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Frontiers in Public Health 2024The need for money, the pursuit of pleasure, and the liberalized access to gambling have been documented in several pieces of literature as the drivers of gambling. Such...
INTRODUCTION
The need for money, the pursuit of pleasure, and the liberalized access to gambling have been documented in several pieces of literature as the drivers of gambling. Such drivers are predicated on commercialized gambling, leading to the growth of the gambling industry and constituting a structural influence that normalizes the activity among young people.
METHODS
Through a qualitative inquiry, this study investigates the social agentic factors of individuals who are susceptible to gambling. Fifteen non-gamblers were recruited across three commercial cities in Africa, namely Nairobi, Lagos, and Johannesburg. We first established the gambling susceptibility of the participants: their need for money, their passion for football, ownership of a smartphone, access to the internet, and exposure to football gambling marketing.
RESULTS
Consequently, we probed for their agency, which is indicative of why they do not gamble, despite being susceptible to engaging in the activity. Four major agentic factors were identified from the participants; knowledge of the industry's business model, conserving the integrity of football, identity of self, morality and/or religion model.
DISCUSSION
As such, these factors may be utilized to develop an intervention program for gamblers within the geographical context.
Topics: Humans; Gambling; Male; Female; Adult; Qualitative Research; Football; Young Adult; Africa; Internet
PubMed: 38645456
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1325465 -
Heliyon Apr 2024Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is associated with positive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, including increased contraceptive use, lower rates of...
INTRODUCTION
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is associated with positive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes, including increased contraceptive use, lower rates of unintended pregnancy and prevention of sexual violence. However, implementation of and requirements for CSE vary across the United States which can negatively impact students, both during and beyond high school, including among college students.
METHODS
and Analysis: This paper describes the research protocol for a multi-staged approach for designing, implementing and evaluating an SRH course for up to 60 undergraduate students at a public university in California. Before the class is offered, we will conduct 20 in-depth interviews with current students, educators and course design experts to learn from their experiences and seek their guidance on course design. To evaluate the course, enrolled students will complete a pre-course and a post-course survey before and after class is taught, to assess students' attitudes and values relevant to educational concepts and the format and delivery of the course and its modules and activities. Approximately 20 students will take part in an in-depth exit interview, after completing the course, to gather perceptions about how the course impacted their knowledge and behavior. The goal is to refine materials for future in-person course offerings and develop a prototype for a fully online version of the course.
DISCUSSION
This study introduces a novel university-level course to provide young adult students comprehensive, evidence-based education on sexual and reproductive health from a public health perspective. The program leverages existing CSE efforts, enhancing them with academic rigor, inclusive content and digital inclusion. This approach, inclusive of diverse sexual orientations, content on pleasure and sexual violence prevention, aims to fill existing gaps in university curricula and also set a new standard in CSE. The project's innovative and multidisciplinary design offers a model for broader impact within a large public university system and beyond.
PubMed: 38644866
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28503 -
Journal of Neuroinflammation Apr 2024Colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) signaling is crucial for the maintenance and function of various myeloid subsets. CSF1R antagonism was previously shown to...
BACKGROUND
Colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) signaling is crucial for the maintenance and function of various myeloid subsets. CSF1R antagonism was previously shown to mitigate clinical severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The associated mechanisms are still not well delineated.
METHODS
To assess the effect of CSF1R signaling, we employed the CSF1R antagonist PLX5622 formulated in chow (PLX5622 diet, PD) and its control chow (control diet, CD). We examined the effect of PD in steady state and EAE by analyzing cells isolated from peripheral immune organs and from the CNS via flow cytometry. We determined CNS infiltration sites and assessed the extent of demyelination using immunohistochemistry of cerebella and spinal cords. Transcripts of genes associated with neuroinflammation were also analyzed in these tissues.
RESULTS
In addition to microglial depletion, PD treatment reduced dendritic cells and macrophages in peripheral immune organs, both during steady state and during EAE. Furthermore, CSF1R antagonism modulated numbers and relative frequencies of T effector cells both in the periphery and in the CNS during the early stages of the disease. Classical neurological symptoms were milder in PD compared to CD mice. Interestingly, a subset of PD mice developed atypical EAE symptoms. Unlike previous studies, we observed that the CNS of PD mice was infiltrated by increased numbers of peripheral immune cells compared to that of CD mice. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that CNS infiltrates in PD mice were mainly localized in the cerebellum while in CD mice infiltrates were primarily localized in the spinal cords during the onset of neurological deficits. Accordingly, during the same timepoint, cerebella of PD but not of CD mice had extensive demyelinating lesions, while spinal cords of CD but not of PD mice were heavily demyelinated.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that CSF1R activity modulates the cellular composition of immune cells both in the periphery and within the CNS, and affects lesion localization during the early EAE stages.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Organic Chemicals; Spinal Cord; Microglia; Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 38643194
DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03063-1 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024This study compared the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) on intensity and perceived enjoyment during an exergame. Fourteen healthy young participants engaged in a...
