Social Life Research Articles

Bi-valve braces for treatment of pectus carinatum in teenagers: impact on patients quality of life

BackgroundPectus carinatum may be a major issue for adolescent patients, as chest-wall malformations can have a negative impact on body image and induce self-esteem disorders. Bracing has become the first line treatment for adolescent patients whose anterior chest wall is still flexible. The main obstacle is the tolerability of the bracing device along with the patient’s compliance to the device. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life of adolescent patients treated with bracing to correct pectus carinatum in our institution. From November 2021 to July 2023, 28 patients with pectus carinatum were treated with bracing therapy in our chest wall deformities unit. We used a bivalve brace, manufactured with computer-aided design. All patients were asked to answer a multiple-choice questionnaire designed to assess how bracing therapy impacts their daily life, treatment compliance, and overall satisfaction. Patients who wore the brace for at least 3 months, and at least 5 days per week and 10 h per day, are defined as compliant with the bracing protocol.ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 14 ± 1.36 years. Patients wore the brace for an average of 10.1 ± 6.9 months in the compliance group (n = 18), and 2.2 ± 2.5 months in the non-compliance group (n = 10). Our results show that compliant patients are fairly satisfied of the comfort of the brace, with a limited impact of the device on their daily activities and social life. However, non-compliant patients report the following dissatisfactions regarding the brace: higher pain scores, difficulty in breathing, and issues sleeping with the brace. The compliant patients noted a significant improvement in the appearance of their chest, and were satisfied with the appearance of their chest. The non-compliant patients did not notice any changes.ConclusionsCompliant patients treated with a bi-valve brace for pectus carinatum seem to have a good quality of life with a limited impact on their daily life and social activities. The bi-valve brace also seems to be an effective therapy in compliant patients.

A female-biased gene expression signature of dominance in cooperatively breeding meerkats.

Dominance is a primary determinant of social dynamics and resource access in social animals. Recent studies show that dominance is also reflected in the gene regulatory profiles of peripheral immune cells. However, the strength and direction of this relationship differs across the species and sex combinations investigated, potentially due to variation in the predictors and energetic consequences of dominance status. Here, we investigated the association between social status and gene expression in the blood of wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta; n = 113 individuals), including in response to lipopolysaccharide, Gardiquimod (an agonist of TLR7, which detects single-stranded RNA invivo) and glucocorticoid stimulation. Meerkats are cooperatively breeding social carnivores in which breeding females physically outcompete other females to suppress reproduction, resulting in high reproductive skew. They therefore present an opportunity to disentangle the effects of social dominance from those of sex per se. We identify a sex-specific signature of dominance, including 1045 differentially expressed genes in females but none in males. Dominant females exhibit elevated activity in innate immune pathways and a larger fold-change response to LPS challenge. Based on these results and a preliminary comparison to other mammals, we speculate that the gene regulatory signature of social status in the immune system depends on the determinants and energetic costs of social dominance, such that it is most pronounced in hierarchies where physical competition is important and reproductive skew is large. Such a pattern has the potential to mediate life history trade-offs between investment in reproduction versus somatic maintenance.

Mobility of older people in public spaces from agender perspective

For older people, asufficient mobility offer is an essential prerequisite for participation in social life and abetter quality of life. The goal should be self-determined everyday mobility that enables asatisfying and healthy life. Mobility depends on diverse individual abilities and needs. On the other hand, social structures as well as regulatory and spatial framework conditions limit the realisation of mobility services and their transport infrastructure. These framework conditions are characterised by the perception of social roles, the availability of resources and gender-specific attributions. For example, care and caring work is predominantly the responsibility of women in the age group of 50years plus. The availability of transport infrastructure is geared towards goals that are characterised by the needs of gainful employment and not the goals of care work. Conversely, the availability of flexible means of transport, such as cars, also decreases for women in old age for economic reasons. For this reason, mobility planning should take greater account of specific needs, such as orientation towards care objectives, counselling, and health services and place agreater focus on the local area. For elderly people, especially women, security needs are often an important factor in the decision to become mobile or to forego mobility. This includes perceived subjective safety, accessibility and protection from weather conditions such as slippery surfaces or exposure to excessive heat. If these basic principles are taken into account, more people can be guaranteed self-determined participation in social life.

