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1.
J Voice ; 2024 Jul 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38960766

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Voice disorders can profoundly impact health, quality of life, job performance, and social interactions. Traditional evaluations have expanded to include quality-of-life assessments, emphasizing self-reported outcomes. The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) stands out among relevant questionnaires, with the VHI-10 being a concise derivative. This study was conducted to translate and validate the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) questionnaire for Persian speakers, enhancing clinical assessments of voice disorders and quality of life. METHODS: This cross-sectional study, conducted in Iran, involved (1) translating the VHI-10 into Persian, (2) confirming face and content validity using Content Validity Ratio (CVR), and Content Validity Index (CVI), and (3) evaluating its reliability through a survey. A panel of experts confirmed the validity, and reliability of the study, which was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, Spearman-Brown, and Guttman coefficients. The survey involved 225 participants, including 150 healthy people and 75 patients with voice disorders, who were selected using a convenience sampling method. RESULTS: All question items demonstrated a CVI greater than 0.79 and a CVR between 0.62 and 1. Reliability analysis yielded high Cronbach's alpha values for functional, physical, and emotional domains (0.909) and total (0.961). The mean overall scores of VHI-10 for healthy and disordered groups were 18.78 and 0.74, respectively. The VHI-10 effectively discriminated between healthy and disordered groups in all domains, with an accuracy of 97.33%. The determined cut-off point was 4.5, with a strong area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve (0.989). CONCLUSION: This study successfully adapted and validated the Persian version of the VHI-10. The questionnaire demonstrated high reliability and validity, distinguishing between individuals with and without voice disorders. This Persian version is now a valuable tool for speech and language pathologists conducting clinical voice evaluations in Iran and also it could be applied in studies to determine the effects of voice problems on participant's quality of life.

2.
PLoS One ; 19(6): e0303699, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38905185

ABSTRACT

This study addresses the challenge of differentiating between bipolar disorder II (BD II) and borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is complicated by overlapping symptoms. To overcome this, a multimodal machine learning approach was employed, incorporating both electroencephalography (EEG) patterns and cognitive abnormalities for enhanced classification. Data were collected from 45 participants, including 20 with BD II and 25 with BPD. Analysis involved utilizing EEG signals and cognitive tests, specifically the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Integrated Cognitive Assessment. The k-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm achieved a balanced accuracy of 93%, with EEG features proving to be crucial, while cognitive features had a lesser impact. Despite the strengths, such as diverse model usage, it's important to note limitations, including a small sample size and reliance on DSM diagnoses. The study suggests that future research should explore multimodal data integration and employ advanced techniques to improve classification accuracy and gain a better understanding of the neurobiological distinctions between BD II and BPD.


Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Borderline Personality Disorder , Electroencephalography , Machine Learning , Humans , Borderline Personality Disorder/diagnosis , Borderline Personality Disorder/physiopathology , Bipolar Disorder/diagnosis , Bipolar Disorder/physiopathology , Electroencephalography/methods , Adult , Female , Male , Diagnosis, Differential , Young Adult , Cognition/physiology , Algorithms
3.
Urol Case Rep ; 55: 102755, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38868626

ABSTRACT

This case report presents a rare occurrence of isolated bladder exstrophy with a normal phallus in a one-day-old male newborn. The patient also presented with imperforated anus, congenital heart disease, and a left ectopic kidney. Surgical interventions included cut-back anoplasty, bilateral ureteral reimplantation, and primary bladder closure in a single operation, resulting in a successful outcome without complications. Three months of follow-up showed satisfactory results.

4.
Water Sci Technol ; 89(8): 2044-2059, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38678408

ABSTRACT

Desalination processes are energy consuming and it is required to apply clean energy sources for supplying them to prevent environmental issues. Solar energy is one of the attractive clean energy sources for desalination. In solar thermal desalination systems, different thermal components could be used for heat transfer purpose. In solar desalination technologies, heat pipe as efficient heat transfer mediums could be employed to transfer absorbed and/or stored thermal energy. The objective of this study is to review applications of heat pipes in solar energy desalination systems. Regarding the performance dependency of these thermal systems on the variety of factors, scholars have investigated these systems by consideration of the effect of different influential factors. Based on the results, it is concluded that use of heat pipes could lead to proper performance of solar desalination systems. Aside from direct transfer of absorbed heat from solar radiation, heat pipes can be applied in the storage units of solar desalination systems to keep the systems active in night-hours or low solar irradiation conditions. The overall performance of the solar desalinations systems with heat pipes can be influenced by some factors such as filling ratio and operating fluid that affect the performance of heat pipes.


