Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Mostrar: 20 | 50 | 100
Resultados 1 - 20 de 529
Filtrar
1.
Acta Psychol (Amst) ; 249: 104469, 2024 Sep.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39180830

RESUMEN

Recently, the usage of short-video applications (apps) has become widespread and the potential influence of short-video apps use on individuals has attracted the attention of researchers. However, few studies have explored the influence of short-video apps use on adolescents' self-concept clarity. This study aimed to examine the relationship between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity among adolescents and whether this relationship is mediated by flow and social media self-expansion. A total of 721 Chinese adolescents completed questionnaires on intensity of short-video apps use, flow, social media self-expansion, self-concept clarity, and SNS use intensity. The results revealed that short-video apps use was negatively related to self-concept clarity among adolescents. Flow mediated the association between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity. Moreover, the relationship between short-video apps use and self-concept clarity was sequentially mediated by flow and social media self-expansion. These findings offer new insights into our understanding of adolescents' self-development in the context of digital media and provide implications for fostering healthier online experiences among adolescents.


Asunto(s)
Autoimagen , Medios de Comunicación Sociales , Humanos , Adolescente , Femenino , Masculino , Aplicaciones Móviles , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Conducta del Adolescente/fisiología , China
2.
Fish Shellfish Immunol ; 153: 109800, 2024 Oct.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39096981

RESUMEN

Tissue clearing is an old-fashioned method developed in the 1900's and used to turn an opaque biological object into a 3D visualizable transparent structure. Developed and diversified over the last decade, this method is most of the time applied to mammals' tissues, and especially mouse and human tissues for cytological, histological and pathophysiological studies. Through autofluorescence, immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, intercalating agents, fluorescent transfection markers or fluorescent particle uptake, optically cleared samples can be monitored to discover new biological structures and cellular interactions through 3D-visualization, which can be more challenging in some extend through classical histological methods. Most of the tissue clearing procedures have been developed for specific applications like endogenous fluorescence visualization, immunolabeling or for revealing specific organs. Thus, choosing the adapted protocol may be empirical for non-model species, especially for mollusks for which very little related literature is available. Herein, we suggest an effective optical tissue clearing procedure for the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata, known as the intermediate host of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni. This clearing procedure involves solvents with a minimal toxicity, preserves the endogenous fluorescence of labeled parasites inside snail tissues and is compatible with an immunolabeling procedure.


Asunto(s)
Biomphalaria , Schistosoma mansoni , Animales , Biomphalaria/parasitología , Fluorescencia
3.
Front Psychol ; 15: 1437065, 2024.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39176052

RESUMEN

Intertemporal decision making refers to the behavior of making decisions after weighing the costs and benefits of two or more outcomes at different time points. This study explores the moderating effect of self-concept clarity on the influence of future self-continuity on intertemporal decision-making and the mediating effect of future outcome consideration, aiming to establish a mediated moderating model. In Study 1, we recruited 370 participants via questionnaire to explore the relationship between future self-continuity and intertemporal decision-making, as well as the moderating effect of self-concept clarity. The results showed that: (1) Future self-continuity significantly negatively predicted the time discount rate of intertemporal decision-making. (2) Self-concept clarity significantly negatively moderated the relationship between future self-continuity and the time discount rate of intertemporal decision-making. In Study 2, we recruited 234 participants using an experimental method and divided them into high and low future self-continuity groups to explore the mediating effect of future outcome consideration and the moderating role of self-concept clarity in the influence of future self-continuity on intertemporal decision-making. The results indicated that: (1) Self-concept clarity significantly negatively moderated the impact of future self-continuity on future outcome consideration. (2) Future outcome consideration mediated the moderating effect of self-concept clarity on the influence of future self-continuity on intertemporal decision-making. The findings indicated that future self-continuity negatively impacted the time discount rate in intertemporal decision-making. Furthermore, self-concept clarity could indirectly regulate the effect of future self-continuity on intertemporal decision-making through future outcome consideration. These two studies contribute to a better understanding of intertemporal decision-making behavior in different states, help reduce cognitive bias through rational analysis of current states, achieve maximum life benefits, and enrich empirical research in the fields of future self-continuity and intertemporal decision-making.

