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Journal of Environmental and Public... 2012Environmental medicine generally addresses environmental factors with a negative impact on human health. However, emerging scientific research has revealed a... (Review)
Review
Environmental medicine generally addresses environmental factors with a negative impact on human health. However, emerging scientific research has revealed a surprisingly positive and overlooked environmental factor on health: direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth. Modern lifestyle separates humans from such contact. The research suggests that this disconnect may be a major contributor to physiological dysfunction and unwellness. Reconnection with the Earth's electrons has been found to promote intriguing physiological changes and subjective reports of well-being. Earthing (or grounding) refers to the discovery of benefits-including better sleep and reduced pain-from walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems that transfer the Earth's electrons from the ground into the body. This paper reviews the earthing research and the potential of earthing as a simple and easily accessed global modality of significant clinical importance.
Topics: Chronic Disease; Circadian Rhythm; Earth, Planet; Electromagnetic Fields; Electrons; Environment; Environmental Medicine; Extremities; Geological Phenomena; Health; Homeostasis; Human Body; Humans; Immune System Diseases; Inflammation; Pain; Posture; Sleep
PubMed: 22291721
DOI: 10.1155/2012/291541 -
Journal of Veterinary Emergency and... May 2022To create a chart for estimating body surface area (BSA) for use in canine burn victims, similar to the human Rule of Nines.
OBJECTIVE
To create a chart for estimating body surface area (BSA) for use in canine burn victims, similar to the human Rule of Nines.
DESIGN
Prospective study, from 2016 to 2017.
SETTING
University teaching hospital.
ANIMALS
Nine adult, medium-sized, mesocephalic dogs (5 females, 4 males).
INTERVENTIONS
Sedated dogs and fresh cadavers underwent full-body computed tomography (CT) scans. A 3-dimensional technique was used to calculate the surface area of specific body parts, as well as the surface area of the whole body. With the obtained measurements, a BSA chart was created.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Estimates for percent of total BSA obtained with CT images were as follows: head and abdomen 14%, respectively, neck and each of the thoracic limbs 9%, thorax 18%, pelvic limbs 11% each, and pelvis including the tail 5%. The most considerable differences between dogs and people in respect to the Rule of Nines chart were noticed in the head, the pelvic limbs, as well as in the groin region in people as compared with the pelvic/tail area in dogs. The surface areas of the front legs and thorax were the only body parts that corresponded with that of human body surfaces.
CONCLUSIONS
A chart for estimating canine body surface was created. Given the diversity of dog breeds, sizes, and body conformation, our results cannot be generalized to all dogs. Studies of more diverse populations are warranted.
Topics: Animals; Body Surface Area; Burns; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Humans; Male; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 34951108
DOI: 10.1111/vec.13173 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Sep 2022Microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) in the biosphere draws public concern about their potential health impacts. Humans are potentially exposed to MPs via ingestion, inhalation,... (Review)
Review
Microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) in the biosphere draws public concern about their potential health impacts. Humans are potentially exposed to MPs via ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact. Ingestion and inhalation are the two major exposure pathways. An adult may consume approximately 5.1 × 10 items from table salts and up to 4.1 × 10 items via drinking water annually. Meanwhile, MP inhalation intake ranges from 0.9 × 10 to 7.9 × 10 items per year. The intake of MPs would be further distributed in different tissues and organs of humans depending on their sizes. The excretion has been discussed with the possible clearance ways (e.g., urine and feces). The review summarized the absorption, distribution, metabolic toxicity and excretion of MPs together with the attached chemicals. Moreover, the potential implications on humans are also discussed from in vitro and in vivo studies, and connecting the relationship between the physicochemical properties and the potential risks. This review will contribute to a better understanding of MPs as culprits and/or vectors linking to potential human health hazards, which will help outline the promising areas for further revealing the possible toxicity pathways.
Topics: Drinking Water; Environmental Monitoring; Human Body; Humans; Microplastics; Plastics; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 35749897
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129361 -
Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical... Oct 2017The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the ocular lubricants currently available, consider the components of the various formulations and highlight the... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the ocular lubricants currently available, consider the components of the various formulations and highlight the status of preservative use in the treatment of anterior ocular surface diseases.
