bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Edible Bird’s Nest Supplementation Improves Male Reproductive Parameters of Sprague Dawley Rat
Authors: Jaffar Farah Hanan Fathihah , Osman Khairul , Hui Chua Kien , Zulkefli Aini Farzana , Ibrahim Siti Fatimah 
Published: March 2021

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is reported to have a positive in vitro proliferative effect and contain male reproductive hormones. Spermatogonia cells proliferate during spermatogenesis under male reproductive hormones stimulation that include testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). Characterization of EBN through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) has found testosterone as a base peak. Six types of amino acids, estradiol and sialic acid were among the major peaks that have been characterized. Based on the presence of these reproductive components, this study evaluated different doses of EBN on sperm parameters and male reproductive hormones of Sprague Dawley rats. Sixteen Sprague Dawley rats at the age of eight weeks were randomly and equally divided into four groups, which are Control, 10 mg/kg BW/d 50 mg/kg BW/d, and 250 mg/kg BW/d EBN group. The rats were fed with EBN enriched pellet daily and water ad-libitum. Rats were sacrificed and the organ was weighed for organ coefficients after eight weeks of treatment. Sperm concentration, percentage of sperm motility, and sperm viability were evaluated. Meanwhile, ELISA method was used to measure testosterone, FSH, and LH. Findings showed that there were no significant differences in organ coefficient between groups. Supplementation of 250 mg/kg BW/d EBN demonstrated a significant increase in sperm concentration, percentage of sperm motility as well as FSH and LH level compared to 10 mg/kg BW/d group. There was a dose-dependent increase in testosterone level but was not significant between groups. Based on these findings, EBN is concluded to have crucial effects on male reproductive parameters.
Study Protocol: The Heart and Brain Study
Authors: Suri Sana , Bulte Daniel , Chiesa Scott T. , Ebmeier Klaus P. , Jezzard Peter , Rieger Sebastian W. , Pitt Jemma E. , Griffanti Ludovica , Okell Thomas W. , Craig Martin , Chappell Michael A. , Blockley Nicholas P. , Kivimäki Mika , Singh-Manoux Archana , Khir Ashraf W. , Hughes Alun D. , Deanfield John E. , Jensen Daria E. A. , Green Sebastian F. , Sigutova Veronika , Jansen Michelle G. , Zsoldos Enikő , Mackay Clare E. 
Published: March 2021

BackgroundIt is well-established that what is good for the heart is good for the brain. Vascular factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, and genetic factors such as the apolipoprotein E4 allele increase the risk of developing both cardiovascular disease and dementia. However, the mechanisms underlying the heart–brain association remain unclear. Recent evidence suggests that impairments in vascular phenotypes and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) may play an important role in cognitive decline. The Heart and Brain Study combines state-of-the-art vascular ultrasound, cerebrovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive testing in participants of the long-running Whitehall II Imaging cohort to examine these processes together. This paper describes the study protocol, data pre-processing and overarching objectives.Methods and DesignThe 775 participants of the Whitehall II Imaging cohort, aged 65 years or older in 2019, have received clinical and vascular risk assessments at 5-year-intervals since 1985, as well as a 3T brain MRI scan and neuropsychological tests between 2012 and 2016 (Whitehall II Wave MRI-1). Approximately 25% of this cohort are selected for the Heart and Brain Study, which involves a single testing session at the University of Oxford (Wave MRI-2). Between 2019 and 2023, participants will undergo ultrasound scans of the ascending aorta and common carotid arteries, measures of central and peripheral blood pressure, and 3T MRI scans to measure CVR in response to 5% carbon dioxide in air, vessel-selective cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebrovascular lesions. The structural and diffusion MRI scans and neuropsychological battery conducted at Wave MRI-1 will also be repeated. Using this extensive life-course data, the Heart and Brain Study will examine how 30-year trajectories of vascular risk throughout midlife (40–70 years) affect vascular phenotypes, cerebrovascular health, longitudinal brain atrophy and cognitive decline at older ages.DiscussionThe study will generate one of the most comprehensive datasets to examine the longitudinal determinants of the heart–brain association. It will evaluate novel physiological processes in order to describe the optimal window for managing vascular risk in order to delay cognitive decline. Ultimately, the Heart and Brain Study will inform strategies to identify at-risk individuals for targeted interventions to prevent or delay dementia.
Pregnancy or Psychological Outcomes of Psychotherapy Interventions for Infertility: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhou Rong , Cao Yu-Ming , Liu Dan , Xiao Jing-Song 
Published: March 2021

