Windows and Daylight for Healthcare Work Environments: An Evaluation of Occupants' Performance and Wellbeing and Building Energy Use

A growing body of evidence links quality and safety outcomes in healthcare to the physical environment. Research studies in the laboratory setting indicate appropriate environmental lighting can result in elevated mood, arousal and alertness, leading to increased productivity and reduced cognitive impairment. However, the effect of daylight and the impact of the presence of windows on healthcare employee' health and performance have not been adequately studied. Multiple methods were used to investigate the role of lighting from both occupancy and energy perspectives in a healthcare setting. Study 1: Ethnographic Research. Staff members, in three facilities, completed surveys regarding the most important environmental characteristics of an ideal workplace. They selected the top three characteristics helping with their alertness and wakefulness. Study 2: Quasi-experimental Biological Study. measurements were gathered from 12 volunteer Registered Nurses, who provide patient care in both windowed (design case) and windowless nurse stations (reference case). In addition, the RNs' work-related and subsidiary behavior related to sleepiness and mood were recorded via behavioral mapping. Study 3: Energy Modeling. The impact of a window on energy consumption and cost was evaluated using computer modeling. Study 1: The top five environmental factors for an ideal workplace were identified as temperature, appropriately sized workplace, low noise levels, privacy and comfortable furniture. Daylighting, temperature and comfort were identified as the top three most important environmental factors supporting staff in alertness and wakefulness. Study 2: The frequency of subsidiary behavior in the same individuals was reduced by 40% in the nurse station with a window and daylight compared to a similar windowless nurse station (p-value=0.001). The average daily heart rate was reduced by 3% in the windowed condition (design case) but not significantly (P=0.1000). The blood oxygen saturation increased (97.6 to 98.1) in the windowed location significantly (p-value= 0.0110). Study 3: Overall, energy consumption increased by 30%, however, this energy loss could be completely avoided using high performance glazing. The present study concluded that 'a window' in healthcare environments may be linked to considerable benefits to occupant performance and wellbeing, and will not necessarily negatively impact building energy use

Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Cluster B Personality Disorders Among Adult Males and Females Diagnosed with The Disorder in Qeshm Island, Iran

The current study attempted to examine the relationship between the three attachment styles (secure, anxious/ambivalent, and avoidant) and the four Cluster B personality disorders (borderline, antisocial, narcissistic, and histrionic) among males and females diagnosed with the disorder in the island of Qeshm, Iran. A total of 80 adult male and female patients diagnosed with Cluster B personality disorder, aged between 18 and 65 years, were referred by 28otmail28ed28 centers, psychiatric clinics, and hospitals in Qeshm Island, Iran for participation in this research study. The participants were asked to complete the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). Data analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics including reliability analysis, means, and standard deviations for the computed factors, GLM multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to test for gender differences, and multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that none of the three attachment styles significantly predicted any of the four Cluster B personality disorders. Additionally, no overall gender difference was found in the seven variables combined. Implications, limitations, and avenues for future research are presented.

The one thing you need to change is emotions: the effect of multi-sensory marketing on consumer behavior

Retailers are increasingly aware of the importance of store atmosphere on consumers’ emotions. The results of four experimental studies demonstrate that the sensory cues by which customers sense products and the amount of (in)congruency among the sensory stimuli of the products affect consumers’ emotions, willingness to purchase, and experience. In the presence of moderators such as colors, jingles, prices, and scent imagery, when facing sensory-rich experiential products (e.g., juice, coffee, hamburger, soda) with different sensory cues, consumers’ emotions, willingness to purchase, and experience depend on affective primacy and sensory congruency. The results (1) facilitate an improved consideration of the role of the interaction of sensory cues on customer emotions, (2) have consequences for outcomes linked with sensory congruency and affective primacy, and (3) help clarify possible incoherence in preceding studies on cross-modal outcomes in the setting of multi-sensory marketing

Non-pharmacological solutions to sleep and circadian rhythm disruption: voiced bedside experiences of hospice and end-oflife staff caregivers

Background: Sleep disturbance is a significant issue, particularly for patients with advanced terminal illness. Currently, there are no practice-based recommended approaches for managing sleep and circadian disruptions in this population. To address this gap, a cross-sectional focus group study was performed engaging 32 staff members at four hospices/end-of-life programs in three demographically diverse counties in New York State. Methods: Participants responded to structured open-ended questions. Responses were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. The themes and recommendations for improved practice that emerged were tabulated using Atlas TI qualitative software. Results: This report details the experiences of hospice and end-of-life care staff in managing sleep and circadian disruptions affecting patients and analyzes their recommendations for improving care. Caregivers involved in the study described potential interventions that would improve sleep and reduce circadian disruptions. They particularly highlighted a need for improved evaluation and monitoring systems, as well as sleep education programs for both formal and informal caregivers. Conclusions: The voiced experiences of frontline hospice and end-of-life caregivers confirmed that disruption in sleep and circadian rhythms is a common issue for their patients and is not effectively addressed in current research and practice. The caregivers’ recommendations focused on management strategies and underscored the need for well-tested interventions to promote sleep in patients receiving end-of-life care. Additional research is needed to examine the effectiveness of systematic programs that can be easily integrated into the end-of-life care process to attenuate sleep disturbances

Banks and Social Networks Marketing: A Content Analysis

This paper aims at comparing the banks’ activities in the social networks using the content analysis method. In this study, 54 profiles for 14 external and internal banks in 4 popular social networks are analyzed. The banks are chosen using the purposive sampling method. Results show that most banks use missions/goals on their social page to explain the bank information. They use the augmented product to present the product information. They use the company image to explain corporate identity. They use meetings and conferences to present bank events. They use music style for their videos. They use lifestyle pictures for their photos. They use information support for customer support. They use intimate/ interactive/ harmonious/ poetic style for their slogan and use their campaign albums for their albums. They also use sport and environmental issues to explain their corporate social responsibility. Moreover, they use services as the bank’s marketing messages. They use news announcements to release information. Furthermore, they use social responsibility and public consultation for socialization and finally, they use public partnerships for interactive customer engagement