bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Test–Retest Reliability of Physiological Variables During Submaximal Seated Upper-Body Poling in Able-Bodied Participants
Authors: Ettema Marlou , Brurok Berit , Baumgart Julia Kathrin 
Published: December 2021

Purpose: To investigate the test–retest reliability of physiological variables across four different test days and four different submaximal exercise intensities during seated upper-body poling (UBP).Methods: Thirteen abled-bodied, upper-body trained men (age 29±3years; body mass 84±12kg; height 183±5cm) performed four submaximal 4-min stages of seated UBP on four separate test days. The four submaximal stages were set at individual power outputs corresponding to a rating of perceived exertion of 9, 11, 13, and 15. The absolute reliability for pairwise test-day comparisons of the physiological variables was investigated with the smallest detectable change percentage (%SDC) and the relative reliability with the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC).Results: Absolute and relative reliability across test-day comparisons and submaximal stages were moderate to excellent for all variables investigated (V̇O2 – %SDC range: 5–13%, ICC range: 0.93–0.99; HR – %SDC range: 6–9%, ICC range: 0.91–0.97) other than blood lactate, for which absolute reliability was poor and relative reliability highly variable (%SDC range: 26–69%, ICC range: 0.44–0.92). Furthermore, absolute and relative reliability were consistent across the low-to-moderate exercise intensity spectrum and across test days.Conclusion: Absolute and relative test–retest reliability were acceptable for all investigated physiological variables but blood lactate. The consistent test–retest reliability across the exercise intensity spectrum and across test days indicates that a familiarization period to the specific exercise modality may not be necessary. For generalizability, these findings need to be confirmed in athletes with a disability by future large-scale studies.
Changes in Diaphragmatic Function Induced by an Increased Inspiratory Load Experienced by Military Divers: An Ultrasound Study
Authors: Rives Sarah , Schmid Bruno , Chaumet Guillaume , Brégeon Fabienne , Boussuges Alain 
Published: December 2021

Background: Inspiratory loading is experienced by military divers when they use rebreather device. Our objective was to assess the changes in diaphragm function induced by an increase in inspiratory load at values similar to those experienced by divers in real life.Methods: We recorded the excursion and the thickness of the right hemidiaphragm in 22 healthy male volunteers under inspiratory load conditions, using ultrasound in B- and M-mode. The measurements were performed at tidal volume and during breathing at 50% of inspiratory capacity. The breathing rate was regulated and similar in the various sessions with and without load.Results: The rebreather device used by French military divers leads to an increase in inspiratory load of close to 30 cmH2O. Consequently, the session under load was performed using a device set to this threshold. Significant increases in the excursion and the thickening fraction of the diaphragm were observed between the sessions at tidal volume and at high volume. With addition of the inspiratory load, the excursion of the right hemidiaphragm increased significantly from 2.3 to 3.4cm at tidal volume and from 3.9 to 4.7cm at high volume. The thickening fraction increased significantly from 30.4 to 76.6% at tidal volume and from 70 to 123% at high volume. The statistical analysis demonstrated that assessment of the changes of the thickening fraction during breathing at tidal volume was the most relevant marker to assess the impact of the inspiratory load on the diaphragm.Conclusion: Diaphragm ultrasound can be used to assess the changes in the diaphragm contraction pattern secondary to an increase in the respiratory load that can be generated by use a diving apparatus. The recording of the changes of the motion, and more importantly of the thickness of the diaphragm, during the breathing cycle is able to provide relevant information regarding the inspiratory load.
Risk of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation Post-cavotricuspid Isthmus Ablation in Typical Atrial Flutter Without History of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Li Jia-hui , Xie Hai-yang , Chen Yan-qiao , Cao Zhong-jing , Tang Qing-hui , Guo Xiao-gang , Sun Qi , Ma Jian 
Published: December 2021