Subject(s)
Hot Temperature , Solar Energy , Water Purification/methods , Sunlight
5.
Reprod Sci ; 31(6): 1456-1485, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38472710

ABSTRACT

The fallopian tube (FT) plays a crucial role in the reproductive process by providing an ideal biomechanical and biochemical environment for fertilization and early embryo development. Despite its importance, the biomechanical functions of the FT that originate from its morphological aspects, and ultrastructural aspects, as well as the mechanical properties of FT, have not been studied nor used sufficiently, which limits the understanding of fertilization, mechanotrasduction, and mechanobiology during embryo development, as well as the replication of the FT in laboratory settings for infertility treatments. This paper reviews and revives valuable information on human FT reported in medical literature in the past five decades relevant to the biomechanical aspects of FT. In this review, we summarized the current state of knowledge concerning the morphological, ultrastructural aspects, and mechanical properties of the human FT. We also investigate the potential arising from a thorough consideration of the biomechanical functions and exploring often neglected mechanical aspects. Our investigation encompasses both macroscopic measurements (such as length, diameter, and thickness) and microscopic measurements (including the height of epithelial cells, the percentage of ciliated cells, cilia structure, and ciliary beat frequency). Our primary focus has been on healthy women of reproductive age. We have examined various measurement techniques, encompassing conventional metrology, 2D histological data as well as new spatial measurement techniques such as micro-CT.


Subject(s)
Fallopian Tubes , Fertility , Humans , Female , Fallopian Tubes/physiology , Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology , Fertility/physiology , Cilia/physiology , Cilia/ultrastructure , Animals
6.
Brain Cogn ; 175: 106136, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38301366

ABSTRACT

Investigating the cognitive control processes and error detection mechanisms involved in risk-taking behaviors is essential for understanding risk propensity. This study investigated the relationship between risk propensity and cognitive control processes using an event-related potentials (ERP) approach. The study employed a Cued Go/Nogo paradigm to elicit ERP components related to cognitive control processes, including contingent negative variation (CNV), P300, error-related negativity (ERN), and error positivity (Pe). Healthy participants were categorized into high-risk and low-risk groups based on their performance in the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). The results revealed risk-taking behavior influenced CNV amplitudes, indicating heightened response preparation and inhibition for the high-risk group. In contrast, the P300 component showed no group differences but revealed enhanced amplitudes in Nogo trials, particularly in high-risk group. Furthermore, despite the lack of difference in the Pe component, the high-risk group exhibited smaller ERN amplitudes compared to the low-risk group, suggesting reduced sensitivity to error detection. These findings imply that risk-taking behaviors may be associated with a hypoactive avoidance system rather than impaired response inhibition. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying risk propensity and cognitive control processes can contribute to the development of interventions aimed at reducing risky behaviors and promoting better decision-making.


Subject(s)
Electroencephalography , Evoked Potentials , Humans , Reaction Time/physiology , Electroencephalography/methods , Evoked Potentials/physiology , Event-Related Potentials, P300/physiology , Cognition/physiology
7.
J Public Health Res ; 13(1): 22799036231222115, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38333616

ABSTRACT

In 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment and rehabilitation process faced problems and challenges. One of the most efficient therapy approaches in this period was telerehabilitation. Telepractice in speech therapy presents many challenges and opportunities. In this article, we review published articles up to June 2023 and summarize the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic for speech therapy. Researchers and clinicians have found that tele-speech therapy is an effective tool for improving access to high-quality services and a viable mechanism for delivering speech and language interventions. The results of teletherapy or telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic were divided into opportunities and challenges. Speech therapy has moved toward telerehabilitation to improve treatment competence during the pandemic. Finally, teletherapy methods were more suitable for speech and language pathology.

