Association between illness perception and social alienation among maintenance hemodialysis patients: The mediating role of fear of progression.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of fear of progression on illness perception and social alienation among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. BACKGROUND: MHD is frequently accompanied by increased pain and complications such as itchy skin, chronic fatigue, and muscle spasms. Cardiovascular disease rates are also elevated among MHD patients, which can heighten their anxiety regarding prognosis and treatment discomfort. This chronic fear may severely impact social functioning, leading patients to withdraw from interpersonal interactions and experience heightened helplessness and loneliness. Further investigation is necessary to understand the factors behind the high level of social alienation in MHD patients and their underlying mechanisms. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study guided by the STROBE. METHODS: A convenience sample of 230 MHD patients were enrolled from January to May 2023. Data including demographic and clinical characteristics, illness perception, fear of progression, and social alienation were collected. Descriptive analysis and Pearson correlations were conducted using IBM SPSS version 25.0. The mediating effect was analyzed using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS, with the Bootstrap method employed to assess its significance. RESULTS: The score of social alienation in MHD patients was high, with illness perception and fear of progression both significantly correlated with social alienation. In the mediating effects model, illness perception can predict social alienation in MHD patients, and fear of progression use plays a part in mediating the process by which illness perception affects social alienation. The Kappa Squared (κ2) value of 21.9%, suggests a medium effect size. CONCLUSIONS: Illness perception directly predicts social alienation in MHD patients and exerts an indirect effect through the mediating role of fear of progression. Suggests that healthcare professionals should concentrate on MHD patients with high negative illness perceptions to alleviate their fear of progression, thereby decreasing the level of social alienation and enhancing their integration into society.

Association between cardiovascular risk and maternal perception of BMI in Peruvian schoolchildren.

Introduction: In the modern era, the maternal perception of children's nutritional status has emerged as a critical area of study, given its potential influence on nutritional interventions and long-term child health. The relationship between this perception and children's Body Mass Index (BMI) by age is particularly intriguing, as it may reveal discrepancies between perception and reality. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate Peruvian mothers' perception of their children's Body Mass Index (BMI) in relation to age and to determine how this perception associates with the children's cardiovascular risk. The study also analyzed sociodemographic factors that might influence this perception. Methods: The study included 130 mothers of schoolchildren aged 5 to 11 from a school in Lima. Mothers' perceptions of their children's weight were assessed using pictograms, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected through a questionnaire. Weight and height measurements were taken to calculate BMI, and waist circumference was measured to classify cardiovascular risk. Results: A total of 57.4% of the schoolchildren presented with excess malnutrition, and 51.5% of the mothers incorrectly classified the actual BMI/Age of their children (kappa 0.11; p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, it was found that the schoolchild's age is associated with the mother's failure to accurately perceive her child's weight (OR 1.59). Lastly, there was a significant association between maternal perception and cardiovascular risk (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: There is a significant discrepancy between maternal perception and the actual nutritional status of children, which can increase cardiovascular risk. It is necessary to implement intervention and education strategies targeted at parents to enhance the recognition and management of childhood overweight and obesity.

Impairment of lung volume perception and breathing control in hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Breathing difficulties and exertional dyspnea are frequently reported in hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS); however, they are not clearly explained. An impaired proprioception or the addition of a cognitive task could influence ventilatory control. How can the perception of lung volume be measured? Is lung volume perception impaired in hEDS patients? Is the breathing control impaired during a cognitive task in hEDS patients? A device was developed to assess the accuracy of lung volume perception in patients with hEDS and matched control subjects. In the second step, ventilation was recorded in both groups with and without a cognitive task. Two groups of 19 subjects were included. The accuracy of lung volume perception was significantly (P < 0.01) lower at 30% of inspired vital capacity in patients with hEDS in comparison to the control group, and they showed erratic ventilation (based on spatial and temporal criteria) when performing a cognitive task. These data support the influence of the proprioceptive deficit on ventilatory control in hEDS patients. These elements may help to understand the respiratory manifestations found in hEDS. Future research should focus on this relationship between lung volume perception and ventilation, and could contribute to our understanding of other pathologies or exercise physiology.Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05000151.

