scholarly journals How virtual avatar experience interplays with self-concepts: the use of anthropometric 3D body models in the visual stimulation process

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juyeon Park ◽  
Jennifer Paff Ogle

AbstractWe explored how viewing one’s anthropometric virtual avatar would affect the viewer’s self-body perception through the comparative evaluation of self-concepts—self-esteem and self-compassion, within the framework of allocentric lock theory. We recruited 18 female adults, aged 18–21, who identified themselves to have some level of body image concerns, and who had had no clinical treatment for their body image. Participants were randomly assigned either to the experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in both body positivity program and virtual avatar program, whereas the control group attended the body positivity program, only. The results affirmed that the body positivity program served as a psychological buffer prior to the virtual avatar stimulus. After the virtual avatar experience, the participants demonstrated self-acceptance by lowering their expectation on how they should look like. The findings from exit interviews enriched the quantitative results. This study verified the mechanism of the altered processing of the stored bodily memory by the egocentric sensory input of virtual avatars, and offered practical potential of the study outcomes to be applied in various emerging fields where novel applications of virtual 3D technology are sought, such as fashion e-commerce.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Alysha David

Individuals with higher body weight are at a greater risk of having negative body image (Friedman & Brownell, 1995). Yet current body image interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), are largely tested with individuals with normal weight or individuals with eating disorders. Furthermore, cognitive restructuring, one of the key components of CBT for body image (Alleva et al., 2015), relies on the assumption that negative cognitions or appraisals regarding the body are unbalanced or distorted in some way. However, people with higher body weight are 50% more likely to experience major discrimination based on their weight status and thus may possess some “evidence” from lived experience of weight bias that would lend support to their negative body-related thoughts (Puhl & Brownell, 2001; 2006). The use of compassion-focused approaches might be particularly helpful in overcoming these obstacles. Self-compassion refers to the capacity for mindfully reflecting on one’s own perceived flaws, mistakes, or wrongdoings with kindness and with an appreciation for the inherent imperfection in everyone (Neff, 2013). The present study tested the impact of various thinking strategies for managing negative body image in women with higher body weight after getting on the scale, a commonly distressing body image trigger (Ogden & Evans, 1996). Participants (N = 79) were recruited from the community and screened for moderate body dissatisfaction. They were randomly assigned to receive a single training session in cognitive restructuring (CR), self-compassion (SC), or distraction (Control) strategies after being weighed. Participants in all three of the groups reported improvements in body dissatisfaction and negative affect immediately following the training. Relative to those in the Control group, those participants who received training in CR or SC strategies reported greater improvements in body image, body image flexibility, self-compassion, and cognitive distortions one week after the training. These findings suggest that CR and SC strategies may be helpful in improving the distress associated with being weighed among women with higher body weight. The results may have broader implications for the development of psychosocial interventions focused on improving body image among these individuals.


2020 ◽  
pp. 15-18
Author(s):  
Inna R. Kilmetova ◽  
◽  
Igor A. Rodin ◽  
Nazira I. Khayrullina ◽  
Nikolay G. Fenchenko ◽  
...  

Summary. The disbalanced feeding and the uneven distribution of micro- and macroelements in the environment leads to a trace element, in particular hypomelanosis. To accelerate the growth and preservation of young farm animals include in the diet of various biological additives and drugs, which include selenium. For stimulation of weight gain in the livestock industry, as well as for the prevention and treatment of pathological processes in addition to micro - and macrouse amino acids, primarily methionine. The aim of this work was to study the influence of composition of DAFS-25+Polizon on morpho-biochemical parameters of blood and functional state of the liver in fattening bulls of black-motley breed in the conditions of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Experiments using were conducted on bull-calves of black-motley breed of the properties in the properties age from 6 to 15 months. The first experimental group during the experiment was additionally given the composition of DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg, the animals of the control group received a standard diet. To assess the impact of the composition DAFS-25+Polizon on metabolism cattle studied morphological and biochemical indicators of blood and conducted histological examination of the liver. It is established that the use of the composition of DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg increases the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the experimental group and reduces the amount of white blood cells. The serum content of total protein, phosphorus and calcium increases in the group of experimental animals. Microscopic examination of the liver revealed no changes in the structure of the organ and hepatocytes in the experimental group, whereas in the control group hemodynamic disorders and dystrophic changes in liver cells were observed. Thus, the use of the composition DAFS-25+Polizon at a dose of 2 mg/kg of live weight in fattening bulls black-and-white breed contributes to the increase of redox processes in the body, stimulation of metabolism, prevent the development of liver disorders of cellular mechanisms of metabolism, optimizes the structure of the liver, which generally provides higher productivity.