8.
Bioinform Biol Insights ; 18: 11779322241227722, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38318286

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, and identifying the effective factors in causing this disease can play an important role in its prevention and treatment. Tumors provide effective agents for invasion and metastasis to other organs by establishing appropriate communication between cancer cells and the microenvironment. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) can be mentioned as one of the effective phenomena in tumor invasion and metastasis. Several factors are involved in inducing this phenomenon in the tumor microenvironment, which helps the tumor survive and migrate to other places. It can be effective to identify these factors in the use of appropriate treatment strategies and greater patient survival. This study investigated the molecular differences between tumor border cells and tumor core cells or internal tumor cells in HCC for specific EMT genes. Expression of NOTCH1, ID1, and LST1 genes showed a significant increase at the HCC tumor border. Targeting these genes can be considered as a useful therapeutic strategy to prevent distant metastasis in HCC patients.

9.
Clin Lab ; 70(2)2024 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38345980

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bacterial persisters are non- or slow-growing phenotypic variants that may be responsible for recalcitrance and relapse of persistent infections and antibiotic failure. In Escherichia coli, mqsRA is a well-known type II toxin-antitoxin system associated with persister cell formation. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of an antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) targeting mqsRA in eliminating E. coli persisters. METHODS: The study included 600 non-duplicated urine samples from adult patients with suspected urinary tract infections. The isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and bacterial persister cells assay. The presence of mqsRA in the isolates was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction. Finally, expression of the mqsR and mqsA genes was assessed after exposure to normal conditions, stress, and different concentrations of mqsR-PNA (1 - 35 µM). RESULTS: The mqsR gene was significantly overexpressed under stress conditions, which was compensated by the PNA treatment. Complete inhibition of E. coli persister cells was achieved after overnight treatment with the anti-mqsR-PNA at concentrations ≥ 15 µM. CONCLUSIONS: The growth of E. coli persister cells can be inhibited by the anti-mqsR-PNA. Further studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness of this antisense PNA in both preclinical and clinical settings.


Subject(s)
Escherichia coli Proteins , Peptide Nucleic Acids , Humans , Escherichia coli/genetics , Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics , Escherichia coli Proteins/metabolism , Peptide Nucleic Acids/genetics , Peptide Nucleic Acids/pharmacology , Peptide Nucleic Acids/metabolism , Bacteria , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology
10.
Soft Matter ; 20(7): 1629-1650, 2024 Feb 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38284140

ABSTRACT

The multifaceted influence of combined variables on the mechanical-magnetorheological properties of isotropic and anisotropic MREs in a shear state is probed in this research. Specifically, the effects of preparation magnetic field, magnetic field intensity during rheometric testing, temperature, shear strain, angular frequency, and angle of structural matrix chains were examined. The viscoelastic properties of seven distinct MREs prepared in different pre-configuration settings were analysed by subjecting them to dynamic shear-rotational deformation at different temperatures and magnetic fields. A novel magneto-viscoelastic model was formulated for both isotropic and anisotropic MREs within the realm of linear viscoelasticity. The efficacy and robustness of this model were substantiated, offering a predictive framework for the materials' behavior. This comprehensive model explains the viscoelastic response of magnetorheological elastomers to shear loading, accounting for factors encompassing the preparation magnetic field, magnetic field intensity and temperature during testing, angular frequency, shear strain, and the orientation of the column-like matrix. Empirical findings underscored noteworthy trends, indicating that elevated temperatures led to a reduction in viscoelastic modulus, whereas increased magnetic field intensity resulted in its augmentation. Simultaneously, temperature and magnetic field intensification amplified the MR effect. Additionally, heightened preparation fields correlated with increased shear modulus, whilst variations in temperature and both magnetic fields induced noticeable changes in the Payne effect.

11.
Audiol Neurootol ; 29(2): 88-95, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37607499

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Mefloquine is an antimalarial medicine used to prevent and treat malaria. This medicine has some side effects, including ototoxicity. This study, which was designed in two phases, aimed to investigate the side effects of mefloquine and evaluate the preventive effects of electrical stimulation on these side effects. METHODS: In the first phase, two doses of mefloquine (50 and 200 µM) were injected into male rats, and after 7 days, they were evaluated by an auditory brainstem response (ABR) test. In the second phase, electrical stimulation was applied for 10 days, and then a toxic dose of mefloquine was injected. Similar to the first phase of the study, the animals were evaluated by an ABR test after 7 days. RESULTS: In the first phase, the results showed that a high dose of mefloquine increased the ABR threshold and wave I latency; however, these changes were not observed in the second phase. CONCLUSION: Application of electrical stimulation could prevent the ototoxic effects of mefloquine. According to the findings of the present study, electrical stimulation can be used as a preconditioner to prevent the ototoxic effects of mefloquine.


