Measuring Earwax Cortisol Concentration Using a Non-Stressful Method (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Herane-Vives
Keyword(s):  
Cortisol Level ◽  
Local Stress ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
Cortisol Concentration ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sampling Device ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Novel Device ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
The Right

BACKGROUND “Short-term” samples are not the most appropriate for reflecting Chronic Cortisol Concentration (CCC). Although hair is used for reflecting the systemic cortisol level over “long-term”, its use appears clinically problematic. Local stress and non-stress related factors may release a circumscribed cortisol secretion that is accumulated in hair. Non-stressful earwax extraction methods may provide a more accurate specimen to measure CCC. OBJECTIVE Correlate cortisol levels using hair, serum and earwax samples METHODS Earwax from both ears of 37 controls were extracted using a clinical procedure commonly associated with local pain. One month later, earwax from the left ear side was extracted using the same procedure, and earwax from the right ear side was comfortably extracted, using an earwax self-sampling device. Participants also provided one centimetre of hair that represented the retrospective month of cortisol output, and one serum sample that reflected the effect of systemic stressors on cortisol levels. Earwax (ECC), Hair (HCC) and Serum (SCC) Cortisol Concentration were correlated and compared. Confounders´ effect on cortisol levels were studied. RESULTS Serum showed the largest and hair the lowest cortisol concentration (p<0.01). Left-ECC was larger than Right-ECC (p=0.03). Right-ECC was the only sample unaffected by confounders (all p>0.05). Right-ECC and HCC showed the only significant association (r=0.39; p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS The self-sampling device did not represent a local stressor for the ceruminous glands. It provided the cortisol level with the least likely to be affected by confounding factors over the previous month. ECC using the novel device may constitute another accurate, but more suitable and affordable specimen for measuring CCC.

scholarly journals A Novel Earwax Self-Sampling Device: A Feasibility Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4882
Author(s):  
Andrés Herane-Vives ◽  
Rodrigo Sandoval ◽  
Lorena Ortega ◽  
Susana Espinoza ◽  
Anthony Cleare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extraction Method ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
New Method ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sampling Device ◽  
Clinical Method ◽  
Novel Device ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
The Right

(1) Background: Earwax might provide the long-term concentration of substances that are altered in chronic diseases. Standardised earwax extraction has to be exclusively performed by clinicians. We investigated the safety, reliability, and tolerance of a novel self-sampling earwax device in comparison with a clinical method; (2) Methods: We compared the reliability between both methods in a longitudinal study. We first cleaned both ears at baseline in 37 controls. Secondly, we obtained a sample a month after by extracting earwax from the right ear with a novel self-sampling device, and from the left ear by using the clinical method. Reliability of both methods was measured by coefficients of variation; (3) Results: The weight of the baseline samples was not significantly different between ear sides. The reliability of the two methods was not significantly different. The self-extraction method removed eight times more earwax than the clinical method. The new method proved to be well tolerated; (4) Conclusions: The novel device was as reliable as the clinical method in sampling earwax. In view of its practicality, safety, tolerability and efficiency, the new method may have clinical applications at a reduced cost.

scholarly journals A Novel Earwax Method to Measure Acute and Chronic Glucose Levels

Diagnostics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1069
Author(s):  
Andrés Herane-Vives ◽  
Susana Espinoza ◽  
Rodrigo Sandoval ◽  
Lorena Ortega ◽  
Luis Alameda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postprandial Glucose ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sampling Device ◽  
Clinical Method ◽  
Postprandial Glycemia ◽  
Novel Device ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Standard Serum

