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BMC Infectious Diseases Jun 2024We conducted a systematic review to explore the relationship between perceived risk for HIV acquisition and sexual HIV exposure among sexual and gender minorities. We...
We conducted a systematic review to explore the relationship between perceived risk for HIV acquisition and sexual HIV exposure among sexual and gender minorities. We included 39 studies divided into (i) correlations or associations, (ii) models using sexual HIV exposure as the outcome, and (iii) models using perceived risk for HIV acquisition as the outcome. The sample size range was from 55 to 16,667 participants, primarily cisgender men who have sex with men (73.3%) and White (51.3%). Sexual HIV exposure and perceived risk for HIV acquisition assessments and recall time frames across studies differed markedly. Most of studies (84.6%) found significant correlations, comparisons, or associations between different levels of perceived risk for HIV acquisition and high sexual HIV exposure. In addition, 51.3% of studies reported other variables associated with high sexual HIV exposure (i.e., misuse of substances or alcohol) or with high perceived risk for HIV acquisition (i.e., younger age). In conclusion, the association between perceived risk for HIV acquisition and sexual HIV exposure has shown to be consistent. However, the assessment for perceived risk for HIV acquisition should include more components of perception (i.e., an affective component), or for sexual HIV exposure should consider the different estimated sexual per-acts probability of acquiring HIV.
Topics: Humans; HIV Infections; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Male; Sexual Behavior; Female; Risk Factors; Adult
PubMed: 38858666
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09456-0 -
Surgical Endoscopy Jun 2024Despite the advancements in technology and organized training for surgeons in laparoscopic surgery, the persistent challenge of not being able to feel the resistance and...
INTRODUCTION
Despite the advancements in technology and organized training for surgeons in laparoscopic surgery, the persistent challenge of not being able to feel the resistance and characteristics of the tissue, including pulsations, remains unmet. A recently developed grasper (Optigrip®) with real time haptic feedback, based on photonic technology, aims to address this issue by restoring the tactile sensation for surgeons. The key question is whether pulsations can be detected and at what minimal size level they become clinical significant.
METHODS
To simulate arterial conditions during laparoscopic procedures, four different silicone tubes were created, representing the most prevalent arteries. These tubes were connected to a validated pressure system, generating a natural pulse ranging between 80 and 120 mm Hg. One control tube without pressure was added. The surgeons had to grasp these tubes blindly with the conventional grasper or the haptic feedback grasper in a randomized order. They then indicated whether they felt the pressure or not and the percentage of correct answers was calculated.
RESULTS
The haptic grasper successfully detected 96% of all pulsations, while the conventional grasper could only detect 6%. When considering the size of the arteries, the Optigrip® identified pulsations in 100% the 4 and 5 mm arteries and 92% of the smallest arteries. The conventional grasper was only able to feel the smallest arteries in 8%. These differences were highly significant (p < 0.0001).
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrated that the newly developed haptic feedback grasper enables detection of arterial pulsations during laparoscopy, filling an important absence in tactile perception within laparoscopic surgery.
PubMed: 38858248
DOI: 10.1007/s00464-024-10877-w -
PloS One 2024This body image study tests the viability of transferring a complex psychophysical paradigm from a controlled in-person laboratory task to an online environment. 172...
This body image study tests the viability of transferring a complex psychophysical paradigm from a controlled in-person laboratory task to an online environment. 172 female participants made online judgements about their own body size when viewing images of computer-generated female bodies presented in either in front-view or at 45-degrees in a method of adjustment (MOA) paradigm. The results of these judgements were then compared to the results of two laboratory-based studies (with 96 and 40 female participants respectively) to establish three key findings. Firstly, the results show that the accuracy of online and in-lab estimates of body size are comparable, secondly that the same patterns of visual biases in judgements are shown both in-lab and online, and thirdly online data shows the same view-orientation advantage in accuracy in body size judgements as the laboratory studies. Thus, this study suggests that that online sampling potentially represents a rapid and accurate way of collecting reliable complex behavioural and perceptual data from a more diverse range of participants than is normally sampled in laboratory-based studies. It also offers the potential for designing stratified sampling strategies to construct a truly representative sample of a target population.
