The Influence of Skin Parameters and Body Composition on the Tolerance of Pain Stimulus Generated During Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) in Women - Pilot Study.

Purpose: This pilot study aims to explore how skin parameters and body composition impact the tolerance to EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) stimuli in women, particularly focusing on pain tolerance in response to varying intensities of EMS. This research seeks to understand what is essential for optimizing EMS applications. Patients and Methods: The study involved 16 females (age 35.9 ± 12.3). Body composition and anthropometric measurements were taken, including BMI (Body Mass Index), weight percentage, WHtR (Waist to Height Ratio), WHR (Waist-Hip Ratio), and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. High-frequency ultrasound scans were conducted to assess skin parameters. The EMS stimulation was performed using an Evolvex (InMode, Israel), with applicators placed around the abdomen and intensity adjusted according to patient tolerance, recorded at the pain threshold. Results: The maximum tolerated EMS stimulus varied from 12V to 55V, with a median of 33V. Body weight showed a strong positive correlation (R=0.76, p<0.001) and hip circumference (R=0.66, p<0.001) with EMS intensity. Body fat mass (R=0.61, p=0.012) and visceral fat area (R=0.55, p=0.029) were positively correlated with EMS intensity. However, no significant correlations were observed between EMS tolerance and muscle tissue parameters or total body water content. The study also found that skin structure parameters showed no significant impact on EMS tolerance. Conclusion: The study reveals that women's tolerance to EMS stimuli is influenced by various factors. Anthropometric parameters like hip circumference, body weight, skinfold, and BMI are strongly correlated with EMS tolerance. Body composition factors, particularly adipose tissue characteristics such as body fat mass and percentage, also significantly impact EMS intensity requirements, with no notable correlation to muscle tissue or water content. However, variations in skin structure, including thickness and density, do not significantly affect EMS tolerance. These insights are crucial for tailoring personalized EMS therapy to enhance effectiveness and comfort in both aesthetic and rehabilitative applications.

Assessment of the photoprotection properties of hair cosmetics using the hemispherical directional reflectance method.

BACKGROUND: Solar radiation is responsible for changes in the structure of human hair, the damages include proteins (65%-95%), lipids, and melanin. The aim was to examine the effectiveness of sunscreen in hair cosmetics and whether hair color affects it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included nine women, divided according to hair color to three groups: light, dark, and gray hair. The 410-Solar reflectometer was used in five time points. The hair was divided into three strands, one product applied to each. RESULTS: Dark hair showed the highest absorption of radiation in all wavelength ranges, the reflectance before products application was significantly higher than the hair reflectance immediately after application. The effect of sunscreens on light hair reflectance was found at wavelengths 400 and 720 nm and between 1000 and 2500 nm, the reflectance before application was significantly higher than the reflectance after. The use of products on gray hair did not have a significant effect on hair reflectance at wavelengths 400-1100 nm, the effect of sunscreens on the gray hair reflectance was observed in the UV and infrared range, the reflectance before application was significantly higher than immediately after. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the 410-Solar reflectometer is useful to assess the effectiveness of hair sunscreens. All three tested hair products do not show the expected protection properties. Dark hair showed the highest absorption of radiation in all wavelength ranges, suggesting that dark hair should be more protected against radiation than light and gray hair.

Resistance of postprandial gastric functions and autonomic balance to taste stimulation.

Exposure to unpleasant tastes leads to disturbances of interdigestive gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) and may affect sympathetic/parasympathetic balance (SPB). We made a careful study to determine whether taste stimulation modulates the postprandial GMA, SPB, and gastric emptying (GE) of a solid meal. Eighteen healthy volunteers (9F/9M) entered the study. On six separate days, we recorded a four-channel electrogastrogram from each volunteer during a 35-min fasting period, then for 90 min after ingestion of a solid test meal of 300 kcal. GE was measured using a 13C-octanoic acid breath test. Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis was simultaneously performed. At the start of the 21st min after the test meal, subjects received an agar cube delivering either a sweet, salty, sour, or bitter taste, which they kept in the mouth for 35 min. Control procedures involved sessions performed with a tasteless agar cube, and without any stimulation. There was no effect of the experimental intervention upon the relative power share of particular GMA rhythms. Stimulation with the salty and the bitter taste evoked a statistically significant increase in the dominant frequency, whereas the sweet and sour taste did not affect it. Taste stimulation did not interfere with the meal-induced rise in the dominant power, nor affect slow wave coupling. The kinetics of the solid GE remained unchanged by the intervention. None of the taste stimulations affected the postprandial SPB. Taste stimulation elicited after ingestion of a meal, in contrast to that during a fast, did not adversely modify the postprandial pattern of either the GMA or SPB, nor affect the GE of solids.