Background: The pregnancy and psychological status of infertile couples has always been a concern, but there is no clear evidence for the efficacy of psychotherapy for infertile couples. This study aimed to summarize the current evidence of the effects of psychotherapy on psychological and pregnancy outcomes for infertile couples.Method: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMbase, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science (ISI) for articles published from 1946 to June 26, 2020. The pregnancy outcomes, psychological outcomes, and acceptability were involved in the study.Results: Overall, 29 studies with a combined total of 3,522 adult participants were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with a placebo, psychotherapy was associated with the pregnancy rate [risk ratio (RR) = 1.43, 95% CI [1.07, 1.93]], total psychological scales associated with infertility [standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.33 95% CI [−0.63, −0.02]], subsymptoms of psychological scores using the 28-item version of GHQ (including social function [MD = −3.10, 95% CI [−4.30, −1.90]] and depression [MD = −3.90, 95% CI [−5.36, −2.44]], and depression [MD = 3.60, 95% CI [2.25, 4.95]] using the 14-item version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, but it had no statistically significant association with the other outcomes. In the stratified analyses, the pregnancy rate using assisted reproduction, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and the integrative body–mind–spirit (BMS); total psychological scales associated with infertility using other treatments and more than a month; and anxiety using BMS had significant statistical significance. The funnel plots of all outcomes were approximately symmetrical, and no significant publication bias was found.Conclusions: The study showed that psychotherapy can lead to improvements in the pregnancy rate for infertile patients, especially for patients receiving assisted fertility. In addition, it may help improve total psychological scales associated with infertility and depression. CBT and BMS play an important role in improving rate of pregnancy, and BMS is associated with reducing anxiety. Although psychological interventions had limited effects on the pregnancy outcomes of infertility, our study still recommended that psychotherapies, in particular CBT and BMS, were applied to the therapeutic regimen for infertility, especially for patients receiving assisted fertility.
Who Was Shopping More During the Spring Lockdown 2020 in Germany?
Authors: Georgiadou Ekaterini , Koopmann Anne , Müller Astrid , Leménager Tagrid , Hillemacher Thomas , Kiefer Falk 
Published: March 2021

Background: During the lockdown, governmental restrictions resulted in changes to the day-to-day routines of many individuals. Some people appear to cope with stress by panic buying in an attempt to stockpile specific goods, resulting in empty supermarket shelves. Moreover, e-commerce experienced significant growth during this period. We aimed to investigate potential changes in shopping frequencies and preferred shopping type (offline/online) and their relationship with pandemic-specific anxiety and stress during the 2020 spring lockdown in Germany.Methods: To address this question, we assessed self-reported changes in shopping behavior in a German sample via an online survey conducted during April and May 2020.Results: A total of 3,122 adults were included in the analysis. Of the total sample, 35% reported no changes in their shopping behavior, 46.8% shopped less, while 18.2% shopped more during the lockdown. The groups differed with respect to sociodemographic variables, and those participants who were shopping more reported greater pandemic-related health fears and stress due to the restrictions. Moreover, they shopped online more often during the lockdown than the other two groups.Conclusion: While the majority of the sample reported no changes in their shopping behavior or even shopped less during the 2020 spring lockdown, a subgroup of individuals was shopping more during this time, especially food and drugstore products. It is important to understand which factors influenced individuals to shop more so that policy makers can target this group and prevent panic buying, especially during subsequent waves of infection. It is also important to inform vulnerable persons about the risk of developing a buying–shopping disorder.
Encouraging Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Innovation in Epidemiology in Japan
Authors: Yokomichi Hiroshi , Mochizuki Mie , Yamagata Zentaro 
Published: March 2021