4.
Nanomaterials (Basel) ; 14(16)2024 Aug 07.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39195364

RESUMEN

Rare earth-doped nanoparticles (RENPs) are promising biomaterials with substantial potential in biomedical applications. Their multilayered core-shell structure design allows for more diverse uses, such as orthogonal excitation. However, the typical synthesis strategies-one-pot successive layer-by-layer (LBL) method and seed-assisted (SA) method-for creating multilayered RENPs show notable differences in spectral performance. To clarify this issue, a thorough comparative analysis of the elemental distribution and spectral characteristics of RENPs synthesized by these two strategies was conducted. The SA strategy, which avoids the partial mixing stage of shell and core precursors inherent in the LBL strategy, produces RENPs with a distinct interface in elemental distribution. This unique elemental distribution reduces unnecessary energy loss via energy transfer between heterogeneous elements in different shell layers. Consequently, the synthesis method choice can effectively modulate the spectral properties of RENPs. This discovery has been applied to the design of orthogonal RENP biomedical probes with appropriate dimensions, where the SA strategy introduces a refined inert interface to prevent unnecessary energy loss. Notably, this strategy has exhibited a 4.3-fold enhancement in NIR-II in vivo imaging and a 2.1-fold increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related photodynamic therapy (PDT) orthogonal applications.

5.
Front Psychol ; 15: 1388301, 2024.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39161691

RESUMEN

Objective: To determine the relationship between school bullying victimization and social mindfulness and its mechanism in light of the interdependence and schema theories. Method: The Chinese version of the Delaware Bullying Victimization Scale-student, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Self-Concept Clarity Scale and The Social Mindfulness Self-report Scale (SMSRS) were distributed to 553 middle school students. Results: (1) The correlations of school bullying victimization with social mindfulness, self-concept clarity, and cognition reappraisal were statistically significant. (2) School bullying victimization had a significant effect on social mindfulness. (3) The simple mediating role of self-concept clarity and cognition reappraisal between school bullying victimization and social mindfulness were significant. (4) Self-concept clarity and cognition reappraisal played a chain mediating role between school bullying victimization and social mindfulness.

6.
Cureus ; 16(7): e63756, 2024 Jul.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39100038

RESUMEN

Ankyloglossia, which is a congenital condition also referred to as tongue-tie, is described as a small lingual frenum that restricts tongue movement and its function. The main purpose of the frenum is to restrict the movement of the cheek, lip muscles, and tongue throughout the development of fetuses and maintain equilibrium between the developing bones, lip musculature, and tongue. The constriction of the buccal musculature counteracts the outward pressure that the tongue applies to the teeth. Arch width maintenance requires a state of equilibrium between these two muscle groups. Therefore, altering tongue position might additionally have an impact on a mandible's position. A 20-year-old female patient presented to the Periodontics Department with moderate ankyloglossia (Kotlow Class II). For the correction of the tongue-tie, conventional surgery with sutures was scheduled under local anesthesia. One week, one month, and three months follow-up, the patient demonstrated good healing. There was an improvement in speech clarity and tongue movements.

7.
Percept Mot Skills ; : 315125241272524, 2024 Aug 07.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39111813

RESUMEN

Since boredom significantly contributes to diminished motivation among learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), there is a need to identify factors that influence boredom. Amidst various elements that can precipitate students' boredom, educational-related concepts have garnered particular attention, with the learning environment emerging as a chief focal point due to its consequential importance to learners. Specifically, the role of teachers' clarity and immediacy in manipulating learners' performance, enthusiasm, and involvement has been widely recognized. Consequently, in this study, we scrutinized the impact of EFL teachers' immediacy and clarity in mitigating learners' boredom. To this end, we collected data from 383 Chinese students through the administration of three scales measuring their perceptions of teacher clarity, teacher immediacy, and learners' boredom. We identified significant associations between teachers' clarity and immediacy and learners' boredom. In Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, both teacher immediacy and clarity were robust predictors of students' boredom, with about 48% of the variance in students' boredom accounted for by teachers' immediacy, and 53% of this variance attributed to teachers' clarity. We elaborate upon the implications of these findings in our discussion.

