Negative energy balance hinders prosocial helping behavior.

The internal state of an animal, including homeostatic requirements, modulates its behavior. Negative energy balance stimulates hunger, thus promoting a range of actions aimed at obtaining food. While these survival actions are well established, the influence of the energy status on prosocial behavior remains unexplored. We developed a paradigm to assess helping behavior in which a free mouse was faced with a conspecific trapped in a restrainer. We measured the willingness of the free mouse to liberate the confined mouse under diverse metabolic conditions. Around 42% of ad libitum-fed mice exhibited a helping behavior, as evidenced by the reduction in the latencies to release the trapped cagemate. This behavior was independent of subsequent social contact reward and was associated with changes in corticosterone indicative of emotional contagion. This decision-making process was coupled with reduced blood glucose excursions and higher Adenosine triphosphate (ATP):Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ratios in the forebrain of helper mice, suggesting that it was a highly energy-demanding process. Interestingly, chronic (food restriction and type 2 diabetes) and acute (chemogenetic activation of hunger-promoting AgRP neurons) situations mimicking organismal negative energy balance and enhanced appetite attenuated helping behavior toward a distressed conspecific. To investigate similar effects in humans, we estimated the influence of glycated hemoglobin (a surrogate of long-term glycemic control) on prosocial behavior (namely charity donation) using the Understanding Society dataset. Our results evidenced that organismal energy status markedly influences helping behavior and that hypothalamic AgRP neurons are at the interface of metabolism and prosocial behavior.

La Casa de Amparo de Zaragoza / The Amparo House of Zaragoza

La atención a personas que necesitan protección, ha sido desde siempre una de las competencias municipales más importantes de Zaragoza. Son varias las instituciones en la ciudad que cumplen esta finalidad, pero solo una es la que cuenta con más de 150 años de experiencia en materia de ayuda a los ancianos: se denomina Casa de Amparo y su labor a lo largo del tiempo ha sido servir de auxilio a los más necesitados. En ella y desde sus inicios, viven y trabajan las Hijas de la Caridad, consagradas al cuidado y atención de los ancianos que ahora residen en ella. En la actualidad, esta institución forma parte de los Servicios Sociales Especializados pertenecientes al Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza, pero no ha perdido la finalidad para la que fue creada y es parte de su primer reglamento oficial, el de dar socorro a los menesterosos incapaces de proveerse de lo necesario para su subsistencia. (AU)

Caring for people who need protection has always been one of the competencias most important municipalities of Zaragoza. There are several institutions in the city that fulfill this purpose, but only one, is the one that has more than 150 years of experience in helping the elderly: it is called Casa de Amparo and its work over time has been to help the most needy. In it, and since its beginnings, the Daughters of Charity live and work, consecrated to the care and attention of the elderly who now reside there. Currently, this institution forms part of the Specialized Social Services belonging to the Zaragoza City Council, but has not lost the purpose for which it was created and is part of its first official regulation, that of providing aid to the needy incapable of providing themselves with what is necessary for their subsistence. (AU)

The role of registered charities in the delivery of global surgery in low- and middle-income countries - a personal experience.

The world's resources are unequally divided. Investment in healthcare in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) has traditionally involved vertical public health strategies with little emphasis on the delivery of safe and effective surgery and anesthesia. The past 20 years has witnessed greater awareness of the numbers of people who have no access to surgery, the morbidity and mortality of such limited access, and the cost to the individual and society if a solution is not found. Global surgery has become a hot topic and The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have underlined the importance of surgery in national health care plans. The harsh metrics reported by the Lancet Commission has framed the problem in more concrete terms and as of today, over 5 billion people lack access to safe surgery, over 143 million extra surgeries are needed annually to affect the imbalance and more than 15,000 children die each day in Sub Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia from preventable disease, including the lack of access to safe surgery. Horizontal integrated healthcare that includes surgical provision is the new norm, but its introduction is expensive and will need time. The ambition of universal healthcare access for all people (SDG) with a corresponding reduction in child and maternal mortality will be difficult for most governments. Altruistic, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are ideally placed to assist this goal but must introduce changes in practice to include onsite and off-site training, broad partnerships with other NGOs and academic bodies and greater advocacy with governments to ensure sustainability. NGOs should work in concert with local agencies, hospitals and governments to meet local needs.

