Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age.

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

Abstract The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset – with data collected between 2020 and 2022 – to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research

Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research

Multicomponent chitosan systems as thermosensitive gels

W pracy przedstawiono badania nad żelami chitozanowymi formującymi się w fizjologicznej temperaturze ciała ludzkiego. Żele wytwarzano w oparciu o chlorek chitozanu i b-glicerofosforan sodu. W strukturę żelu wprowadzono albuminę, którą uwalniano do wody oraz buforu o pH = 10.Thermosensitive chitosan hydrogels - a subject of this study - might be carriers of new-generation. Investigations of the possible formation of thermogels based on chitosan chloride and sodium b-glyceropho-sphate with controlled release of albumin to water and to buffer at pH = 10 are described in the paper

Active agent release from hydrogels - diffusion and diffusion-desorption models

Przedstawiono dwa modele uwalniania środków aktywnych z hydrożeli znany model dyfuzyjny oraz opracowany nowy model dyfuzyjno-desorpcyjny. Model ten uwzględnia procesy desorpcji z powierzchni fazy stałej matrycy oraz procesy dyfuzyjne zachodzące w porach matrycy. Kinetykę uwalniania opisano za pomocą współczynnika dyfuzji środka aktywnego v cieczy wypełniającej pory oraz współczynnika wnikania masy, który odpowiada szybkości desorpcji składnika aktywnego z powierzchni porów, przykładową symulację dla surowiczej albuminy wołowej (BSA) wykonano w programie MATLAB metodą różnic skończonych.The paper presents two models of release of active agents from hydrogels: the known diffusion model and a developed new diffusion-desorption model. The later model takes into account desorption processes from the surface of solid phase matrix and diffusion processes taking place in the matrix pores. The release kinetics is described by means of the diffusion coefficient of active agent in liquid filling the pores, and the mass transfer coefficient which corresponds to the desorption rate of active ingredient from the surface of pores. An exemplary simulation for bovine serum albumin (BSA) was performed in MATLAB using the finite differences method

Influence of temperature on rheological properties of chitosan thermogels

W pracy przedstawiono możliwości wytwarzania termożeli chitozanowych w oparciu o mleczan i octan chitozanu oraz b-glicerofosforan sodu. Roztwór soli chitozanowej formuje się w postać hydrożelu w temperaturze powyżej .35 st.>°C, a więc w warunkach fizjologicznych (poniżej tej temperatury pozostaje w postaci lepkiego roztworu).Investigations of possible formation of thcrmogels based on chitosan lactate and chloride with sodium b-glycerophosphate are presented in the paper. Solution of chitosan salt is formed into hydrogel at temperature above 35°C, i.e. in physiological conditions (below this temperature it has a form of viscous solution)

Mechanism of Cu2+ ions sorption in chirosan microgranules

W pracy przedstawiono badania mechanizmu sorpcji jonów Cu + w mi-krogranulkach wytworzonych w procesie suszenia w warunkach nad-krytycznych na podstawie widm IR w podczerwieni oraz przy wykorzystaniu metody magnetycznego rezonansu jądrowego NMR. Badania potwierdzają główny udział grup NH2 i OH wskazując na zmiany przy wiązaniach glikozydowych.The FTIR and NMR methods were used to study the structure of chitosan microgranules formed via supercritical drying chelated by Cu ions. Analysis of the spectra confirmed major participation of NH2 and OH groups indicating the changes in glycosidic bonds

Structural characteristics of thermosensitive chitosan glutaminate hydrogels

Hydrogels that possess the ability of gelling in response to changes in the local environment, such as pH or temperature, have been examined extensively recently. In this paper the properties of thermosensitive chitosan hydrogels prepared with the use of chitosan glutaminate and -glycerophosphate are presented. The sol/gel transition point was determined based on the rheological properties. The structure of gels was observed under the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and was investigated by thermogravimetric (TG) and differential themogravimetric (DTG) analy¬sis and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The crystallinity of gel structure was determined by X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD)

Adsorption processes in forming of hybrid structures for controlled release of pharmaceuticals

Przedstawiono możliwości wytwarzania układów hybrydowych do kontrolowanego uwalniania środków farmakologicznych przy wykorzystaniu nośników hydrożelowych i struktury w skali mikro i nano. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na wytwarzanie takich układów w procesie adsorpcji, korzystając z nośnika chitozanowego. Przedstawiono modele opisujące stan równowagi oraz kinetykę w procesie sorpcji substancji modelowych.Possibilities of formation of hybrid systems for controlled drug release from hydrogel carriers and structures in micro- and nanoscale are discussed in the study. Attention is focussed on the formation of such systems in the adsorption process from a chitosan carrier. Models which describe the equilibrium state and sorption kinetics of model substances are presented