This study compared the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) on intensity and perceived enjoyment during an exergame. Fourteen healthy young participants engaged in a boxing exergame for 20 min, with or without BFR, across two sessions. Perceived enjoyment levels were assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. Heart rate was monitored, and energy expenditure (EE) during exercise was calculated. A mixed model analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to evaluate differences in EE and enjoyment between exergame conditions (with and without BFR) as well as the interaction effects of these protocols with gender. Although not statistically significant, perceived enjoyment decreased with BFR inclusion for both genders. No significant differences were observed between men and women for both protocols. Regarding EE, there was no significant difference between the two groups (with and without BFR). However, a significant main effect of gender was found, with men exhibiting higher EE values in both protocols compared to women. In conclusion, exergames incorporating BFR impact perceptual responses, particularly perceived enjoyment. Furthermore, significant gender differences in EE were found, with men displaying higher values.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Pleasure; Exergaming; Hemodynamics; Exercise; Energy Metabolism
PubMed: 38641659
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59379-8 -
Journal of the Neurological Sciences May 2024The aim of our study was to measure the ability of ALS patients to process dynamic facial expressions as compared to a control group of healthy subjects and to correlate...
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to measure the ability of ALS patients to process dynamic facial expressions as compared to a control group of healthy subjects and to correlate this ability in ALS patients with neuropsychological, clinical and neurological measures of the disease.
METHODS
Sixty-three ALS patients and 47 healthy controls were recruited. All the ALS patients also underwent i) the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test (GERT) in which ten actors express 14 types of dynamic emotions in brief video clips with audio, ii) the Edimburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) test; iii) the ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised (ALSFRS-R) and iv) the Medical Research Council (MRC) for the evaluation of muscle strength. All the healthy subjects enrolled in the study underwent the GERT.
RESULTS
The recognition of irritation and pleasure was significantly different between ALS patients and the control group. The amusement, despair, irritation, joy, sadness and surprise had been falsely recognized differently between the two groups. Specific ALS cognitive impairment was associated with bulbar-onset phenotype (OR = 14,3889; 95%CI = 3,96-52,16). No association was observed between false emotion recognition and cognitive impairment (F(1,60)=,56,971, p=,45,333). The number of categorical errors was significantly higher in the ALS patients than in the control group (27,66 ± 7,28 vs 17,72 ± 5,29; t = 8723; p = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
ALS patients show deficits in the dynamic processing of a wide range of emotions. These deficits are not necessarily associated with a decline in higher cognitive functions: this could therefore lead to an underestimation of the phenomenon.
Topics: Humans; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Emotions; Aged; Facial Expression; Neuropsychological Tests; Recognition, Psychology; Facial Recognition; Adult
PubMed: 38640582
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2024.123019 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Tickling is commonly perceived as juvenile play associated with laughter. However, its potential connection to adult sexual behavior has largely remained unexplored. Our...
Tickling is commonly perceived as juvenile play associated with laughter. However, its potential connection to adult sexual behavior has largely remained unexplored. Our online survey, primarily distributed among individuals interested in tickle fetishism, explored tickling and its association with sexual behavior. Ticklishness types, tools, preferred body parts, and partner preferences, were examined. Results revealed diverse patterns of ticklishness changes over time and distinct body-part preferences for different types of tickling. Childhood experiences and exposure to tickling content in television were found to shape individuals' affinity for tickle fetishism. A quarter of respondents reported experiencing orgasms exclusively from tickling, while around 88% expressed sexual satisfaction through tickling alone, indicating its sufficiency as a sexual stimulus among fetishists. Tickling desire decreased after orgasm, indicating an association between tickling and sexual activity. Moreover, ticklishness degree predicted preferences for being tickled rather than tickling others. Exploratory factor analysis identified three factors underlying tickling and sexual experiences: enjoyment and frequency of tickling during sexual activity; preference for intense sexual experiences; age of becoming sexually active. In conclusion, this study provides unique insights into tickling and its connections to sexual context, enhancing our understanding of diverse human sexual behavior and tickle fetishism as a distinct preference.
