Physical Appearance Research Articles

Perception on body image and its associated factors among undergraduates in selected faculties of a state university in Sri Lanka

Background: Perception on body image; the way individuals see or feel about their physical appearance, can influence one's mental well-being, self-esteem and lifestyle. Since there is a dearth of research on this in Sri Lanka, the perception of body image among undergraduates, who are an active social group, demands a com-prehensive understanding.Objective: To describe the perception on body-image and its associated factors among undergraduates in selected faculties of a state university in Sri Lanka.Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 389 undergraduates selected through convenience sampling from the faculties of Applied Sciences, Medical Sciences, Management and Commerce and Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Data was collected through a validated, pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire circulated as a Google form via social media. Perception on body image, mental well-being and self-esteem were assessed using the Body-focused shame and guilt scale (minimum 0, maximum 88, cut-off 37), WHO-5 well-being index (minimum 0, maximum 100, cut-off 40) and Rosenberg self-esteem scale (minimum 10, maximum 40, cut-off 28) respectively. All attributes were dichotomized using the means obtained from the pilot test.Results: Majority of the participants were females (n=270, 69.4%). Median age was 23 years (IQR=4). Majority (n=242, 62.2%) showed normal BMI (18.5-24.9). Two of every five undergraduates tend to have a negative perception on their body image.Among the participants who had negative per-ceptions on their body image, 69.0% had poor mental well-being, 72.3% had low self-esteem and 61.3% were highly concerned about fashion and cosmetics to improve their appearance.Conclusions: TNegative perception on body image is a hidden problem among undergraduates in Sri Lanka. The association of one’s gender, mental well-being, self-esteem and fashion with body-image perception is significant.

A Study on the Effects of Socio-Cultural Pressure and Health Beliefs on Scalp and Hair Care Awareness and Behavior

Purpose: In modern society, with economic development and improvement of living standards, beauty is no longer solely aimed at physical appearance, but there is a lot of interest in scalp and hair care based on health. This study aims to investigate the influence of socio-cultural pressure and health beliefs on the perception of scalp and hair care.
 Method: In modern society, with economic development and improvement of living standards, beauty is no longer solely aimed at physical appearance, but there is a lot of interest in scalp and hair care based on health . This study aims to investigate the influence of socio-cultural pressure and health beliefs on the perception of scalp and hair care.
 Results: Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to determine the correlation between the variables. All the variables showed a significant positive correlation with each other. Next, multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the effects of scalp and hair sociocultural pressure and health beliefs on perception and behavior of scalp and hair care, and it was found that sociocultural pressure from acquaintances, sociocultural pressure from media, intention to use, and maintenance had a significant positive effect on Perception and Behavior of scalp and hair care. Maintenance (β=.403, p<.001), sociocultural pressure from acquaintances (β=.246, p<.001), sociocultural pressure from the media (β=.240, p<.001), and intention to use (β=.129, p<.05) were found to affect perception and behavior of scalp and hair care.
 Conclusion: In order to improve 'Perception and Behavior of Scalp and Hair Care', it can be interpreted that it is necessary to pay attention not only to scalp and hair health beliefs but also to socio-cultural pressures. It can be said that this study proves that idealized appearances in the media and relationships can influence not only behaviors such as dieting, but also individuals' perceptions and actual behaviors regarding scalp and hair.

Review article: Comparison of cosmetic regulatory policies in various countries toward consumer protection

Cosmetics are various products that enhance physical appearance and care for the skin, hair, and body. Cosmetic regulation refers to the rules and regulations imposed by a country's government or health regulatory agencies to regulate the production, marketing, and use of cosmetic products. The purpose of writing this journal is to compare the regulation of cosmetic products in Indonesia with the regulation of cosmetic products abroad, and it is hoped that people will be more aware and understand the regulation of cosmetic products that have been established. The literature method is used to conduct a review article, and the criteria chosen are based on the originality and relevance of the reading. The result of this writing is that the requirements regarding labeling in various countries are similar, such as composition, country of manufacture, product name, instructions for use, full name and address of the owner of the notification number (manufacturer), manufacturing batch number, expiration date, and special precautions that must be considered when using. Consumers must consider different regulations for cosmetic products in each country. These must be considered when making or selling cosmetic products: import and export regulations, limited ingredients, and safety testing of cosmetic products. Keywords: Cosmetics, Export, Import, Labelling, Regulation