Topics: Humans; Female; Body Image; Adult; Psychophysics; Young Adult; Adolescent; Body Size; Visual Perception; Judgment; Internet
PubMed: 38857270
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302747 -
PloS One 2024Body image distortion and/or dissatisfaction may occur primarily due to body fat accumulation and/or distribution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of...
INTRODUCTION
Body image distortion and/or dissatisfaction may occur primarily due to body fat accumulation and/or distribution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of body image perception and (dis)satisfaction categories in adult men and women according to the adiposity classification.
METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study (n = 514; 33-79 years; 265 women) that is part of a prospective cohort (Pró-Saúde study). Adiposity measurements were determined by two methods: anthropometry, used to calculate the body mass index (BMI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), to estimate body fat percentage. Participants were grouped as "no excess adiposity" and "excess adiposity", considering BMI and body fat percentage (>30% for men, >40% for women). Perception and (dis)satisfaction with body image were evaluated using the Kakeshita scale, composed by 15 silhouettes, developed for the Brazilian population. Degree of distortion (perceived BMI - real BMI) and dissatisfaction (perceived BMI - desired BMI) were calculated.
RESULTS
A high proportion of men (58.6%; 74.3%), and especially of women (82.6%; 86.8%), presented body size overestimation and dissatisfaction due to excess weight, respectively. A relevant fraction of the women (32.6%) and men (30.8%) who were dissatisfied due to excess weight did not present excess adiposity, especially if classified by DXA. Variability in degree of distortion was hardly explained by anthropometric and DXA variables in women (<5%) and men (∼22%). Both anthropometric and DXA measurements accounted for ∼30% and ∼50% of the variability in degree of dissatisfaction among women and men, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest a high frequency of body image distortion in Brazilian adult individuals, as well as dissatisfaction with excess weight, especially among women with excess adiposity. The findings indicate that anthropometric measurements explain much of the variability in degree of body image dissatisfaction in men, with no apparent advantage of the use of more refined DXA measurements.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Adult; Adiposity; Body Image; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Body Mass Index; Absorptiometry, Photon; Personal Satisfaction; Brazil; Prospective Studies; Body Dissatisfaction
PubMed: 38857269
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304987 -
Juntendo Iji Zasshi = Juntendo Medical... 2023This study aimed to determine the effects of high-intensity isokinetic training with blood flow restriction during rest interval between set (rBFR) versus during...
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to determine the effects of high-intensity isokinetic training with blood flow restriction during rest interval between set (rBFR) versus during exercise (eBFR) on muscle hypertrophy and increasing muscle strength and determine whether BFR-induced exercise pain is suppressed by rBFR.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fourteen arms (7 participants) were recruited for the study. We conducted the following interventions for each arm: eBFR (n=4), rBFR (n=5), and exercise only (CON, n=5). The participants performed elbow flexion training with a BIODEX device twice weekly for 8 weeks. This study training consisted of total four sets; each was performed until <50% peak torque was achieved twice consecutively. BFR pressure was set at 120 mmHg. Elbow flexor peak torque during concentric contraction (CC), isometric contraction (IM), and muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured before and after the intervention. Numerical rating scale scores used to assess pain during exercise were determined during training.
RESULTS
Peak torque at the CC increased in the rBFR (p<0.05) and IM increased in the rBFR and CON (p<0.05), while CSA increased in the rBFR and CON (p<0.001). The pain during exercise was severe in the eBFR and moderate in the rBFR and CON.
CONCLUSIONS
This study's showed that high-intensity isokinetic training with rBFR did not have a synergistic effect on increasing muscle strength and muscle size. Additionally, high-intensity isokinetic training with BFR when it may be best not to perform it during exercise, because it was induces severe pain and may inhibit increases in muscle strength.
