes and behaviors in the public hospital

The dehumanization is defined as the stripping of a person’s humanity. The purpose of this study is to link dehumanization with self-determination theory and attachment theory in order to take measures to prevent dehumanization and improve the quality of health care. To achieve the above goals, two researches were conducted. The first research findings show that the healthcare professionals in the general hospital dehumanize mechanistically the hospitalized patient more than the general population and from the attachment dimensions (stress / avoidance), avoidance has a statistically significant positive effect on both animalistic and mechanistic dehumanization of the hospitalized patient. As for the self-dehumanization, it seems that the general population self-dehumanizes significantly more than the mental health professionals. The second research (200 participants) is about the study of dehumanization of patients with organic disease and psychosis and their self-dehumanization. The findings show that patients with psychotic disorder dehumanize themselves more than patients with organic disease. Moreover, the attachment dimensions (stress / avoidance) of the examined groups seem to have a positive effect on their mechanistic dehumanization, and only stress has a positive effect on animalistic dehumanization, while in their self-dehumanization both stress and avoidance have a statistically significant negative effect. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate the unrecognized importance of the phenomenon of dehumanization within the hospital. Finally, limitations will be discussed in order to be given new directions in the field of psychological research, shedding further light into dehumanization and self-dehumanization.Η απανθρωποποίηση ορίζεται ως η απογύμνωση των ανθρώπων από την ανθρωπινότητα τους. Σκοπός της παρούσας διατριβής είναι να μελετηθούν οι έννοιες της απανθρωποποίησης και αυτό-απανθρωποποίησης σε συσχέτιση με τη θεωρία αυτοκαθορισμού και τη θεωρία δεσμού στο πλαίσιο των υπηρεσιών ψυχικής υγείας. Η πρώτη έρευνα (353 συμμετέχοντες) αφορά την απανθρωποποίηση του νοσηλευόμενου ασθενή από τους ειδικούς ψυχικής υγείας, εργαζομένους στο γενικό νοσοκομείο και γενικό πληθυσμό και την αυτό-απανθρωποποιήση τους. Τα ερευνητικά ευρήματα της πρώτης έρευνας δείχνουν ότι οι εργαζόμενοι στο γενικό νοσοκομείο απανθρωποποιούν μηχανιστικά το νοσηλευόμενο ασθενή περισσότερο από ότι ο γενικός πληθυσμός και ότι από τις διαστάσεις δεσμού (άγχος/αποφυγή), η αποφυγή ασκεί στατιστικά σημαντική θετική επίδραση τόσο στην ανιμαλιστική όσο και στη μηχανιστική απανθρωποποίηση του νοσηλευόμενου ασθενή. Ως προς την απανθρωποποίηση του εαυτού, φαίνεται ότι ο γενικός πληθυσμός αυτό-απανθρωποποιείται σημαντικά περισσότερο από τους επαγγελματίες της ψυχικής υγείας. Η δεύτερη έρευνα (200 συμμετέχοντες) αφορά τη μελέτη της απανθρωποποίησης από ασθενείς με οργανική νόσο και ψύχωση και την αυτό-απανθρωποποιήση τους. Τα ευρήματα δείχνουν ότι οι ασθενείς με ψυχωτική διαταραχή απανθρωποποιούν τον εαυτό τους περισσότερο από τους ασθενείς με οργανική νόσο. Οι διαστάσεις δεσμού (άγχος/ αποφυγή) των εξεταζόμενων ομάδων φαίνεται ότι επηρεάζουν θετικά τη μηχανιστική απανθρωποποίηση τους, και μόνο το άγχος ασκεί θετική επίδραση στην ανιμαλιστική απανθρωποποίηση, ενώ στην αυτό-απανθρωποποίηση τους τόσο το άγχος όσο και η αποφυγή ασκούν στατιστικά σημαντική αρνητική επίδραση. Εν κατακλείδι τα ευρήματα καταδεικνύουν την παραγνωρισμένη σημασία του φαινομένου της απανθρωποποίησης στο πλαίσιο του νοσοκομείου, φωτίζοντας νέες κατευθύνσεις στην έρευνα

Enrichment of Olive Oils with Natural Bioactive Compounds from Aromatic and Medicinal Herbs: Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant Potential