8.
Work ; 2024 Aug 14.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39150841

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Technological advancements and the COVID-19 crisis have accelerated the adoption of telework, impacting employees' work dynamics. Moreover, an aging workforce emphasises the need for sustainable employability. With reference to the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model, this study explores how telework relates to job demands and job resources and, subsequently, to sustainable employability. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates the repercussions of increased telework on employees' sustainable employability. Hypotheses posit direct and indirect (i.e., mediated) relationships, providing insights for evidence-based telework policies. METHODS: Data from 552 government employees was collected through an online survey. Data collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when widespread teleworking was prevalent. A path model was employed to analyse associations between telework, job demands (specifically work pressure), job resources (social support, workplace communication, and role clarity), and sustainable employability dimensions, including vitality, work ability, and employability. RESULTS: Our path model reveals that heightened telework was associated with elevated work pressure and diminished role clarity. Surprisingly, a positive association emerges between work pressure and sustainable employability. Notably, no significant relationship is found between telework, social support, and workplace communication. Role clarity is likely to be pivotal, positively influencing vitality and employability. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable insights into the effects of telework on job demands, resources, and sustainable employability. The unexpected positive association between work pressure and sustainable employability challenges conventional stressor paradigms. The relationships between telework, job demands, job resources, and sustainable employability uncovered in this study can contribute to evidence-based teleworking policies and strategies that support employee health and employability amidst evolving work structures.

9.
Cleft Palate Craniofac J ; : 10556656241266368, 2024 Aug 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39091088

RESUMEN

INTRODUCTION: The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has expanded in recent years, and these tools such as ChatGPT to generate patient-facing information have garnered particular interest. Online cleft lip and palate (CL/P) surgical information supplied by academic/professional (A/P) sources was therefore evaluated against ChatGPT regarding accuracy, comprehensiveness, and clarity. METHODS: 11 plastic and reconstructive surgeons and 29 non-medical individuals blindly compared responses written by ChatGPT or A/P sources to 30 frequently asked CL/P surgery questions. Surgeons indicated preference, determined accuracy, and scored comprehensiveness and clarity. Non-medical individuals indicated preference. Calculations of readability scores were determined using seven readability formulas. Statistical analysis of CL/P surgical online information was performed using paired t-tests. RESULTS: Surgeons, 60.88% of the time, blindly preferred material generated by ChatGPT over A/P sources. Additionally, surgeons consistently indicated that ChatGPT-generated material was more comprehensive and had greater clarity. No significant difference was found between ChatGPT and resources provided by professional organizations in terms of accuracy. Among individuals with no medical background, ChatGPT-generated materials were preferred 60.46% of the time. For materials from both ChatGPT and A/P sources, readability scores surpassed advised levels for patient proficiency across seven readability formulas. CONCLUSION: As the prominence of ChatGPT-based language tools rises in the healthcare space, potential applications of the tools should be assessed by experts against existing high-quality sources. Our results indicate that ChatGPT is capable of producing high-quality material in terms of accuracy, comprehensiveness, and clarity preferred by both plastic surgeons and individuals with no medical background.

10.
Brain Behav Immun ; 122: 388-398, 2024 Nov.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39163913

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: A growing body of work has implicated inflammation in the pathogenesis of depression. As not all individuals with heightened levels of peripheral inflammation develop symptoms of depression, additional work is needed to identify other factors that catalyze the relationship between inflammation and depressive symptoms. Given that elevated levels of inflammatory activity can induce a variety of emotional changes, the present study examined whether emotional clarity, the trait-like ability to identify, discern, and express one's emotions, influences the strength of the association between inflammatory signaling and concurrent and prospective symptoms of depression. METHODS: Community adolescents (N = 225, Mage = 16.63 years), drawn from a larger longitudinal project investigating sex and racial differences in depression onset, provided blood samples to determine peripheral levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) at a baseline visit, along with self-report measures of emotional clarity and depressive symptom severity. Depressive symptom severity was assessed again at a follow-up visit approximately 5-months after baseline. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regressions detected a significant interaction between inflammatory markers and emotional clarity on future depression severity, controlling for baseline depressive symptoms. Specifically, among adolescents with low levels of emotional clarity, higher levels of IL-6, CRP, and inflammatory composite scores were significantly associated with greater future depression severity. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that low emotional clarity and high inflammatory signaling may jointly confer risk for prospective depressive symptom severity among adolescents. Therapeutic interventions that improve emotional clarity may reduce risk of depressive symptoms among adolescents with low-grade peripheral inflammation.


