Influence of Gender and Age on the Processing of Travel Narratives

The purpose of this study was to investigate processing as well as perceived skepticism towards tourism persuasive communications. The importance of understanding processing and perceived skepticism resides in the fact that both have been linked to overall message persuasiveness; and as such, both are essential to developing and implementing effective travel promotional communications. Moreover, extant research suggests that general persuasability may differ depending upon such demographic characteristics as gender and age. Therefore, this study sought to examine if participants differed based on their demographic characteristics—gender and age—in (1) the degree to which participants’ were able to be transported by a narrative (i.e. process), and (2) participants’ level of perceived skepticism concerning travel articles and travel brochures. Overall, data analysis revealed several significant findings, indicating that age had a significant influence on participants’ skepticism towards travel articles and participants’ skepticism towards travel brochures. Additionally, gender was shown to have a significant influence on participants’ degree of narrative transportation

A Novel Ultrasound-based Measure of the Liver among Diabetes Mellitus Type II Patients

Diabetes mellitus type II (DM II) or adult onset diabetes is due to the inefficient use of insulin, which affects various organs and tissues. Patients with DM II are at risk of suffering non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that can later develop into more life threating forms such as hepatomegaly, cirrhosis or liver cancer. Following the logic of the non-inferiority trial test, we aim to establish a more accurate anatomical measure of the right liver lobe (RLL) to facilitate close monitoring of liver size with ultrasound (US). We hypothesize that US is not unacceptably worse than computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to accurately and reliably measure the size of the RLL when the measure is taken in the midaxillary line and craniocaudal plane (MAL-CC). Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a non-inferiority trial to test our novel MAL-CC measure. To meet this aim, US measure of the RLL was taken from DM II (n=7) and non-DM II (n=5) patients, whom were recruited from 2 endocrinology clinics at SoM-UPR. Preliminary data shows that MAL-CC measure of the RLL from non-DM II patients is 13.99 + 2.53 cm whereas the same measurement among DM II patients is 15.25 + 3.25 cm (Mann-Whitney U test, p= 0.42). It is concluded that there is a non-significant trend for large RLL sizes among DM II patients. Future work aims to increase sample size and to validate our novel measurement with MRI

Using Consumer Behavior Scales to Examine the Persuasiveness of Travel Narratives

Currently, an understanding of how travelers process promotional travel-related narratives or information sources is lacking in tourism literature. Moreover, when examined in the context of tourism, promotional narratives have been largely examined by literary and history scholars from a more critical standpoint where, in short, conclusions often assume the narratives examined possess a certain level of persuasive power. As such, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the general persuasive power of travel narratives. To do so, the study incorporated two consumer behavior scales, Green and Brock’s (2000) Transportation scale, as well as Obermiller and Spangenberg’s (1988) Skepticism Toward Advertising scale (SKEP), to measure individuals processing of travel narratives, as well as their perceived level of skepticism towards travel narratives presented in two different formats—travel articles and travel brochures. The utilization of these consumer behavior scales allowed for an examination of the degree to which presentation format, message cue, skepticism towards travel articles, and skepticism towards travel brochures influenced participants’ narrative transportation. Additionally, the relationship between participants’ skepticism towards travel articles and travel brochures was examined

Perceptions of Two Older Adults Regarding the Factors and Barriers that Influence their Oral Health Care: A Case Study

This paper presents the results of a case study about the perceptions of oral health care, factors that influenced current oral health, and barriers to dental attention of two older adults; the study was conducted by researchers from a hospital-school of dentistry at a public university in Mexico. Two adults aged 64 and 70 years participated in this study. First, the oral health status was clinically evaluated using the Decayed/Missing/Filled/Teeth (DMFT) Index. A semi-structured interview was then conducted to learn about the perceptions of oral health care. Thematic content analysis was used to explore the data obtained using the ATLAS.ti software 7.0 version. Four main themes and their subthemes were developed. The main finding of the case study was that oral health was directly and strongly associated with the impact that it has on a participant\u27s life, especially in the functional field of chewing. Also, the participants recognized the importance of having good oral health and see it as a necessity for living. Aspects that influenced the current status of oral health were mainly the care received during their childhood, as well as the previous dental beliefs and treatments. Finally, some of the perceived barriers to dental care treatment were lack of time, finances, and education. These findings challenge professionals to be more sensitive to past and current experiences of older adults at the time of receiving dental care. Knowing their perceptions can support health professionals to strengthen patients’ commitment to prioritizing oral health care needs