Olive oil and herbs, two key components of the Mediterranean diet, are known for their beneficial effects on humans. In our study, we incorporated aromatic and medicinal herbs into local monovarietal olive oils via maceration procedures for enrichment. We identified the herbal-derived ingredients that migrate to olive oils and contribute positively to their total phenolic content and functional properties, such as radical scavenging activity. Thus, we characterized the essential oil composition of the aromatic herbs (GC-MS), and we determined the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the additives and the virgin olive oils before and after enrichment. The herbal phenolic compounds were analyzed by LC-LTQ/Orbitrap HRMS. We found that olive oils infused with Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum, Rosmarinus officinalis and Salvia triloba obtained an increased phenolic content, by approximately 1.3 to 3.4 times, in comparison with the untreated ones. Infusion with S. triloba led to a significantly higher antioxidant capacity. Rosmarinic acid, as well as phenolic glucosides, identified in the aromatic herbs, were not incorporated into olive oils due to their high polarity. In contrast, phenolic aglycones and diterpenes from R. officinalis and S. triloba migrated to the enriched olive oils, leading to a significant increase in their phenolic content and to an improvement in their free radical scavenging capacity

Investigation of the Relationship Between Aggression and Adult Attachment in Healthcare Professionals

Introduction Multiple references to the violent and especially difficult patient have been presented by the international literature. However, there is little literature on the aggressive behaviors of health professionals in their workplaces. The aim of this research is to record and correlate aggression and attachment type data of adult health professionals. Methods The sample includes 192 individuals (43 men and 149 women) health professionals in the private and public sector, aged 20 to 60 years, who were selected by the method of random sampling. The survey was conducted from February 2018 to May 2018. The Greek version of the Aggression Questionnaire and the Greek version of the Revised Experiences in Close Relationships (G-ECR-R) self-report inventory were used and the analysis was performed with the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS 26) (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results The analysis shows that the dimension of avoidance has a positive correlation with hostility and physical aggression and the dimension of stress has a positive correlation with anger, physical aggression and hostility. It also seems that the stress dimension of the adult attachment contributes significantly positively to the prediction of anger and the stress dimension contributes significantly to the prediction of hostility. The dimension of avoiding adult attachment contributes significantly to the prediction of physical aggression. Conclusions To our knowledge, no studies were found in the literature to examine the relationship between the subscales of aggression and dimensions of attachment. It is important that violence in the workplace is recognized as an underlying occupational risk and not just as a matter of criminal law. Finally, more research is needed to study the phenomenon in order to make it more understandable

Pain and Anxiety versus Sense of Family Support in Lung Cancer Patients

Lung cancer is a stressful condition for both patient and family. The anxiety and pain accompanying cancer and its treatment have a significant negative influence on the patient’s quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between anxiety, pain, and perceived family support in a sample of lung cancer patients. The sample consisted of a total of 101 lung cancer outpatients receiving treatment at the oncology department of a general hospital. Anxiety, pain (severity and impact on everyday life), and perceived family support were assessed using Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Brief Pain Inventory, and the Family Support Scale, respectively. Statistical analyses revealed correlations between anxiety, pain, and family support as perceived by the patients. The intensity of pain had a positive correlation with both state and trait anxiety and a negative correlation with family support. Anxiety (state and trait) had a significant negative correlation with family support. In conclusion, high prevalence rates of anxiety disorders were observed in lung cancer patients. Females appeared more susceptible to anxiety symptoms with a less sense of family support. A negative correlation was evidenced between family support and anxiety and a positive one between anxiety and pain

Immobilization of lipid substrates: application on phospholipase A2 determination

The purpose of the study was to assess a fluorimetric assay for the determination of total phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity in biological samples introducing the innovation of immobilized substrates on crosslinked polymeric membranes. The immobilized C12-NBD-PtdCho, a fluorescent analogue of phosphatidylcholine, exhibited excellent stability for 3 months at 4 °C and was not desorbed in the aqueous reaction mixture during analysis. The limit of detection was 0.5 pmol FA (0.2 pg) and the linear part of the response curve extended from 1 up to 190 nmol FA/h/mL sample. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations (%RSD), were ≤6 and ≤9 %, respectively. Statistical comparison with other fluorescent methods showed excellent correlation and agreement. Semiempirical calculations showed a fair amount of electrostatic interaction between the NBD-labeled substrate and the crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol with the styryl pyridinium residues (PVA-SbQ) material, from the plane of which, the sn-2 acyl chain of the phospholipid stands out and is accessible by PLA2. Atomic Force Microscopy revealed morphological alterations of the immobilized substrate after the reaction with PLA2. Mass spectrometry showed that only C12-NBD-FA, the PLA2 hydrolysis product, was detected in the reaction mixture, indicating that PLA2 recognizes PVA-SbQ/C12-NBD-PtdCho as a surface to perform catalysis.</p