[Buddhist Medicine at Putuo Mountain since the late Qing Dynasty].

The Putuo Mountain, as one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, has a long history with Buddhist medicine. Buddhist medicine at Putuo Mountain was developed extensively in the late Qing Dynasty and was shaped with a variety of characteristics resulting in some great achievements. Hua Yu Tang, as a Chinese medicine clinic, was established by the Fa Yu Temple at the end of the Qing Dynasty. After that, Yi De Ji was written by Xin Chan, a Buddhist physician. Some medical hospitals, such as Pu Ji Hospital, and drug stores were also opened to serve people, and commonly did charity when there were epidemic or natural hazard outbreaks.Buddhist medicine was almost bogged down after the establishment of the New China. It has been well developed, however, since the 80s last century, through processes such as the operation of hospitals funded by Buddhist Associations and helping people in trouble in epidemic and natural hazard.The review of the Buddhist medicine at Putuo Mountain is meaningful to understand the significance of Buddhist medicine and also helpful to inherit traditional cultures.

[The epidemic and prevention of plagues in modern Shanghai].

It was found that a variety of plagues were prevalent in Shanghai at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, by analysing and synthesising the epidemic situation, the causes of the epidemic, the social impact, and prevention and control measures. These plagues led to serious social harm and economic losses. Their causes were believed closely related to some factors, such as urban environment, population flow, and climate changes. Their prevention appeared to be applicable and effective. The Shanghai concession and Chinese authorities organised society to fight against plagues and stabilise the social order. Charity organisations of the local communities were also involved in social support. It was found that more can be done in studies on interdisciplinary synthesis, comparative study of epidemic prevention measures of managers, and of traditional Chinese medicine prevention and treatment.

Mindfulness Meditation Activates Altruism.

Clinical evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation reduces anxiety, depression, and stress, and improves emotion regulation due to modulation of activity in neural substrates linked to the regulation of emotions and social preferences. However, less was known about whether mindfulness meditation might alter pro-social behavior. Here we examined whether mindfulness meditation activates human altruism, a component of social cooperation. Using a simple donation game, which is a real-world version of the Dictator's Game, we randomly assigned 326 subjects to a mindfulness meditation online session or control and measured their willingness to donate a portion of their payment for participation as a charitable donation. Subjects who underwent the meditation treatment donated at a 2.61 times higher rate than the control (p = 0.005), after controlling for socio-demographics. We also found a larger treatment effect of meditation among those who did not go to college (p < 0.001) and those who were under 25 years of age (p < 0.001), with both subject groups contributing virtually nothing in the control condition. Our results imply high context modularity of human altruism and the development of intervention approaches including mindfulness meditation to increase social cooperation, especially among subjects with low baseline willingness to contribute.

Nutrition guidance for cancer patients and survivors-A review of the websites of Irish healthcare and charitable organisations and cancer centres.

OBJECTIVE: To determine availability of nutrition information for cancer patients and survivors from Irish healthcare organisations, cancer charity and support groups and assess its quality and readability. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: The National Health Service Executive websites were searched, as were the sites of the ten largest cancer charities/support groups identified through the Benefacts website. An additional internet search was conducted to ensure no large organisations/support groups were missed (February 2019). Quality of nutrition content was assessed using an evidence-based checklist and readability assessed using two validated formulas. RESULTS: Thirty-two websites were identified, five contained nutrition information for cancer patients (15.6%), and three for cancer survivors (9.3%). The quality of the nutrition content ranged from 19.5 to 29/40 (mean ± SD, 23.2 ± 3.2; median = 21, interquartile range (IQR) = 7). There was a lack of practical strategies for implementation. Only 40% of material had an acceptable readability level (sixth-seventh grade level). Readability scores (mean ± SD) were 68.5 ± 6.0 for Flesch Reading Ease Score and 7.8 ± 1.1 for Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score. CONCLUSION: There is limited nutrition information on Irish health and cancer websites and in particular very few tailored to cancer survivors. Irish health and cancer organisations should consider providing nutrition information that is easily accessible to all.

