Ktisis Community: Ακαδημαϊκές Δημοσιεύσεις Μελών ΔΕΠ σε άλλα Ιδρύματα

Cell wall physicochemical aspects of nectarine fruit related to flesh reddening symptoms

Title: Cell wall physicochemical aspects of nectarine fruit related to flesh reddening symptoms

Authors: Manganaris, George A.; Mignani, Ilaria; Vasilakakis, Miltiadis

Abstract: Flesh reddening (FR) symptoms are developed in many nectarine cultivars, without however having dissected its cell wall physicochemical aspects. ‘Caldesi 2000’ is a very susceptible nectarine to FR and was used as model cultivar in the current study. Two lots of 30 fruits were allowed to ripen for 5 d (shelf life) at 20°C either after harvest or after 4-week cold storage and the fruits with either white or reddish flesh surface were selected for cell wall analysis. Fruits with FR symptoms were characterized by a lower content of uronic acid in the insoluble pectin fraction, and therefore a lower proportion of uronic acid in the insoluble to water-soluble pectin fraction. The decrease of neutral sugar content was mainly attributed to cold storage. However, the fruits with FR symptoms were characterized by a lower content of total neutral sugars. Additionally, significant differences in glucose content were monitored between the white flesh fruits and the fruits with FR symptoms. The nectarine fruits subjected to cold storage were characterized by a decreased cellulose content, whereas the decrease was more intense in nectarines with FR symptoms.

Ωφελέειν ή μη βλάπτειν: ασφαλή περιβάλλοντα εργασίας και ποιότητα φροντίδας

Title: Ωφελέειν ή μη βλάπτειν: ασφαλή περιβάλλοντα εργασίας και ποιότητα φροντίδας

Authors: Ραφτόπουλος, Βασίλειος

Abstract: Η μετεξέλιξη του Ιπποκρατικού μοντέλου (ωφελέειν ή μη βλάπτειν) και του primum non nocere της Nightingale σε μια νέα εποχή που αναγνωρίζει την ποιότητα της φροντίδας, ως σύνθημα, πολιτική υγείας και στρατηγικό στόχο, αναδεικνύει την ασφάλεια των ασθενών και του προσωπικού φροντίδας ως το σύγχρονο στόχο. Αυτό εμπεδώνεται από τους νοσηλευτές και με το θέμα του φετινού εορτασμού της διεθνούς ημέρας της Νοσηλευτικής «Ποιοτικοί χώροι εργασίας: Ποιοτική φροντίδα ασθενούς».

Informal in-hospital care in a rehabilitation setting in Greece: an estimation of the nursing staff required for substituting this care

Title: Informal in-hospital care in a rehabilitation setting in Greece: an estimation of the nursing staff required for substituting this care

Authors: Raftopoulos, Vasilios; Sapountzi-Krepia, D.; Sgantzos, M.

Abstract: Purpose. To explore: (a) the type and frequency of care-giving activities provided by family members in the RehabilitationSetting (RS), (b) opportunities for family members to receive training in care-giving activities, (c) to what extent caregiversfeel free to ask the nursing staff for help and (d) to estimate the number of nursing staff required to substitute this care andthus to estimate the money saved by the RS due to the in-hospital informal care.Method. A convenience sample of 80 family members was selected. A questionnaire was developed to investigate severalaspects of informal in-hospital care. Data was analysed using SPSS for Windows (Release 10.1).Results. Cultural reasons and nursing staff shortage led 78.8% (n = 63) of the sample to provide informal in-hospital care.Oral and facial care (67.5%), help with getting dressed (62.5%), help with feeding (61.25%, n = 49), making patients’ beds(57.5%, n = 46) and assistance with transferring patients from one hospital department to another (56.25%, n = 45) wasprovided on a daily basis by the subjects. 48.75%, (n = 39) changed sheets 1 – 2 times per week, while assistance withtransfers from bed to wheel-chair and vice-versa (43.75%, n = 35) was provided 3 – 4 times per week. The estimated totaltime spent per week by the subjects on care-giving activities was 34,034 minutes that corresponds to a total of 75.6 workingdays or 15.12 working weeks. In order to substitute this care, the RS would need to hire 17 more assistant nurses, entailing acost of from e14,450 to e20,060 per month.Conclusions. Informal in-hospital care is provided by Greek families in the RS. Nursing care staff shortage combined withcultural factors are the main reasons for this phenomenon. However, it saves the RS and the Greek State money and policymakers should be looking for ways to overcome the nursing shortage.

Effect of pre-harvest and post-harvest conditions and treatments on plum fruit quality

Title: Effect of pre-harvest and post-harvest conditions and treatments on plum fruit quality

Authors: Manganaris, George A.; Vicente, Ariel R.; Crisosto, Carlos H.

Abstract: Plums belong to the Rosaceae family and include the European species (Prunus domestica L.), whichis consumed fresh or dried, and the Japanese species (Prunus salicina Lindell), mainly freshly consumed. Plums are considered climacteric, although some plum cultivars do not show the typicalincrease in ethylene production and respiration until late ripening. They respond to exogenousethylene, which is a key ripening regulator, while treatments with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP),an ethylene action inhibitor, are effective in delaying fruit ripening. Plum fruit is characterized byhigh softening rate and, so far, the sequence of events leading to cell wall degradation, as well aschanges in the proteins responsible for these modiﬁcations, has not been thoroughly investigated.Post-harvest diseases (brown rot, grey mould and Rhizopous rot) are also a main concern in plumpost-harvest handling and storage. Prompt cooling and low-temperature storage (0 C) arerecommended to delay ripening and maintain plum fruit quality. However, when the fruit is heldfor long periods at low temperature, chilling injury (CI) symptoms, usually manifested as translucency, bleeding, ﬂesh browning and/or failure to ripen, might develop. Although softening can bedelayed by controlled and modiﬁed atmospheres, this technology is not widely used commercially,since the beneﬁts are not as pronounced as in other fruit species. Other post-harvest strategiestested to date with apparent usefulness at a laboratory scale include heat treatment, ozone,polyamine and calcium treatments, as well as fumigation with environmentally friendly compounds;such strategies might be useful under particular circumstances to complement other post-harvesttreatments. Pre-harvest treatments, such as application of synthetic auxins and calcium, regulationof canopy light conditions and orchard soil management, have been reported to affect plum fruitquality and its post-harvest behaviour. Overall, the present review discusses the inﬂuence of ﬁeldand post-harvest practices on plum fruit quality and market life.