Outcomes of thyroidectomy in symptomatic, euthyroid Hashimoto's patients: a case control study.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is managed with thyroid hormone replacement to maintain a euthyroid state. A subset of patients have refractory symptoms, which improve with thyroidectomy (TT). There remains a reluctance to proceed with surgery due to perceptions of complications, and limited data availability regarding improvements in quality of life (QoL). This retrospective case control study aims to analyse the outcomes and QoL scores for symptomatic euthyroid HT patients who underwent TT. Thirty euthyroid patients who underwent TT for the management of HT between 2017 and 2022 were identified. An age-matched control group of patients who underwent TT for symptomatic multinodular goitre (MNG) were randomly selected. Demographics, biochemistry, histology, outcomes, and pre- and post-operative SF-36 and ThyPRO-39 scores were compared between groups. There were no surgical complications in the HT group, whilst two MNG patients had complications. There was a similar rate of parathyroid auto-transplantation in both groups, more glands were transplanted in the HT group. There was a significant difference in pre- and post-operative QoL scores for both groups. Comparison revealed a significant improvement in hyperthyroid symptoms, social life and daily life scores in the HT group. There was a significant difference in pre- and post-operative anti-TPO, anti-TG and TSH levels in the HT group. Patients with symptomatic Hashimoto's thyroiditis, despite being euthyroid, may benefit from total thyroidectomy however this remains under-utilized. This study demonstrated that thyroidectomy was associated with an improvement in validated post-operative quality of life scores and was not associated with increased complication rates for appropriately selected patients.

Hair Discipline in Singapore: Aesthetics, Morality, and Gender

ABSTRACT In the 1970s and 1980s, several Asian governments, including those of Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan, enacted varying measures to proscribe long hair on men. Singapore’s government was no exception in this regard, barring even longhaired global male celebrities from entry. Adopting a social semiotic perspective, this article traces the vicissitudes of the male hairscape in Singapore from the colonial period to contemporary times, with a view to uncovering its differential indexical meanings. It argues that the stigmatization of long hair was part of a moral-aesthetic regimen of hair hygiene that fashioned shorthaired men as poster boys of a young, disciplined, and aspirational nation, while longhaired men were discursively constructed as a bad influence and the archnemesis of a desired work culture and social life. Men’s hair, then, was not an innocuous sign with an organic meaning, but a loaded signifier for a cultural ethos tied to shifting social imperatives.

The role of public art has changed in recent times: a study

Public art which falls under the institutional category of visual arts primarily focuses on audience engagement and public representation. Additionally, there are other types of art in public settings that are designed for audience participation. The term Public Art means to those works of art commissioned and sponsored, monuments, memorials, and civic statues and sculpture installed in physical public domain by the Government and agencies and organization, which are especially significant within the Art World. The term is sometimes also applied to include and art which is exhibited in a public space these public art are basically symbolic, imaginary and illustrative representation on the Historical, political and cultural and civic values of the state. While speaking of public sculptures we often speak in terms of its artistic identity i.e. we always look at it and recognize merely as a piece of art only. We cannot undermine its importance in day to day social, cultural and political life. The presence of these pieces of art in any society holds a cultural recognition of that particular society. These are like the index or contents of a book that are sufficient enough to explain the entire subject matter. These public sculptures have become a part and partial of our day to day life. Since the colonial times to the modern era, in India, public art has undergone numerous changes. The institutions of public art and the public realm, media, genres, and forms of public art have all changed over time. Since the last two decades, site-specificity, public engagement, and process-based activities have been the main focuses of art in public spaces. Two types of public space can be distinguished. The first is the actual public space as a location, site, piece or thing. The second is the discursive public space, which is an abstract/conceptual area created briefly as a result of private individuals coming together to talk about or share important and light-hearted subjects. According to Habermas, this discursive space is the public sphere, which includes gatherings and encounters of people in public places like coffee shops, streets, community centers, and parks.

Treatment of Primary Axillary Hyperhidrosis with Two Doses of Botulinum Toxin A—Observational Study

Hyperhidrosis (HH) is defined as the production of more sweat than is necessary for its thermoregulatory function, negatively affecting patients’ quality of life and interfering with their social, work and family life. In this context, the aim of thisstudy was to evaluate the efficacy of two different doses of botulinum toxin type A (50 or 100 units) in each axilla in severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis. A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional and post-authorisation study was conducted onpatients referred to our department.Thirty-one patients with severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis were included, some of whom received more than one infiltration during the follow-up period, performing a total of 82 procedures. They were assigned by simple random sampling to two types of treatment: infiltration of 50 or 100 units (U) of botulinum toxin A per axilla.Hyperhidrosis severity was assessed using the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS), and quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. Onabotulinum toxin A infiltration reduced the severity of hyperhidrosis and improved the quality of life of the treated patients, with no significant differences between the two groups.