PubMed: 38855068
DOI: 10.14789/jmj.JMJ23-0014-OA -
BMJ Paediatrics Open Jun 2024Despite parental concern, few studies have investigated children's experiences with school-based screening of growth deviations. This study aimed to explore perceptions...
BACKGROUND
Despite parental concern, few studies have investigated children's experiences with school-based screening of growth deviations. This study aimed to explore perceptions of height and weight screening and associations with body size dissatisfaction (BSD) among third-grade children aged 8-9 years in central Norway.
METHODS
In a cross-sectional study between November 2021 and April 2022, perceptions of height and weight screening and BSD were assessed individually among 209 children (49% girls) through researcher-assisted interviews.
RESULTS
Most children indicated satisfaction with the screening by selecting a happy emoji, whereas only 1% indicated dissatisfaction, by selecting an unhappy emoji. However, 23%-30% selected a neutral emoji, indicating either neutrality or a response between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. No difference in the perception of height and weight screening was found between genders or body mass index (BMI). Children with parents from non-Western countries had a higher risk of being less satisfied with the height screening (OR=3.0, 95% CI 1.2 to 7.3) than those from Western origin, and children attending schools with lower socioeconomic status (SES) had increased risk of being less satisfied with both height (OR=5.5, 95% CI 2.2 to 13.5) and weight screening (OR=4.0, 95% CI 1.7 to 9.3), compared with children from schools with medium-high SES. Twenty-three percent reported BSD, in which 14% and 9% desired a thinner or larger body, respectively, independent of gender and BMI. No association was found between BSD and the perception of weighing (OR=1.1, 95% CI 0.6 to 2.4), however, BSD was associated with being more satisfied with height screening (OR=0.3, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.8).
CONCLUSION
In the present sample, most children indicated satisfaction with school-based height and weight screening, with no differences between gender or BMI category. However, more children of non-Western origin and from areas with low SES reported less satisfaction with the screening, independent of BSD.
Topics: Humans; Child; Female; Male; Cross-Sectional Studies; Body Height; Body Weight; Body Image; Norway; Schools; Mass Screening; Personal Satisfaction; Body Mass Index; Growth Disorders
PubMed: 38851222
DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2024-002568 -
Medicine Jun 2024The aim of this research is to identify the main factors associated with patients' payment perception and the effects of these factors on payment perception. Patients... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
The aim of this research is to identify the main factors associated with patients' payment perception and the effects of these factors on payment perception. Patients admitted between January and December 2016 at an emergency department of a public hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, were included in this study, with a representative sample size of 382 patients. A 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval were used, and all the data were collected between May and November 2017. To test the mediation models, stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used. The effect of doctors on payment perception through satisfaction and through perceived quality of healthcare (PQHC) is explained by 3% and 4% of the variation, respectively, with statistically significant results (P < .01). Moreover, the effect of privacy and meeting expectations on payment perception through PQHC is explained by 4% and 4% of the variation, with statistically significant results (P < .01). Doctors play a crucial role in understanding the patients' payment perception (with direct and indirect effects). Mediators, in turn, strengthen this effect, in which the contribution of PQHC is more significant than that of satisfaction.
Topics: Humans; Patient Satisfaction; Emergency Service, Hospital; Male; Female; Quality of Health Care; Portugal; Middle Aged; Adult; Aged; Perception
PubMed: 38847693
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000038527 -
Experimental Physiology Jun 2024Female development includes significant morphological changes across the breast. Yet, whether differences in breast surface area (BrSA) modify sweat gland density and...
