Acrylates in artificial nails-Results of product analyses and glove penetration studies.

BACKGROUND: Artificial nail materials are mixtures that are prone to contain several sensitizing (meth)acrylates. It is not known whether the listing of (meth)acrylates is correct in these products' packages. Protective gloves suited for nail work are needed. OBJECTIVES: To analyse (meth)acrylates in gel nail and acrylic nail products chemically and to compare the results with the information in the product labels, and to study penetration of artificial nail materials through selected disposable gloves. METHODS: We analysed 31 gel nail products and 6 acrylic nail products for their (meth)acrylate content by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We tested the penetration of two nail products through three disposable gloves: nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). RESULTS: Altogether 32/37 products contained (meth)acrylates. In all of them, there was discrepancy between the listed (meth)acrylates and those discovered in the analysis. The commonest (meth)acrylates were hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA, 20/37 samples) and hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA, 9/37 samples), but many of the product packages failed to declare them. Isobornyl acrylate (IBA) was discovered in nine gel nail products. The neoprene glove could withstand nail gel for 20 min and thin nitrile glove and PVC glove for 5 min. Acrylic nail liquid penetrated through disposable gloves quickly. CONCLUSIONS: Labelling of artificial nail products was notably incorrect on most products. Requirements for product labelling must be updated so that the risk of sensitization associated with artificial nail products is clearly indicated. Disposable gloves can probably be used short-term in gel nail work, whereas disposable gloves do not protect the user from acrylic nail liquids.

Enhanced white matter fiber tract of the cortical visual system in visual artists: implications for creativity.

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the white matter characteristics of visual artists (VAs) in terms of visual creativity and the structural connectivity within the cortical visual system. Methods: Diffusion spectrum imaging was utilized to examine the changes in white matter within the cortical visual system of a group of VAs (n = 25) in comparison to a group of healthy controls matched for age and education (n = 24). To assess the integrity of white matter and its relationship with visual creativity, we conducted a comprehensive analysis using region-based and track-specific tractographic examinations. Results: Our study uncovered that VAs demonstrated increased normalized quantitative anisotropy in specific brain regions, including the right inferior temporal gyrus and right lateral occipital gyrus, along with the corresponding white matter fiber tracts connecting these regions. These enhancements within the cortical visual system were also found to be correlated with measures of visual creativity obtained through psychological assessments. Discussion: The noted enhancement in the white matter within the cortical visual system of VAs, along with its association with visual creativity, is consistent with earlier research demonstrating heightened functional connectivity in the same system among VAs. Our study's findings suggest a link between the visual creativity of VAs and structural alterations within the brain's visual system.

Corrigendum: Enhanced intrinsic functional connectivity in the visual system of visual artist: implications for creativity.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1114771.].

Moving in musicking: the evolving pedagogical practice of the artist-facilitator within asylum seeker centers.

The field of community music has been continuously expanding during the last years alongside the need for experienced musicians who can carry out music activities for culturally diverse groups. Based on previous studies, we identified a need for research-based practices for training musicians and music teachers who wish to facilitate community music projects. We believe that it is important to incorporate reflexive practice in order to inform the planning of the workshops, but also to support the needs of the participants. The article examines the evolution of the pedagogical practice of the artist-facilitator in active music making with children, during a series of movement-based musical workshops at an asylum seeker center in Netherlands. We used an exploratory case study integrating Action Research, in order to focus on the artist-facilitator's pedagogical practice, the participatory role of the children and the content of this type of workshops. The researchers describe the adopted pedagogical approach based on a set of guiding principles and key components that supported the design and content of the workshops. Based on a cyclical process (plan-act-observe-evaluate), the findings from every cycle were incorporated in the next one by analyzing the video footage of the workshops and the immediate reflections of the artist-facilitator. Data analysis revealed a set of recurring themes that reflect crucial aspects of the artist-facilitator's practice. Furthermore, a set of pedagogical implications are proposed that can be directly implemented within the practice of artists-facilitators who wish to engage in activities with children at asylum seeker centers.

