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Frontiers in Psychology 2024The purpose of this study is to bring a multilevel perspective to the discussion of the antecedents of violence against women in higher education settings. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to bring a multilevel perspective to the discussion of the antecedents of violence against women in higher education settings.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE
This paper was guided by the need indicated in the literature for research on the multiple levels that constitute the context of violence against women, as this is a public health problem, a designation that indicates the urgency with which this pervasive phenomenon should be addressed. The university context is conducive to this type of research, as it includes situations that favor instances of violence. Additionally, it aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Gender Equality and Quality Educations.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH
This paper follows a qualitative and interpretative approach. This choice was due to the need to know the "how" and "why" elements that are part of violence against women in the university context. As the main source of evidence for the study, we conducted 20 in-depth interviews with women (victims) and men (aggressors), all university students involved in situations of violence. The transcription of the interviews generated 346 quotations, including 41 analysis codes.
FINDINGS
After conducting the data coding, we identified that (i) the actions and omissions of the educational institution, (ii) the taste for violence, the perception of self-efficacy and the influence of the aggressors' group of friends, and (iii) the apparent dichotomy between women's vulnerability and women's strength are among the main antecedents of violence against women. The article concludes with possible research questions to combat violence. Among the contribution of the discussions presented in our article, we highlight the importance of adopting a multilevel view so that we can better understand and fight against this violence, the existence of which is not restricted to the university context.
PubMed: 38939216
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1360192 -
Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024This paper describes a novel bionic eye binocular vision system designed to mimic the natural movements of the human eye. The system provides a broader field of view and...
This paper describes a novel bionic eye binocular vision system designed to mimic the natural movements of the human eye. The system provides a broader field of view and enhances visual perception in complex environments. Compared with similar bionic binocular cameras, the JEWXON BC200 bionic binocular camera developed in this study is more miniature. It consumes only 2.8 W of power, which makes it ideal for mobile robots. Combining axis and camera rotation enables more seamless panoramic image synthesis and is therefore suitable for self-rotating bionic binocular cameras. In addition, combined with the YOLO-V8 model, the camera can accurately recognize objects such as clocks and keyboards. This research provides new ideas for the development of robotic vision systems.
PubMed: 38921251
DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9060371 -
BMC Nursing Jun 2024The admission of close family members to intensive care units can cause significant stress and anxiety for both patients and their families. The sudden and unexpected...
BACKGROUND
The admission of close family members to intensive care units can cause significant stress and anxiety for both patients and their families. The sudden and unexpected nature of such admissions often leaves families feeling worried, confused, and shocked. This study aimed to explore the experiences of families with loved ones admitted to the intensive care unit.
METHOD
The current qualitative study used conventional content analysis. The researchers purposefully selected 11 close family members of patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Semi-structured in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with the participants. These interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed the data.
FINDINGS
After reviewing and analyzing the data, three themes and nine categories emerged. These themes included the search for support resources, psychological consequences within the family, and the presence of various needs within the families.
CONCLUSION
The study findings revealed that families, when present in the intensive care unit, actively sought support resources due to their fear of their loved one's mortality. The interactions with the healthcare team and the fulfillment of their needs could significantly affect their sense of hope and confidence in the patient's condition. It is recommended that nurse managers, who possess a genuine perception of the family's needs, implement family-oriented measures and interventions to provide the necessary support.
PubMed: 38918819
DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-02103-8 -
PloS One 2024The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether viewing an immersive 3D movie with large disparities in a cinema resulted in improved visual acuity (VA),...
PURPOSE
The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether viewing an immersive 3D movie with large disparities in a cinema resulted in improved visual acuity (VA), stereoscopic depth perception (ST), and improved eye alignment in residual amblyopic children and children without amblyopia.
METHODS
A total of 24 children aged between 5 and 12 years with a history of anisometropic and/or strabismic amblyopia, that had been previously treated and who currently have residual amblyopia (N = 14), and in children with typical development without amblyopia (N = 10) viewed the movie in 3D Sing 2 in a cinema for 110 minutes. Visual acuity, stereoacuity and ocular deviation were assessed before viewing the movie, and three months later. Stereoacuity and ocular deviation were also measured immediately after viewing the movie.
RESULTS
We observed an improvement in visual acuity in the non-dominant (amblyopic) eye 3 months after viewing the movie in the amblyopic group (P<0.001). Stereopsis improved immediately after viewing the movie (P = 0.02), and after 3 months by ≈ 40% (P = 0.01). Moreover, improvements in stereopsis were also observed in children without amblyopia (P = 0.04). No significant changes in ocular deviation were observed in either group.