Deep learning pose detection model for sow locomotion

Lameness affects animal mobility, causing pain and discomfort. Lameness in early stages often goes undetected due to a lack of observation, precision, and reliability. Automated and non-invasive systems offer precision and detection ease and may improve animal welfare. This study was conducted to create a repository of images and videos of sows with different locomotion scores. Our goal is to develop a computer vision model for automatically identifying specific points on the sow's body. The automatic identification and ability to track specific body areas, will allow us to conduct kinematic studies with the aim of facilitating the detection of lameness using deep learning. The video database was collected on a pig farm with a scenario built to allow filming of sows in locomotion with different lameness scores. Two stereo cameras were used to record 2D videos images. Thirteen locomotion experts assessed the videos using the Locomotion Score System developed by Zinpro Corporation. From this annotated repository, computational models were trained and tested using the open-source deep learning-based animal pose tracking framework SLEAP (Social LEAP Estimates Animal Poses). The top-performing models were constructed using the LEAP architecture to accurately track 6 (lateral view) and 10 (dorsal view) skeleton keypoints. The architecture achieved average precisions values of 0.90 and 0.72, average distances of 6.83 and 11.37 in pixel, and similarities of 0.94 and 0.86 for the lateral and dorsal views, respectively. These computational models are proposed as a Precision Livestock Farming tool and method for identifying and estimating postures in pigs automatically and objectively. The 2D video image repository with different pig locomotion scores can be used as a tool for teaching and research. Based on our skeleton keypoint classification results, an automatic system could be developed. This could contribute to the objective assessment of locomotion scores in sows, improving their welfare.

Dance Learning in Children with Special Needs Autism Pk-Plk Center at Extraordinary School (SLB) Cendana Pekanbaru City, Riau Province

Eduction is a need of every human being, both normal and special needs, as stated in the national education system (Law No. 20 of 2003 article 5 paragraph (1) where it is stated that every citizen has the right to obtain a quality education, as a social creature human beings must be able to interact with their environment, especially with fellow humans. In carrying out this interaction, it also requires a medium of interaction in the form of communication both verbally (verbally) and non-verbally. The purpose of this research is how to describe the problems faced by teachers in teaching dance material to children with autism disorders at the SMALB level at the PK-PLK Center of SLB Cendana, Pekanbaru City, Riau Province. Also describes the strategies carried out by teachers in carrying out the learning process of dance material in children with Autism disorders, The research method used in this study is descriptive qualitative with the process of searching and compiling systematically based on (observation) interviews, compiling into a pattern of choosing data to be used as conclusions, collecting data on lesson problems faced by teachers in children with special needs, strategies and tips carried out by teachers and how teachers teach dance to children with special needs so that in this study add understanding of learning and dealing with children with special needs at SMALB Sentra PK-PLK SLB Cendana Pekanbaru City, Riau Province.

Life is better but not without challenges: experiences following discharge from community-based residential mental health rehabilitation-a qualitative content analysis.

Community-based residential mental health rehabilitation units for people experiencing severe and persistent mental illness are increasingly available in Australia. Research completed 20 years ago suggested that people leaving these services often experienced impoverished social lives and other challenges in the community. It is unclear whether contemporary consumers experience similar difficulties. This qualitative study explored contemporary consumers' experiences after leaving community-based residential services. An inductive qualitative content analysis of individual interviews was completed with consumers 12-18 months following discharge from three community care units (CCUs) in Queensland, Australia. The interview schedule explored three questions: (1) What does life look like after leaving the CCU, (2) Has the CCU impacted their life, and (3) How could the CCU experience be improved? A convenience sample was used, with sampling continuing until thematic saturation was achieved. A member of the research team who had relevant lived experience actively supported the analysis and interpretation. Seventeen interviews were completed. Three themes were identified: 'life is better but not without challenges', 'the CCU helps you get ready to go out into the world', and 'strict rules are important but rigid expectations can be hard; things could be better'. Consumers reflected positively on their lives post-discharge from a community-based residential rehabilitation unit and viewed the service as having supported improvements in their lives. The findings suggest the appropriateness of optimism about the possibility of sustained improvements in quality of life after leaving community-based transitional residential rehabilitation support.