The expansion of vanity of Simon in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

An aggressive personality is a distorted personality with dark traits such as arrogance, a sense of power over others, and exploitation. As per Karen Horney's theory of neurosis, all these traits make an individual, psychologically, neurotic, who is willing to go against other people in society. In this paper, drawing upon Horney's theory, I study the aggressive personality of Simon in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man from three aspects of frustrated selfishness, sense of dominance, and search for respect to make known his neurotic needs for power, admiration, prestige, exploitation and achievement and demonstrate that offensive conducts of Simon make him more insecure and leave him more aggressive toward everybody at home and society.

How Well Do We Understand Autistic Savant Artists: A Review of Various Hypotheses and Research Findings to Date.

The authors investigated the artistic characteristics of autistic savant artists, hypotheses on the proximate and ultimate causes of their emergence, recent psychological and other studies about them, and psychological and neuroaesthetic studies about non-savant autistic individuals. The artistic features of autistic savant artists were significantly similar to those of outsider artists. Furthermore, the authors investigated the explanatory power of the paradoxical functional facilitation theory, the superior visual perception hypothesis, the "Hmmmmm" hypothesis, and the Neanderthal theory of autism regarding the emergence of autistic savant artists. In addition, we investigated whether an increase in savant characteristics was related to a decrease in the ability for social communication. The authors suggested that in studies on the aesthetic experience of non-savant autistic individuals, their aesthetic experience ability is never lower than that of neurotypical individuals and that some non-savant autistic individuals may potentially have artistic talent. Finally, the authors reviewed the effectiveness of the "autism savant spectrum syndromic disorder" proposed by some researchers. More scientific and systematic studies on autistic savant artists from a multidisciplinary perspective are warranted.

Enhanced intrinsic functional connectivity in the visual system of visual artist: Implications for creativity.

Introduction: This study sought to elucidate the cognitive traits of visual artists (VAs) from the perspective of visual creativity and the visual system (i.e., the most fundamental neural correlate). Methods: We examined the local and long-distance intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) of the visual system to unravel changes in brain traits among VAs. Twenty-seven university students majoring in visual arts and 27 non-artist controls were enrolled. Results: VAs presented enhanced local FC in the right superior parietal lobule, right precuneus, left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), left superior parietal lobule, left angular gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus. VAs also presented enhanced FC with the ITG that targeted the visual area (occipital gyrus and cuneus), which appears to be associated with visual creativity. Discussion: The visual creativity of VAs was correlated with strength of intrinsic functional connectivity in the visual system. Learning-induced neuroplasticity as a trait change observed in VAs can be attributed to the macroscopic consolidation of consociated neural circuits that are engaged over long-term training in the visual arts and aesthetic experience. The consolidated network can be regarded as virtuoso-specific neural fingerprint.

Peter Richard Barton BDS MBBS MA MDS FDSRCS MRCS LRCP (1921-2010) oral and maxillofacial surgeon and artist.

Peter Barton enjoyed a rare achievement: distinction in science and the arts. He was an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, a painter, musician and philosopher, with a sharp intellect and questioning mind. A true polymath.

Simulation-Assisted Augmentation of Missing Wedge and Region-of-Interest Computed Tomography Data.

This study reports a strategy to use sophisticated, realistic X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) simulations to reduce Missing Wedge (MW) and Region-of-Interest (RoI) artifacts in FBP (Filtered Back-Projection) reconstructions. A 3D model of the object is used to simulate the projections that include the missing information inside the MW and outside the RoI. Such information augments the experimental projections, thereby drastically improving the reconstruction results. An X-ray CT dataset of a selected object is modified to mimic various degrees of RoI and MW problems. The results are evaluated in comparison to a standard FBP reconstruction of the complete dataset. In all cases, the reconstruction quality is significantly improved. Small inclusions present in the scanned object are better localized and quantified. The proposed method has the potential to improve the results of any CT reconstruction algorithm.