Subject(s)
Ear, Inner , Mefloquine , Male , Rats , Animals , Mefloquine/adverse effects , Electric Stimulation
12.
Environ Manage ; 73(1): 34-50, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37658901

ABSTRACT

This study applies the mental model and cognitive mapping method to involve stakeholders in delineating the mutual relations between sources of water, energy, and food (WEF) production in the Varamin Plain (VP). Through involving farmers and managerial experts, the approach facilitates the deployment of community communication patterns to recognize and comprehend problems and move from single-loop learning to double-loop learning. The dynamic model was driven from the final mental model of the participants to reflect changes in the systems over time. The system dynamic (SD) model incorporates three scenarios for enhancing irrigation efficiency, managing groundwater extraction, and satisfying environmental needs. The results uncovered that the surface and underground water resources of the VP will gradually decrease within the next two decades in the range of 158 and 2700 million cubic meters (MCM) per year. Also, the plain suffers from water insecurity and a 162 MCM shortage. Consequently, focusing on understanding the nexus and nexus governance can enhance resource management and achieve sustainable development goals. Essentially, promoting collaborative governance, such as creating cooperative organizations and implementing double-loop learning, and instituting a water market, regulatory governance, and monitoring laws can improve the state of Varamin Plain's resources. These results carry important policy implications for using mental models to consider dynamics for discussions on participatory management of the WEF system nexus and environmental management.


Subject(s)
Water Supply , Water , Humans , Iran , Food Supply , Models, Psychological
13.
J Voice ; 2023 Dec 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38052688

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to explore the effectiveness of voice health education interventions among singers, particularly focusing on vocal hygiene treatment programs tailored for professional voice users. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Preferred Reporting Items on Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review. Comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library databases. Four articles were selected for detailed review. The studies were evaluated using the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool for quality assessment. RESULTS: The four reviewed studies primarily utilized the pretest-posttest design to examine the effectiveness of vocal hygiene interventions on singers' vocal health. Two studies investigated the effect of hydration as a treatment method, while the remaining two focused on vocal hygiene instruction. Significant improvements were observed in various vocal health parameters, including maximum phonation time, intensity, Dysphonia Severity Index, and number of daily vocal breaks taken. CONCLUSION: This systematic review provides valuable insights into the efficacy of vocal hygiene treatment programs for singers. The positive outcomes observed in the reviewed studies underscore the importance of voice health education tailored to singers' specific needs. However, the limited number of eligible studies and the common limitation of small sample sizes highlight the need for further research in this area. Vocal health practitioners, educators, and researchers can utilize the findings of this review to develop evidence-based vocal hygiene interventions that promote the well-being and longevity of singers' vocal performance careers.

14.
Drug Chem Toxicol ; : 1-10, 2023 Dec 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38058159

ABSTRACT

Aflatoxins, a group of toxic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus species, pose significant threats to human health due to their potent carcinogenic, mutagenic, and immunosuppressive properties. Chronic exposure to these contaminants, commonly found in staple foods such as maize and groundnuts, has been linked to an increased risk of liver cancer, growth impairment, and immune dysfunction. Several agents, such as calcium montmorillonite clay and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, have shown promise in reducing aflatoxin bioavailability and alleviating its toxic effects. Additionally, dietary supplements such as chlorophyllin, selenium, and N-acetylcysteine have demonstrated potential as adjuvants to counteract aflatoxin-induced oxidative stress and support liver function. In this treatise, some of the most discussed approaches to mitigating aflatoxin effects are explored in terms of their efficacy, safety, and potential mechanisms of action, which include direct aflatoxin binding, detoxification, cellular antioxidative, and hepatocellular protection properties. However, the effectiveness of these strategies can be influenced by various factors, such as dose, duration of exposure, and individual susceptibility. Therefore, further research is needed to optimize these interventions and develop new, targeted therapies for the prevention and treatment of aflatoxin-related diseases. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of 18 pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, supplement, and probiotic strategies currently available for mitigating the deleterious effects of chronic aflatoxin exposure in humans and animal models.