Communities as 'renewable energy' for healthcare services? a multimethods study into the form, scale and role of voluntary support for community hospitals in England.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the forms, scale and role of community and voluntary support for community hospitals in England. DESIGN: A multimethods study. Quantitative analysis of Charity Commission data on levels of volunteering and voluntary income for charities supporting community hospitals. Nine qualitative case studies of community hospitals and their surrounding communities, including interviews and focus groups. SETTING: Community hospitals in England and their surrounding communities. PARTICIPANTS: Charity Commission data for 245 community hospital Leagues of Friends. Interviews with staff (89), patients (60), carers (28), volunteers (35), community representatives (20), managers and commissioners (9). Focus groups with multidisciplinary teams (8 groups across nine sites, involving 43 respondents), volunteers (6 groups, 33 respondents) and community stakeholders (8 groups, 54 respondents). RESULTS: Communities support community hospitals through: human resources (average=24 volunteers a year per hospital); financial resources (median voluntary income = £15 632); practical resources through services and activities provided by voluntary and community groups; and intellectual resources (eg, consultation and coproduction). Communities provide valuable supplementary resources to the National Health Service, enhancing community hospital services, patient experience, staff morale and volunteer well-being. Such resources, however, vary in level and form from hospital to hospital and over time: voluntary income is on the decline, as is membership of League of Friends, and it can be hard to recruit regular, active volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: Communities can be a significant resource for healthcare services, in ways which can enhance patient experience and service quality. Harnessing that resource, however, is not straight forward and there is a perception that it might be becoming more difficult questioning the extent to which it can be considered sustainable or 'renewable'.

Availability and quality assessment of online nutrition information materials for pelvic cancer patients in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: Written information can be an essential source of support in the promotion of lifestyle changes after a cancer diagnosis. This study aimed to identify and assess the quality of available online patient information materials (PIMs) in relation to diet and nutrition for patients with pelvic cancer. METHODS: The online sources of the National Health Service, cancer centres and charitable organisations throughout the UK were searched. Content was assessed using an evidence-based checklist, and readability with two validated formulas. Consumer feedback was sought through patient and public involvement (PPI) groups. RESULTS: Forty PIMs were identified; four were designed specifically for pelvic cancers (bladder, bowel, prostate) and 36 were generic (relevant for all cancers). Most PIMs had a good content score, with PIMs from charities scoring higher overall than PIMs from cancer centres [32 (4) vs. 23 (11), p < 0.001]. Seventy-three percent of PIMs had a readability score within acceptable levels (6th-8th grade; reading ability of 11-14 year-olds). PPI contributors found most PIMs useful and comprehensive but lacking specific information needed to meet individual needs. CONCLUSION: There is limited availability of online PIMs for cancer survivors and even fewer tailored to pelvic cancers. Most materials have comprehensive content and acceptable readability. Some PIMs may require improvement.

A qualitative study on the perceived impact of using an integrated community-based supportive cancer service.

OBJECTIVE: "Improving the Cancer Journey" (ICJ) is an original, community-based, multidisciplinary service offering holistic support to people diagnosed with cancer in Scotland. It is the first service of its kind in the UK. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of people who have used this service. METHOD: Twenty service users were purposively sampled to capture a diverse range of age, sex, cancer types, and deprivation status. Semi-structured interviews explored their experiences of using ICJ. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Thirteen women and seven men (mean age 58 years) were interviewed. Three themes were identified: "one person, one place," "routes to unexpected support" and "safety net." CONCLUSION: Improving the Cancer Journey was perceived to be beneficial because it met the holistic needs of the ICJ service users. By helping people address concerns earlier rather than later, it prevented problems becoming unmanageable. Having an accessible expert to guide and support them through a range of services provided reassurance and created the space to self-manage at a time of distress. These original findings are internationally relevant because there is little evidence on the impact of holistic support services from the patient perspective.