Asunto(s)
Proteína C-Reactiva , Depresión , Emociones , Inflamación , Interleucina-6 , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa , Humanos , Adolescente , Masculino , Femenino , Depresión/sangre , Depresión/metabolismo , Interleucina-6/sangre , Emociones/fisiología , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/sangre , Inflamación/sangre , Inflamación/metabolismo , Proteína C-Reactiva/metabolismo , Proteína C-Reactiva/análisis , Estudios Longitudinales , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Biomarcadores/sangre
11.
Atten Percept Psychophys ; 86(6): 2078-2092, 2024 Aug.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39085716

RESUMEN

Observing actions evokes an automatic imitative response that activates mechanisms required to execute these actions. Automatic imitation is measured using the Stimulus Response Compatibility (SRC) task, which presents participants with compatible and incompatible prompt-distractor pairs. Automatic imitation, or the compatibility effect, is the difference in response times (RTs) between incompatible and compatible trials. Past results suggest that an action's animacy affects automatic imitation: human-produced actions evoke larger effects than computer-generated actions. However, it appears that animacy effects occur mostly when non-human stimuli are less complex or less clear. Theoretical accounts make conflicting predictions regarding both stimulus manipulations. We conducted two SRC experiments that presented participants with an animacy manipulation (human and computer-generated stimuli, Experiment 1) and a clarity manipulation (stimuli with varying visual clarity using Gaussian blurring, Experiments 1 and 2) to tease apart effect of these manipulations. Participants in Experiment 1 responded slower for incompatible than for compatible trials, showing a compatibility effect. Experiment 1 found a null effect of animacy, but stimuli with lower visual clarity evoked smaller compatibility effects. Experiment 2 modulated clarity in five steps and reports decreasing compatibility effects for stimuli with lower clarity. Clarity, but not animacy, therefore affected automatic imitation, and theoretical implications and future directions are considered.


Asunto(s)
Atención , Conducta Imitativa , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos , Desempeño Psicomotor , Tiempo de Reacción , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto Joven , Reconocimiento Visual de Modelos/fisiología , Atención/fisiología , Desempeño Psicomotor/fisiología , Adulto
12.
Acta Psychol (Amst) ; 248: 104360, 2024 Aug.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39067236

RESUMEN

Given the growing research interest in students' school-to-work transition, we examine the positive effects of undergraduates' future orientation on their employability confidence. Specifically, building on social cognitive career theory which suggests that career choices are influenced by a person's experiences, beliefs, interests, and values, we explore the mediator of vocational identity clarity and the positive moderator of internship effectiveness in this association above. Two studies were conducted to test our model. Study 1 included a laboratory experiment (N = 136) and tested the positive association between undergraduates' future orientation and their employability confidence through vocational identity clarity. Study 2 used a time-lagged research design from undergraduates (N = 315) to replicate the results and to additionally test a mediating role of internship effectiveness. We find that undergraduates' future orientation has a strong positive relationship with employability confidence, and this relation is mediated by vocational identity clarity. Additionally, the results show a positive moderation effect, that is, when undergraduates' internship effectiveness is high, the above indirect relation becomes stronger. The current research enriches the existing understanding of how and when the students' future orientation can contribute to employability confidence theoretically and empirically. Meanwhile, these findings indicated valuable practical applications by encouraging universities to promote undergraduates' future orientation and provide effective internships for them towards enhancing their vocational identity clarity and ultimately boosting their employability confidence.


