Gender and socio-cultural perspectives through femicide case studies

Femicide has been defined as the murder of a woman because she is a woman and has devastating consequences for the individual well-being, safety and health of those affected and for the whole society. Socio-cultural and legal issues are highlighted as important factors associated with intimate partner violence and femicide. The purpose of this article is to identify socio-cultural and/ or gender equality issues related to femicide through case studies. It is partly a product of the working group on culture of the COST Action IS1206- Femicide across Europe. Data was collected in a qualitative form from the countries which were involved in the Cost Action working group meetings. The main questions of this article relate to the European countries’ socio-cultural issues and the gender equality status of the involved countries related to femicide. Based on the data provided by each country involved, it emerged that patriarchy is still dominant in some European societies. Regulations and laws on gender equality exist in many countries, but it seems that in several cases are not effectively applied. Thus, it is necessary to create the appropriate socio-cultural and gender sensitive environments, supported by effective juridical systems

A quantitative and qualitative comparison of fibrin glue, albumin, and blood as agents to pretreat porous vascular grafts

Recent reports suggest that fibrin glue can be used to seal porous vascular grafts prior to insertion, but this ability has not been quantitatively compared to existing methods. We compared blood loss from and handling characteristics of grafts pretreated with either fibrin glue (FG) (Tisseel), albumin autoclaving (AA), or blood preclotting (BP). Five 6-cm segments of 6-mm internal diameter grafts, both knitted and woven double velour Dacron were treated in each group (30 specimens). Human blood was forced through the BP group until clotted; AA segments were soaked in 25% human albumin and autoclaved for 10 min; FG segments were treated with a topical application of Tisseel (0.5 ml/graft) followed by treatment with topical thrombin + CACl (0.5 ml/graft). Graft ends were sealed and attached to a transducer/syringe pump mechanism which pumped heparinized human blood into the graft at 100 mm Hg intraluminal pressure. All blood that leaked through the grafts over 2 min was collected and the amount was averaged for the five grafts in each group. Graft handling was characterized as either pliable or stiff. Blood pretreatment caused 21 +/- 2 and 13 +/- 4 cc/2 min of leak in knitted and woven grafts, respectively. Albumin autoclaving resulted in 9 +/- 2 and 1 +/- 0.5 cc of leak (P P < 0.01 compared to blood). Both blood and fibrin glue produced soft pliable grafts, while albumin pretreatment resulted in stiff grafts. We conclude that fibrin glue or albumin is superior to blood for pretreatment of woven grafts in limiting blood loss, but that fibrin glue is superior to either albumin or blood in knitted grafts. Fibrin glue imparts superior handling characteristics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/26651/1/0000195.pd

Empowering the migrant and refugee family's parenting skills: a literature review

Bachground: Worldwide, more than 79.5 million people are forcibly displaced, including a significant number of migrant and refugee families with children. Migration and refugeedom affect these families in different dimensions, such as mental, physical and spiritual health. Identifying family needs and enhancing parenting skills can improve family cohesion and health, as well as smooth integration into the host country. This review is part of the Erasmus+ funded project- IENE 8 (Intercultural Education for Nurses in Europe) aiming at empowering migrant and refugee families regarding parenting skills. Methods: This was a scoping review of literature. The IENE 8 partner countries (Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, and United Kingdom) searched for peer reviewed papers, grey literature and mass media reports at international, European and national level. The time period for the search of scientific and grey literature was between2013-2018, and for mass media, it was between 2016 and 2018. Results: 124 relevant sources were identified. They included 33 Peer reviewed papers, 47 Grey literature documents and 44 mass media reports. This revealed the importance of understanding the needs of migrant families with children. Conclusion: It is evident from the literature that there is a need to support refugee parents to adjust their existing skill and to empower them to develop new ones. Healthcare and social services professionals have an essential role in improving the refugees' parenting skills. This can be done by developing and implementing family-centered and culturally-sensitive intervention programs

Spatial and temporal distribution of mesozooplankton in the coastal waters of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean)