Head rotation and the perception of eyelid height and contour.

PURPOSE: Effective visual perceptual processing is one of the many components of surgical competence. Human face identification is most efficient when viewed upright. However, it is not yet clear how this perception sensitivity impacts eyelid symmetry. This study investigates surgeons' and laypeople's accuracy and efficiency in perceiving eyelid asymmetry from different spatial perspectives. METHODS: A prospective psychometric experiment was conducted where oculoplastic surgeons were recruited from the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Brazilian Oculoplastic Surgery Society, and control participants were recruited via crowdsourcing (Amazon's Mechanical Turk). Standard illustrations of the human face with varying degrees of eyelid abnormality, laterality, gender and rotation were presented to participants who were asked to judge whether the eyelids were symmetric or asymmetric. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 75 oculoplastic surgeons (49.33% male; mean age of 46.9±10.7) and 192 lay individuals (54.6% male; mean age 34.6±11.3 years). Among oculoplastic surgeons, deviation from upright was significantly associated with increased reaction time and decreased proportion correct (OR per 45° for peak 0.68, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.77, p<0.001; OR per 45° for ptosis 0.52, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.87, p=0.012; OR per 180° for aggregate responses 0.56, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.61, p<0.001). Oculoplastic surgeons demonstrated increasing accuracy and decreasing reaction time with additional trials for both peak and ptosis. CONCLUSION: Oculoplastic surgeons perceive eyelid asymmetries more accurately and can better compensate for inverted sensory information. However, accuracy increases and reaction time decreases with additional trials, suggesting trainability and potential for improvement in inversion disability.

Prevalence and factors associated with the perception of perineal laceration: a cross-sectional study with data from the Nascer no Brasil Survey, 2011 and 2012.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of perineal laceration, based on the self-reported perception of postpartum women, and to analyze factors associated with its occurrence in Brazil. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with 23,894 postpartum women, excluding twin pregnancies, cesarean sections, and births with episiotomies, between 2011 and 2012. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of association between the event and maternal, fetus/newborn, obstetric and clinical management characteristics were estimated in hierarchical Poisson regression models. RESULTS: Out of 4,606 postpartum women, 49.5% (95%CI 46.1;42.9) self-reported perineal laceration. Being an adolescent (PR = 1.12; 95%CI 1.02;1.25), primipara (PR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.33;1.63), having had excessive gestational weight gain (PR = 1.17; 95%CI 1.07;1.29) and having undergone the Kristeller maneuver (PR = 1.18; 95%CI 1.08;1.29) increased the proportion of the outcome. CONCLUSION: The results found call for prenatal care and adjustments to childbirth care so as to be in accordance with current recommendations. MAIN RESULTS: Prevalence of self-reported perineal laceration was 49.5%. Being in the adolescent age group, primiparity, excessive gestational weight and the Kristeller maneuver were risk factors associated with the event. IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICES: Studying self-reported prevalence of perineal laceration supports new care practices, highlights the prevention of risk factors considered modifiable and confirms the need to follow current guidelines. PERSPECTIVES: New national studies are needed comparing prevalence of self-reported perineal laceration with that recorded in medical records in order to support care practices and public obstetric policies.

Knowledge and perception about the welfare and mistreatment of dogs in Brazil.