Death and Survival of Patients with Hansen's Disease in Colonial Korea / 의사학

The purpose of this research is to describe how Hansen's disease patients experienced the modern system of control of Hansen's disease introduced by Japan, and the inimical attitude of society against them in colonial Korea. The study also seeks to reveal the development of the system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients from their home and community to larger society and leprosarium in this era. Sorokdo Charity hospital (SCH), a hospital for Hansen's disease patients, was built in 1916, and vagrant Hansen's disease patients began to be isolated in this hospital beginning in 1917 by the Japanese Government-General of Korea (JGGK). Once the police detained and sent vagrant Hansen's disease patients to SCH, stigma and discrimination against them strengthened in Korean society. Because of strong stigma and discrimination in Korean society, Hansen's disease patients suffered from daily threats of death. First, their family members were not only afraid of the contagiousness of Hansen's disease but also the stigma and discrimination against themselves by community members. If a family had a Hansen's disease patient, the rest of community members would discriminate against the entire family. Furthermore, because Hansen's disease patients were excluded from any economic livelihood such as getting a job, the existence of the patients was a big burden for their families. Therefore, many patients left their homes and began their vagrancy. The patients who could not leave their homes committed suicide or were killed by their family members. The victims of such deaths were usually women, who were at the lower position in the family hierarchy. In the strong Confucian society in Korea, more female patients were killed by themselves than male patients. Moreover, all of patients victims in the murder were women. This shows that the stigma and discrimination against Hansen's disease patients within their families were stronger against women than men. Strong stigma and discrimination made the patients rely on superstition such as cannibalism. Patients believed that there were not any effective medicine. There were a few reports of patients who were cured, and many were treated with chaulmoogra oil in the modern Hansen's disease hospitals. Eating human flesh was known as a folk remedy for Hansen's disease. As such, patients began to kill healthy people, usually children, to eat their flesh. Increased stigma led to increased victims. Hansen's disease patients who left their homes faced many threats during their vagrancy. For survival, they established their own organizations in the late 1920's. The patients who were rejected to be hospitalized in the Western Hansen's disease hospital at Busan, Daegu, and Yeosu organized self-help organizations. The purpose of these organizations was first to secure the medicine supply of chaulmoogra oil. However, as stigma and discrimination strengthened, these organizations formed by Hansen's disease patients demanded the Japanese Government-General of Korea to send and segregate them on Sorok island. They did not know the situation of the inside of this island because news media described it as a haven for patients, and very few patients were discharged from this island to tell the truth. On this island, several hundreds of patients were killed by compulsory heavy labor, starvation, and violence. They were not treated as patients, but as something to be eliminated. Under strong suppression on this island, the patients resisted first by escaping this island. However, in 1937, some patients tried to kill a Korean staff but failed. Attempted murderers were all put in the jail, also located on this island. In 1941, a patient murdered another patient who had harassed other patients, and in 1942, Chunsang Lee, a patient, killed the director of Sorok island. These instances show that there was a system to eliminate Hansen's disease patients in colonial Korea.

Individuals living with lupus: findings from the LUPUS UK Members Survey 2014.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex and unpredictable disease which varies greatly among patients and has a significant impact on an individual's daily living and quality of life. A better understanding of the patients' experiences with the disease is vital to the effective management of the disease. LUPUS UK, a national UK-registered charity supporting people with systemic and discoid lupus, conducted a UK-wide survey of individuals living with lupus in order to provide foundation information to support and identify gaps needing further research. An anonymous survey was sent to 5660 LUPUS UK members in order to obtain demographic, diagnosis, symptom and treatment information. A total of 2527 surveys were returned by 2371 females (mean age 56.9 years, SD 13.6) and 156 males, (mean age 60.9 years, SD 15.7). Individuals reported a mean (SD) time to diagnosis from the first symptom of 6.4 (9.5) years, with 47% ( n = 1186) initially being given a different diagnosis prior to lupus. Fatigue/weakness (91%, n = 2299) and joint pain/swelling (77.4%, n = 1957) were the most common symptoms that interfere with daily activities, while 73% ( n = 1836) noted having some problems that make them unable to carry out their usual daily activities. Thirty-two per cent ( n = 806) were also seeking support beyond traditional pharmacological treatments, such as acupuncture and massage. This study highlights the range and frequency of symptoms difficult to live with on a daily basis and support areas needing further research to improve patients' well-being.

[Beyond moral education: the modern transformation of traditional medical charity].

In traditional society, medical charity had strong moral and educational purposes. But this pursuit of morality faded away in modern times. As to the charity purpose, unlike the medical charity organizations that were eager to rebuild the morality and public ethics, instead, more and more interests were paid to utilitarian consideration and secular benefits. As to the social function of charity, "diseases" were no longer regarded as the extension of "poverty" , but the most direct index of rehabilitation. Medical activities became increasingly simple and developed towards professionalization, leading to the advent, to certain extent, of modern medical system. Medical charity, as a strategic approach for saving the nation and social reform, went beyond moral education, embodying national responsibility and political intention.

