Characterization and quantification of the skin radiance through new digital image analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The individual perception of the radiance is difficult to define and quantify because it often includes physiological and psychological attributes. Although if they are differences in the perception of the skin radiance, dermatologists and experts in cosmetology consider that the complexion must reflect the general health of an individual. The aim of this work was to determine existing conditions of skin radiance via digital image analysis, consumer's perception and experts' evaluation, and propose a mathematical model to quantify the global radiance phenomenon. METHODS: A round table meeting was organized in order to have free discussions about skin radiance. The qualitative assessment of skin radiance was carried out using a self-assessment questionnaire constructed according to the information obtained from the round table meeting. A simplified version of this questionnaire was proposed to experts. One hundred female subjects belonging to three different age groups (20-30, 30-40, 40-50 and >50 years old) participated in the study. Facial images were taken using a video imaging with visual control system to ensure consistency of images among volunteers. From these images, algorithms based on the principle of polynomial approximation, segmentation by maximalization of the entropy and the Logarithmic Image Processing model were required to extract skin radiance parameters. Multiple regression analysis was used to establish, via consumer's perception of the skin radiance and experts' evaluation studies, the degree to which each of the independent parameters contributes to the skin radiance perception. RESULTS: All the items of the self-assessment questionnaire explained 74% of the variation of the skin radiance. Data from experts' analysis explained 87% of the variation of skin radiance. In the two cases, skin radiance appeared to be independent of age and the presence of wrinkles. From the image analysis, we observed that the skin surface parameters explained 20% of the variation of the skin radiance expressed by experts and 24% of the variation of the skin radiance expressed by volunteers. As a result, about 80% of the variation is not explained by the instrumental data. If we combine experts' analysis and instrumental data, we obtain a mathematical model that explains 92% of the variation of the skin radiance. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire constructed from this brainstorming session allowed volunteers and experts to judge their perception of skin radiance more precisely. Video imaging appears as an interesting method to quantify visual properties of the skin and to visualize what the consumer perceives of skin radiance. However, the mathematical model proposed from the skin surface parameters analysis does not totally explain the global perception of skin radiance. In the future, it will be necessary to develop new data-processing programs to quantify subjective parameters in order to validate our mathematical model.     

Recovery from depressive symptoms, state anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in women exposed to physical and psychological, but not to psychological intimate partner violence alone: A longitudinal study

Background

In many countries, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death. In North America, reductions in population smoking levels are stabilising and, in recent years, those involved in tobacco control programming have turned their attention to particular segments of society that are at greatest risk for tobacco use. One such group is people with mental illness. A picture of tobacco use patterns among those with mental illness is beginning to emerge; however, there are several unanswered questions. In particular, most studies have been limited to particular in-patient groups. In addition, while it is recognised that men and women differ in relation to their reasons for smoking, levels of addiction to nicotine, and difficulties with cessation, these sex and gender differences have not been fully explored in psychiatric populations.

Methods

Community residents with serious mental illness were surveyed to describe their patterns of tobacco use and to develop a gender-specific profile of their smoking status and its predictors.

Results

Of 729 respondents, almost one half (46.8%) were current tobacco users with high nicotine dependence levels. They spent a majority of their income on tobacco, and reported using smoking to cope with their psychiatric symptoms. Current smokers, compared with non-smokers, were more likely to be: diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (rather than a mood disorder); male; relatively young; not a member of a racialised group (e.g., Aboriginal, Asian, South Asian, Black); poorly educated; separated or divorced; housed in a residential facility, shelter, or on the street; receiving social assistance; and reporting co-morbid substance use. There is evidence of a gender interaction with these factors; in the gender-specific multivariate logistic regression models, schizophrenia spectrum disorder versus mood disorder was not predictive of women's smoking, nor was education, marital status or cocaine use. Women, and not men, however, were more likely to be smokers if they were young and living in a residential facility.

Conclusion

For men only, the presence of schizophrenia spectrum disorder is a risk factor for tobacco use. Other factors, of a social nature, contribute to the risk of smoking for both men and women with serious mental illness. The findings suggest that important social determinants of smoking are "gendered" in this population, thus tobacco control and smoking cessation programming should be gender sensitive.     

Factors That Contribute or Impede the Physical Health Recovery of Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: A Longitudinal Study

BackgroundSeveral cross-sectional studies have demonstrated the negative impact that intimate partner violence (IPV) has on the physical health of women. However, longitudinal studies are needed to establish the time course of this effect. This study assessed the physical health course of female IPV victims and established the factors that enhance or impede their recovery.MethodsWomen (n = 91) who participated in a previous cross-sectional study (T-1) and were either victims of physical/psychological IPV (n = 33) or psychological IPV (n = 23) were evaluated 3 years later (T-2). A control group of women (n = 35) was included for comparison. Structured interviews provided information regarding IPV characteristics, physical health, and lifestyle.FindingsPhysical symptoms decreased over time for both groups of abused women. Factors that contributed to this improvement were perception of social support and the cessation of physical IPV. Factors that impaired recovery included cohabitation with the aggressor, victimization experiences at T-2, negative perceptions of life events, and continuing psychological IPV.ConclusionsThis study shows that physical health improvement is possible in female victims of IPV, but that continuing psychological IPV hinders recovery. Additional longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the factors that best predict health recovery in female IPV victims to design effective intervention programs.