Animal welfare encompasses the overall well-being of an animal, spanning both its physical and mental health, assessable through potential measurements. It stands in contrast to mistreatment, which involves actions, direct or indirect, that endanger an animal's well-being. This study sought to appraise the factors influencing the Brazilian population's understanding of dog welfare and mistreatment. The survey questions were adapted from the Animal Welfare Examination Protocol, utilized by veterinarians to evaluate suspected passive abuse cases in dogs. Out of 1377 responses, 1353 were valid and analyzed. Among the 19 assessed indicators, 15 demonstrated an adequate response rate surpassing 90% of all 1353 responses. However, for three questions related to comfort, a smaller yet notable percentage of responses were only minimally adequate. Moreover, in one question within the comfort assessment, 186 participants (13.74%) provided inadequate responses. This implies that these people could potentially subject animals to a state of low Animal Welfare. Lack of knowledge emerged as a potential root of passive abuse, specifically negligence. In the assessment of nutritional indicators, water supply and quality received unanimous adequate responses. In evaluating comfort perceptions, significant associations were noted between gender, dog ownership, family income, and responses regarding resting surface. Regarding health indicators, the majority responded appropriately. Female gender and dog ownership correlated with providing the appropriate response, while not owning a dog was associated with minimally adequate responses. In the context of comfort indicators, "Hitting the Dog" also demonstrated an association with gender, with females tending towards appropriate responses. Given the lack of significant correlation between educational levels and the most suitable responses, it underscores the urgency of implementing environmental education programs in schools with a focus on animal protection.

Knowledge and Perception Regarding Medication Error Among Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety is the major concern in providing quality care. Medication errors have been identified as the most common type of preventable errors. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perception regarding medication error among nurses. METHODS: A quantitative cross-sectional research design was used. The study was conducted in four different private hospitals in Lalitpur. A total enumerative sampling technique was used to select 302 nurses from these hospitals. Descriptive statistical methods were used to assess socio-demographic variables and inferential statistics methods such as the chi-squared test was used to analyse the association between knowledge, perception, and its socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Most of the respondents 244 (80.8%) agreed the cause of medication error occurs due to unclear handwriting and 217 (71.9%) agreed prescribing the wrong route or dose and time. Mostly respondents 126 (41.7%) had inadequate knowledge, 101 (33.4%) had adequate knowledge and 75 (24.8%) had moderate knowledge on medication error. Mostly respondents 273 (90.4%) had positive perception and 26 (8.6 %) had negative perception. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the nurses had inadequate knowledge but has positive perception on medication error. Appropriate strategies for reducing nurses' workload, barriers to reporting, and sensitization workshops in a regular basis by the administrator should be developed to address medication errors and enhance patient safety in hospital settings.

Perception of photovoltaic energy consumption in the Spanish primary sector. An environmentally profitable alternative.

Agriculture and livestock farming are activities that depend on energy consumption. Photovoltaic self-consumption systems can reduce the production costs of these actors, especially in periods of high-energy price volatility. This work aimed to determine the degree of implementation of photovoltaic self-consumption systems, their relationship with the economic impact of the energy crisis, and the perception of producers to use renewable energy sources in the Spanish agricultural system as it is one of the most important at European level. For this purpose, a survey of the Spanish agricultural and livestock system, involving 396 primary producers, was carried out between December 2022 and March 2023. The results suggest that self-consumption systems are in place in 49.1% of all farms and that these have had a positive effect in alleviating the rising energy costs suffered by the Spanish primary sector. In summary, Spanish primary producers generally have a favorable perception of the use of renewable energies on their farms, especially photovoltaic. However, the cluster analysis shows the fact that there are two types of producers, active and passive, from an environmental point of view. The characterization of this type of producers can help the Spanish Administration to improve the efficiency of its energy strategy, and can be a source of inspiration for the governments of other countries.

The trilogy of human musk receptors: linking receptor activation, genotype, and sensory perception.