Art in an age of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will affect almost every aspect of our lives and replace many of our jobs. On one view, machines are well suited to take over automated tasks and humans would remain important to creative endeavors. In this essay, I examine this view critically and consider the possibility that AI will play a significant role in a quintessential creative activity, the appreciation and production of visual art. This possibility is likely even though attributes typically important to viewers-the agency of the artist, the uniqueness of the art and its purpose might not be relevant to AI art. Additionally, despite the fact that art at its most powerful communicates abstract ideas and nuanced emotions, I argue that AI need not understand ideas or experience emotions to produce meaningful and evocative art. AI is and will increasingly be a powerful tool for artists. The continuing development of aesthetically sensitive machines will challenge our notions of beauty, creativity, and the nature of art.

Genome ARTIST_v2-An Autonomous Bioinformatics Tool for Annotation of Natural Transposons in Sequenced Genomes.

The annotation of transposable elements (transposons) is a very dynamic field of genomics and various tools assigned to support this bioinformatics endeavor have been developed and described. Genome ARTIST v1.19 (GA_v1.19) software was conceived for mapping artificial transposons mobilized during insertional mutagenesis projects, but the new functions of GA_v2 qualify it as a tool for the mapping and annotation of natural transposons (NTs) in long reads, contigs and assembled genomes. The tabular export of mapping and annotation data for high-throughput data analysis, the generation of a list of flanking sequences around the coordinates of insertion or around the target site duplications and the computing of a consensus sequence for the flanking sequences are all key assets of GA_v2. Additionally, we developed a set of scripts that enable the user to annotate NTs, to harness annotations offered by FlyBase for Drosophila melanogaster genome, to convert sequence files from .fasta to .raw, and to extract junction query sequences essential for NTs mapping. Herein, we present the applicability of GA_v2 for a preliminary annotation of P-element and hobo class II NTs and copia retrotransposon in the genome of D. melanogaster strain Horezu_LaPeri (Horezu), Romania, which was sequenced with Nanopore technology in our laboratory. We used contigs assembled with Flye tool and a Q10 quality filter of the reads. Our results suggest that GA_v2 is a reliable autonomous tool able to perform mapping and annotation of NTs in genomes sequenced by long sequencing technology. GA_v2 is open-source software compatible with Linux, Mac OS and Windows and is available at GitHub repository and dedicated website.

Bastard children of the avant-garde: artistic expression in the Cubist and Abstract Expressionist movements and the psychoanalytic process.

The art movements of Cubism and Abstract Expressionism, influenced by Jung and Freud, emerged as a symbolic representation of the collective unconscious, and became an expression of the challenging times of a culture in transition. Similar to the technique of interpretation in psychoanalysis, Cubist painting was a method of demarcation, rather than an imitation of what was seen in the physical world. Also, as an expression of collective experience, the avant-garde movement of Abstract Expressionism emerged out of Cubism. It moved away from the logical idealism of Cubism into an expression of felt experience. This paper will review the art of the avant-garde Cubist and Abstract Expressionist movements. The psychology of the artistic process will be explored in relation to psychoanalysis and collective experience.

Les mouvements artistiques du Cubisme et de l'Expressionnisme Abstrait, influencés par Jung et Freud, ont émergé comme représentation symbolique de l'inconscient collectif, et sont devenus une expression d'une époque difficile d'une culture en transition. Comme la technique de l'interprétation en psychanalyse, la peinture Cubiste est une méthode de démarcation, plutôt qu'une imitation de ce qui était perçu dans le monde physique. Le mouvement avant-garde de l'Expressionnisme Abstrait a émergé du Cubisme, et est également l'expression d'une expérience collective. Il a évolué à partir de l'idéalisme logique du Cubisme vers l'expression d'une expérience ressentie. Cet article passera en revue l'art de l'avant-garde du Cubisme et de l'Expressionnisme Abstrait. La psychologie du processus artistique sera étudiée en relation avec la psychanalyse et l'expérience collective.