Effects of Maternal Separation and Adolescent Stress on Microglial Levels in the Adult Brain

Early life stress, such as maternal separation, has been associated with depressive-like symptoms in adult rats. Previous studies have linked depression with reduced activation of microglia in different parts of the brain. Microglia are important for neuronal transmission and plasticity, both of which are affected by stress. However, whether developmental stress alters microglial function to cause depression in adulthood is not fully understood. We hypothesized that exposing rats to early life stress would lead to depressive-like symptoms in adults that would be associated with reduce microglial levels in the brain. To test this hypothesis, male and female rats were maternally separated for 3 hours a day starting at post-natal day 1 for 14 days. After the rats reached adolescence (P28), they were exposed to repeated restraint stress for 2 hours a day for 14 days. Rats were then housed in their home cages until adulthood. Then, the rats were tested in the zero maze to measure their anxiety and the forced swim test to measure their depressive-like behaviors. Compared to the control group that did not receive maternal separation or restraint stress, the stressed female rats showed more depressive-like behaviors. We are currently quantifying microglial activity via western blots of the microglial marker Iba-1 to determine whether the increased depressive-like behavior correlates with changes in microglia in specific brain regions

The Influence of Exercise Environment and Gender on Mood and Exertion

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(3) : 220-227, 2014. This study examined the influence of exercise environment and gender on post-exercise mood and exertion. College student participants (55 females, 49 males) were instructed to pedal a stationary bike at a moderate pace for 20 minutes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three laboratory conditions: (1) exercising in front of a mirror and posters showing ideal fit body types (i.e., celebrity male and female personal trainers), (2) exercising in front of a mirror only, or (3) a control condition in which participants exercised without a mirror or posters. The Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List (AD-ACL), measuring exercise-induced mood states, was administered both before and after exercise. Average bike speed throughout the exercise session measured exertion. Mirrors and posters of ideally fit celebrities did interact with gender on post-exercise tension in that women felt most tense after exercising in front of the mirror and posters while men were most tense after exercising in front of the mirror only. Exercise exertion was also impacted by experimental condition such that participants rode significantly faster in the mirror and posters condition. There was no significant interaction of gender and condition on exercise exertion, but women pedaled fastest in the mirror and poster condition relative to the other conditions. Results suggest that exercise exertion and tension reduction are partially a by-product of gender and exercise environment

Hábitos alimenticios en adolescentes de 13 a 19 años en el centro de salud Junín en tiempos de pandemia

La investigación se centró en los adolescentes de 13 a 19 años del centro de salud Junín en quienes se evidenció que muestran deficiencias en la práctica de hábitos alimenticos saludables, problemática que se ha acentuado más en tiempos de pandemia por el COVID19. Se estableció como objetivo general identificar los hábitos alimenticios en los adolescentes de 13 a 19 años del centro de salud Junín en tiempos de pandemia, el objeto de estudio fue los hábitos alimenticos. Se determinó como variable independiente: hábitos alimenticios, y variable dependiente: pandemia. El estudio fue descriptivo de cohorte transversal, con la ayuda de los métodos estadísticos se pudo procesar y analizar los datos relacionados con las variables, la población de estudio estuvo conformada por 200 adolescentes de 13 a 19 años de ambos sexos. Los resultados de la investigación mostraron que la mayoría de los adolescentes de 13 a 19 años de edad son de género femenino, con el cuestionario se determinó que la alimentación de los adolescentes durante esta pandemia ha sido. Finalmente se concluye que la mayor parte de alimentos que consumieron los adolescentes durante la pandemia son escaso de vitaminas, minerales y proteínas; es necesario que la dieta sea equilibrada para que aporte los nutrientes necesarios para el desarrollo y crecimiento del adolescente