ANTI-AGING COSMETIC PROCEDURES: BENEFITS AND RISKS

The rising demand for aesthetic interventions reflects a broader cultural trend toward enhancing physical appearance and rejuvenation, fueled by technological advancements and increased accessibility of invasive and non-invasive cosmetic procedures. Skin aging, driven by a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors, results in visible changes such as wrinkles and reduced skin elasticity. The growing availability of cosmetic procedures, including botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers, and surgical options like rhinoplasty and liposuction, underscores a shift in public attitudes toward cosmetic enhancement and concealing of visible signs of aging. Social media platforms play a crucial role in influencing treatment decisions, changing perceptions and practices of cosmetic procedures. However, uncontrolled expansion of these procedures is associated with risks, including psychological distress and physical complications. Technological innovations, such as ultrasound-guided injections and 3D facial modelling, are improving procedural accuracy, patient safety, and satisfaction. This review examines the driving factors behind the surge in cosmetic procedures, addresses some issues in the field, and evaluates how emerging advanced technologies are enhancing outcomes and safety.

Pursuing beauty: socio-cultural and labor-economic determinants of cosmetic surgery consideration among female college students in China.

Cosmetic surgery has a profound impact on health and other aspects. As a means of enhancing physical attractiveness, it is increasingly being considered by female college students in China. However, current knowledge about the determinants of cosmetic surgery consideration among Chinese female college students still needs to be improved due to the lack of systematic perspectives and large-scale representative data sets. This study aimed to contribute to the literature in these two aspects. We framed cosmetic surgery consideration as a function of two broad sets of determinants: socio-cultural and labor-economic. We used data from a large, nationally representative sample of female college students in China (N = 6658, mean age = 20.3years). In terms of socio-cultural oriented factors, we found that family socioeconomic status, peers' cosmetic surgery practices, and media exposure were positively associated with the likelihood of considering cosmetic surgery. In terms of labor-economic oriented factors, we found that self-rated physical appearance, higher grades, and expected income after graduation were positively associated with a higher likelihood of considering cosmetic surgery. These findings suggest that the decision-making process for cosmetic surgery among Chinese female college students goes beyond personal factors and is significantly influenced by structural factors.

The co-occurrence of genetic variants in the TYR and OCA2 genes confers susceptibility to albinism

Although rare genetic conditions are mostly caused by DNA sequence alterations that functionally disrupt individual genes, large-scale studies using genome sequencing have started to unmask additional complexity. Understanding how combinations of variants in different genes shape human phenotypes is expected to provide important insights into the clinical and genetic heterogeneity of rare disorders. Here, we use albinism, an archetypal rare condition associated with hypopigmentation, as an exemplar for the study of genetic interactions. We analyse data from the Genomics England 100,000 Genomes Project alongside a cohort of 1120 individuals with albinism, and investigate the effect of dual heterozygosity for the combination of two established albinism-related variants: TYR:c.1205 G > A (p.Arg402Gln) [rs1126809] and OCA2:c.1327 G > A (p.Val443Ile) [rs74653330]. As each of these changes alone is insufficient to cause disease when present in the heterozygous state, we sought evidence of synergistic effects. We show that, when both variants are present, the probability of receiving a diagnosis of albinism is significantly increased (odds ratio 12.8; 95% confidence interval 6.0 – 24.7; p-value 2.1 ×10−8). Further analyses in an independent cohort, the UK Biobank, support this finding and highlight that heterozygosity for the TYR:c.1205 G > A and OCA2:c.1327 G > A variant combination is associated with statistically significant alterations in visual acuity and central retinal thickness (traits that are considered albinism endophenotypes). The approach discussed in this report opens up new avenues for the investigation of oligogenic patterns in apparently Mendelian disorders.

