Background:Body contouring techniques have limited impact on waist definition because of their focus on soft tissues. Rib remodeling surgeries have emerged as a safer, minimally invasive option to improve the aesthetic definition of the waistline compared with more invasive and aggressive techniques, such as rib resection. Objectives:In this study, the authors introduce waistline aesthetic slimming by puncture (WASP) and a parallel approach to enhance the hourglass silhouette and effectively decrease the waist diameter in body contouring procedures. Methods:The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study from July 2023 to August 2024, at 3 specialized plastic surgery institutions in Colombia and Brazil. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing WASP technique. Exclusion criteria included previous rib surgeries, BMI >30 kg/m2, chronic respiratory diseases, spinal disorders, and incomplete data. Patients completed a satisfaction questionnaire (Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale) 3 to 6 months postprocedure. Results:The authors of this study included 125 patients who underwent WASP technique, primarily females (96.8%). Mean age was 34.7 years (standard deviation [SD] 7.1) and mean BMI was 24.1 kg/m2 (SD 2.4 kg/m2). Most patients (63.8%) had no previous aesthetic procedures. Overall complication rate was low at 3.8%, with no serious adverse events reported. Waist measurements improved significantly from a median of 76 cm (interquartile range [IQR] 7.9 cm) preoperatively, 68 cm (IQR 8 cm) postoperatively, and 65 cm (IQR 7.4 cm) 3 months postprocedure, resulting in a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) decrease from 0.8 to 0.7. Patient satisfaction was high, with 92.9% reporting being "very satisfied" with the outcomes. Conclusions:WASP is a safe and reproducible technique, effective for decreasing waist measurements and WHR, overall contributing to the body contouring process. Level of Evidence 3 Therapeutic:
Given the importance of the periorbital area in facial expression and as an indicator of age, facial rejuvenation often needs to address infraorbital hollowing. Hyaluronic acid (HA) has become a treatment of choice in attenuating infraorbital grooves and smoothening the eyelid-cheek junction. This article (1) presents the definition and origin of infraorbital age-related landmarks, namely the midface, tear trough and palpebromalar groove, (2) reviews the anatomical characteristics and the course of neurovascular structures to delineate the treatment area, and (3) emphasizes the importance of choosing the right injection techniques and products for safe, effective, and natural-looking rejuvenation of the infraorbital area. Patient selection should rely on defined criteria, weighing the procedure's benefit vs the risk of implant irregularities or visibilities. To achieve natural-looking results, it is recommended to first address volume loss in the midface. If the outcomes are not satisfactory, direct treatment of infraorbital hollow can be performed using a maximum filler volume of 0.5 mL per eye, administered at the supraperiosteal level, through either a serial puncture injection or linear threading technique with a needle, or by using retrograde or anterograde linear threading or deposition of microboluses with a cannula. The choice of the HA filler should be based on its ability to adapt during facial movement; the filler should therefore be smooth, malleable, and present limited hygroscopicity. Level of Evidence: 5 (Therapeutic).
Dedicated to treating every person as a whole person, occupational therapy practitioners are at the forefront of providing client-centered intervention across cultural and social barriers. This article advocates for integrating content related to transgender and gender-diverse (TGN) individuals into occupational therapy curricula. Research shows that a range of single activities in isolation are insufficient to prepare practitioners in the provision of equitable services for this population. To address this issue, it is essential to implement systemic changes in education to better reflect the diverse populations occupational therapy practitioners serve.
Researchers evaluated the Idaho Continuous Enrollment Initiative, a program supporting educationally disadvantaged, non-traditional students with at-risk characteristics. Using two analytical methods—null hypothesis significance testing and Observation Oriented Modeling—analyses across five grant-funded projects determined personal demographic characteristics such as gender and race did not have a statistically significant impact on three key success metrics. Instead, high-impact practices like peer mentoring and cohort-based learning models improved continuous enrollment, credit completion rates, and cumulative GPAs. Evidence suggests student success initiatives should focus on implementing these supportive structures, rather than focusing on demographic characteristics, to effectively enhance student retention and academic achievement for educationally disadvantaged students.
The aim of the study was to assess the level of agreement of dentists’ opinions in determining the end point of preparation of carious cavities of various depths. Material and methods. The study was conducted on 10 extracted carious molars, which were divided into 2 groups depending on the depth of the lesion D2 (n=5) and D3 (n=5). Cavities were prepared in several stages. At each stage, the study participants were asked to examine the carious cavity. Results. In cavities of medium depth at the level of soft dentin, the kappa coefficient was — 0.13, at the level of firm dentin — 0.26, 100% inter-rater agreement was achieved at the level of pigmented hard dentin. In deep cavities at the level of soft dentin, the Fleiss kappa coefficient was 0.05, at the level of firm dentin — 0.25, at the level of pigmented hard dentin — 0.11, 100% agreement of all participants was achieved only removing tissues to hard light dentin. Conclusion. Dentists tend to prepare the carious cavity to a hard dentin. The lack of agreement in the criteria for determining the end point of carious dentin removal proves the need to use an objective method for assessing the quality of preparation.