This study provides elements on the spatial and temporal mesozooplankton variability during a three-year study, encompassing vertical hauls from 50 m deep to the surface from four coastal locations of Cyprus. The total mesozooplankton abundance fluctuated between 190.4 and 882.5 individuals m-3. A total of 90 holoplanktonic and meroplanktonic taxa were recorded. Copepods dominated in the community and accounted for 71.7% of the total mesozooplankton, followed by appendicularians, molluscs, cladocerans, and siphonophores, which contributed 8.04%, 5.48%, 4.60%, and 3.31%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences among the four sampling sites for any of the mesozooplanktonic taxa, though seasonal and interannual differences were recorded for several of them. The community composition reinforced the evidence for a higher resemblance of the Cyprus mesozooplankton to the offshore communities of the northern and central Levantine Sea and those around Rhodes Island, instead of the northeastern Mediterranean coastal areas. Comparisons of the seasonal abundance variation of the mesozooplankton taxa with other coastal areas of the Levantine Sea are provided. Considering the seasonality of the mesozooplankton, there was a separation of the taxa into distinct groups representing the summer, the winter-spring, and the autumn periods. Temperature was the most important variable that shaped the formation of the distinct seasonal groups of taxa, while chlorophyll-α, dissolved oxygen, and salinity contributed to a lesser extent. Chlorophyll-α concentrations verified the oligotrophic character of the area and seem to be unaffected by inland inputs. The mesozooplankton community showed a spatial consistency, probably as the result of the open sea influence, and seems to be regulated mainly by the properties of the central Levantine pelagic waters and less by terrestrial inputs of inland waters

Obstacles to compassion-giving among nursing and midwifery managers: an international study

Aim: To explore nursing and midwifery managers’ views regarding obstacles to compassion-giving across country cultures. Background: The benefit of compassionate leadership is being advocated, but despite the fact that healthcare is invariably conducted within culturally diverse workplaces, the interconnection of culture, compassion and leadership is rarely addressed. Furthermore, evidence on how cultural factors hinder the expression of compassion among nursing and midwifery managers is lacking. Methods: Cross-sectional, exploratory, international online survey involving 1 217 participants from 17 countries. Managers’ responses on open-ended questions related to barriers for providing compassion were entered and thematically analysed through NVivo. Results: Three key themes related to compassion-giving obstacles emerged across countries: 1. related to the managers’ personal characteristics and experiences; 2. system-related; 3. staff-related. Conclusions: Obstacles to compassion-giving among managers vary across countries. An understanding of the variations across countries and cultures of what impedes compassion to flourish in healthcare is important. Implications for nursing practice and policy: Nursing mangers should wisely use their power by adopting leadership styles that promote culturally competent and compassionate workplaces with respect for human rights. Policymakers should identify training and mentoring needs to enable the development of managers’ practical wisdom. Appropriate national and international policies should facilitate the establishment of standards and guidelines for compassionate leadership, in the face of distorted organisational cultures and system-related obstacles to compassion-giving

Enactment of compassionate leadership by nursing and midwifery managers: results from an international online survey

Aim To explore the views of an international sample of nursing and midwifery managers concerning attributes that they associate with compassionate management. Method A cross- sectional online survey. Using a snowballing sampling method, 1217 responses were collected from nursing and midwifery managers in 17 countries. A total of complete 933 responses to a question related to which actions and behaviours indicated that a manager was exercising compassionate leadership were analysed for this paper. First, content analysis of the responses was conducted, and second, a relative distribution of the identified themes for the overall sample and for each participating country was calculated. Results Six main themes were identified describing the attributes of a compassionate leader: (1) Virtuous support, (2) Communication, (3) Personal virtues of the manager, (4) Participatory communication, (5) Growth/flourishing/ nurturing and (6) Team cohesion. The first three themes mentioned above collectively accounted for 63% of the responses, and can therefore be considered to be the most important characteristics of compassionate management behaviour. Conclusion The key indicators of compassionate management in nursing and midwifery which were identified emphasise approachability, active and sensitive listening, sympathetic responses to staff members’ difficulties (especially concerning child and other caring responsibilities), active support of and advocacy for the staff team and active problem solving and conflict resolution. While there were differences between the countries’ views on compassionate healthcare management, some themes were widely represented among different countries’ responses, which suggest key indicators of compassionate management that apply across culture

The importance of being a compassionate leader: the views of nursing and midwifery managers from around the world