Nutritional Profile Analysis of Red Bean Tempeh Fermented Using <i>Rhizopus Oligosporus </i>at Different Time

Investigation of non-soybean legumes as raw material for making tempeh is very important to be carried out continuously considering soybean production tends to decline from year to year. This study aims to analyse the potential of red bean seeds as raw material for tempeh and changes in their nutritional profile when fermented at different fermentation times. The red beans were soaked in water overnight at room temperature and then boiled for 20 minutes. After boiling, the red beans were drained and then fermented for 36, 48, and 60 hours using a suspension of <i>Rhizopus oligosporus</i> with a weight of 2 g for each 1000 g of red beans. Red bean tempeh was analysed for quality using test parameters including physical appearance (color, texture, and aroma) and nutritional profile (calorie value, ash, water, crude fiber, fat, protein, and carbohydrate content). The physical appearance and nutritional profile of red bean tempeh were compared with those of soybean tempeh, while the quality of tempeh was compared with Indonesian national standards for tempeh. The results showed that the length of fermentation time significantly affected the nutritional profile of tempeh. Red bean tempeh fermented for 48 hours had a nutritional profile including energy, water, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and crude fiber content of 201.59 kcal/100 g tempeh, 61.97%, 1.18%, 16.19%, 10.98%, 8.29%, and 1.13%, respectively. The physical appearance and nutritional profile of red bean tempeh have met the tempeh quality requirements issued by the Indonesian national standard for tempeh. Therefore, red bean seed appears to be as good as raw materials for tempeh production.

Influencia del sexo, país, IMC, uso de Instagram, moralización de la comida e imagen corporal sobre la dismorfia corporal en adultos jóvenes de España y Venezuela

Body Dysmorphia Disorder (BDD) is characterized by an excessive concern with physical appearance, which has been of interest to the scientific community in recent years. Different variables have been found to influence BDD; therefore, the aim of the present research was to determine the direct and indirect effect of gender, country, age, body mass index, Instagram use, food moralization and body image on dysmorphia; comparing Spanish and Venezuelan nationality. A path analysis was performed with the total sample (208 participants), finding that the variables thatdirectly or indirectly influence are sex, body mass index, food-related guilt, country and body image; also, people who present body dysmorphia behaviors tend to be women, people with high BMI, greater dissonance between their body image and perceived body image, and tend to feel food-related guilt. In addition, in an indirect way, Venezuelans presented greater body dysmorphia behaviors. We conclude the relevance of these variables on BDD and recommend considering these findings when planning intervention strategies and prevention policies.

Study on the Influence of Physical Self-esteem on Physical Exercise Behavior—Exercise the Mediating Role of Self-efficacy

This study explored the relationship between physical self-esteem, exercise self-efficacy and physical exercise behavior among college students. Through a questionnaire survey of 314 college students from different majors, grade and gender, physical self-esteem was a significant positive predictor of physical exercise behavior, that is, college students tended to actively participate in physical exercise when they rated their physical appearance and exercise ability highly. Furthermore, exercise self-efficacy plays a partial mediator between physical self-esteem and physical exercise behavior. That is to say, when college students have confidence in their exercise ability, physical self-esteem is more likely to translate into actual exercise behavior. The study emphasized the importance of cultivating physical self-esteem and improving exercise self-efficacy to promoting physical exercise behaviors, which is important for enhancing their physical and mental health.

Engineering 3D Printed Gummies Loaded with Metformin for Paediatric Use.