Background: Scientific innovation is often achieved through the intersection of ideas from different fields. However, barriers prevent non-epidemiologists from cultivating interests in epidemiology or undertaking epidemiologic work. In this study, we evaluated changes in the diversity of research topics in an epidemiologic journal over time. We aimed to understand how epidemiologists and non-epidemiologists communicate about epidemiologic data and how this impacts innovation in the field.Methods: We categorized the topics of articles published in the Journal of Epidemiology during the early and late 2010s based on their titles. We calculated the Shannon–Weaver diversity index (H′) to measure changes in the diversity of topics addressed by published articles.Results: Comparing 2011–2013 with 2017–2019, there was no significant change in the diversity of article topics (H′ = 4.25 and 4.21, respectively) published in the Journal of Epidemiology.Conclusion: To encourage healthcare providers and public administrators to conduct or comment on epidemiologic studies, epidemiologists should present their findings in easily understood language with appropriate and relevant statistical indicators and useful illustrations. Bringing experience from other specialties into epidemiology may yield new findings from epidemiologic data because of the exposure of non-epidemiologists to different values, workplaces, and occupations. Collaboration among professionals from varied backgrounds and with varied occupational experiences may help to promote scientific innovation by broadening perspectives. In addition, a range of professional experiences may enable individuals to solve difficult research questions more easily by themselves.
Trends in Emergent Groin Hernia Repair—An Analysis From the Herniamed Registry
Authors: Köckerling Ferdinand , Heine Till , Adolf Daniela , Zarras Konstaninos , Weyhe Dirk , Lammers Bernhard , Mayer Franz , Reinpold Wolfgang , Jacob Dietmar 
Published: March 2021

Introduction: While the proportion of emergency groin hernia repairs in developed countries is 2.5–7.7%, the percentage in developing countries can be as high as 76.9%. The mortality rate for emergency groin hernia repair in developed countries is 1.7–7.0% and can rise to 6–25% if bowel resection is needed. In this present analysis of data from the Herniamed Registry, patients with emergency admission and operation within 24 h are analyzed.Methods: Between 2010 and 2019 a total of 13,028 patients with emergency admission and groin hernia repairs within 24 h were enrolled in the Herniamed Registry. The outcome results were assigned to the year of repair and summarized as curves. The total patient collective is broken down into the subgroups with pre-operative manual reduction (taxis) of the hernia content, operative reduction of the hernia content without bowel resection and with bowel resection. The explorative Fisher's exact test was used for statistical assessment of significant differences with Bonferroni adjustment for multiple testing.Results: The proportion of emergency admissions with groin hernia repair within 24 h was 2.7%. The percentage of women across the years was consistently 33%. The part of femoral hernias was 16%. The proportion of patients with pre-operative reduction (taxis) remained unchanged at around 21% and the share needing bowel resection was around 10%. The proportion of TAPP repairs rose from 21.9% in 2013 to 38.0% in 2019 (p &lt; 0.001). Between the three groups with pre-operative taxis, without bowel resection and with bowel resection, highly significant differences were identified between the patients with regard to the rates of post-operative complications (4% vs. 6.5% vs. 22.7%; p &lt; 0.0001), complication-related reoperations (1.9% vs. 3.8% vs. 17.7%; p &lt; 0.0001), and mortality rate (0.3% vs. 0.9% vs. 7.5%; p &lt; 0.001). In addition to emergency groin hernia repair subgroups female gender and age ≥66 years are unfavorable influencing factors for perioperative outcomes.Conclusion: For patients with emergency groin hernia repair the need for surgical reduction or bowel resection, female gender and age ≥66 years have a highly significantly unfavorable influence on the perioperative outcomes.
Big and Young Supermassive Black Holes in the Early Universe
Authors: Sbarrato Tullia 
Published: March 2021