Asunto(s)
Selección de Profesión , Estudiantes , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Estudiantes/psicología , Adulto Joven , Adulto , Empleo , Universidades , Autoimagen , Identificación Social , Adolescente
13.
Behav Anal Pract ; 17(2): 553-564, 2024 Jun.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38966269

RESUMEN

We employed a multiple probe design to test the effects of an accelerated auditory matching protocol with five toddlers receiving early intervention services (four males, one female) for developmental delays. All participants emitted poorly articulated vocal mands and tacts. The dependent variables were the number of full echoics, partial echoics, and incorrect responses within a set of 20 two-syllable words. The independent variable was an accelerated Auditory Matching Protocol that targets auditory discrimination using an iPad App. Each phase of the protocol targets different sound discriminations with growing complexity. Four out of five participants emitted more full or partial echoic responses upon mastery of the Auditory Matching Protocol. Moreover, compared to those who received the full dosage of the standard Auditory Matching Protocol in previous studies, the participants in this study required fewer learn units to master all phases and to demonstrate improvement. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40617-023-00882-1.

14.
JMIR Ment Health ; 11: e58352, 2024 Jul 18.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39024004

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Emotional clarity has often been assessed with self-report measures, but efforts have also been made to measure it passively, which has advantages such as avoiding potential inaccuracy in responses stemming from social desirability bias or poor insight into emotional clarity. Response times (RTs) to emotion items administered in ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) may be an indirect indicator of emotional clarity. Another proposed indicator is the drift rate parameter, which assumes that, aside from how fast a person responds to emotion items, the measurement of emotional clarity also requires the consideration of how careful participants were in providing responses. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to examine the reliability and validity of RTs and drift rate parameters from EMA emotion items as indicators of individual differences in emotional clarity. METHODS: Secondary data analysis was conducted on data from 196 adults with type 1 diabetes who completed a 2-week EMA study involving the completion of 5 to 6 surveys daily. If lower RTs and higher drift rates (from EMA emotion items) were indicators of emotional clarity, we hypothesized that greater levels (ie, higher clarity) should be associated with greater life satisfaction; lower levels of neuroticism, depression, anxiety, and diabetes distress; and fewer difficulties with emotion regulation. Because prior literature suggested emotional clarity could be valence specific, EMA items for negative affect (NA) and positive affect were examined separately. RESULTS: Reliability of the proposed indicators of emotional clarity was acceptable with a small number of EMA prompts (ie, 4 to 7 prompts in total or 1 to 2 days of EMA surveys). Consistent with expectations, the average drift rate of NA items across multiple EMAs had expected associations with other measures, such as correlations of r=-0.27 (P<.001) with depression symptoms, r=-0.27 (P=.001) with anxiety symptoms, r=-0.15 (P=.03) with emotion regulation difficulties, and r=0.63 (P<.001) with RTs to NA items. People with a higher NA drift rate responded faster to NA emotion items, had greater subjective well-being (eg, fewer depression symptoms), and had fewer difficulties with overall emotion regulation, which are all aligned with the expectation for an emotional clarity measure. Contrary to expectations, the validities of average RTs to NA items, the drift rate of positive affect items, and RTs to positive affect items were not strongly supported by our results. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings provided initial support for the validity of NA drift rate as an indicator of emotional clarity but not for that of other RT-based clarity measures. Evidence was preliminary because the sample size was not sufficient to detect small but potentially meaningful correlations, as the sample size of the diabetes EMA study was chosen for other more primary research questions. Further research on passive emotional clarity measures is needed.


Asunto(s)
Evaluación Ecológica Momentánea , Emociones , Humanos , Femenino , Masculino , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 1/psicología , Tiempo de Reacción/fisiología , Regulación Emocional/fisiología , Análisis de Datos , Satisfacción Personal , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Análisis de Datos Secundarios
15.
Sci Bull (Beijing) ; 2024 Jun 18.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38955563