The scent of musk plays a unique role in the history of perfumery. Musk odorants comprise 6 diverse chemical classes and perception differences in strength and quality among human panelists have long puzzled the field of olfaction research. Three odorant receptors (OR) had recently been described for musk odorants: OR5AN1, OR1N2, and OR5A2. High functional expression of the difficult-to-express human OR5A2 was achieved by a modification of the C-terminal domain and the link between sensory perception and receptor activation for the trilogy of these receptors and their key genetic variants was investigated: All 3 receptors detect only musky smelling compounds among 440 commercial fragrance compounds. OR5A2 is the key receptor for the classes of polycyclic and linear musks and for most macrocylic lactones. A single P172L substitution reduces the sensitivity of OR5A2 by around 50-fold. In parallel, human panelists homozygous for this mutation have around 40-60-fold higher sensory detection threshold for selective OR5A2 ligands. For macrocyclic lactones, OR5A2 could further be proven as the key OR by a strong correlation between in vitro activation and the sensory detection threshold in vivo. OR5AN1 is the dominant receptor for the perception of macrocyclic ketones such as muscone and some nitromusks, as panelists with a mutant OR5A2 are still equally sensitive to these ligands. Finally, OR1N2 appears to be an additional receptor involved in the perception of the natural (E)-ambrettolide. This study for the first time links OR activation to sensory perception and genetic polymorphisms for this unique class of odorants.

Physical Therapy Services During COVID-19 Pandemic: Perception of Families of Brazilian Children With Physical Disabilities.

PURPOSE: To describe the perspective of caregivers about physical therapy (PT) during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of social distancing on the health of children with physical disabilities. METHODS: This survey research used a remote questionnaire to identify the perceptions of caregivers about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health of children and adolescents with physical disabilities and on PT services. Data were analyzed using the frequency of responses; open-ended questions were analyzed through a hybrid approach to thematic analysis. RESULTS: Caregivers of 47 children with cerebral palsy were included. Although most received regular PT services during the pandemic, worsened children's physical conditions and anxiety were prevalent. Caregivers believed that they lacked technical skills. CONCLUSIONS: Social distancing impacted the health of children with physical disabilities, especially their physical conditions. Identifying facilitators and barriers for PT services can be helpful in future similar scenarios.Video abstract Supplemental Digital Content available at:http://links.lww.com/PPT/A503.

Men With Type II Diabetes in Peru: The Role of Masculine Gender Norms in the Perception of Family Support.

Type II diabetes is increasingly becoming a problem in Latin American countries such as Peru. People living with diabetes must incorporate several behavioral changes in their everyday lives, which are done outside the purview of medical professionals. Support from friends and family members is essential to the successful management of any chronic condition. Our study discusses the role of family involvement in supporting the management of diabetes among Peruvian men and examines how masculine norms play a role in the way such support is received and perceived, and their influence in motivation to adhere to treatment recommendations. In-depth interviews with 20 men from a low socioeconomic status, aged 27 to 68 with a diagnosis of Type II diabetes were conducted. Our analysis suggests the importance of the close, complex, and integrated experience that connects family members and patients with a chronic condition. Participant accounts demonstrate they receive multiple forms of support from a diverse range of social relationships. The overwhelming majority of the people giving the support were female and were especially significant in supporting management practices. The participants' accounts were able to demonstrate how living with a chronic condition, such as diabetes, affects the whole family-physically, mentally, and emotionally-and they experience the disease as one unit. Our study demonstrates the need for a family health experience approach that considers masculine gender norms around health and provides relevant insights to inform family-based treatments and therapies to allow for more and better targeted health care for men.

Perception, practice, and barriers toward research among pediatric undergraduates: a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Scientific research activities are crucial for the development of clinician-scientists. However, few people pay attention to the current situation of medical research in pediatric medical students in China. This study aims to assess the perceptions, practices and barriers toward medical research of pediatric undergraduates. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among third-year, fourth-year and fifth-year pediatric students from Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China via an anonymous online questionnaire. The questionnaires were also received from fifth-year students majoring in other medicine programs [clinical medicine ("5 + 3") and clinical medicine (5-year)]. RESULTS: The response rate of pediatric undergraduates was 88.3% (68/77). The total sample of students enrolled in the study was 124, including 36 students majoring in clinical medicine ("5 + 3") and 20 students majoring in clinical medicine (5-year). Most students from pediatrics ("5 + 3") recognized that research was important. Practices in scientific research activities are not satisfactory. A total of 51.5%, 35.3% and 36.8% of the pediatric students participated in research training, research projects and scientific article writing, respectively. Only 4.4% of the pediatric students contributed to publishing a scientific article, and 14.7% had attended medical congresses. None of them had given a presentation at a congress. When compared with fifth-year students in the other medicine program, the frequency of practices toward research projects and training was lower in the pediatric fifth-year students. Lack of time, lack of guidance and lack of training were perceived as the main barriers to scientific work. Limited English was another obvious barrier for pediatric undergraduates. Pediatric undergraduates preferred to participate in clinical research (80.9%) rather than basic research. CONCLUSIONS: Although pediatric undergraduates recognized the importance of medical research, interest and practices in research still require improvement. Lack of time, lack of guidance, lack of training and limited English were the common barriers to scientific work. Therefore, research training and English improvement were recommended for pediatric undergraduates.