Innovative Approaches and Comprehensive Strategies in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris. A Multi Faceted Review

Introduction Acne vulgaris, widely recognized as one of the most prevalent skin disorders, presents numerous diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. It affects not only adolescents during puberty but also adults, constituting a multifaceted phenomenon that influences both the physical condition of the skin and the psychological well-being of individuals. Acne's impact extends to overall well-being and social life. Given the complexity of this condition, a thorough understanding of its etiologies and the pursuit of effective therapeutic methods are essential. This review aims to evaluate fractional laser therapy as a potentially effective and safe treatment for acne vulgaris, emphasizing its potential to improve the quality of life and comfort for individuals suffering from this condition. Aim of the Study The objective of this review is to delineate the causes of common acne occurrence and explore solutions in its treatment process. The primary aim is to present fractional laser therapy as an effective treatment modality for acne vulgaris. Material and Method This article synthesizes the current state of knowledge regarding acne vulgaris, drawing on various scientific articles. Conclusions The path to eliminating skin lesions necessitates a multifaceted and holistic approach, with essential guidance from a dermatologist. Effective acne treatment requires an individualized strategy that considers multiple factors. In practice, a combination of different treatment modalities often yields the best results.

City of YOUth

Lublin is the first Polish city to have been chosen as the “European Youth Capital” (in 2023). Awarded by the European Youth Forum, the title aims to bolster the position of young people, promote their participation in social life, and strengthen the European identity.

A qualitative investigation of dental internships in Saudi Arabia: Exploring the experiences of dental interns.

For dental graduates, internships are a vital transitional phase that gives them the invaluable opportunity to close the gap between their academic studies and the reality of professional dentistry. Research on dental internships remains limited and most of the existing studies focus on the clinical aspects of dental internships with little attention given to dental interns' experiences overall. This study aims to bridge this gap in the literature by gaining an in-depth understanding of Saudi dental graduates' range of experiences as dental interns. To achieve the research objective, this study adopted a qualitative approach. Using purposive and snowball sampling, the study recruited 23 dental interns from Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia, who had completed at least nine months of their internship. Data was gathered across three months via diaries and virtual semi-structured interviews based on participants' preferences. The data was then analysed thematically using an inductive analytical strategy. The data analysis revealed three major themes and four sub-themes regarding the experiences of dental interns. The core three themes were "activities", "autonomy" and "transitioning to a balanced life" whereby interns have the time and freedom to explore their interests, rekindle their social lives and focus on self-care, resulting in a better work-life balance. This study suggests that dental interns will benefit from the retention and strengthening of key internship activities such as research, community work and clinical rotations. Additionally, the experiences of dental interns can be improved by encouraging interns to progress in their clinical training with a high level of autonomy. Also, due to the limited research in this area, further studies are required to improve our understanding of the lived experiences of dental interns and dental internships in general.

Threat-induced prosocial behavior: enhanced exogenous attention to protect others from harm

As social animals, humans tend to voluntarily engage in pro-social behavior to prevent harm to others. However, to what extent prosocial behavior can be reflected at the level of less voluntary cognitive processes remains unclear. Here, we examined how threat to others modulates exogenous attention. Fifty-four participants performed an exogenous spatial cueing task where the participant’s performance determined whether electric shocks would be delivered either to themselves or to their anonymous co-participant. Threat of shock to the co-participant elicited orienting and reorienting responses that were faster than in the safe condition and did not differ from performance when participants avoided shocks to themselves. This attentional improvement was not due to speed-accuracy trade off and was associated with arousal, i.e., increased pupil dilation in both threat conditions. Together, these findings suggest that pro-social behavior triggers automatic attentional processes which may be relevant for providing immediate help without relying on reflexive processes.

Social rhythm and implications on functionality of patients after stroke

ABSTRACT The study aimed to assess the regularity, intensity, frequency, and period of activities comprising social rhythm and associate them with the functionality of stroke patients. The sample consisted of 73 patients (41 men and 32 women) with a mean age of 60 years (±10). Social rhythm was assessed by Social Rhythm Metric (SRM) and Activity Level Index (ALI). The functionality was evaluated using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Data were analyzed using Student’s t-test, ANOVA, and Chi-square test. The mean SRM was 5.1 ± 0.9, and ALI was 58.3 ± 14.9. Notably, 40% of the patients exhibited both low regularity and low intensity of activities. Six SRM activities, performed with low frequency (going outside, starting work, exercising, snacking, watching other TV programs, and going home), exhibited a tendency to have periods that deviated from the expected 24-hour daily cycle. ICF domains most associated with SRM were: d2-General tasks and demands, d3-Communication, d4-Mobility, d5-Self care, d8-Major life areas, and d9-Community, social and civic life. The results indicated changes in social rhythm with implications for patient functionality. Screening for disruptions in social rhythm could be part of the functional assessment during the rehabilitation process for post-stroke patients.