Questioning Stakeholder Legitimacy: A Philanthropic Accountability Model.

Philanthropic organizations contribute to important work that solves complex problems to strengthen communities. Many of these organizations are moving toward engaging in public policy work, in addition to funding programs. This paper raises questions of legitimacy for foundations, as well as issues of transparency and accountability in a pluralistic democracy. Measures of civic health also inform how philanthropic organizations can be accountable to stakeholders. We propose a holistic model for philanthropic accountability that combines elements of transparency and performance accountability, as well as practices associated with the American pluralistic model for democratic accountability. We argue that philanthropic institutions should seek stakeholder and public input when shaping any public policy agenda. This paper suggests a new paradigm, called philanthropic accountability that can be used for legitimacy and democratic governance of private foundations engaged in policy work. The Philanthropic Accountability Model can be empirically tested and used as a governance tool.

Las Matronas de la Beneficencia Municipal y su atención a las mujeres pobres de Málaga (1900-1956) / As Parteiras de Assistência Municipal e atenção às mulheres pobres de Málaga (1900-1956) / The Municipal Welfare Midwives and attention to the poor women of Malaga (1900-1956)

El objetivo de este estudio consiste en conocer las características del desarrollo profesional y la práctica clínica de las Matronas de la Beneficencia Municipal Malagueña en el período de 1900-1956. Material y Método: Se ha realizado un estudio histórico descriptivo. La recogida de información se ha realizado a través de fuentes primarias y secundarias. Resultados: El proceso para instalar las casas de socorro en la ciudad de Málaga, se inició en 1862 por orden del Gobernador Civil que urgió al Ayuntamiento para que las estableciese. Conclusiones: La incorporación de la Matrona al escenario sanitario permitió una cobertura durante el proceso reproductivo a las mujeres pobres de Málaga a través de la Beneficencia Municipal (AU)

The aim of this study was focused on knowing professional development characteristics and Clinical Practice of Midwives in the Municipal Charity of Malaga in 1900-1956. Method and Materials: This was descriptive and historic study. The collection of information has been made through primary and secondary sources. Results: The process to install the relief houses in the City of Malaga, started in 1862 by Order of the Civil Governor. Conclusions: The incorporation of the healthcare scenario allowed Midwives coverage during the reproductive process of poor women of Malaga through the Municipal Welfare (AU)

O objetivo deste estudo é compreender as características do desenvolvimento profissional e prática clínica das Parteiras Municipal de Assistência Malagueña no período 1900-1956. Material e Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo descritivo histórico. A coleta de informações foi realizada por meio de fontes primárias e secundárias. Resultados: O processo para a instalação de casas de socorro na cidade de Malaga, começou em 1862 por ordem do Governador Civil instou o Conselho da Cidade de estabelecer. Conclusões: A adição do cenário da saúde permitiu a cobertura matrona durante o processo reprodutivo de Málaga mulheres pobres através da Previdência Municipal (AU)

Effects of compassion meditation on a psychological model of charitable donation.

Compassion is critical for societal wellbeing. Yet, it remains unclear how specific thoughts and feelings motivate compassionate behavior, and we lack a scientific understanding of how to effectively cultivate compassion. Here, we conducted 2 studies designed to a) develop a psychological model predicting compassionate behavior, and b) test this model as a mediator of a Compassion Meditation (CM) intervention and identify the "active ingredients" of CM. In Study 1, we developed a model predicting compassionate behavior, operationalized as real-money charitable donation, from a linear combination of self-reported tenderness, personal distress, perceived blamelessness, and perceived instrumental value of helping with high cross-validated accuracy, r = .67, p < .0001. Perceived similarity to suffering others did not predict charitable donation when controlling for other feelings and attributions. In Study 2, a randomized controlled trial, we tested the Study 1 model as a mediator of CM and investigated active ingredients. We compared a smartphone-based CM program to 2 conditions-placebo oxytocin and a Familiarity intervention-to control for expectancy effects, demand characteristics, and familiarity effects. Relative to control conditions, CM increased charitable donations, and changes in the Study 1 model of feelings and attributions mediated this effect (pab = .002). The Familiarity intervention led to decreases in primary outcomes, while placebo oxytocin had no significant effects on primary outcomes. Overall, this work contributes a quantitative model of compassionate behavior, and informs our understanding of the change processes and intervention components of CM. (PsycINFO Database Record