CONCLUSIONS
These pilot results suggest that brief exposure to large disparities by viewing a 3D movie in a cinema can help to improve stereopsis and visual acuity in children aged 5‒12 years with previously treated amblyopia, and provide a rationale for a randomized clinical trial.
Topics: Humans; Amblyopia; Child; Pilot Projects; Visual Acuity; Female; Male; Child, Preschool; Depth Perception; Motion Pictures
PubMed: 38917142
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305401 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Because of the absence of visual perception, visually impaired individuals encounter various difficulties in their daily lives. This paper proposes a visual aid system...
Because of the absence of visual perception, visually impaired individuals encounter various difficulties in their daily lives. This paper proposes a visual aid system designed specifically for visually impaired individuals, aiming to assist and guide them in grasping target objects within a tabletop environment. The system employs a visual perception module that incorporates a semantic visual SLAM algorithm, achieved through the fusion of ORB-SLAM2 and YOLO V5s, enabling the construction of a semantic map of the environment. In the human-machine cooperation module, a depth camera is integrated into a wearable device worn on the hand, while a vibration array feedback device conveys directional information of the target to visually impaired individuals for tactile interaction. To enhance the system's versatility, a Dobot Magician manipulator is also employed to aid visually impaired individuals in grasping tasks. The performance of the semantic visual SLAM algorithm in terms of localization and semantic mapping was thoroughly tested. Additionally, several experiments were conducted to simulate visually impaired individuals' interactions in grasping target objects, effectively verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system. Overall, this system demonstrates its capability to assist and guide visually impaired individuals in perceiving and acquiring target objects.
Topics: Humans; Wearable Electronic Devices; Visually Impaired Persons; Algorithms; Hand Strength; Self-Help Devices; Visual Perception; Semantics; Male
PubMed: 38894383
DOI: 10.3390/s24113593 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The Rich spatial and angular information in light field images enables accurate depth estimation, which is a crucial aspect of environmental perception. However, the...
The Rich spatial and angular information in light field images enables accurate depth estimation, which is a crucial aspect of environmental perception. However, the abundance of light field information also leads to high computational costs and memory pressure. Typically, selectively pruning some light field information can significantly improve computational efficiency but at the expense of reduced depth estimation accuracy in the pruned model, especially in low-texture regions and occluded areas where angular diversity is reduced. In this study, we propose a lightweight disparity estimation model that balances speed and accuracy and enhances depth estimation accuracy in textureless regions. We combined cost matching methods based on absolute difference and correlation to construct cost volumes, improving both accuracy and robustness. Additionally, we developed a multi-scale disparity cost fusion architecture, employing 3D convolutions and a UNet-like structure to handle matching costs at different depth scales. This method effectively integrates information across scales, utilizing the UNet structure for efficient fusion and completion of cost volumes, thus yielding more precise depth maps. Extensive testing shows that our method achieves computational efficiency on par with the most efficient existing methods, yet with double the accuracy. Moreover, our approach achieves comparable accuracy to the current highest-accuracy methods but with an order of magnitude improvement in computational performance.
PubMed: 38894371
DOI: 10.3390/s24113583 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Pose estimation of metal parts plays a vital role in industrial grasping areas. It is challenging to obtain complete point clouds of metal parts because of their...
Pose estimation of metal parts plays a vital role in industrial grasping areas. It is challenging to obtain complete point clouds of metal parts because of their reflective properties. This study introduces an approach for recovering the 6D pose of CAD-known metal parts from images captured by a single RGB camera. The proposed strategy only requires RGB images without depth information. The core idea of the proposed method is to use multiple views to estimate the metal parts' pose. First, the pose of metal parts is estimated in the first view. Second, ray casting is employed to simulate additional views with the corresponding status of the metal parts, enabling the calculation of the camera's next best viewpoint. The camera, mounted on a robotic arm, is then moved to this calculated position. Third, this study integrates the known camera transformations with the poses estimated from different viewpoints to refine the final scene. The results of this work demonstrate that the proposed method effectively estimates the pose of shiny metal parts.
PubMed: 38894199
DOI: 10.3390/s24113408 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Copy number variations (CNVs) critically influence individual genetic diversity and phenotypic traits. In this study, we employed whole-genome resequencing technology to...