Author(s):  
M. Grigoryev ◽  
N. Chernogradskaya

Animals imported to Yakutia from other regions fall into feeding and housing conditions that differ from their usual agro-climatic conditions, which causes the problem of their adaptation. Yakutia is one of the areas where the feed of its own production has a lack of basic minerals, which affects the health and productivity of animals, which has an additional negative influence on the adaptation process of imported cattle. In order to replenish macro- and microelements in the body, it is necessary to introduce various local mineral feed additives, premixes, and use mineral salts into the ration. Under the conditions of Central Yakutia the influence of local mineral feed additives (zeolite of the Khonguruu Deposit in the Suntar district and sapropels of local lakes) containing macro- and microelements that increase the meat productivity of steers has been studied. As a result of the research the influence of local mineral feed additives on meat productivity and physiological condition of Hereford steers has been established. Influence of zeolite and sapropel in a complex with mineral salts on digestibility of nutrients of the ration and use of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus by experimental animals has been defined. The influence of feed additives on the quality of meat products has been studied. The results have shown that the use of local mineral feed additives in the composition of ration of steers during the fattening period at a dose of 0,7 g zeolite per 1 kg of live weight of the animal and 200 g of sapropel in combination with 10 g of mineral salts contributed to the gain in live weight, carcass weight, carcass yield, yield of edible parts, and economic efficiency of fattening. For the entire period of the experiment the gain in live weight in groups was: in control group 2222,9 kg, in the 1st experimental group 2396,2 kg, in the 2nd experimental group 2471,1 kg. The total economic effect for the 1st experimental group for the period of experiment amounted to 44,3 thousand Rubles, for the 2nd experimental group 78,0 thousand Rubles or per 1 head/day 14,06 and 24,76 Rubles, respectively.


Author(s):  
S. Grikshas ◽  
N. Kulmakova ◽  
K. Spitsyna ◽  
A. Dar’in ◽  
T. Mittelshtein

Mycotoxins have been formed in feed are secondary metabolites of fungi and are quite stable substances that have teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. An effective way to combat mycotoxins in feed is the use of feed additives that adsorb toxins, prevent their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal and are excreted from the body. The infl uence of coconut enterosorbent Shelltic Es on fattening and meat qualities of young pigs has been studied. It has been found in the process of fattening that the highest feed digestibility was in pigs of the experimental group, in the diet of which enterosorbent has been added. The results of studies of the chemical composition and technological properties of pork have been provided. The positive eff ect of enterosorbent on precocity, absolute average daily gain of live weight and reduction of feed expenditures per 1 kg of gain has been revealed. In pigs from the experimental group the average thickness of the fat was higher and the area of the “muscle eye” was lower compared with animals of the control group, which indicates that higher rates of carcass yield have been obtained due to faster accumulation of fat tissue. The weight of internal organs of pigs indicates the intensity of metabolic processes in the body. In experimental animals the weight of the lungs was 0,1 kg lower, and the liver and heart were higher by 0,13 and 0,01 kg, respectively. Enterosorbent had no effect on the content of vitamins in the liver of pigs of the compared groups. The content of impurities of organochlorine toxicants and toxic elements in the meat and liver of animals of the experimental group was lower than that of control analogues. Therefore, the use of enterosorbent Shelltic Es promotes more active excretion of them from the body.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanta Pandian ◽  
Kamal Narayan Arya ◽  
Dharmendra Kumar

Background. Balance and functional abilities are controlled by both sides of the body. The role of nonparetic side has never been explored for such skills.Objective. The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of a motor therapy program primarily involving the nonparetic side on balance and function in chronic stroke.Method. A randomized controlled, double blinded trial was conducted on 39 poststroke hemiparetic subjects (21, men; mean age, 42 years; mean poststroke duration, 13 months). They were randomly divided into the experimental group(n=20)and control group(n=19). The participants received either motor therapy focusing on the nonparetic side along with the conventional program or conventional program alone for 8 weeks (3 session/week, 60 minutes each). The balance ability was assessed using Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Functional Reach Test (FRT) while the functional performance was measured by Barthel Index (BI).Result. After intervention, the experimental group exhibited significant(P<0.05)change on BBS (5.65 versus 2.52) and BI (12.75 versus 2.16) scores in comparison to the control group.Conclusion. The motor therapy program incorporating the nonparetic side along with the affected side was found to be effective in enhancing balance and function in stroke.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 117906521772090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noppon Taksaudom ◽  
Metus Ketwong ◽  
Nirush Lertprasertsuke ◽  
Aphisek Kongkaew