RESUMEN

To meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.1, China has undertaken significant initiatives to address the uneven distribution of water resources and to enhance water quality. Since 2000, China has invested heavily in the water infrastructure of numerous reservoirs, with a total storage capacity increase of 4.704 × 1011 m3 (an increase of 90.8%). These reservoirs have significantly enhanced the available freshwater resources for drinking water. Concurrently, efforts to improve water quality in lakes and reservoirs, facilitated by nationwide water quality monitoring, have been successful. As a result, an increasing lakes and reservoirs are designated as centralized drinking water sources (CDWSs) in China. Among the 3,441 CDWSs across all provinces, 40.8% are sourced from lakes and reservoirs, 32.6% from rivers, and 26.6% from groundwater in 2023. Notably, from 2016 to 2023, the percentage of lakes and reservoirs categorized as CDWSs has increased consistently across all 29 provinces. This progress has enabled 561.4 million urban residents to access improved drinking water sources in 2022, compared to 303.4 million in 2004. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of water infrastructure construction and water quality improvement jointly promoting lakes and reservoirs as vital drinking water sources. Nevertheless, the nationwide occurrence of algal blooms has surged by 113.7% from the 2000s to the 2010s , which is a considerable challenge to drinking water safety. Fortunately, algal blooms have been markedly alleviated in past four years. However, it is still crucial to acknowledge that lakes and reservoirs face the challenges of algal blooms, and associated toxic microcystin and odor compounds.

16.
J Am Water Resour Assoc ; 60(2): 363-379, 2024 Apr.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39026570

RESUMEN

This study provides step-by-step guidance for practitioners and local stakeholders on how to use existing study results to conduct benefit transfer (BT), and ultimately make informed predictions of how improvements in lake water clarity may benefit surrounding communities. The procedures are demonstrated using a publicly available meta-dataset developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and a subsequent meta-analysis that synthesizes the literature on how improvements in water clarity impact home values. The BT procedures are demonstrated using a case study of 14 large lakes in Kosciusko County, Indiana. Lake-specific average increases in home values, as well as the value of the housing stock in aggregate, are calculated for illustrative improvements in lake water clarity. This analysis provides a critical bridge to better connect high-quality, academic research with real-world policy analysis, and ultimately serves to better equip local governments and stakeholders to make more informed policy and land use decisions.

17.
Clin Exp Optom ; : 1-5, 2024 Jun 24.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38914426

RESUMEN

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Isotretinoin has been the best treatment option for moderate and severe acne vulgaris since the 1980s. Some studies have shown evidence of subclinical anterior segment involvement of the eye in patients treated with isotretinoin. BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate lens clarity with the densitometry software of Scheimpflug tomography in patients treated with isotretinoin and to compare with healthy control subjects. METHODS: Thirty-seven acnepatients treated with isotretinoin who met the inclusion criteria (24 males and 13 females, mean age 22.94 ± 4.21 years) and 39 healthy control subjects were included in the study. Clinical characteristics of the isotretinoin and control subjects were recorded. Lens density was evaluated with the densitometry software of the Scheimpflug tomography device (PentacamHR, Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in age, gender distribution, spherical equivalent, or anterior segment parameters measured by the Pentacam system (p > 0.05 for all). Lens density values in zones 2 and 3 were significantly higher in the isotretinoin group (p = 0.042, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with cumulative isotretinoin dose (zone 2: r = 0.384, p = 0.032; zone 3: r = 0.384, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Zone 2 and zone 3 lens density are higher in patients treated with isotretinoin when compared to healthy controls.