RECENT FINDINGS
The primary components of ocular surface lubrication have been, in the past, based on various cellulose formulations that increase hydration. Advances in lubrication have come from areas of the human body requiring lubrication such as the skeletal joints as well as examining the use of natural components of the tear fluid. These have resulted in novel modifications of existing tear components, for example, thiolated carboxymethyl hyaluronic acid which creates crosslinking to mechanically increase retention time for ocular surface hydration. Other proteoglycans such as lubricin, having one of the lowest coefficients of friction in nature, to a lipopolysaccharide derivative of tamarind seed, may provide a unique delivery system for lubricants and medications.
SUMMARY
The present state of ocular surface lubrication is slowly advancing from the routine use of cellulose-based solutions and gels to more advanced replacement with natural tear components. The advances that are occurring on other lubricating surfaces of the musculoskeletal system are also providing some insights into potential use on the ocular surface.
Topics: Biological Products; Cellulose; Glycoproteins; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid; Lubricants; Lubrication; Ocular Physiological Phenomena; Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; Synovial Fluid; Tamarindus; Tears
PubMed: 28796122
DOI: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000000392 -
International Journal of Obesity (2005) Apr 2021A reliable and accurate estimate of the percentage and distribution of adipose tissue in the human body is essential for evaluating the risk of developing chronic and...
INTRODUCTION
A reliable and accurate estimate of the percentage and distribution of adipose tissue in the human body is essential for evaluating the risk of developing chronic and noncommunicable diseases. A precise and differentiated method, which at the same time is fast, noninvasive, and straightforward to perform, would, therefore, be desirable. We sought a new approach to this research area by linking a person's relative body fat with their body surface's areal roughness characteristics.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
For this feasibility study, we compared areal surface roughness characteristics, assessed from 3D photonic full-body scans of 76 Swiss young men, and compared the results with body impedance-based estimates of relative body fat. We developed an innovative method for characterizing the areal surface roughness distribution of a person's entire body, in a similar approach as it is currently used in geoscience or material science applications. We then performed a statistical analysis using different linear and stepwise regression models.
RESULTS
In a stepwise regression analysis of areal surface roughness frequency tables, a combination of standard deviation, interquartile range, and mode showed the best association with relative body fat (R = 0.55, p < 0.0001). The best results were achieved by calculating the arithmetic mean height, capable of explaining up to three-quarters of the variance in relative body fat (R = 0.74, p < 0.001).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
This study shows that areal surface roughness characteristics assessed from 3D photonic whole-body scans associate well with relative body fat, therefore representing a viable new approach to improve current 3D scanner-based methods for determining body composition and obesity-associated health risks. Further investigations may validate our method with other data or provide a more detailed understanding of the relation between the body's areal surface characteristics and adipose tissue distribution by including larger and more diverse populations or focusing on particular body segments.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Body Composition; Cross-Sectional Studies; Feasibility Studies; Humans; Male; Switzerland; Whole Body Imaging; Young Adult
PubMed: 33589772
DOI: 10.1038/s41366-021-00758-w -
Scientific Reports Jun 2016Body surface area (BSA) plays a key role in several medical fields, including cancer chemotherapy, transplantology, burn treatment and toxicology. BSA is often a major... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Body surface area (BSA) plays a key role in several medical fields, including cancer chemotherapy, transplantology, burn treatment and toxicology. BSA is often a major factor in the determination of the course of treatment and drug dosage. A series of formulae to simplify the process have been developed. Because easy-to-identify, yet general, body coefficient results of those formulae vary considerably, the question arises as to whether the choice of a particular formula is valid and safe for patients. Here we show that discrepancies between most of the known BSA formulae can reach 0.5 m(2) for the standard adult physique. Although many previous studies have demonstrated that certain BSA formulae provide an almost exact fit with the patients examined, all of these studies have been performed on a limited and isolated group of people. Our analysis presents a broader perspective, considering 25 BSA formulae. The analysis revealed that the choice of a particular formula is a difficult task. Differences among calculations made by the formulae are so great that, in certain cases, they may considerably affect patients' mortality, especially for people with an abnormal physique or for children.
Topics: Body Surface Area; Human Body; Humans
PubMed: 27323883
DOI: 10.1038/srep27966 -
Journal of Thermal Biology Apr 2019We have developed a calorimetric sensor that can perform local measurements of the heat flux transmitted by conduction between a human body and thermostat located inside...