PubMed: 38633879
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1342342 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2024Work shows that sexually-diverse individuals face high rates of early life adversity and in turn increased engagement in behavioral outcomes traditionally associated...
Work shows that sexually-diverse individuals face high rates of early life adversity and in turn increased engagement in behavioral outcomes traditionally associated with adversity, such as sexual risk taking. Recent theoretical work suggests that these associations may be attributable to heightened sexual reward sensitivity among adversity-exposed women. We aimed to test these claims using a combination of self-report and EEG measures to test the relationship between early adversity, sexual reward sensitivity (both self-reported and EEG measured) and sexual risk taking in a sexually diverse sample of cis-gender women (N = 208) (Mage = 27.17, SD = 6.36). Results showed that childhood SES predicted self-reported sexual reward sensitivity which in turn predicted numbers of male and female sexual partners. In contrast we found that perceived childhood unpredictability predicted neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity as measured by EEG which in turn predicted male sexual partner number. The results presented here provide support for the notion that heightened sexual reward sensitivity may be a pathway through which early life adversity augments future sexual behavior, and underscores the importance of including greater attention to the dynamics of pleasure and reward in sexual health promotion.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Child; Self Report; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Partners; Gender Identity; Reward
PubMed: 38622142
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58389-w -
Trends in Hearing 2024For people with profound hearing loss, a cochlear implant (CI) is able to provide access to sounds that support speech perception. With current technology, most CI users...
For people with profound hearing loss, a cochlear implant (CI) is able to provide access to sounds that support speech perception. With current technology, most CI users obtain very good speech understanding in quiet listening environments. However, many CI users still struggle when listening to music. Efforts have been made to preprocess music for CI users and improve their music enjoyment. This work investigates potential modifications of instrumental music to make it more accessible for CI users. For this purpose, we used two datasets with varying complexity and containing individual tracks of instrumental music. The first dataset contained trios and it was newly created and synthesized for this study. The second dataset contained orchestral music with a large number of instruments. Bilateral CI users and normal hearing listeners were asked to remix the multitracks grouped into melody, bass, accompaniment, and percussion. Remixes could be performed in the amplitude, spatial, and spectral domains. Results showed that CI users preferred tracks being panned toward the right side, especially the percussion component. When CI users were grouped into frequent or occasional music listeners, significant differences in remixing preferences in all domains were observed.
Topics: Humans; Cochlear Implants; Music; Cochlear Implantation; Language; Pleasure
PubMed: 38613359
DOI: 10.1177/23312165241245219 -
Nutrients Mar 2024Measures of beliefs and attitudes toward food have generally been limited to the measurement of more pathological eating attitudes (e.g., disordered eating). The Food...
Measures of beliefs and attitudes toward food have generally been limited to the measurement of more pathological eating attitudes (e.g., disordered eating). The Food Life Questionnaire (FLQ) and its short form (FLQ-SF) were developed to examine attitudes toward a broader range of foods; however, the factor structure of the FLQ-SF was not confirmed in any study with young women. In the present study, we performed a psychometric evaluation of the Brazilian Portuguese translation of the FLQ-SF in a sample of 604 women. We evaluated the factor structure using a two-step, split-sample exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic approach. Results supported a four-factor structure (i.e., weight concern, diet-health orientation, belief in a diet-health linkage, and food and pleasure) with 18 items (χ/ = 2.09; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.05 (90% CI = 0.04; 0.06; > 0.05); and SRMR = 0.08). Additionally, we found good internal consistency for all FLQ-SF subscales (McDonald's = 0.79-0.89) and convergent validity with measures of feelings, beliefs, and behaviors involved in food attitudes. Collectively, these results support the use of the FLQ-SF in Brazilian women and provide a foundation to expand the literature on beliefs and attitudes toward food in this population.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Brazil; Psychometrics; Food; Emotions; Ethnicity
PubMed: 38612959
DOI: 10.3390/nu16070927 -
Materials (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024With pleasure, we present this Special Issue of , titled "Design, Manufacturing and Properties of Refractory Materials" [...].
With pleasure, we present this Special Issue of , titled "Design, Manufacturing and Properties of Refractory Materials" [...].
PubMed: 38612187
DOI: 10.3390/ma17071673