Scrutiny of 13C-phenylalanine breath test reproducibility.

We evaluated the reproducibility of the 13C-phenylalanine breath test (13C-PheBT). On three separate days, 21 healthy volunteers (11 F and 10 M) underwent 13C-PheBT with 100 mg l-[1-13C]phenylalanine taken orally. Short-term reproducibility was evaluated with paired examinations taken 3 days apart; paired examinations separated by 23 days (median) served for the medium-term reproducibility assessment. Expiratory air was sampled at 19 points throughout 3 h. Determined limited reproducibility of the 13C-PheBT must be taken into consideration while interpreting the results of this diagnostic tool. The results of this study imply the following conclusions: (i) From among the three parameters examined, the cumulative 13C recovery area under the curve (AUC) offers much better reproducibility than the maximum momentary 13C recovery in the expiratory air (Dmax) or the time to reach the maximum momentary 13C recovery (Tmax) (ii) Collection of the breath air samples for 2 h results in a much better reproducibility of AUC, than for 1 h only; (iii) Reproducibility of 13C-PheBT is affected neither by the duration of the time gap between repeated tests nor by gender; (iv) Comparison with data obtained formerly reveals that reproducibility of the 13C-PheBT is worse than either that of of the 13C-methacetin (13C-MBT) or the 13C-alpha-ketoisocaproic acic (13C-KICA-BT) breath tests. This finding will have to be taken into consideration while interpreting the results of this diagnostic tool.

Assessment of knowledge and selected attitudes among Silesians about effects of ultraviolet radiation on health

INTRODUCTION: Both insufficient and excessive exposure to UV radiation (UVR) lead to serious health consequences: Caucasian people living in northern Europe commonly suffer from vitamin D deficiencies, constant increasing number of melanoma incidents is alarming. AIM: Assessment of knowledge and selected attitudes among Silesians about ultraviolet radiation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study involved 169 adult residents of the one Silesian city. The original, anonymous questionnaire containing 25 questions about UVR was used. Respondents (85 females, 84 males) of different age and level of education were examined. RESULTS: One-third of respondents do not spend time outdoors during sunny weather. The solarium is used by 9% of the studied group. The vitamin D synthesis was a favorable UV effect known by 90% of the respondents. 51% of the group did not know about the UV importance in melanin synthesis. 55% of respondents were not aware of the significance of the SPF (Sun Protective Factor) abbreviation, and 40% of people with the vocational education were convinced that the SPF50+ provides complete sun protection. Only 44% of women and 23% of men differentiated basic skin phototypes. Respondents knew at what time of a day in spring-summer the sun should be avoided, 71% knew about the re-application of a waterproof sunscreens after bath. 64% of women and 37% of men presented the sufficient knowledge of melanoma. Only 38% of respondents paid attention to UV filters when buying sunglasses. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents were aware of the UVR value for the vitamin D synthesis, but only a small percentage declared short-term sun exposures. Women had more knowledge about negative effects of UVR. People over 50 years of age and those with vocational education had a limited knowledge about health effects of UVR.

Reproducibility of two ¹³CO2 breath tests dedicated to assess pancreatic exocrine function.