In today's pharmaceutical landscape, there's an urgent need to develop new drug delivery systems that are appealing and effective in ensuring therapeutic adherence, particularly among paediatric patients. The advent of 3D printing in medicine is revolutionizing this space by enabling the creation of precise, customizable, and visually appealing dosage forms. In this study, we produced 250 mg metformin paediatric gummies based on the semi-solid extrusion (SSE) 3D printing technique. A pharmaceutical ink containing metformin was successfully formulated with optimal flow properties suitable for room-temperature printing. Using a quality by design approach, 3D printing and casting methodologies were compared. The 3D-printed gummies exhibited better firmness and sustained release at earlier times to avoid metformin release in the oral cavity and ensure palatability. The texture and physical appearance match those of gummies commercially available. In conclusion, SSE allowed for the successful manufacture of 3D-printed sugar-free gummies for the treatment of diabetes mellitus for paediatric patients and is an easily translatable approach to clinical practice.

Acoustic features of labial and dental plosives in children with hypernasality

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is a birth defect that can have negative effects on feeding, physical appearance, speech, hearing, and psychological development.VFI-induced hypernasality are high-pressure sounds such as plosives, fricatives, and affricates. In this study, the influence of hypernasality on plosive sounds was investigated. Six children with CLP with hypernasality and six children with typical development participated in this descriptive comparative study. All of the participants were between 10 and 12 years old and were native Turkish speakers. These two groups were matched by age and gender. For the acoustic analysis, the stop component, burst duration, and total duration of each target sound were calculated. Additionally, voice onset time (VOT) was assessed and contrasted between groups. A linear mixed-effects model was used for the statistical analysis. This study demonstrates that children with hypernasality have longer target sound durations. In addition, the burst duration of target sounds is determined to be prolonged in this group. Moreover, hypernasality is linked to a prolonged stop duration. Children without hypernasality experience a shortened duration of VOT than those with hypernasality. According to this study's findings, velofarengeal insufficiency has an effect on the duration of obstruent sounds. This explains the differences between the hypernasality group and the non-hypernasality group. This research suggests that CLP therapy for children may enhance their condition. Using acoustic measurements, this investigation generates theoretical results. Therapies' administration and evaluation could be combined.

Formulation and Evaluation of Herbal Capsules Containing Gum Resin of Boswellia serrata.

Boswellia serrata (Sallaki) is one of the most popular herbs, belonging to the family Burseraceae, whose dietary and therapeutic potential has been practiced since ancient days mainly for the treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory disorders. The therapeutic activity of oleo gum resin is typically due to the presence of active constituents such as 11-keto-β-boswellic acid and 3-o-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid. The main objective of the present research work was to formulate and evaluate the Boswellia capsule. The plant B. serrata is the best traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis without causing any side-effects when compared to synthetic drugs (NSAIDs). The herbal capsules were formulated and evaluated. The prepared formulation was subjected to evaluations like physical appearance, pH, dissolution, disintegration and phytochemical screening.

Development of Sinomenine Hydrochloride Sustained-release Pellet With Multiple Release Characteristics.

Due to the gastrointestinal side effects, the clinical application of sinomenine hydrochloride (SH) in rheumatoid arthritis is limited. The elderly population constitutes the primary group affected by this disease, and within this demographic, there are significant variations in gastric emptying time. To reduce the influence of individual differences on drug efficacy and concurrently alleviate gastrointestinal side effects, the SH sustained-release pellets with multiple release characteristics were developed, which comprised both regular sustained-release pellets and enteric-coated sustained-release pellets. The drug-loaded layer formulation was optimized by full factorial design. With the optimal formulation, the drug-loaded pellets achieved a yield of 96.05%, an encapsulation efficiency of 83.36% for SH, a relative standard deviation of 3.26% in SH content distribution, an average roundness of 0.971 for the pellets, and the particle size span of 0.808. The pellets with a 4h SH release profile in an acidic environment and pellets displaying 4h acid resistance followed by an 8h SH release behavior in the intestinal environment were individually prepared through in vitro dissolution tests. The results demonstrated stable and compliant dissolution behavior of the formulation, along with excellent stability and physical appearance. This research offers novel insights and references for the innovative formulation of SH.