Objective: The operating procedure of a resternotomy in open-heart surgery is a complicated procedure with potentially problematic outcomes partly due to potential adhesions in the pericardial cavity and retrosternal space. Use of a collagen membrane has shown encouraging results in adhesion prevention in several regions of the body. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of this collagen membrane in the prevention of pericardial adhesions. Materials and methods: A total of 12 pigs were divided randomly into 2 groups: an experimental group in which collagen membranes were used and a control group. After sternotomy and an anterior pericardiectomy, the epicardial surface was exposed to room air and irrigated with saline, and an epicardial abrasion was performed using a sponge. The pericardial defect was repaired using a collagen membrane in the experimental group or left uncovered in the control group. After 8 to 12 weeks, the pigs were killed, and a resternotomy was performed by a single-blinded surgeon enabling the evaluation of adhesions. The heart was then removed and sent for microscopic assessment conducted by a single-blinded pathologist. Results: The resternotomy operations performed using a collagen membrane demonstrated a nonstatistically significant trend of fewer macroscopic and microscopic adhesions in all regions ( P > .05), particularly in the retrosternal and defect regions. Conclusions: This study showed nonstatistically significant differences between the outcomes in the collagen membrane group and the control group in both macroscopic and microscopic adhesion prevention. Due to the many limitations in animal study design, further studies in human models will be needed before the true value of this procedure can be evaluated.


1971 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward T. Auer ◽  
Audrey G. Senturia ◽  
Moisy Shopper ◽  
Ralph L. Biddy

This report deals with the findings from a study of twenty-eight children, all of whom had ventricular septal defects and were studied by the same cardiovascular team. One-half of the group had a surgical procedure for correction of the defect. The study investigated three problems in children with ventricular septal defect ( VSD). (1) Do children with surgical intervention for VSD show greater impairment of intellectual functioning than non-operated children? (2) Do children with surgical intervention show greater emotional disturbance than non-operated children? (3) Do children with surgical intervention show greater alteration of body image than do non-operated children? Data were collected using questionnaires, family interviews, subject interviews, medical records, school reports, physicians' reports and Human Figure Drawings, both inside and outside the body. The findings conclude that ( a) operated children do demonstrate significantly more impairment of intellectual functioning; ( b) there was no significant difference in the incidence of emotional disturbances between the two groups but that these twenty-eight children with VSD were more similar emotionally to children in a psychiatric clinic group than in a control group; and ( c) the only indication of altered body image was found in the greater frequency with which bones were drawn by the operated group.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (77) ◽  
pp. 208-213
Author(s):  
D. Masiuk ◽  
A. Sosnitskiy ◽  
A. Kokarev ◽  
S. Koliada

There were infected neonatal piglets in the first days of their lives PED virus suspension derived from pigs previously PED patients. Diagnosis for PED in piglets donor virus PED was inserted complex method for clinical and epizootic performance and confirmed the identification PEDV by PCR-RT using the test system «EZ-RED/TGE/PDCoV MPX 1.0 Real time RT-PCR» company Tetracore (USA) Thermocyclers CFX 96 Real-Time System company BIO RAD (USA). Homogenate small intestine of pigs PEDV donor, prepared in a blender for PCR in a thick band of 18 animal carcasses, frozen at -18 °C without cryopreservation and kept 359 days. Before infecting pigs and strip defrost by RT-PCR identified the concentration of the virus genome equivalents (GE) without establishing viable virions quantitative pathogen. For Sample 20 selected analog neonatal piglets, divided them into 3 experimental groups (group 1 – 5 piglets, group 2 – 5 piglets and group 3 – 7 piglets) and one control (3 piglets). Research pigs infected per os virus-containing suspension with a concentration PEDV 1.03×106 GE/cm3. The dose for infection first group was 6 cm3 (6.18×106 GE/cm3), for the second – 5 cm3 (5,15 × 106 GE/cm3), for the third – 4 cm3 (4.12 GE×106/cm3) homogenate. The fourth group – control (not infected). All the pigs were in identical conditions that fully meet the physiological needs of the body. Of the 17 infected pigs only 2 was infected PEDV. PED was confirmed by laboratory methods. In bacteriological examination of internal organs of pigs that came out of a research experiment and control group were diagnosed colibacteriosis. In the control group was isolated from heart and intestinal non-pathogenic for white mice E. coli. From pigs 1 and 2 research groups has been allocated to white mice nonpathogenic E. coli, is set colibacteriosis; 2 experimental group found in one pig hemolytic E. coli; 3 experimental group from the internal organs of pigs in conjunction with non-pathogenic for mice intestinal former cane isolated Klesiella spp., is diagnosed with mixed infection (E. coli, Klesiella spp.). From the intestine of experimental and control pigs do not identified beneficial microflora – aerococcus, lactobacteria, bifidobacteria and cultured putrefactive anaerobic spore facultative and non spore microflora.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-71
Author(s):  
Vladimir Nikulin ◽  
Aleksandra Mustafina