Aims: The aim was to describe the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation in patients with typical atrial flutter (AFL) without history of AF and to identify risk factors for new-onset AF after the procedure.Methods: A total of 191 patients with typical AFL undergoing successful CTI ablation were enrolled. Patients who had history of AF, structural heart disease, cardiac surgery, or ablation or who received antiarrhythmic drug after procedure were excluded. Clinical and electrophysiological data were collected.Results: There were 47 patients (24.6%) developing new AF during a follow-up of 3.3 ± 1.9 years after CTI ablation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicated that the cut-off values of left atrial diameter (LAD) and CHA2DS2-VASc score were 42 mm and 2, with area under the curve of 0.781 and 0.550, respectively. The multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) [hazard ratio (HR) 3.734, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.470–9.484, P = 0.006], advanced interatrial block (aIAB) (HR 2.034, 95% CI 1.017–4.067, P = 0.045), LAD &gt; 42 mm (HR 2.710, 95% CI 1.478–4.969, P = 0.001), and CHA2DS2-VASc score &gt; 2 (HR 2.123, 95% CI 1.118–4.034, P = 0.021) were independent risk factors of new-onset AF.Conclusion: A combination of OSA, aIAB, LAD &gt; 42 mm, and CHA2DS2-VASc &gt; 2 was a strongly high risk for new-onset AF after ablation for typical AFL, and it had significance in postablation management in clinical practice.
Cardiac Effects of Treadmill Running at Different Intensities in a Rat Model
Authors: Yan Zhipeng , Zeng Ni , Li Jieting , Liao Tao , Ni Guoxin 
Published: December 2021

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the effect of treadmill exercise training on cardiac hypertrophy, collagen deposition, echo parameters and serum levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in rats, and how they differ with various exercise intensities, hence exploring potential signal transduction.Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sedentary (SED), low-intensity running (LIR), medium-intensity running (MIR), and high-intensity running (HIR) groups. Each exercise group had 3 subgroups that were sacrificed for cardiac tissue analyses at 1, 4, and 8 weeks, respectively, and all rats participated in a daily 1 h treadmill routine 5 days per week. Echocardiographic measurements were performed 24 h after the last exercise session. Additionally, myocardium samples and blood were collected for histological and biochemical examinations. Changes in the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) signal pathway were detected by Western blotting.Results: After a week of running, ventricular myocyte size and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 increased in the HIR group, while left ventricular (LV) diastolic diameter values and LV relative wall thickness increased in the LIR and MIR groups. In addition, we observed heart enlargement, cTnI decrease, and ERK1/2 signal activation in each of the exercise groups after 4 weeks of running. However, the HIR group displayed substantial rupture and increased fibrosis in myocardial tissue. In addition, compared with the LIR and MIR groups, 8 weeks of HIR resulted in structural damage, fiber deposition, and increased cTnI. However, there was no difference in the activation of ERK1/2 signaling between the exercise and SED groups.Conclusion: The effect of running on cardiac hypertrophy was intensity dependent. In contrast to LIR and MIR, the cardiac hypertrophy induced by 8 weeks of HIR was characterized by potential cardiomyocyte injury, which increased the risk of pathological development. Furthermore, the ERK signaling pathway was mainly involved in the compensatory hypertrophy process of the myocardium in the early stage of exercise and was positively correlated with exercise load. However, long-term exercise may attenuate ERK signaling activation.
Comparison of V̇O2-Kinetic Parameters for the Management of Heart Failure
Authors: Wagner Jonathan , Niemeyer Max , Infanger Denis , Pfister Otmar , Myers Jonathan , Schmidt-Trucksäss Arno , Knaier Raphael 
Published: December 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze whether V̇O2-kinetics during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a useful marker for the diagnosis of heart failure (HF) and to determine which V̇O2-kinetic parameter distinguishes healthy participants and patients with HF.Methods: A total of 526 healthy participants and 79 patients with HF between 20 and 90 years of age performed a CPET. The CPET was preceded by a 3-min low-intensity warm-up and followed by a 3-min recovery bout. V̇O2-kinetics was calculated from the rest to exercise transition of the warm-up bout (on-kinetics), from the exercise to recovery transition following ramp test termination (off-kinetics) and from the initial delay of V̇O2 during the warm-up to ramp test transition (ramp-kinetics).Results: V̇O2 off-kinetics showed the highest z-score differences between healthy participants and patients with HF. Furthermore, off-kinetics was strongly associated with V̇O2peak. In contrast, ramp-kinetics and on-kinetics showed only minimal z-score differences between healthy participants and patients with HF. The best on- and off-kinetic parameters significantly improved a model to predict the disease severity. However, there was no relevant additional value of V̇O2-kinetics when V̇O2peak was part of the model.Conclusion: V̇O2 off-kinetics appears to be superior for distinguishing patients with HF and healthy participants compared with V̇O2 on-kinetics and ramp-kinetics. If V̇O2peak cannot be determined, V̇O2 off-kinetics provides an acceptable substitute. However, the additional value beyond that of V̇O2peak cannot be provided by V̇O2-kinetics.
Importance of Windows of Exposure to Maternal High-Fat Diet and Feto-Placental Effects: Discrimination Between Pre-conception and Gestational Periods in a Rabbit Model
Authors: Rousseau-Ralliard Delphine , Aubrière Marie-Christine , Daniel Nathalie , Dahirel Michèle , Morin Gwendoline , Prézelin Audrey , Bertrand Jérémy , Rey Catherine , Chavatte-Palmer Pascale , Couturier-Tarrade Anne 
Published: December 2021