Introduction: Despite the importance of compassionate leadership in health care, many of the existing publications do not account for the effect of culture. The aim of this study is to explore the views of nursing and midwifery managers from different countries in relation to the definition, advantages, and importance of compassion. Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory online survey was conducted across 17 countries, containing both closed and open-ended questions. Data from N = 1,217 respondents were analyzed using a directed hybrid approach focusing only on qualitative questions related to compassion-giving. Results: Four overarching themes capture the study’s results: (1) definition of compassion, (2) advantages and importance of compassion for managers, (3) advantages and importance of compassion for staff and the workplace, and (4) culturally competent and compassionate leadership. Discussion: Innovative research agendas should pursue further local qualitative empirical research to inform models of culturally competent and compassionate leadership helping mangers navigate multiple pressures and be able to transculturally resonate with their staff and patients

A lionfish (Pterois miles) invasion has begun in the Mediterranean Sea

Until now, few sightings of the alien lionfish Pterois miles have been reported in the Mediterranean and it was questionable whether the species could invade this region like it has in the western Atlantic. Here, we present evidence from divers and fishermen that lionfish have recently increased in abundance and within a year colonised almost the entire south eastern coast of Cyprus, likely due to sea surface warming. At least 23 different fish are reported of which 6 were removed. Groups of lionfish exhibiting mating behaviour have been noted for the first time in the Mediterranean. Managers need this information and should alert stakeholders to the potential ecological and socio-economic impacts that may arise from a lionfish invasion. Actions could involve incentives to engage divers and fishermen in lionfish removal programmes, as these have worked well at shallow depths in the Caribbean. Given that the Suez Canal has recently been widened and deepened, measures will need to be put in place to help prevent further invasion

Socially assistive robots in health and social care: acceptance and cultural factors. Results from an exploratory international online survey

Aim: This study explored the views of an international sample of registered nurses and midwives working in health and social care concerning socially assistive robots (SARs), and the relationship between dimensions of culture and rejection of the idea that SARs had benefits in these settings. Methods: An online survey was used to obtain rankings of (among other topics) the extent to which SARs have benefits for health and social care. It also asked for free text responses regarding any concerns about SARs. Results: Most respondents were overwhelmingly positive about SARs' benefits. A small minority strongly rejected this idea, and qualitative analysis of the objections raised by them revealed three major themes: things might go wrong, depersonalization, and patient‐related concerns. However, many participants who were highly accepting of the benefits of SARs expressed similar objections. Cultural dimensions of long‐term orientation and uncertainty avoidance feature prominently in technology acceptance research. Therefore, the relationship between the proportion of respondents from each country who felt that SARs had no benefits and each country's ratings on long‐term orientation and uncertainty avoidance were also examined. A significant positive correlation was found for long‐term orientation, but not for uncertainty avoidance. Conclusion: Most respondents were positive about the benefits of SARs, and similar concerns about their use were expressed both by those who strongly accepted the idea that they had benefits and those who did not. Some evidence was found to suggest that cultural factors were related to rejecting the idea that SARs had benefits

Longitudinal evaluation the pulmonary function of the pre and postoperative periods in the coronary artery bypass graft surgery of patients treated with a physiotherapy protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) seeks to reduce or prevent its complications and decrease morbidity and mortality. For certain subgroups of patients, coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) may accomplish these goals. The objective of this study was to assess the pulmonary function in the CABG postoperative period of patients treated with a physiotherapy protocol.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty-two volunteers with an average age of 63 ± 2 years were included and separated into three groups: healthy volunteers (n = 09), patients with CAD (n = 9) and patients who underwent CABG (n = 20). Patients from the CABG group received preoperative and postoperative evaluations on days 3, 6, 15 and 30. Patients from the CAD group had evaluations on days 1 and 30 of the study, and the healthy volunteers were evaluated on day 1. Pulmonary function was evaluated by measuring forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) and Maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After CABG, there was a significant decrease in pulmonary function (p < 0.05), which was the worst on postoperative day 3 and returned to the preoperative baseline on postoperative day 30.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pulmonary function decreased after CABG. Pulmonary function was the worst on postoperative day 3 and began to improve on postoperative day 15. Pulmonary function returned to the preoperative baseline on postoperative day 30.</p