Female development includes significant morphological changes across the breast. Yet, whether differences in breast surface area (BrSA) modify sweat gland density and output remains unclear. The present study investigated the relationship between BrSA and sweat gland density and output in 22 young to middle-aged women (28 10 years) of varying breast sizes (BrSA range: 147-561 cm) during a submaximal run in a warm environment (32 0.6°C; 53 1.7% relative humidity). Local sweat gland density and local sweat rate (LSR) above and below the nipple and at the bra triangle were measured. Expired gases were monitored for the estimation of evaporative requirements for heat balance (E, in W/m). Associations between BrSA and (i) sweat gland density; (ii) LSR; and (iii) sweat output per gland for the breast sites were determined via correlation and regression analyses. Our results indicated that breast sweat gland density decreased linearly as BrSA increased (r = -0.76, P < 0.001), whereas sweat output per gland remained constant irrespective of BrSA (r = 0.29, P = 0.28). This resulted in LSR decreasing linearly as BrSA increased (r = -0.62, P = 0.01). Compared to the bra triangle, the breast had a 64% lower sweat gland density (P < 0.001), 83% lower LSR (P < 0.001) and 53% lower output per gland (P < 0.001). BrSA (R = 0.33, P = 0.015) explained a greater proportion of variance in LSR than E (in W/m) (R = 0.07, P = 0.538). These novel findings extend the known relationship between body morphology and sweat gland density and LSR, to the female breast. This knowledge could innovate user-centred design of sports bras by accommodating breast size-specific needs for sweat management, skin wetness perception and comfort.
PubMed: 38847458
DOI: 10.1113/EP091850 -
Heliyon Jun 2024In this paper, foam concrete is modified using graphite and carbon fiber as absorbents. The mechanical properties are analyzed in conjunction with hydration products,...
In this paper, foam concrete is modified using graphite and carbon fiber as absorbents. The mechanical properties are analyzed in conjunction with hydration products, pore size distribution based on XCT test. Additionally, the resistivity, complex permittivity and complex permeability are tested. The results demonstrate that carbon fiber enhances the proportion of pores with diameters less than 200 μm in foam concrete, thereby significantly enhancing its flexural strength. Furthermore, incorporating graphite helps offset the initial retardation of sulfoaluminate cement hydration induced by carbon fibers, leading to an increase in the average pore size and a reduction in compressive strength. The incorporation of carbon fibers at a concentration of 0.6 wt% achieves the percolation threshold, akin to scenarios with singular fiber incorporation. Exceeding 2 wt% graphite content results in negligible influence on the conductivity. The synergistic integration of graphite and carbon fibers significantly improves the electromagnetic wave absorption performance of the composite. At a thickness of 6 mm, the material exhibits an effective bandwidth where the reflection loss is less than -10 dB, extending up to 2.5 GHz, which constitutes 52.08 % of the tested frequency spectrum.
PubMed: 38845874
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31665 -
BMC Medical Education Jun 2024This study aims to investigate the benefits of employing a Physical Lifelike Brain (PLB) simulator for training medical students in performing craniotomy for...
BACKGROUND
This study aims to investigate the benefits of employing a Physical Lifelike Brain (PLB) simulator for training medical students in performing craniotomy for glioblastoma removal and decompressive craniectomy.
METHODS
This prospective study included 30 medical clerks (fifth and sixth years in medical school) at a medical university. Before participating in the innovative lesson, all students had completed a standard gross anatomy course as part of their curriculum. The innovative lesson involved PLB Simulator training, after which participants completed the Learning Satisfaction/Confidence Perception Questionnaire and some received qualitative interviews.
RESULTS
The average score of students' overall satisfaction with the innovative lesson was 4.71 out of a maximum of 5 (SD = 0.34). After the lesson, students' confidence perception level improved significantly (t = 9.38, p < 0.001, effect size = 1.48), and the average score improved from 2,15 (SD = 1.02) to 3.59 (SD = 0.93). 60% of the students thought that the innovative lesson extremely helped them understand the knowledge of surgical neuroanatomy more, 70% believed it extremely helped them improve their skills in burr hole, and 63% thought it was extremely helpful in improving the patient complications of craniotomy with the removal of glioblastoma and decompressive craniectomy after completing the gross anatomy course.
CONCLUSION
This innovative lesson with the PLB simulator successfully improved students' craniotomy knowledge and skills.
Topics: Humans; Glioblastoma; Prospective Studies; Decompressive Craniectomy; Students, Medical; Simulation Training; Clinical Competence; Brain Neoplasms; Male; Female; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Craniotomy; Curriculum
PubMed: 38844925
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05621-w