The importance of hair satisfaction in appearance evaluation among black adolescent girls

Physical appearance evaluation is important in the emotional wellbeing of adolescent girls; however, hair satisfaction may be a distinct domain of appearance evaluation, particularly for Black adolescent girls. In a cross-sectional study of 193 low-income adolescent girls (Mean age = 15.4), we test if: 1) Black adolescent girls differ in hair satisfaction relative to White and Latina adolescent girls; 2) hair satisfaction is related to discrimination experiences among Black adolescent girls; 3) hair satisfaction is more strongly associated with depressive symptoms in Black versus White and Latina adolescent girls (i.e., moderating effects). Results indicate that Black adolescent girls report less hair satisfaction than White (d = −.79) and Latina (d = −.60) adolescent girls. Importantly, this was the only area of appearance evaluation in which racial/ethnic differences emerged compared to other domains (i.e., overall body, weight, face, lower torso, mid torso, and upper torso). Hair satisfaction was significantly inversely correlated with discrimination experiences only among Black adolescent girls (r = −.31), and hair satisfaction predicted lower depressive symptoms only among Black adolescent girls (β = −.53). These findings highlight the importance of considering hair in appearance evaluation research in adolescents and incorporating hair in interventions to promote positive body image.

Personal Values of Young Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Before and during COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: A study of the personal values of 109 young adults with intellectual disabilities was conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning about the personal values of this population group is important for implementing core curriculum content and developing support programs. Method: The purpose of the study (in a quantitative strategy) was to learn about the hierarchy of personal values and symbols of happiness in young Polish adults with intellectual disabilities before and during the pandemic. The questionnaire “List of Personal Values” by Zygfryd Juczynski, developed basing on the Rokeach’s concept of value measurement, was used. In particular, the position of health in the hierarchy of personal values was examined. Results: Health remains one of the three most important values before and during the pandemic, together with love and friendship. The least frequently chosen are fame, popularity, and good looks. Conclusions: Persons with intellectual disabilities are raised in a cult health. In their case, health is equated with “normalcy”, the chance to live independently. The category of health occupies such a high position in their personal values, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fashion and Beauty Center in Semarang City with an Organic Modern Architecture Approach

As the economy in Indonesia grows, the lifestyle of its people is dynamically changing. There is an increasing interest in fashion and beauty among the population, supported by the tendency of urban Indonesians to follow evolving fashion trends. Clothing (fashion) and beauty are crucial factors in personal appearance, thus creating a demand for facilities that cater to these needs within a single area. Semarang City is part of the mega-urban area known as Kedungsepur (Kendal, Demak, Ungaran, Salatiga, Semarang, and Purwodadi), which is a hub of urban development in Central Java. However, the growth of fashion and beauty in Semarang is uneven, despite the promising potential of the fashion and beauty industries to support local and regional economic growth. Therefore, there is a need for planning a facility that encompasses not only commercial aspects but also educational aspects within one area. The planning of a Fashion and Beauty Center aims to provide facilities to the community of Semarang City to support various activities such as shopping, salons, beauty treatments, fashion training, treatment training, makeup training, art galleries, and fashion shows. The application of a modern organic architectural approach in planning the Fashion and Beauty Center embodies the characteristics of fashion and beauty that are always evolving to be free-spirited, simple, functional, and elegant from year to year, while maintaining a balance with the surrounding environment.