Examination of social media usage habits of generation Z

Undoubtedly, social media is one of the significant components of computer and internet technologies. It offers users the opportunity to share emotions, thoughts, and life experiences through various means such as text, images, and videos on the internet. In doing so, it not only provides a multifaceted communication and interaction opportunity for users of all ages but also creates a dynamic and entertaining parallel universe. This universe shapes and transforms individual, social, and cultural life, as well as habits. With the daily increase in user numbers, social media has become an integral part of our lives. The primary objective of this study is to determine the social media usage habits of fourth-grade students, known as Generation Z. The research was conducted using semi-structured interviews, a qualitative data collection method. The universe of the study consisted of 654 fourth-grade students attending state schools in seven different provincial centers representing the seven geographical regions of Turkey during the 2021–2022 academic year. The data were collected using an interview form developed for this research and analyzed with the content analysis technique. According to the research findings, it was determined that approximately three-quarters of primary school fourth-grade students use social media on a daily basis. Moreover, most participants stated that they use social media for educational, communicative, and entertainment purposes. The most preferred social media platforms by students were identified as YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram.

ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF PRESCHOOL PEDAGOGY

Preschool pedagogy has a rich history of development: in the 20 th century, a large number of fundamental and applied problems were studied and investigated. Numerous theoretical, experimental and applied researches have made it possible to form the theoretical foundations of preschool pedagogy, to justify the methods and technologies of studying the education and development of children in the preschool age. However, there are still a number of current problems and promising directions for research. The main reasons for their emergence are mainly changes in the political, economic and other spheres of social life. The transition to new socio-economic conditions significantly changes the new view of the pre-school education system, the characteristics of childhood and the child's position in the system of social relations. The development of preschool pedagogy requires the need to further develop new technologies for training and education of children, concepts that are acceptable for modern life conditions and can enrich the experience of preschool education.

ALMAN DİLİNİN LEKSİK QATINDA “QLOBALLAŞMA” KOMPONENTLİ MÜRƏKKƏB SÖZLƏRİN LİNQVOKOQNİTİV XÜSUSİYYƏTLƏRİ

Linguio-Cognitive Characteristics of Compound Words with the Component “Globalization” in the Lexical Layer of the German Language Summary In this article, the author investigates the impact of the globalization process on the German language, paying special attention to the reflection of globalization in the lexical system of the German language. The author notes that the process of globalization affects all the aspects of human activity, not just individual ones. The author also takes into consideration the pragmatic and word-forming features of thematic groups. In the article the author emphasizes globalization as the internationalization of all areas of social life, as a new stage of the formation of the whole world based on the latest achivements of the information technology revolution. Key words: language, globalization, Anglo-Americanisms, language contacts, sociolinguistics communication, semantic transformations

EDGE AI BASED PLANT DISEASE DETECTION SYSTEM

Agriculture is a crucial industry to humankind's continued existence. Simultaneously, digitalization's pervasive influence made it simpler to accomplish previously challenging jobs in a wide range of disciplines. The agriculture industry, for both the farmer and the consumer, would greatly benefit from technological and digital adaptation. Through the use of technology and consistent monitoring, illnesses can be detected early on and removed, resulting in a higher yield. The economic, social, and political lives of farmers and the entire agricultural industry are profoundly impacted by the health and productivity of their crops. Therefore, in order to detect the illnesses at the proper moment, it is essential to conduct careful monitoring at different phases of crop growth. However, humans may require more than their natural attire, and there may be situations when doing so would be deceiving. Accurate identification requires a system that can automatically recognise and categorise the numerous illnesses that can affect a given crop. The current proposed framework was inspired by this train of thought. The suggested framework is primarily concerned with the transfer learning phenomena based on VGG16, and the "Plant Village" dataset, which contains both damaged and healthy potato and tomato leaves, is being explored for implementation. Keywords: Transfer learning, VGG16, Plant Village.

The relationship between night shift work, sleep patterns, psychological well-being, and mental health among Jordanian healthcare workers

This study examines the associations between working night shifts and various outcomes, including sleep patterns, healthcare workers’ sleep quality, and physical, mental, and social well-being. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, where the findings revealed that night shift healthcare workers experienced poor sleep quality and pattern. In addition, night shift healthcare workers were more likely to express their intent to leave, the impact of work on their social lives, and a low level of job satisfaction. Healthcare workers showed moderate anxiety and mild depression levels. Lower job satisfaction correlated with higher anxiety and depression levels among healthcare workers, while the negative impact of working hours on social life was associated with increased anxiety and depression. Organizations should consider establishing comprehensive wellness initiatives covering work-life balance, stress management strategies, and mental health resources.