Aesthetic doctors' perception and attitudes toward tolerance in botulinum toxin.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin is a crucial therapeutic tool with broad indications in both cosmetic and medical fields. However, the expanding cosmetic use and increased dosages of botulinum toxin have raised concerns about resistance, making it essential to study the awareness and management practices among healthcare professionals. METHODS: A survey was conducted among clinical physicians using botulinum toxin. The study investigated their experiences, awareness, and management practices related to toxin resistance. Real-time mobile app-based surveys were administered to clinicians attending the 45th International Academic Conference of the Korean Academy of Laser and Dermatology (KALDAT) on December 3, 2023. RESULTS: Among 3140 participants, 673 clinical physicians completed the survey. Of these, 363 clinicians (53.9%) reported experiencing botulinum toxin resistance. Regarding the resistance rate, 59.4% indicated less than 1%, 36% reported approximately 1%-25%, and 95.4% reported less than 25%. Efforts to prevent resistance included maintaining intervals of over 3 months (54.8%), using products with lower resistance potential (47.0%), employing minimal effective doses (28.2%), and minimizing re-administration (14.9%). CONCLUSION: In the South Korean aesthetic medicine community, a majority of clinical physician's report encountering botulinum toxin resistance. Given the potential loss of various benefits associated with resistance, there is a need to establish appropriate guidelines based on mechanistic studies and current status assessments. Educating clinicians on applicable guidelines is crucial.

Understanding mechanisms behind the oily mouthcoating perception of pure vegetable oils using tribology.

Tribology is the science of measuring friction between surfaces. While it has been widely used to investigate texture sensations of food applications, it is seldom applied in pure edible oil systems. In this research, we measured friction, viscosity, and solid fat content (SFC) of nine vegetable oils at 30 and 60°C. Polarized static microscopy was used to assess crystal formation between 60 and 30°C. Descriptive sensory analysis and quantification of oral oil coatings were performed on the oils at 60°C. Expressing the friction factor of oil over the Hersey number (calculated using high sheer-viscosity values) showed no differences in friction between 30 and 60°C, except for shea stearin. Static microscopy revealed crystallization occurred at 30°C for shea stearin, whereas no or few crystals were present for other oils. At 30°C, friction at 1 × 10-2 m/s showed an inverse correlation with SFC (R = -0.95) and with high shear rate viscosity (R = -0.84), as well as an inverse correlation (R = -0.73) with "oily mouthcoating" perception. These results suggest that friction could be a predictor of fat-related perceptions of simple oil systems. Additionally, we hypothesize that the presence of crystals in oils could lower friction via a ball-bearing lubrication mechanism.