Diabetes is the fourth cause of death globally. To date, there is not a practical, as well as an accurate sample for reflecting chronic glucose levels. We measured earwax glucose in 37 controls. Participants provided standard serum, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and earwax samples at two time-points, one month apart. The specimens measured baseline fasting glucose, a follow-up postprandial glucose level and a between sample chronic glucose, calculated using the average level on the two occasions. The baseline earwax sample was obtained using a clinical method and the follow-up using a novel self-sampling earwax device. The earwax analytic time was significantly faster using the novel device, in comparison to the clinical use of the syringe. Earwax accurately reflected glucose at both assessments with stronger correlations than HbA1c. Follow-up postprandial concentrations were more significant than their respective fasting baseline concentrations, reflecting differences in fasting and postprandial glycemia and more efficient standardization at follow up. Earwax demonstrated to be more predictable than HbA1c in reflecting systemic fasting, postprandial and long-term glucose levels, and to be less influenced by confounders. Earwax glucose measurements were approximately 60% more predictable than HbA1c in reflecting glycemia over a month. The self-sampling device provided a sample that might accurately reflect chronic glycemia.

scholarly journals A Novel Earwax Method to Measure Acute and Chronic Glucose Levels

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Herane-Vives ◽  
Susana Espinoza ◽  
Rodrigo Sandoval ◽  
Lorena Ortega ◽  
Luis Alameda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glycated Haemoglobin ◽  
Postprandial Glucose ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Sampling Device ◽  
Clinical Method ◽  
Novel Device ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Standard Serum

Increased chronic glucose is associated with pandemic diseases. To date, there is not a practical, as well as accurate sample for reflecting that level. We measured earwax glucose in 37 controls. They provided standard serum samples, Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) and earwax samples on two time-points, one month a part. The specimens measured baseline fasting glucose, a follow-up postprandial glucose level and a between sample chronic glucose, calculated using the average level on the two occasions. The baseline earwax sample was obtained using a clinical method and the follow-up using a novel self-sampling earwax device. The earwax analytic time was significantly faster using the novel device in comparison to the clinical use of the syringe. Earwax accurately reflected glucose at both assessments with stronger correlations than HbA1c. Follow-up postprandial concentrations were more significant than their respective fasting baseline concentrations, reflecting differences in fasting and postprandial glycaemia and more efficient standardisation at follow up. Earwax demonstrated to be more predictable than HbA1c in reflecting systemic fasting, postprandial and long-term glucose levels and immune by confounders. Earwax glucose was approximately 60% more predictable than HbA1c in reflecting glycaemia over a month. The self-sampling device provided a sample that might accurately reflect chronic glycaemia.

scholarly journals Seismic Performance and Strengthening of Purlin Roof Structures Using a Novel Damping-Limit Device

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baokui Chen ◽  
Bao Jia ◽  
Ming Wen ◽  
Xiaodong Li
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Performance ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Local Stress ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Reinforcement Effect ◽  
Seismic Capacity ◽  
Novel Device ◽  
Roof Structure ◽  
Strengthening Method

Purlin roof structure houses, which have the advantages of readily accessible materials and simple construction, are widely used in rural areas of China. However, during earthquakes, the wooden purlins tend to fall off and the walls crack. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the structural parameters of and strengthen the anti-seismic capacity of these structures. To compensate for the seismic deficiencies of the purlin roof structure, a novel damping-limit device installed at the connection position of the gable and the wooden purlin was proposed. In this study, the seismic performance and reinforcement effect of the brick-wood structure with the purlin roof were analyzed through numerical simulation. The research results indicate that the novel damping-limit device proposed in this study can significantly reduce the local stress concentration and the seismic response of the structure, and thereby rectifying the seismic defect of falling purlin. Moreover, compared with the traditional strengthening method, the novel device is more convenient to install and the reinforcement quality is easier to ensure.

scholarly journals Association of Salivary Cortisol Level and Social Media Networking Usage

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.14) ◽  
pp. 72
Author(s):  
P T Mohamed Javad ◽  
S A Kadar Bashah ◽  
P Paulraj ◽  
M Chandramohan ◽  
P Sajeesh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cortisol Level ◽  
Salivary Cortisol ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Cortisol Concentration ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Average Value ◽  
Salivary Cortisol Level ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Networking Behavior