Copy number variations (CNVs) critically influence individual genetic diversity and phenotypic traits. In this study, we employed whole-genome resequencing technology to conduct an in-depth analysis of 50 pigs from five local swine populations [Rongchang pig (RC), Wuzhishan pig (WZS), Tibetan pig (T), Yorkshire (YL) and Landrace (LR)], aiming to assess their genetic potential and explore their prospects in the field of animal model applications. We identified a total of 96,466 CNVs, which were subsequently integrated into 7112 non-redundant CNVRs, encompassing 1.3% of the swine genome. Functional enrichment analysis of the genes within these CNVRs revealed significant associations with sensory perception, energy metabolism, and neural-related pathways. Further selective scan analyses of the local pig breeds RC, T, WZS, along with YL and LR, uncovered that for the RC variety, the genes and were found to be closely related to fat metabolism and cardiovascular health. In the T breed, the genes and were associated with immune response and connective tissue characteristics. As for the WZS breed, the genes and were primarily linked to fat storage and anti-inflammatory responses. In summary, this research underscores the pivotal role of CNVs in fostering the diversity and adaptive evolution of pig breeds while also offering valuable insights for further exploration of the advantageous genetic traits inherent to China's local pig breeds. This facilitates the creation of experimental animal models tailored to the specific characteristics of these breeds, contributing to the advancement of livestock and biomedical research.
Topics: Animals; DNA Copy Number Variations; Swine; Whole Genome Sequencing; China; Breeding; Genetic Variation; Genome; Evolution, Molecular
PubMed: 38892031
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115843 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024In plant models such as , phosphatidic acid (PA), a key molecule of lipid signaling, was shown not only to be involved in stress responses, but also in plant development...
In plant models such as , phosphatidic acid (PA), a key molecule of lipid signaling, was shown not only to be involved in stress responses, but also in plant development and nutrition. In this article, we highlight lipid signaling existing in crop species. Based on open access databases, we update the list of sequences encoding phospholipases D, phosphoinositide-dependent phospholipases C, and diacylglycerol-kinases, enzymes that lead to the production of PA. We show that structural features of these enzymes from model plants are conserved in equivalent proteins from selected crop species. We then present an in-depth discussion of the structural characteristics of these proteins before focusing on PA binding proteins. For the purpose of this article, we consider RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGUEs (RBOHs), the most documented PA target proteins. Finally, we present pioneering experiments that show, by different approaches such as monitoring of gene expression, use of pharmacological agents, ectopic over-expression of genes, and the creation of silenced mutants, that lipid signaling plays major roles in crop species. Finally, we present major open questions that require attention since we have only a perception of the peak of the iceberg when it comes to the exciting field of phospholipid signaling in plants.
PubMed: 38891340
DOI: 10.3390/plants13111532 -
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Jun 2024This work aimed to investigate the change in fingerprint depth and the recovery rule of fingerprint biological recognition function after repairing finger abdominal...
BACKGROUND
This work aimed to investigate the change in fingerprint depth and the recovery rule of fingerprint biological recognition function after repairing finger abdominal defects and rebuilding fingerprint with a free flap.
METHOD
From April 2018 to March 2023, we collected a total of 43 cases of repairing finger pulp defects using the free flap of the fibular side of the great toe with the digital nerve. After surgery, irregular follow-up visits were conducted to observe fingerprint clarity, perform the ninhydrin test or detect visible sweating with the naked eye. We recorded fingerprint clarity, nail shape, two-point discrimination, cold perception, warm perception and fingerprint recognition using smartphones. The reconstruction process of the repaired finger was recorded to understand the changes in various observation indicators and their relationship with the depth of the fingerprint. The correlation between fingerprint depth and neural repair was determined, and the process of fingerprint biological recognition function repair was elucidated.
RESULT
All flaps survived, and we observed various manifestations in different stages of nerve recovery. The reconstructed fingerprint had a clear fuzzy process, and the depth changes of the fingerprint were consistent with the changes in the biological recognition function curve.
CONCLUSION
The free flap with the digital nerve is used to repair finger pulp defects. The reconstructed fingerprint has a biological recognition function, and the depth of the fingerprint is correlated with the process of nerve repair. The fingerprint morphology has a dynamic recovery process, and it can reach a stable state after 6-8 months.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adult; Free Tissue Flaps; Middle Aged; Finger Injuries; Soft Tissue Injuries; Young Adult; Recovery of Function; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Toes; Fingers; Treatment Outcome; Fibula; Adolescent; Aged
PubMed: 38890706
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07563-2