Prospective study to assess the efficacy and safety of a noninvasive electro-muscular stimulation for improvement of muscle strength and muscle toning of the extremities.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) device in the improvement of muscle strength and toning of the upper extremities. This device, which is FDA-cleared as a two-channel muscle stimulator, provides up to eight electrodes with waveforms inducing muscle stimulation. Although a prior study demonstrated it is safe and effective for use in the abdomen, this system, which has electrodes specifically designed for the extremities, has not previously been evaluated in the upper extremities. METHODS: Forty-five subjects enrolled in the study to assess improvement in arm (i.e., bicep and tricep muscle) strength, and appearance following a protocol of treatments with this bioelectric muscle activation (BMA) device. All subjects received four 30-min EMS treatment sessions in Arm mode-twice weekly for 2 weeks and at least 48 h apart. Follow up visits were also scheduled 30- and 90-days after treatment. Strength was measured with a dynamometer device at baseline, at the final treatment session, and at the posttreatment 30- and 90-day assessment. Subject satisfaction was assessed gauging overall comfort of the treatment and satisfaction including willingness to recommend to others. The changes in strength between initial treatment and final treatment, as well as 30 and 90-day assessment were evaluated. Clinical photography at these visits was also assessed for each patient. Patients were instructed to not modify their normal exercise routine while participating in this study. RESULTS: All 45 subjects completed the treatment protocol. Most patients showed an improvement in muscle strength from the initial to final treatment (i.e., the fourth treatment). Specifically, the maximum bicep strength increased by a mean of 7.5 lbs (22.83%, p = 0.006), while the average increased by a mean of 8.2 lbs (25.76%, p = 0.001) during this period. Similarly, the maximum tricep strength from initial to final treatment increased by a mean of 10.0 lbs (23.16%, p = 0.000), while the average increased by a mean of 9.6 lbs (27.12%, p = 0.000). Thirty days after the last treatment, the maximum bicep strength increased by a mean of 13.3 lbs (34.13%, p = 0.001) while the average increased by a mean of 13.6 lbs (37.05%, p = 0.000) during this period. Similarly, the maximum tricep strength from initial to 30 days postfinal treatment increased by a mean of 10.9 lbs (24.37%, p = 0.000), while the average increased by a mean of 10.5 lbs (29.37%, p = 0.000). Finally, 90 days after the last treatment, the maximum bicep strength increased by a mean of 19.4 lbs (48.4%, p = 0.000), while the average increased by a mean of 17.4 lbs (46.53%, p = 0.000) during this period. Similarly, the maximum tricep strength from initial to 90 days postfinal treatment increased by a mean of 10.8 lbs (27.12%, p = 0.000), while the average increased by a mean of 10.0 lbs (30.94%, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This device was well tolerated and resulted in increased strength measurements in the upper extremities, as assessed by a dynamometer, which were sustained at 30 and 90 days.

Minimally Invasive Injectable Cosmetic Procedures Increase Feelings of Authenticity.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive cosmetic dermatology procedures continue to be increasingly popular; however, the extant literature has poorly documented the psychological antecedents of interest in cosmetic procedures and their psychological consequences. OBJECTIVE: To better inform dermatologists on their patients' motivations for cosmetic enhancement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a general population survey, an online representative sample of 984 Americans reported the extent to which they feel authentic using the validated authenticity scale and whether they were interested in undergoing a cosmetic procedure. In a prospective dermatology office survey, 102 participants reported their feelings of authenticity immediately before and 2 weeks after receiving a minimally invasive injectable cosmetic procedure. RESULTS: In the general population survey, participants interested in cosmetic procedures felt significantly less authentic than participants who were not interested (p = .003). In the prospective dermatology office survey, participants felt significantly more authentic 2 weeks after their minimally invasive injectable cosmetic procedure than before (p = .018). CONCLUSION: Lower feelings of authenticity are associated with interest in cosmetic procedures. Participants felt more authentic 2 weeks after receiving a minimally invasive injectable cosmetic procedure. Cosmetic procedures may present patients with an opportunity to feel more like their real, genuine selves.

Evolution of a Mosquito's Hatching Behavior to Match Its Human-Provided Habitat.

AbstractA subspecies of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, has recently evolved to specialize in biting and living alongside humans. It prefers human odor over the odor of nonhuman animals and breeds in human-provided artificial containers rather than the forest tree holes of its ancestors. Here, we report one way this human specialist has adapted to the distinct ecology of human environments. While eggs of the ancestral subspecies rarely hatch in pure water, those of the derived human specialist do so readily. We trace this novel behavior to a shift in how eggs respond to dissolved oxygen, low levels of which may signal food abundance. Moreover, we show that while tree holes are consistently low in dissolved oxygen, artificial containers often have much higher levels. There is thus a concordance between the hatching behavior of each subspecies and the aquatic habitat it uses in the wild. We find this behavioral variation is heritable, with both maternal and zygotic effects. The zygotic effect depends on dissolved oxygen concentration (i.e., a genotype-environment interaction, or G×E), pointing to potential changes in oxygen-sensitive circuits. Together, our results suggest that a shift in hatching response contributed to the pernicious success of this human-specialist mosquito and illustrate how animals may rapidly adapt to human-driven changes in the environment.