The Impact of Delirium after Radical Prostatectomy on Cognitive Function and Health Perception during the Recovery Period.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the influence of delirium following radical prostatectomy on cognitive function and health perception during the recovery period. METHODS: Data were collected from patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at our institution between May 2020 and May 2022. Postoperative delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU), categorising patients into delirium and non-delirium groups. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) were employed to evaluate patients' mental health pre-and post-surgery. Comparative analyses were conducted between patients with and without delirium in the critical care unit, and correlation analyses were performed. RESULTS: The study revealed a delirium incidence rate of 19.13%. Patients in the delirium group exhibited significantly higher age and ICU length of stay compared to those without delirium (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in MoCA scores one day before surgery and seven days after surgery, as well as BIPQ scores one day before surgery, five days after surgery and seven days after surgery between the delirium and non-delirium groups (p > 0.05); However, the MoCA scores in the delirium group were significantly lower than those of the non-delirium group on the second and fifth days post-surgery. Additionally, the BIPQ scores in the delirium group were significantly higher than those in the non-delirium group two days after surgery (p < 0.001). A moderate negative correlation was observed between MoCA scores and CAM-ICU scores, and a moderate positive correlation was identified between BIPQ scores and CAM-ICU scores (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients experiencing delirium after radical prostatectomy are at a higher risk of cognitive function impairment and disease threat perception. A significant correlation exists between postoperative delirium and cognitive function as well as health perception.

Recent Progress in Wearable Near-Sensor and In-Sensor Intelligent Perception Systems.

As the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more widespread, wearable smart systems will begin to be used in a variety of applications in people's daily lives, not only requiring the devices to have excellent flexibility and biocompatibility, but also taking into account redundant data and communication delays due to the use of a large number of sensors. Fortunately, the emerging paradigms of near-sensor and in-sensor computing, together with the proposal of flexible neuromorphic devices, provides a viable solution for the application of intelligent low-power wearable devices. Therefore, wearable smart systems based on new computing paradigms are of great research value. This review discusses the research status of a flexible five-sense sensing system based on near-sensor and in-sensor architectures, considering material design, structural design and circuit design. Furthermore, we summarize challenging problems that need to be solved and provide an outlook on the potential applications of intelligent wearable devices.

Exploring Aesthetic Perception in Impaired Aging: A Multimodal Brain-Computer Interface Study.

In the field of neuroscience, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are used to connect the human brain with external devices, providing insights into the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes, including aesthetic perception. Non-invasive BCIs, such as EEG and fNIRS, are critical for studying central nervous system activity and understanding how individuals with cognitive deficits process and respond to aesthetic stimuli. This study assessed twenty participants who were divided into control and impaired aging (AI) groups based on MMSE scores. EEG and fNIRS were used to measure their neurophysiological responses to aesthetic stimuli that varied in pleasantness and dynamism. Significant differences were identified between the groups in P300 amplitude and late positive potential (LPP), with controls showing greater reactivity. AI subjects showed an increase in oxyhemoglobin in response to pleasurable stimuli, suggesting hemodynamic compensation. This study highlights the effectiveness of multimodal BCIs in identifying the neural basis of aesthetic appreciation and impaired aging. Despite its limitations, such as sample size and the subjective nature of aesthetic appreciation, this research lays the groundwork for cognitive rehabilitation tailored to aesthetic perception, improving the comprehension of cognitive disorders through integrated BCI methodologies.

Using Focus Groups to Explore Older Black Men's Perception of Dietary Interventions.

Older Black men are underrepresented in research despite being disproportionately affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors related to AD compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Although dietary interventions have shown promise to reduce modifiable CV risk factors related to AD, Black Americans have lower adherence likely due to lack of cultural considerations. Using a noninterventional convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, this study examined the cultural contexts that inform perceptions of dietary interventions among older Midwestern Black men. All participants completed an online demographic and dietary habit survey prior to focus group discussions. Two focus group discussion sessions were conducted with a total of 10 cognitively normal Black men aged 55 years and older. Survey data were analyzed using a frequency analysis and qualitative data were analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis process. Most men indicated having hypertension (N = 7, 77.8%) and currently not following a dietary eating pattern (N = 8, 88.9%). Emerging themes identified included (1) knowledge of dementia, (2) perceptions of dietary interventions, (3) barriers impacting participation in dietary interventions, and (4) overcoming barriers to engage Black men in dietary interventions. Findings from this study should inform the design of future dietary interventions for AD prevention to enhance participation among older Black men.