Blazars are active galactic nuclei characterized by relativistic jets launched in the vicinity of the central engine (i.e., a supermassive black hole), which are oriented close to our line of sight. Their peculiar orientation makes them very efficient tracers of the overall jetted population, and due to their brightness they can be visible up to very high redshifts. A deep knowledge of these objects can provide fundamental clues to the models of formation and growth of the first supermassive black holes, but the search for them in the early Universe must be careful and follow a systematic approach. The discovery in the last ∼15 years of extremely massive blazars at very high redshifts (MBH>109M⊙, z>4) revolutionized our perception of their earliest evolution: there seem to be different formation epochs for extremely massive black holes hosted in jetted (z∼4) and non-jetted (z∼2.5) systems. This is not easy to explain, since one would expect jetted sources to accrete less efficiently. Small differences in the population are also derived from the search for such high-z sources. We will go through the open questions in order to understand where the common knowledge stands and which steps must be taken to better understand the formation and common evolution of supermassive black holes and jets in the early Universe.
Doctor–patient interactions that exclude patients experiencing homelessness from health services: an ethnographic exploration
Authors: O'Carroll Austin , Wainwright David 
Published: March 2021

BackgroundPeople experiencing homelessness have poor health indices and poor access to health care. Their health service utilisation (HSU) is typified by: late illness presentations; poor attendance rates at appointments; low usage of primary care services and outpatient departments; and high utilisation of emergency departments and inpatient services. Why people experiencing homelessness have these particular HSU patterns is poorly understood.AimThis research sought to explore barriers to health service usage for people experiencing homelessness.Design & settingThe authors conducted critical realist ethnography over 13 months in Dublin with people experiencing homelessness at four purposively chosen sites (a food hall, a drop-in centre, an emergency department, and an outreach service for rough sleepers).MethodEthnographic research was supplemented with focus groups of hospital doctors and people experiencing homelessness, and with 50 semi-structured interviews with people experiencing homelessness. The epistemological framework was critical realism.ResultsOne of the factors identified in the research as contributing to the HSU pattern of people experiencing homelessness was recurrent interactions between health professionals and patients, whereby patients were either excluded or discouraged from attending health services, or self-excluded themselves from services. These interactions were described as ’conversations of exclusion’. Four such conversations were described: ‘the benzodiazepine conversation‘; ‘the mistrustful conversation‘; ‘the blaming conversation‘; and ‘the assertive conversation’.ConclusionThere are certain recurrent interactions between people experiencing homelessness and doctors that result in the exclusion of people experiencing homelessness from health services.
Evaluation of a primary care-based collaborative care model (PARTNERS2) for people with diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar, or other psychoses: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Plappert Humera , Hobson-Merrett Charley , Gibbons Bliss , Baker Elina , Bevan Sheridan , Clark Michael , Creanor Siobhan , Davies Linda , Denyer Rebecca , Frost Julia , Gask Linda , Gibson John , Gill Laura , Gwernan-Jones Ruth , Hardy Pollyanna , Hosking Joanne , Huxley Peter , Jeffrey Alison , Jones Benjamin , Marwaha Steven , Pinold Vanessa , Planner Claire , Rawcliffe Tim , Reilly Siobhan , Richards Debra , Williams Lynsey , Birchwood Max , Byng Richard 
Published: March 2021