Context and Aim: Lipid overnutrition in female rabbits, from prepuberty, leads to impaired metabolism (dyslipidemia and increased adiposity) and follicular atresia, and, when continued during gestation, affects offspring phenotype with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and leads to placental and lipid metabolism abnormalities. Growth retardation is already observed in embryo stage, indicating a possible implication of periconceptional exposure. The objective of this study was to discriminate the effects of preconception and gestational exposures on feto-placental development.Materials and Methods: Rabbit 1-day zygotes were collected from female donors under control (CD) or high-fat-high-cholesterol (HD) diet and surgically transferred to the left and right uterus, respectively, of each H (n = 6) or C (n = 7) synchronized recipients. Close to term, four combinations, CC (n = 10), CH (n = 13), HC (n = 13), and HH (n = 6), of feto-placental units were collected, for biometry analyses. Fatty acid (FA) profiles were determined in placental labyrinth, decidua, fetal plasma, and fetal liver by gas chromatography and explored further by principal component analysis (PCA). Candidate gene expression was also analyzed by RT-qPCR in the placenta and fetal liver. Data were analyzed by Kruskal–Wallis followed by Dunn’s pairwise comparison test. Combinations of different data sets were combined and explored by multifactorial analysis (MFA).Results: Compared to controls, HH fetuses were hypotrophic with reduced placental efficiency and altered organogenesis, CH presented heavier placenta but less efficient, whereas HC presented a normal biometry. However, the MFA resulted in a good separation of the four groups, discriminating the effects of each period of exposure. HD during gestation led to reduced gene expression (nutrient transport and metabolism) and big changes in FA profiles in both tissues with increased membrane linoleic acid, lipid storage, and polyunsaturated-to-saturated FA ratios. Pre-conception exposure had a major effect on fetal biometry and organogenesis in HH, with specific changes in FA profiles (increased MUFAs and decreased LCPUFAs).Conclusion: Embryo origin left traces in end-gestation feto-placental unit; however, maternal diet during gestation played a major role, either negative (HD) or positive (control). Thus, an H embryo developed favorably when transferred to a C recipient (HC) with normal biometry at term, despite disturbed and altered FA profiles.
Multi-Method Approach in the Assessment of Alexithymia in Patients With Scleroderma: Use of Two Different Tools
Authors: Dattolo Anna , Samela Tonia , Abeni Damiano , Pallotta Sabatino , Sampogna Francesca 
Published: December 2021

