Sentence completion for understanding users and evaluating user experience

Projective techniques are used in psychology and consumer research to provide information about individuals' motivations, thoughts, and feelings. This paper reviews the use of projective techniques in marketing research and user experience research and discusses their potential role in understanding users, their needs and values, and evaluating user experience in practical product development contexts. A projective technique called sentence completion is evaluated through three case studies. Sentence completion produces qualitative data about users’ views in a structured form. The results are less time-consuming to analyze than interview results. Compared to quantitative methods such as AttrakDiff, the results are more time consuming to analyze, but more information is retrieved on negative feelings. The results show that sentence completion is useful in understanding users’ perceptions and that the technique can be used to complement other methods. Sentence completion can also be used online to reach wideruser groups.Peer reviewe

Expression of advanced glycation end-products on sun-exposed and non-exposed cutaneous sites during the ageing process in humans.

The glycation process is involved in both the intrinsic (individual, genetic) and extrinsic (ultraviolet light, polution and lifestyle) aging processes, and can be quantified at the epidermal or dermal level by histological, immunohistochemical (IHC), or imagistic methods. Our study is focused on a histological and immunohistological comparison of sun-protected regions versus sun-exposed regions from different age groups of skin phototype III subjects, related to the aging process. Skin samples collected from non-protected and UV protected regions of four experimental groups with different ages, were studied using histology and IHC methods for AGE-CML [N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine]. A semi-quantitative assessment of the CML expression in the microvascular endothelium and dermal fibroblasts was performed. The Pearson one-way ANOVA was used to compare data between the groups. In the dermis of sun-exposed skin, the number and the intensity of CML positive cells in both fibroblasts and endothelial cells (p<0.05) was higher compared to sun-protected skin, and was significantly increased in older patients. The sun-exposed areas had a more than 10% higher AGE-CML score than the protected areas. No statistically significant correlation was observed between the histological score and the IHC expression of CML. We concluded that in healthy integument, the accumulation of final glycation products increases with age and is amplified by ultraviolet exposure. The study provides new knowledge on differences of AGE-CML between age groups and protected and unprotected areas and emphasizes that endothelium and perivascular area are most affected, justifying combined topical and systemic therapies

AGE-CML expression in fibroblasts and endothelial cells from both UV protected and non-protected sites.

<p>(<b>A</b>) AGE-CML is statistically higher in non-protected fibroblasts than in protected tissues (paired t-test probability is less than 0.001); (<b>B</b>) AGE-CML is statistically higher in non-protected endothelial cells than in protected tissues (paired t-test probability is less than 0.001).</p

The histological score of skin lesions on different age groups.

*<p>UV+ (UV nonprotected skin); **UV– (UV protected skin); ^#G0–G3 (Degree of skin lesions).</p

The percentage of immunostained fibroblasts and endothelial cells.

<p>SDV = Standard deviation.</p

Histological aspects of the skin from different groups and subgroups.

<p><b>A. </b><b><i>Group 1</i></b>, UV non-protected regions 1. Intracellular edema and scattered inflammatory cells. HE, bar = 100 µm; <b>B</b> and <b>C. </b><b><i>Group 2</i></b>, UV non-protected regions; intracellular edema, perivascular edema and mononuclear inflammatory cells, dermal fibrosis. HE, bar = 100 µm; <b>D</b> and <b>E. </b><b><i>Group 3</i></b><b>,</b> UV non-protected regions. Intracellular edema, dermal fibrosis and mineralization of collagen fibers; HE, bar = 200 µm; multiple foci of epidermal necrosis. HE, bar = 100 µm; <b>F</b> and <b>G. </b><b><i>Group 4</i></b>, UV non-protected regions. F - Diffuse intracellular edema of epidermis and multiple apoptotic cells. HE, bar = 100 µm; G - Dermal fibrosis and perivascular mononuclear cell aggregation. HE, bar = 100 µm; <b>H. </b><b><i>Group 4</i></b><b>,</b> UV protected regions. Hyperkeratosis, epidermal atrophy and uniform dermal fibrosis. HE, bar = 100 µm.</p

The graphical representation of the correlation analysis between the age of the patients and the AGE-CML score.

<p>(<b>A</b>) AGE-CML percentage is proportional with the patients’ age in endothelial cells in protected regions (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.941). (<b>B</b>) AGE-CML percentage is proportional with the patients’ age in fibroblasts in protected regions (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.921). (<b>C</b>) AGE-CML percentage is proportional with the patients’ age in endothelial cells in non-protected regions (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.912). (<b>D</b>) AGE-CML percentage is proportional with the patients’ age in fibroblasts in non-protected regions (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.949).</p

Immunostaining for AGE-CML from UV non-protected areas: group 1(A), group 2 (C), group 3 (E), group 4 (G) and UV protected areas: group 1(B), group 2 (D), group 3 (F), group 4 (H).

<p>The presence of AGE-CML expression on fibroblasts, endothelial cells, epidermis and inflammatory cells. Haematoxylin counterstained (bar = 100 µm).</p

Semiquantification of immunohistochemical CML staining.

*<p>UV+ (UV nonprotected skin); **UV – (UV protected skin); − nonreactive, + weak, ++ moderate, +++ strong intensity of CML.</p

Differentiation of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma from other Renal Cell Carcinoma Subtypes and Benign Oncocytoma Using Quantitative MDCT Enhancement Parameters

Background and objectives: The use of non-invasive techniques to predict the histological type of renal masses can avoid a renal mass biopsy, thus being of great clinical interest. The aim of our study was to assess if quantitative multiphasic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) enhancement patterns of renal masses (malignant and benign) may be useful to enable lesion differentiation by their enhancement characteristics. Materials and Methods: A total of 154 renal tumors were retrospectively analyzed with a four-phase MDCT protocol. We studied attenuation values using the values within the most avidly enhancing portion of the tumor (2D analysis) and within the whole tumor volume (3D analysis). A region of interest (ROI) was also placed in the adjacent uninvolved renal cortex to calculate the relative tumor enhancement ratio. Results: Significant differences were noted in enhancement and de-enhancement (diminution of attenuation measurements between the postcontrast phases) values by histology. The highest areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of 0.976 (95% CI: 0.924&ndash;0.995) and 0.827 (95% CI: 0.752&ndash;0.887), respectively, were demonstrated between clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and papillary RCC (pRCC)/oncocytoma. The 3D analysis allowed the differentiation of ccRCC from chromophobe RCC (chrRCC) with a AUC of 0.643 (95% CI: 0.555&ndash;0.724). Wash-out values proved useful only for discrimination between ccRCC and oncocytoma (43.34 vs 64.10, p &lt; 0.001). However, the relative tumor enhancement ratio (corticomedullary (CM) and nephrographic phases) proved useful for discrimination between ccRCC, pRCC, and chrRCC, with the values from the CM phase having higher AUCs of 0.973 (95% CI: 0.929&ndash;0.993) and 0.799 (95% CI: 0.721&ndash;0.864), respectively. Conclusions: Our observations point out that imaging features may contribute to providing prognostic information helpful in the management strategy of renal masses