BackgroundCurrent NHS policy encourages an integrated approach to provision of mental and physical care for individuals with long term mental health problems. The ‘PARTNERS2’ complex intervention is designed to support individuals with psychosis in a primary care setting.AimThe trial will evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the PARTNERS2 intervention.Design & settingThis is a cluster randomised controlled superiority trial comparing collaborative care (PARTNERS2) with usual care, with an internal pilot to assess feasibility. The setting will be primary care within four trial recruitment areas: Birmingham & Solihull, Cornwall, Plymouth, and Somerset. GP practices are randomised 1:1 to either (a) the PARTNERS2 intervention plus modified standard care (‘intervention’); or (b) standard care only (‘control’).MethodPARTNERS2 is a flexible, general practice-based, person-centred, coaching-based intervention aimed at addressing mental health, physical health, and social care needs. Two hundred eligible individuals from 39 GP practices are taking part. They were recruited through identification from secondary and primary care databases. The primary hypothesis is quality of life (QOL). Secondary outcomes include: mental wellbeing, time use, recovery, and process of physical care. A process evaluation will assess fidelity of intervention delivery, test hypothesised mechanisms of action, and look for unintended consequences. An economic evaluation will estimate its cost-effectiveness. Intervention delivery and follow-up have been modified during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionThe overarching aim is to establish the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the model for adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar, or other types of psychoses.
Effect of Aquatic Plyometric Training on Motor Ability in Youth Football Players
Authors: Chomani Shimal Hama , Dzai Abdulla Majeed , Khoshnaw Karzan Karim , Joksimovic Marko , Lilic Ana , Mahmood Arazw 
Published: March 2021

Purpose: to determine the effect of water plyometric training on such components of motor skills as explosive power, agility and speed in young players. Develop practical recommendations for building a training process to improve the motor skills of athletes.
Material and methods: when divided into groups of players was used a parallel randomized method with the creation of experimental and control equal groups of 20 players in each group (age 16.25 ± 1.0 years, height 168 ± 3.0 cm, body weight 61, 03 ± 4.0 kg). The duration of the experimental program was 2 months. The water plyometric training program (APT) was used in the experimental group, while the ground plyometric training program (LPT) was used in the control group.
Results. In the experimental group was found to increase the jump in height by 21.05%, long jump - by 8.84%. The experimental group also found a significant increase in dexterity by 9.35% with a significance level less than 0.05, a value of t = 7.19. Dexterity as a physical ability combines many other physical abilities, such as speed, strength, power. In the experimental group was also found a significant increase in speed by 12.50% at a significance level less than 0.05.
Conclusions. Plyometric training in the water increased the strength of the muscles of the legs of football players, while the majestic vertical jump increased by 21.05%, and the distance of the horizontal jump - by 8.84%. In addition, for 2 months, the training program contributed to the development of dexterity by 9.35% and an increase in speed by 12.50%. The use of ground plyometric training also improves physical abilities, but with fewer indicators of significant change than plyometric training in water.
Caregiver satisfaction survey results in a multidisciplinary cleft clinic
Authors: Berryman Zoe , Fowler Peter , Shand Michelle , Lee Martin , Williams (III) Kirk 
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Orofacial clefts have a wide range of severity and can create functional and aesthetic issues for the affected individuals as well as influence their social interactions and general happiness. Our aim was to investigate how parents/caregivers score functional and aesthetic aspects of their child’s cleft and their child’s social interactions and happiness. Method: Parents/caregivers attending the Christchurch Cleft Clinic in New Zealand between 2016 and 2019 completed a survey covering eight items—hearing, look of face, look of teeth, speech, teeth issues, food or liquid coming out of the nose, social interactions, general happiness and a free-text comment section. Items were scored using a visual analogue scale. Descriptive statistics were performed on the data and qualitative analysis of the free-text comments was conducted via thematic categorisation.Results: A total of 226 completed surveys from 154 parents were assessed. Surveys that had any incomplete question (24) and/or had repeat submissions (72) were excluded, reducing the sample to 130 surveys. ‘Speech’, ‘look of the teeth’ and ‘teeth issues’ had the lowest (worst) mean scores. Negative functional issues relating to speech and fistulas were the most common free-text themes. Conclusion: Speech was a common concern for parents, emphasising the importance of speech language therapy as a key component in cleft treatment. Parental concerns regarding the look of their child’s teeth and teeth issues highlight the need for an interdisciplinary treatment approach. The inclusion of otolaryngology and psychology services to improve issues that arise from hearing, social and emotional challenges is also recommended.