The present study investigates the usage of social media networking behavior among the MAHSA university students by using structured questionnaire. The salivary cortisol levels among the study groups were estimated. In addition, the association between salivary cortisol and the usage of social media networking was also assessed. Saliva samples were obtained twice a day from selected subjects to analyze the cortisol level. Results of the present study indicate that the 11% of the students spend less than one hour on social media, 40.2% uses two to four hours and 46.4% more than four hours daily; whereas, 2% of the study groups are others. The cortisol levels assessed among the male and female study groups showed high cortisol concentration in both morning and evening. The cortisol levels in the morning seen among the male study group ranges from 0.13-5.49 µg/dl and the female cortisol level ranges from 1.11-5.72 µg/dl. Besides in the evening, the cortisol levels seem to be higher among the study group. The evening cortisol level of male students ranges from 0.06-4.6 µg/dl. Whereas in the females, cortisol level ranges 0.263.9 µg/dl. The average value of the cortisol concentration in the morning is seen to be higher among the female study group than the male and in the evening the male cortisol concentration is seen to be higher than the females. Results clearly demonstrated that students spending more hours in social media had higher cortisol levels when compared to less hour users. From the present preliminary study, it is clear that there is an association between salivary cortisol level and the usage of social media networking behavior.   

Analytical Study of Violence Theme in Victoria Schwab’s This Savage Song

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Study ◽  
Research Paper ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Vicious Cycle ◽  
Aggressive Approach ◽  
Research Article ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
The Right

This research article focuses on the theme of violence and its representation by the characters of the novel “This Savage Song” by Victoria Schwab. How violence is transmitted through genes to next generations and to what extent socio- psycho factors are involved in it, has also been discussed. Similarly, in what manner violent events and deeds by the parents affect the psychology of children and how it inculcates aggressive behaviour in their minds has been studied. What role is played by the parents in grooming the personality of children and ultimately their decisions to choose the right or wrong way has been argued. In the light of the theory of Judith Harris, this research paper highlights all the phenomena involved: How the social hierarchy controls the behaviour. In addition, the aggressive approach of the people in their lives has been analyzed in the light of the study of second theorist Thomas W Blume. As the novel is a unique representation of supernatural characters, the monsters, which are the products of some cruel deeds, this research paper brings out different dimensions of human sufferings with respect to these supernatural beings. Moreover, the researcher also discusses that, in what manner the curse of violence creates an inevitable vicious cycle of cruel monsters that makes the life of the characters turbulent and miserable.

The Right to Dream: Gender, Modernity, and the Problem of Class in Kate O'Brien's Bourgeois Bildungsromane

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-289
Author(s):  
Naoise Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Coming Of Age ◽  
Female Identity ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Class Status ◽  
The Right ◽  
Aristocratic Culture ◽  
Modern Form

Feminist critics have celebrated Kate O'Brien's pioneering approach to gender and sexuality, yet there has been little exploration of her innovations of the coming-of-age narrative. Creating a modern Irish reworking of the Bildungsroman, O'Brien's heroines represent an idealized model of female identity-formation which stands in sharp contrast to the nationalist state's vision of Irish womanhood. Using Franco Moretti's theory of the Bildungsroman, a framing of the genre as a thoroughly ‘modern’ form of the novel, this article applies a critical Marxist lens to O'Brien's output. This reading brings to light the ways in which the limitations of the Bildungsroman work to constrain O'Brien's subversive politics. Their middle-class status remains an integral part of the identity of her heroines, informing the forms of liberation they seek. Fundamentally, O'Brien's idealization of aristocratic culture, elitist exceptionalism and ‘detachment of spirit’ restricts the emancipatory potential of her vision of Irish womanhood.