Los movimientos de arte Cubista y Expresionismo Abstracto, influenciados por Jung y Freud, emergieron como representación simbólica del inconsciente colectivo, y devinieron en la expresión de una cultura en transición en tiempos desafiantes. De manera similar a la técnica de interpretación en psicoanálisis, la pintura Cubista fue un método de demarcación, en lugar de una imitación de aquello visto en el mundo físico. También, como expresión de la experiencia colectiva, el movimiento vanguardista del Expresionismo Abstracto emergió desde el Cubismo. Se alejó del idealismo lógico del Cubismo hacia una expresión de la experiencia sentida. El presenta trabajo revisa los movimientos de arte de vanguardia Cubista y Expresionista Abstracto. Se explora la psicología del proceso artístico, con relación al psicoanálisis y a la experiencia colectiva.

Os movimentos artísticos do Cubismo e do Expressionismo Abstrato, influenciados por Jung e Freud, surgiram como uma representação simbólica do inconsciente coletivo e se tornaram uma expressão de tempos desafiadores de uma cultura em transição. Semelhante à técnica de interpretação na psicanálise, a pintura cubista era um método de demarcação, em vez de uma imitação do que era visto no mundo físico. Além disso, como expressão da experiência coletiva, o movimento de vanguarda do Expressionismo Abstrato emergiu do Cubismo. Afastou-se do idealismo lógico do cubismo para uma expressão de experiência sentida. Este artigo revisará a arte dos movimentos cubistas e expressionistas abstratos de vanguarda. A psicologia do processo artístico será explorada, em relação à psicanálise e à experiência coletiva.

James Callaway, an Artist with a Drill and a Brush.

Dr. James A. Callaway (1947-2022) (Fig.1) was a well-known dentist and Renaissance-Man for over 50 years in Las Vegas, NV. Callaway attended the University of Nevada Reno as an undergraduate then matriculated into the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry where he earned a D.D.S. Summa Cum Laude. He then moved back to his hometown of Las Vegas to begin practice.

Acta Anatomica: A portrait of an anatomy department, Christmas 1951.

Seventy years ago, two medical art students painted a group portrait of the staff of the anatomy department in the University of Manchester Medical School. The painting is an unusual allegorical portrayal of the staff as pantomime characters. This paper asks: who were they and what were their subsequent careers? Does this picture tell us anything about the role of anatomy in medical education in the 1950s?

Color Biophysics and the Human Color Perception in Relation to Pigments and Tattooed Skin.

Perception of skin color in the natural state, or with tattoo pigment installed in the dermis is highly complex and includes both optical requisites and eye and brain functions connected to advanced cognitive and psychological functions. Permanent makeup (PMU) is miniaturized tattooing on critical anatomical location aiming at fulfilment of a person's esthetic ideal. It is a special challenge since a satisfactory outcome depends on perfectionated technique and very critical selection of pigments. The eye can be compared to a digital camera, and the center of central vision in the brain to a computer and color integrator. Color perception is the end product of a complicated brain function. The background theory of color physics and perception is reviewed with emphasis on aspects related to changed skin color created by pigment installed in the dermis with the purpose to tattoo eyebrows, eyeliners, lips, and other locations. The delicate dosing of pigment relative to the natural skin tone is highlighted. The review is relevant for all aspects of PMU including medical tattooing, e.g., areola tattooing after breast cancer surgery. A detailed guidance to PMU artists and medical tattooists on selection and use of tattoo inks and pigments is provided. The guidance is also relevant to laser surgeons and technicians performing tattoo removal.

Who Speaks for Science?