The aim of this study was to check on the reproducibility of two breath tests intended to test the pancreatic exocrine function accomplished with (13)C-mixed triglyceride ((13)C-MTG) or cornflakes naturally enriched in (13)C ((13)C-CF). The (13)CO2 content within breath samples was determined with isotope-selective non-dispersive infrared spectrometry. A 72-h monitoring performed in healthy subjects revealed that a statistically significant rise in breath (13)CO2 occurs between the 1st and the 9th hour and between the 1st and the 24th hour after intake of a test meal containing 300 mg (13)C-MTG (n=10) or 100 g (13)C-CF (n=12), respectively. In another two groups of 12 healthy volunteers each, short-term reproducibility of the two tests was assessed with paired examinations taken at a median interval of two days, whereas paired examinations separated by a median of 20 days served for the medium-term reproducibility assessment. In the case of either test, the medium-term reproducibility was not any worse than the short-term one. The reproducibility of the (13)C-CF breath test tended to be slightly worse than that of the (13)C-MTG breath test: a least detectable difference in 6-h cumulative (13)C breath excretion (which is expressed as the percentage of the administered dose of the substrate) amounted to 2.7 and 4.4 % (short-term reproducibility) and to 3.5 and 4.4 % (medium-term reproducibility) in the case of the (13)C-MTG breath test and the (13)C-CF breath test, respectively. It is concluded that both tests offer a satisfactory reproducibility for use within a clinical setting. In case the lipolytic and the amylolytic activity would be required to be examined in the same patient, the (13)C-CF breath test can be executed on the next day following the (13)C-MTG breath test, whereas reciprocally, a 1-day break is recommended before accomplishment of a (13)C-MTG breath test following a (13)C-CF breath test.

Potent inhibitory effect of alcoholic beverages upon gastrointestinal passage of food and gallbladder emptying.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Current knowledge about the effect of alcoholic beverages on postprandial functioning of the digestive system is scarce and inconsistent. This study addresses their influence upon meal movement along the gut and meal-induced gallbladder emptying. METHODS: Three examination blocks involved each 12 healthy volunteers. Ingestion of a solid 1485 kJ meal was followed by intake of 400 ml beer (4.7%vol), 200 ml red wine (13.7%vol) or 100 ml whisky (43.5%vol) or matching volumes of control fluids. Gastric myoelectrical activity and emptying, orocecal transit and gallbladder emptying was monitored noninvasively. RESULTS: Alcoholic beverages (beer, red wine, whisky) caused a significant slowdown of the gastric evacuation of the solid meal, the delay being the more potent, the greater was the concentration of ethanol. This inhibitory effect was not caused by interference with the gastric myoelectric activity. Alcoholic beverages produced only by fermentation (beer, red wine), at odds with the effect of their counterpartying aqueous ethanol solutions, did not elongate the orocecal transit of the solid food. Products of distillation-whisky and high proof ethanol solution--elicited a profound delay of the orocecal transit. Alcoholic beverages exerted an inhibitory effect upon the meal-stimulated gallbladder emptying, the magnitude of which increased in the order: beer → red wine → whisky. CONCLUSION: Alcoholic beverages exert an inhibitory effect upon the gastric emptying of a solid food and the meal-induced gallbladder emptying, whereas the effect upon the orocecal transit depends on the type of a beverage-whisky elicits a delay but beer or red wine are devoid of this effect.

On a refinement of the ¹³C-mixed TAG breath test.

The present study was aimed to improve and simplify the 13C-mixed TAG (13C-MTG) breath test while keeping it acceptable for the patient. Healthy volunteers (ten women and eight men) were examined on four occasions, receiving in a random order 300 mg 13C-MTG: (1) contained in two wafers; (2) administered with a 50 g wheat roll; as well as given with either (3) 10 or (4) 30 g butter, spread onto a 50 g wheat roll, as the test meal, respectively. Samples of expiratory air were taken for 6 h postprandially for the mass spectroscopic measurement of 13CO2 enrichment. After intake of the sole 13C-MTG, the cumulative 13C recovery in breath air (AUC) appeared to be unsatisfactory, as after 6 h it did not exceed 10 %. Application of the substrate with the 50 g wheat roll did not bring about any improvement in this parameter. The addition of the unlabelled fat to the test meal dramatically increased the cumulative 13C recovery. However, we found higher values for the momentary 13C recovery and AUC with 10 g butter compared with 30 g. It can be concluded that: (1) addition of unlabelled fat is indispensable to obtain a proper course of the breath 13C elimination during the conduct of the 13C-MTG breath test and (2) it is possible to apply a considerably smaller amount of the unlabelled fat than has previously been recommended for this test.