18.
J Med Microbiol ; 73(6)2024 Jun.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38935081

RESUMEN

Introduction. The absence of a gold-standard methodology for the microbiological diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) has led to insufficient standardization of criteria for the interpretation of results and processing methods, particularly incubation time and culture media.Hypothesis. 48-hour incubation time period and use of blood agar enhances the sensitivity of microorganisms isolated significantly.Aim. To determine the sensitivity of blood agar and Brilliance UTI chromogenic agar, incubating for different periods (24-48 hours), for the detection of positive urine cultures.Methodoloy. Comparisons were made between all possible combinations of media and incubation times. As the gold-standard reference, we used the routine methodology of our laboratory, which involves prior screening with available clinical data, flow cytometry, sediment analysis and/or Gram staining. Screened samples were then cultured on blood agar and chromogenic agar and incubated for 48 hours. Also, based on the results of Gram staining, additional media were added in selected cases.Results. The most significant difference was found between chromogenic agar incubated for 24 hours and blood agar incubated for 48 hours, with the latter method allowing the recovery of 10.14 % more microorganisms (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the value of performing Gram staining to guide processing was demonstrated, as it avoided the loss of at least 5.14 % of isolates.Conclusions. At least in urological and nephrological patients it is essential to include enriched culture media (blood agar) or to extend the incubation times due to the improvement of the diagnostic sensitivity of urine cultures. Gram staining also can help detect the presence of fastidious microorganisms or mixed infections, indicating whether rich and/or selective media should be included to enhance the diagnostic sensitivity of cultures. If this methodology is not followed, it should be noted that besides fastidious species, fastidious strains of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aerugniosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia will also be missed.


Asunto(s)
Medios de Cultivo , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Infecciones Urinarias , Infecciones Urinarias/diagnóstico , Infecciones Urinarias/microbiología , Humanos , Medios de Cultivo/química , Factores de Tiempo , Técnicas Bacteriológicas/métodos , Técnicas Bacteriológicas/normas , Bacterias/aislamiento & purificación , Bacterias/clasificación , Bacterias/crecimiento & desarrollo , Agar , Orina/microbiología
19.
Health Educ Behav ; : 10901981241255366, 2024 May 26.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38798091

RESUMEN

Hazardous/harmful drinking among college students is increasingly becoming a global health concern. Previous studies have mostly paid more attention to the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol use disorder based on the public health approach, and less is understood about psychological mechanisms and protective factors of problem drinking behavior. Grounded in the framework of developmental assets, this study explored the predictive effect of external assets (i.e., social connectedness) and internal assets (i.e., self-concept clarity and drinking refusal self-efficacy) on hazardous/harmful drinking among Chinese college students. Participants were 598 college students with a mean age of 19.41 (SD = 1.21) years. The results of structural equation modeling showed that social connectedness negatively predicted college students' hazardous/harmful drinking. Moreover, our path analyses revealed a serial mediation among these variables: students with high social connectedness tended to report high self-concept clarity, which in turn increased drinking refusal self-efficacy, and consequently decreased the level of hazardous/harmful drinking. This study revealed the mechanisms underlying how external and internal assets predict risky drinking among college students. These findings made significant contributions to prevention and precision interventions for college-aged youth with drinking problems.

20.
Integr Environ Assess Manag ; 20(5): 1463-1472, 2024 Sep.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38712817

RESUMEN

Improved freshwater resource management requires the implementation of widespread, effective, and timely water quality monitoring. Conventional monitoring methods are often inhibited by financial, infrastructural, and human capacity limitations, especially in developing regions. This study aimed to validate the citizen-scientist-operated transparency or clarity tube (hereafter "clarity tube") for measuring water clarity as a proxy for total suspended solids (TSS) concentration, a critical quality metric in river systems and wastewater treatment works (WWTW) effluent in Southern Africa. Clarity tubes provided a relatively accurate and precise proxy for TSS in riverine lotic systems and WWTW effluent, revealing significant inverse log-linear relationships between clarity and TSS with r2 = 0.715 and 0.503, respectively. We demonstrate that clarity-derived estimates of TSS concentration (TSScde) can be used to estimate WWTW compliance with WWTW effluent TSS concentration regulations. The measurements can then be used to engage with WWTW management, potentially affecting WWTW performance. Overall, these findings demonstrate the usefulness of clarity tubes as low-cost, accessible, and easy-to-use citizen science tools for high spatial and temporal resolution water quality monitoring, not only in rivers in Southern Africa but also in WWTW effluent for estimating compliance, with strong global relevance to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1463-1472. © 2024 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).


Asunto(s)
Ciencia Ciudadana , Monitoreo del Ambiente , Ríos , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos , Aguas Residuales , Ríos/química , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Aguas Residuales/química , Eliminación de Residuos Líquidos/métodos , Calidad del Agua , África Austral
SELECCIÓN DE REFERENCIAS
DETALLE DE LA BÚSQUEDA