EFFICACY OF A NOVEL DEVICE TO DETECT, ALERT AND RESOLVE NEONATAL APNEA - PILOT STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 608-613
Author(s):  
Dr. Swapna Lingaldinna,Dr. Himabindu Singh,Mona Sharma*
Keyword(s):  
Newborn Care ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Tertiary Referral ◽  
Tertiary Referral Hospital ◽  
Care Community ◽  
Novel Device ◽  
Sick Newborn ◽  
Central Apneas ◽  
Neonatal Apnea

Objective: To measure the accuracy of a novel device in detecting Bradycardia andDesaturation (B&D) events and to determine its efficacy in resolving apneas innewborns with comparison to standard monitor (which only detects B&D eventsand alerts).Design: This was a prospective observational study.Setting: Sick Newborn Care Unit of a large tertiary referral hospital in Hyderabad,India.Methods: 31 newborns were provided with a novel device, which monitored oxygensaturation and pulse rate and alarmed when values dropped below a set thresholdwhich is referred as an event, henceforth. The novel device also provided footstimulation in response to above-mentioned events. When the monitor alarmed, anurse attended to the baby to confirm whether the baby was breathing and whetherthe event had been resolved by the device. If the event had not resolved, appropriateaction as per the standard-of-care was performed.Results: The novel device “ApneBootTM” positively detected B&D events 94.03% oftimes as compared to the standard reference monitor. 56 of 67 observed B&D eventswere visually confirmed to be apneas, indicating that 83.6% of B&D eventscoincided with apneas. Of the 56 apneic events, 50 were central apneas, of which 35were resolved by the novel device, making the device’s efficacy of apnea resolution70%.Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that this novel device “ApneBootTM”is very effective in detecting and alarming B&D events, which coincides with theapnea, and resolving it by providing foot stimulation.Keywords: Novel Device, Neonatal Apnea, Low Birth Weight, Body Temperature,Kangaroo Mother Care, Community Health,

Homosexuality in K. Sello Duiker’s The Quiet Violence of Dreams: Demythologising the Imaginings and Universalising the Reality

Imbizo ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adetunji Kazeem Adebiyi-Adelabu
Keyword(s):  
Coming Out ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Black African ◽  
Sex Preference ◽  
National Allegory ◽  
Critical Attention ◽  
Sex Orientation ◽  
The Right

Sello Duiker’s The Quiet Violence of Dreams offers an extensive treatment of homosexuality, a preoccupation which, until recently, is rare in black African fiction. On this account, as well as its depth and openness, the work has attracted some critical attention. It has been read from a masculinity perspective, as a coming-out novel, as a national allegory, as a work that challenges the notion of fixed sexuality, as a work that normalises same-sex sexuality, and so forth. Unlike these studies, this article examines the representation and disquisition around same-sex preference in the novel, with a view to demonstrating how some myths about homosexuality are exploded in the groundbreaking work, and showing that the narrative could also be apprehended as intellectual advocacy for the right to same-sex orientation.

The sharp bounds of the second and third Hankel determinants for the class 𝓢𝓛*

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 849-862
Author(s):  
Shagun Banga ◽  
S. Sivaprasad Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Triangle Inequality ◽  
Starlike Functions ◽  
Sharp Bound ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Sharp Bounds ◽  
Hankel Determinants ◽  
Lemniscate Of Bernoulli ◽  
Carathéodory Functions ◽  
The Right

AbstractIn this paper, we use the novel idea of incorporating the recently derived formula for the fourth coefficient of Carathéodory functions, in place of the routine triangle inequality to achieve the sharp bounds of the Hankel determinants H3(1) and H2(3) for the well known class 𝓢𝓛* of starlike functions associated with the right lemniscate of Bernoulli. Apart from that the sharp bound of the Zalcman functional: $\begin{array}{} |a_3^2-a_5| \end{array}$ for the class 𝓢𝓛* is also estimated. Further, a couple of interesting results of 𝓢𝓛* are also discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document