15.
Heliyon ; 9(11): e21154, 2023 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37928018

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, anti-TNF therapy remarkably improves the medical management of ulcerative colitis (UC), but approximately 40 % of patients do not respond to this treatment. In this study, we used 79 anti-TNF-naive patients with moderate-to-severe UC from four cohorts to discover alternative therapeutic targets and develop a personalized medicine approach that can diagnose UC non-responders (UCN) prior to receiving anti-TNF therapy. To this end, two microarray data series were integrated to create a discovery cohort with 35 UC samples. A comprehensive gene expression and functional analysis was performed and identified 313 significantly altered genes, among which IL6 and INHBA were highlighted as overexpressed genes in the baseline mucosal biopsies of UCN, whose cooperation may lead to a decrease in the Tregs population. Besides, screening the abundances of immune cell subpopulations showed neutrophils' accumulation increasing the inflammation. Furthermore, the correlation of KRAS signaling activation with unresponsiveness to anti-TNF mAb was observed using network analysis. Using 50x repeated 10-fold cross-validation LASSO feature selection and a stack ensemble machine learning algorithm, a five-mRNA prognostic panel including IL13RA2, HCAR3, CSF3, INHBA, and MMP1 was introduced that could predict the response of UC patients to anti-TNF antibodies with an average accuracy of 95.3 %. The predictive capacity of the introduced biomarker panel was also validated in two independent cohorts (44 UC patients). Moreover, we presented a distinct immune cell landscape and gene signature for UCN to anti-TNF drugs and further studies should be considered to make this predictive biomarker panel and therapeutic targets applicable in the clinical setting.

16.
J Voice ; 2023 Nov 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37985286

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Singers' self-reporting of their voice problems can be helpful in the treatment of voice disorders by speech-language pathologists (SLP), which requires a valid questionnaire. This study was conducted to translate and validate the Singing Voice Handicap Index-10 (SVHI-10) questionnaire in the Persian language. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in two main steps (1) translation of the questionnaire and determination of face and content validity and (2) survey of singers. The questionnaire was first translated by a SLP who was an expert in voice disorder and also proficient in the English language. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts through impact score, content validity ratio, and content validity index. Then it was translated into English and adapted to its original version. A valid questionnaire was given to 70 singers to determine their ability to distinguish singers with voice problems from healthy singers and their internal consistency. RESULTS: The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed without excluding any item. The results showed that the questionnaire has excellent internal consistency (α = 0.930). With the optimal cut-off point of 14.5, this questionnaire was able to identify singers with voice problems with 90% accuracy. Also, the sensitivity and specificity were 84.85% and 94.59%, respectively. Also, the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was equal to 0.937. CONCLUSION: The results revealed that the Persian version of SVHI-10 is a reliable and valid instrument to identify singers with voice problems, so it can be used by SLPs.

17.
Brain Sci ; 13(9)2023 Aug 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37759836

ABSTRACT

Inter-individual variability in risk preferences can be reflected in reward processing differences, making people risk-seekers or risk-averse. However, the neural correlates of reward processing in individuals with risk preferences remain unknown. Consequently, this event-related potential (ERP) study examined and compared electrophysiological correlates associated with different stages of reward processing in risk-seeking and risk-averse groups. Individuals scoring in the bottom and top 20% on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) were deemed risk-averse and risk-seeking, respectively. Participants engaged in a gambling task while their electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. Risk-seekers tended to choose high-risk options significantly more frequently than low-risk options, whereas risk-averse individuals chose low-risk options significantly more frequently than high-risk ones. All participants selected the low-risk alternative more slowly than the high-risk option. During the anticipation stage, the low-risk option elicited a relatively attenuated stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) response from risk-seekers compared to risk-averse participants. During the outcome stage, feedback-related negativity (FRN) increased in risk-seekers responding to greater losses but not in risk-averse participants. These results indicate that ERP components can detect differences in reward processing during risky situations. In addition, these results suggest that motivation and cognitive control, along with their associated neural processes, may play a central role in differences in reward-based behavior between the two groups.