We have developed a calorimetric sensor that can perform local measurements of the heat flux transmitted by conduction between a human body and thermostat located inside the sensor. The sensor has a detection area of 2 × 2 cm and, in its current configuration, facilitates measurement with a resolution of 10 mW. In this paper, measurements of two healthy male subjects of different ages (24 and 60 years) are presented. We study the variation in the power dissipated by the human body surface as a function of time for a thermostat temperature of 28 °C. We also study the same power with thermostat temperatures varying from 24° to 36°C. Measurements are performed on three different surface areas of the human body: the sternum, abdomen, and hand. The ambient room temperature during all measurements was in the range of 22-24 °C, and the subjects were seated and resting. The results show that the heat flux in the trunk is much more stable than that in the hand and that the heat flux in the sternum is greater than that in other areas. Additionally, this flux is higher in the younger subject (42 mW/cm) than in the older subject (35 mW/cm). We also defined a thermal parameter that represents the thermal resistance between the sensor thermostat and the skin. The mean value of this parameter varies between 51 and 71 K/W depending on the subject and measurement area.
Topics: Adult; Biosensing Techniques; Body Temperature; Body Temperature Regulation; Calorimetry; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Temperature; Young Adult
PubMed: 30975416
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.02.022 -
Burns : Journal of the International... Aug 2010This study established human body surface area (BSA) database and estimation formula based on three-dimensional (3D) scanned data. For each gender, 135 subjects were...
This study established human body surface area (BSA) database and estimation formula based on three-dimensional (3D) scanned data. For each gender, 135 subjects were drawn. The sampling was stratified in five stature heights and three body weights according to a previous survey. The 3D body surface shape was measured using an innovated 3D body scanner and a high resolution hand/foot scanner, the total body surface area (BSA) and segmental body surface area (SBSA) were computed based on the summation of every tiny triangular area of triangular meshes of the scanned surface; and the accuracy of BSA measurement is below 1%. The results of BSA and sixteen SBSAs were tabulated in fifteen strata for the Male, the Female and the Total (two genders combined). The %SBSA data was also used to revise new Lund and Browder Charts. The comparison of BSA shows that the BSA of this study is comparable with the Du Bois and Du Bois' but smaller than that of Tikuisis et al. The difference might be attributed to body size difference between the samples. The comparison of SBSA shows that the differences of SBSA between this study and the Lund and Browder Chart range between 0.00% and 2.30%. A new BSA estimation formula, BSA=71.3989 x H(.7437) x W(.4040), was obtained. An accuracy test showed that this formula has smaller estimation error than that of the Du Bois and Du Bois'; and significantly better than other BSA estimation formulae.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anthropometry; Body Height; Body Mass Index; Body Surface Area; Body Weight; Databases, Factual; Female; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Male; Middle Aged; Regression Analysis; Sex Factors; Software; Taiwan; Young Adult
PubMed: 19900761
DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2009.05.013 -
Immunological Reviews Sep 2017The human body is colonized by a diverse collective of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. The smallest entity of this microbial... (Review)
Review
The human body is colonized by a diverse collective of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. The smallest entity of this microbial conglomerate are the bacterial viruses. Bacteriophages, or phages for short, exert significant selective pressure on their bacterial hosts, undoubtedly influencing the human microbiome and its impact on our health and well-being. Phages colonize all niches of the body, including the skin, oral cavity, lungs, gut, and urinary tract. As such our bodies are frequently and continuously exposed to diverse collections of phages. Despite the prevalence of phages throughout our bodies, the extent of their interactions with human cells, organs, and immune system is still largely unknown. Phages physically interact with our mucosal surfaces, are capable of bypassing epithelial cell layers, disseminate throughout the body and may manipulate our immune system. Here, I establish the novel concept of an "intra-body phageome," which encompasses the collection of phages residing within the classically "sterile" regions of the body. This review will take a phage-centric view of the microbiota, human body, and immune system with the ultimate goal of inspiring a greater appreciation for both the indirect and direct interactions between bacteriophages and their mammalian hosts.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Bacteriophages; Homeostasis; Human Body; Humans; Immune System; Intestines; Microbiota; Mucous Membrane
PubMed: 28856733
DOI: 10.1111/imr.12565