Ironically, flat-Earthers, anti-vaxxers, and climate change naysayers trust in science. Unfortunately, they trust the wrong science. That conundrum lies at the heart of scientific literacy in an age of well-funded commercial and ideological interests and overwhelming digital information. The core question for the citizen-consumer is not philosophically "why trust science?" (Oreskes 2019) but sociologically "who speaks for science?" Teachers can help students learn how to navigate the treacherous territory of inevitably mediated communication and the vulnerabilities of epistemic dependence. Students need to understand the role of science communication practices (media literacy) and the roles of credibility, expertise and honesty and the deceptive strategies used by imitators of science to seem like credible voices for science.

The impact of action observation and motor imagery on the aesthetic preference of Chinese calligraphy.

The creation of artwork requires motor activity. However, few empirical studies have directly explored the relationship between the experience of an artist's action and aesthetic experience. This study aimed to examine the effect of observing and imagery of the artist's action on the participants' aesthetic preferences. In Experiment 1 and 2, we took hard-pen and brush-pen Chinese calligraphy images as the stimulus, respectively, to explore the influence of action observation on the aesthetic preference by manipulating the artists' actions. The results of both Experiment 1 and 2 show that when participants observed the artists' actions, they tended to report a higher preference for calligraphy images compared with the control condition. In Experiments 3 and 4, we used instructions to manipulate the motor imagery tasks and investigated the effect of imaging the artist's action on the participants' aesthetic preferences. The results showed that both kinesthetic imagery and visual imagery increased the participants' preference. In general, our study shows that both action observation and motor imagery contribute to participants' aesthetic preferences. The results are discussed in terms of how artists' actions possibly influence the aesthetic preference of Chinese calligraphy.

Impact of an artist-in-residence program in a complex continuing care hospital: a quality improvement investigation.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to assess the impact of an Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program on the quality of life of patients living at a complex continuing care hospital. METHODS: In the AiR program, a professional Artist facilitated the creation of community art projects by patients in groups (before COVID-19) and individually (during COVID-19). Four patients, four staff and one family member involved with the program were interviewed to assess their experiences. RESULTS: Themes identified included improvements in spiritual, mental and community health, creation of a sense of community, learning skills and knowledge surrounding art and culture, and the importance of the Artist's personal characteristics/personality. It was recommended to continue and expand the program. CONCLUSIONS: The patients deeply enjoyed the AiR program and working with the Artist. Non-patient participants also recognized benefits for the hospital community. Procurement of stable funding and expansion of the program are areas to focus on next.

Artists and psychoactive substances use.

It is a well-established common notion that artists appear to use and abuse psychoactive substances more frequently and heavily than non-artists. The purpose of this study was to investigate if this holds true. The sample consisted of 118 participants, both artists and non-artists. They were asked to complete the ASSIST questionnaire, developed by the World Health Organization, that includes closed questions on substance use along with an additional questionnaire on demographic characteristics. The questionnaires were posted online in a digital platform. The artists scored significantly higher on substance use than the other professionals. Women reported less psychoactive substance use compared to men. The results confirmed the study hypothesis, in line with previous research findings. The number of similar studies in the international literature is limited. Our results are particularly useful but due to significant limitations of this study further investigation is suggested, as well as further examination of the causes of the phenomenon.

Impact of Government Support on Performing Artists' Job and Life Satisfaction: Findings from The National Survey in Korea.

In this study, we aim to propose motives that can help increase the creative activities of Korean performing artists and discuss the policy implications for the sustainable management of Korean performing arts. First, we investigate the characteristics of Korean artists that receive subsidies as a form of government support for undertaking artistic activities. Second, we examine whether receipt of such grants influences the artists' job and life satisfaction. Through a logistics model, we reconstructed the "2015 Survey Report on Artists & Activities" and validated the research hypothesis. We first considered subsidies that could directly impact artists' income and activities and then verified whether subsidies influence artists' job and life satisfaction. As a result of the research, first, art grants should be supported in order to help artists produce creative and experimental works. Second, we showed that artists' subsidies should be expanded in order to enhance artists' quality of life and the sustainability of artistic activities. Above all, subsidy support for artists showed that art can be legitimate as a public good, which is a common asset in society.