The aim of the study is to increase the productive qualities of broiler chickens by including ultrafine silicon oxide into main diet. During the experiment, the biological effect of ultrafine silicon oxide on broiler chickens was estab-lished. Use of ultrafine SiO2 particles for poultry feeding contributed to an increase in the number of red blood cells and content of total protein and albumins. By the end of the experiment, the number of red blood cells in birds in-creased by 17.43% (P≤0.001) – in the blood of birds of the first experimental group, 16.51% (P≤0.01) – the second one, 20.80% (P≤0.001) – the third experimental and 21.71% (P≤0.001) – the fourth experimental group, compared with the indicator of the control group. The amount of total protein in blood serum of chickens of the first and the second experimental groups increased by 1.36-1.39 %, in the third and fourth ones there was a significant (P≤0.05) increase by 5.45 and 3.05%, respectively. The blood glucose content of chickens in the experimental groups is higher by 8.04-23.65% compared to this indicator with ones in the control group. During the experiment feed con-sumption per 1 kg gain of live weight decreased: in the first experimental group by 3.00 % in the second by – 0.50 %, the third – 6.00 % the fourth– by 4.50 %, compared to this with the control group. The chicken’s vibrancy of the first the experimental group was higher by 4.77 %, the second – by 6.20 %, the third – by 19.25 % and the fourth– by 11.59% than in the control one. Consequently, when converting the feed energy into the body energy of a broiler chicken, the energy conversion coefficient of the experimental group of poultry is higher than that of the control one by 7.16-21.76 %. Thus, the most optimal dose for further research was determined.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-195
Author(s):  
A.G. Faustova ◽  
I.S. Vinogradova

Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures used in various oncological diseases are often accompanied by the unwanted and uncontrolled appearance defects. The presence of an acquired visible difference is a significant source of stress, which is often ignored. The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between self-attitude and body image satisfaction in women with alopecia undergoing chemotherapy for cancer of the reproductive system. The study involved 20 women (mean age 52,15 years) without alopecia who start a course of chemotherapy treatment, and 20 women (mean age 51,55 years) with alopecia provoked by 10-40 courses of chemotherapy. An empirical study was conducted at the Ryazan Regional Clinical Oncology Center. Respondents were asked to fill out the Scale for assessing the level of satisfaction with the own body (O.A. Skugarevsky), the Self-Attitude Questionnaire (S.R. Pantileev), and to perform the projective technique “Human Figure Drawing” (K. Machover, F. Goodenough). Based on the obtained empirical data, specific regression models were revealed for each sample, demonstrating the dependence of self-attitude on the self-assessment of various components of the body image. In the experimental group of patients without alopecia, an adaptive level of self-acceptance is underlied by the high self-esteem of the external appearance of the chest (p=0,028), ears (p=0,039), and hair (p=0,017). Self-attachment among respondents in this group is determined by self-esteem of the abdomen (p=0,037). In the experimental group of patients with alopecia, other components of self-attitude were the most significant. The level of self-accusation is determined by the self-esteem of the pelvic region (p=0,048), ears (p=0,043), and hair (p=0,047). The reflected Self-attitude is determined to self-esteem of the chest (p=0,029), back (p=0,032), and arms (p=0,027). The patterns revealed in each sample are confirmed by the results of the projective technique “Human Figure Drawing”. Women with cancer of the reproductive organs, both before and after chemotherapy, mainly pay attention to those components of the body image that are associated with femininity and physical attractiveness, as well as those that undergo severe changes in the process of radical treatment.


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