Effectiveness of Extra-curricular Activities in the Self-Development of Primary School Students

The research aims to study the impact of attending extra-curricular activities on the self-perception of primary school students. The survey was conducted by using a questionnaire to determine students’ self-perception in order to study their striving for independence. The obtained results were compared through Student’s t-test. Primary school students who attend extra-curricular activities have statistically higher self-perception of scores than those who do not attend such activities. Children’s striving for independence increases with age, but this is significantly influenced by their attendance in extra-curricular activities. Primary school students who attend activities of tourism, sports, and dance clubs have statistically higher self-perception indicators for the subscales of Physical Appearance and Athletic Competence than those who attend extra-curricular activities on music, art, and design. Extra-curricular activities contribute to a better self-perception of children of primary school age, and have a positive effect on their self-development and striving for independence. The results of the student survey indicate the need for a rational selection of extra-curricular activities, their types, and quantity for effective development and prevention of student overload.

MicroHDF: predicting host phenotypes with metagenomic data using a deep forest-based framework.

The gut microbiota plays a vital role in human health, and significant effort has been made to predict human phenotypes, especially diseases, with the microbiota as a promising indicator or predictor with machine learning (ML) methods. However, the accuracy is impacted by a lot of factors when predicting host phenotypes with the metagenomic data, e.g. small sample size, class imbalance, high-dimensional features, etc. To address these challenges, we propose MicroHDF, an interpretable deep learning framework to predict host phenotypes, where a cascade layers of deep forest units is designed for handling sample class imbalance and high dimensional features. The experimental results show that the performance of MicroHDF is competitive with that of existing state-of-the-art methods on 13 publicly available datasets of six different diseases. In particular, it performs best with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.9182 ± 0.0098 and 0.9469 ± 0.0076 for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and liver cirrhosis, respectively. Our MicroHDF also shows better performance and robustness in cross-study validation. Furthermore, MicroHDF is applied to two high-risk diseases, IBD and autism spectrum disorder, as case studies to identify potential biomarkers. In conclusion, our method provides an effective and reliable prediction of the host phenotype and discovers informative features with biological insights.

Formulation and Comparison of Herbal Gels Containing Essential oils and their Antimicrobial Evaluation.

The current study aimed to formulate and evaluate herbal gels con-taining essential oils for the treatment of infection caused by microbial species, i.e., S. au-reus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and B. subtilis. These species are also responsible for acne directly and indirectly. The gels were prepared using a gelling agent with 1% Carbopol-940, and they were further evaluated for physical appearance, drug content, in-vitro drug release, viscosity, extrudability, pH, and spreadability. Further, anti-microbial screening was done with various microbial species. Studies revealed that the gel was highly effective against the selected species ex-cept for the fungal strain. ZOI was observed ranging from 3.1 ± 0.01 mm to 13.4 ± 0.14 mm. The maximum ZOI was observed at 13.4 ± 0.14 mm against S. aureus. The physical properties of the gel satisfied the standard parameters. The prepared herbal gel was found to have highly promising activity against bacterial species associated with bacterial infection but in a dose-dependent manner. How-ever, more research is required.

The battle of the sexes in humans is highly polygenic

Sex-differential selection (SDS), which occurs when the fitness effects of alleles differ between males and females, can have profound impacts on the maintenance of genetic variation, disease risk, and other key aspects of natural populations. Because the sexes mix their autosomal genomes each generation, quantifying SDS is not possible using conventional population genetic approaches. Here, we introduce a method that exploits subtle sex differences in haplotype frequencies resulting from SDS acting in the current generation. Using data from 300K individuals in the UK Biobank, we estimate the strength of SDS throughout the genome. While only a handful of loci under SDS are individually significant, we uncover highly polygenic signals of genome-wide SDS for both viability and fecundity. Selection coefficients of [Formula: see text] may be typical. Despite its ubiquity, SDS may impose a mortality load of less than 1%. An interesting life-history tradeoff emerges: Alleles that increase viability more strongly in females than males tend to increase fecundity more strongly in males than in females. Finally, we find marginal evidence of SDS on fecundity acting on alleles affecting arm fat-free mass. Taken together, our findings connect the long-standing evidence of SDS acting on human phenotypes with its impact on the genome.