Uso indiscriminado de antiinflamatorios no esteroidales y sus relaciones con enfermedades gastrointestinales

The indiscriminate use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is a habit of world populations because they are the most prescribed class of drugs in the world and due to the phenomenon of self-medication. The objective of this research was to verify the relationship of the indiscriminate use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with gastrointestinal disorders, to show of the most used NSAID’s in the world, expose the protective and pathophysiological mechanisms related, compare and demonstrate the gastrointestinal disorders with their respective images. The results indicate there is a direct relationship between the intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and gastrointestinal disorders, including that the 5 most used NSAIDs worldwide are ibuprofen 20.40%, Aspirin at 11%, diclofenac at 6.40%, Aceclofenac with 1.50% and Naproxen with 1.40%. In conclusion, there is a direct relationship of cause and consequence in indiscriminate consumption, even in low doses, and the production of many conditions in various organic systems, including the gastrointestinal tract.El uso indiscriminado de los antiinflamatorios no esteroidales es un hábito de las poblaciones mundiales dado que son la clase de fármacos más prescrita en el mundo por el fenómeno de la automedicación. El objetivo de esta investigación fue verificar la relación del uso indiscriminado de los antiinflamatorios no esteroidales con las afecciones gastrointestinales, evidenciar los AINEs más utilizados en el mundo, exponer los mecanismos protectores y fisiopatológicos relacionados, comparar y demonstrar las afecciones gastrointestinales con sus respectivas imágenes. Los resultados indican que existe una relación directa entre la ingesta de los antiinflamatorios no esteroidales y las afecciones gastrointestinales, inclusive que los 5 AINEs más utilizados a nivel mundial que son el ibuprofeno 20,40%, la Aspirina con 11%, el diclofenaco con 6,40%, el Aceclofenaco con 1,50% y el Naproxeno con 1,40%. En conclusión, existe una relación directa de causa y consecuencia en el consumo indiscriminado, mismo en bajas dosis y la producción de muchas afecciones en diversos sistemas orgánicos, incluso en el aparato gastrointestinal

Social anxiety and negative early life events in university students

Abstract Introduction: There is substantial evidence regarding the impact of negative life events during childhood on the aetiology of psychiatric disorders. We examined the association between negative early life events and social anxiety in a sample of 571 Spanish University students. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2007, we collected data through a semistructured questionnaire of sociodemographic variables, personal and family psychiatric history, and substance abuse. We assessed the five early negative life events: (i) the loss of someone close, (ii) emotional abuse, (iii) physical abuse, (iv) family violence, and (v) sexual abuse. All participants completed the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. Results: Mean (SD) age was 21 (4.5), 75% female, LSAS score was 40 (DP = 22), 14.2% had a psychiatric family history and 50.6% had negative life events during childhood. Linear regression analyses, after controlling for age, gender, and family psychiatric history, showed a positive association between family violence and social anxiety score (p = 0.03). None of the remaining stressors produced a significant increase in LSAS score (p > 0.05). Conclusion: University students with high levels of social anxiety presented higher prevalence of negative early life events. Thus, childhood family violence could be a risk factor for social anxiety in such a population

Effects of different PEEP levels on respiratory mechanics and oxygenation after coronary artery bypass grafting Efeitos de diferentes níveis de PEEP na mecânica respiratória e oxigenação após revascularização do miocárdio

Effects of different PEEP levels on respiratory mechanics and oxygenation after coronary artery bypass grafting Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular/Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, vol. 28, núm. 3, julio-septiembre, 2013, pp. 380-385 Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular São José do Rio Preto, Brasil Rev Bras Cir Cardiovasc 2013;28(3):380-