Objective: Alexithymia is frequent in patients with some chronic dermatological conditions. The aim of the study was to measure the prevalence of alexithymia in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) using two different tools.Methods: Consecutive patients diagnosed with SSc were recruited at day hospital and hospitalization regimen. Alexithymia was measured using the self-administered questionnaire 20-item Toronto Alexithymia scale (TAS-20) and the semi-structured interview 24-item Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA).Results: The study sample consisted of 67 female patients, aged from 29 to 82 years. According to TAS-20, 22.4% of patients were alexithymic and 17.9% were borderline alexithymic. Also, in our sample mean TAS-20 value was 48.9 and TSIA mean value was 20.3. Spearman’s correlation coefficient between TAS-20 total score and TSIA total score was 0.603. A high correlation was observed between TAS total score and the “Affective Awareness” (AA) scale of the TSIA. TSIA total score significantly correlated with the “Difficulty describing feeling to others” (DDF) scale of the TAS-20. The highest correlation between scales of the two instruments was that between TAS-20 DDF and TSIA AA (r = 0.675).Conclusion: The prevalence of alexithymia in SSc patients was higher than in the general population, and similar to that of psoriasis patients. The measurements obtained using the TAS-20 and the TSIA were highly correlated. However, they also showed some diversities in the scales, indicating that they may measure different domains.
Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Test of Passive Aggression in a Psychotherapy Outpatient Sample
Authors: Schanz Christian Günter , Equit Monika , Schäfer Sarah K. , Michael Tanja 
Published: December 2021

Background: While most clinical aggression questionnaires focus on the assessment of active aggression, the recently developed Test of Passive Aggression (TPA) assesses both self-directed (TPA-SD) and other-directed passive aggression (TPA-OD). Reliability and factorial validity of the TPA have been demonstrated in a clinical sample, while previous evaluations of convergent and discriminant validity were limited to student samples. The current study aimed at addressing this gap by demonstrating convergent and discriminant validity of the TPA in an outpatient sample.Methods: Eighty-two patients admitted to an outpatient psychotherapy unit at Saarland University, Germany, participated in the preregistered study with an assessment of self-reported passive aggression, impulsivity, anger expression, self-compassion, self-esteem, and auto-aggressive mindset. Analyses used regression models with robust maximum likelihood estimations.Results: Self-directed passive aggression showed a significant association with self-compassion, auto-aggressive mindset, self-esteem, and internal anger expression supporting the convergent validity of TPA-SD. Results on discriminant validity of TPA-SD were heterogenous at the first sight, revealing small associations of self-directed passive aggression with anger control but medium associations with impulsivity. However, exploratory analysis showed that the medium association with impulsivity was driven by the non-behavioral impulsivity dimension “inattention” and that both behavioral impulsivity dimensions (“motor-impulsivity” and “unplanned behavior”) demonstrated only weak associations with TPA-SD. Validity of TPA-OD was not supported by the current study.Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence for the validity of the TPA-SD to outpatient samples. Future studies will need to analyze construct validity based on a nomological network using larger and more diverse samples.
Conceptualization and Measurement of Trust in Home–School Contexts: A Scoping Review
Authors: Shayo Happy Joseph , Rao Congman , Kakupa Paul 
Published: December 2021