18.
Comput Biol Med ; 164: 107367, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37595519

ABSTRACT

Skeletal muscle modeling has a vital role in movement studies and the development of therapeutic approaches. In the current study, a Huxley-based model for skeletal muscle is proposed, which demonstrates the impact of impairments in muscle characteristics. This model focuses on three identified ions: H+, inorganic phosphate Pi, and Ca2+. Modifications are made to actin-myosin attachment and detachment rates to study the effects of H+ and Pi. Additionally, an activation coefficient is included to represent the role of calcium ions interacting with troponin, highlighting the importance of Ca2+. It is found that maximum isometric muscle force decreases by 9.5% due to a reduction in pH from 7.4 to 6.5 and by 47.5% in case of the combination of a reduction in pH and an increase of Pi concentration up to 30 mM, respectively. Then the force decline caused by a fall in the active calcium ions is studied. When only 15% of the total calcium in the myofibrillar space is able to interact with troponin, up to 80% force drop is anticipated by the model. The proposed fatigued-injured muscle model is useful to study the effect of various shortening velocities and initial muscle-tendon lengths on muscle force; in addition, the benefits of the model go beyond predicting the force in different conditions as it can also predict muscle stiffness and power. The power and stiffness decrease by 40% and 6.5%, respectively, due to the pH reduction, and the simultaneous accumulation of H+ and Pi leads to a 50% and 18% drop in power and stiffness.


Subject(s)
Calcium , Muscle, Skeletal , Movement , Troponin
19.
Biomed Eng Online ; 22(1): 79, 2023 Aug 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37573331

ABSTRACT

In order to study the local interactions between facial soft-tissues and a Silhouette Soft® suspension suture, a CE marked medical device designed for the repositioning of soft tissues in the face and the neck, Finite element simulations were run, in which a model of the suture was embedded in a three-layer Finite Element structure that accounts for the local mechanical organization of human facial soft tissues. A 2D axisymmetric model of the local interactions was designed in ANSYS, in which the geometry of the tissue, the boundary conditions and the applied loadings were considered to locally mimic those of human face soft tissue constrained by the suture in facial tissue repositioning. The Silhouette Soft suture is composed of a knotted thread and sliding cones that are anchored in the tissue. Hence, simulating these interactions requires special attention for an accurate modelling of contact mechanics. As tissue is modelled as a hyper-elastic material, the displacement of the facial soft tissue changes in a nonlinear way with the intensity of stress induced by the suture and the number of the cones. Our simulations show that for a 4-cone suture a displacement of 4.35 mm for a 2.0 N external loading and of 7.6 mm for 4.0 N. Increasing the number of cones led to the decrease in the equivalent local strain (around 20%) and stress (around 60%) applied to the tissue. The simulated displacements are in general agreement with experimental observations.


Subject(s)
Sutures , Humans , Finite Element Analysis , Cadaver , Biomechanical Phenomena , Stress, Mechanical
20.
Acta Psychol (Amst) ; 233: 103841, 2023 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36709688

ABSTRACT

Finger counting facilitates numerical representations and mathematical processing. The current study investigated the association between finger counting habits and number processing by employing behavioral and electrophysiological measures. We explored whether small and large numerical primes influence the recognition of embodied target hand stimuli. Twenty-four right-handed participants that were grouped into right-starters (n = 13) and left-starters (n = 11) for finger counting performed a hand recognition task that consisted of numerical magnitudes as prime and hand recognition as targets. Based on the finger counting habits, congruent (i.e., left-starters: small number/left hand or large number/right hand; right-starters: small number/right hand or large number/left hand) and incongruent (i.e., left-starters: large number/left hand or small number/right hand; right-starters: large number/right hand or small number/left hand) conditions were presented to the participants. The participants were required to indicate whether the targets were left or right hand by simply pressing the left or the right key, respectively. Results indicated faster reaction times (RTs) for congruent as opposed to incongruent trials for all participants. The mean amplitude of the centro-parietal P300 component was significantly increased for the incongruent compared to congruent condition, indicating increased mental effort. Also, analysis of the latency of the P300 in terms of congruency effect in all participants revealed significant results. These combined results provide behavioral and electrophysiological evidence indicating the embodied nature of numbers. The results are interpreted in light of the general findings related to the P300 component. This research supports the association of number-hand representations and corroborates the idea of embodied numerosity.


Subject(s)
Fingers , Habits , Humans , Reaction Time/physiology , Mathematics , Recognition, Psychology
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