Objective and Method: This review unravels the complexity of trust in home–school contexts across the globe by drawing on 79 peer-reviewed quantitative empirical studies spanning over two decades (2000–2020). The goal is to refocus attention on how trust has been defined and operationalized in recent scholarship.Findings: The findings reveal four essential pillars in the conceptualization of trust: the trustor’s propensity to trust, shared goals, the trustor–trustee relationship, and the trustee’s trustworthiness. However, the operationalization of trust in existing measures does not fully capture these essential pillars, as it is mainly based on trustee characteristics of benevolence, reliability, openness, competence, and honesty rather than on the trustor’s actual trust behavior.Conclusion: Most “trust studies” are essentially measuring trustworthiness and not the purported trust. Therefore, a shift in the conceptualization and measurement of trust is proposed. The review contributes to the understanding and assessment of home–school and workplace relationships.
Descended Social Anxiety Disorder and Craving in Women Heroin Dependence Through Exercise Alerts Plasma Oxytocin Levels
Authors: Wang Jing Song , Liu Jing Lin , Zhang Jun , Tan Jun , Huang Ting , Lu Chun Xia , Peng Xi Yang , Guo Yin , Zheng Lan 
Published: December 2021

Purpose: This study explored the association between peripheral blood oxytocin (OT) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) and cue-induced cravings in female heroin addicts. The effect of exercise on alleviation of SAD and OT levels was also explored.Methods: A total of 72 females with heroin dependence were assigned to three groups based on SAD severity. The three groups were Non-SAD control, SAD control, and SAD exercise groups. Subjects in the SAD exercise group underwent aerobic exercise and resistance training for 8 weeks (60 min/day, 5 days/week). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) scores were used to determine plasma OT concentration and SAD, respectively. Cue-induced craving was assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Desires for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ). Mixed-effect analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis were used to explore the effect and correlation between different parameters.Results: OT levels in the SAD exercise group were significantly high after exercise (p &lt; 0.01). LSAS, VAS, and DDQ (“Desire and Intention” and “Negative reinforcement”) scores in the SAD exercise group were significantly lower after exercise (p &lt; 0.01). Plasma OT level was negatively correlated with LSAS score (r = −0.534, p &lt; 0.001), VAS score (r = −0.609, p &lt; 0.001), “Desire and Intention” score (r = −0.555, p &lt; 0.001), and “Negative reinforcement” score (r = −0.332, p &lt; 0.01) and positively correlated with the “control” score (r = 0.258, p &lt; 0.05). LSAS was positively correlated with VAS score (r = 0.588, p &lt; 0.001) and “Desire and Intention” score (r = 0.282, p &lt; 0.05).Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicate that plasma OT is a potential peripheral biomarker for prediction of the severity of social anxiety in female heroin withdrawal patients. Aerobic exercise combined with resistance training plus incremental load for 8 weeks can increase plasma OT levels and significantly reduce severity of SAD and cue-induced cravings in female heroin addicts.
Media Exposure and the Risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following a Mass traumatic Event: An In-silico Experiment
Authors: Abdalla Salma M. , Cohen Gregory H. , Tamrakar Shailesh , Koya Shaffi Fazaludeen , Galea Sandro 
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Following mass traumatic events, greater exposure to traditional media like television (TV) about the event is associated with higher burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, we know little about how social media exposure, combined with other media sources, shapes the population burden of PTSD following mass traumatic events.Materials and Methods: We built a microsimulation of 1,18,000 agents that was demographically comparable to the population of Parkland and Coral Springs, Florida that experienced the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. We parametrized the model using data from prior traumatic events and built an internal social network structure to facilitate the estimation of community PTSD prevalence following exposure to TV and social media coverage of the shooting.Results: Overall, PTSD prevalence in the community due to exposure to TV coverage of the shooting was 3.1%. Shifting the whole population's hours of TV watching to the lower half of the population distribution decreased PTSD prevalence to 1.3% while increasing TV watching to the upper half of the distribution increased the prevalence to 3.5%. Casual (i.e., viewing posts) social media use in addition to exposure to TV coverage increased PTSD prevalence to 3.4%; overall prevalence increased to 5.3% when agents shared videos related to the shooting on social media.Conclusion: This microsimulation shows that availability and exposure to media coverage of mass traumatic events, particularly as social media becomes more ubiquitous, has the potential to increase community PTSD prevalence following these events. Future research could fruitfully examine the mechanisms that might explain these associations and potential interventions that can mitigate the role of media in shaping the mental health of populations following traumatic events.