bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predictors of suicidality among Polish university students during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Cichoń Ewelina , Gawrych Magdalena , Kiejna Andrzej , Gondek Tomasz M. , Andrzejewska Beata , Adamowski Tomasz , Kozak Karol , Mortier Philippe , Alonso Jordi 
Published: November 2023

Purpose of review
The main purpose of the study was to assess university students’ mental health and identify factors associated with the risk of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and distance learning.

Recent findings
The study was conducted in spring 2021 and comprised 10 760 Polish students. The survey employed modified versions of the C-SSRS, CIDI, WHO-5, GAD-7, the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 and CAGE-AID Questionnaire and included questions about panic attacks, COVID-19-related information and sociodemographic characteristics. The correlates of suicidality were examined using a series of logistic regression analyses. Almost 40% students experienced any suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours in the previous month: passive ideations only (15.8%), active ideations only (7.1%), plans without attempts (15%), and attempts (1.4%). Following variables were related to the increased risk for suicide attempts: severe anxiety [odds ratio (OR) = 11.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.44–90.26], panic attacks (OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.75–5.91), and COVID-19 hospitalisation (OR = 11.04; 95% CI: 1.17–104.59). Major depression was associated with passive and active ideations, suicide plans, but not with attempts (OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 0.45–4.13).

Summary
University students present a high level of adverse mental health and increased risk of STBs during COVID-19 pandemic. A suicide prevention program tailored to this population is needed during and after the pandemic.
Exploring the Utility of a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Cannabis Cue-Reactivity Paradigm in Treatment Seeking Adults with Cannabis Use Disorder
Authors: Sahlem Gregory L. , Dowdle Logan T. , Baker Nathaniel L. , Sherman Brian J. , Gray Kevin M. , McRae-Clark Aimee L. , Froeliger Brett , Squeglia Lindsay M. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIntroductionFunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies examining cue-reactivity in cannabis use disorder (CUD) to date have either involved non-treatment seeking participants or been small. We addressed this gap by administering an fMRI cue-reactivity task to CUD participants entering two separate clinical trials.MethodsTreatment-seeking participants with moderate or severe CUD had behavioral craving measured at baseline via the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF). They additionally completed a visual cannabis cue-reactivity paradigm during fMRI following 24-hours of abstinence from cannabis. During fMRI, the Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal was acquired while participants viewed cannabis-images or matched-neutral-images. BOLD responses were correlated with the MCQ-SF using a General Linear Model.ResultsN=65 participants (32% female; mean age 30.4±9.9SD) averaged 46.3±15.5SD on the MCQ-SF. When contrasting cannabis-images vs. matched-neutral-images, participants showed greater BOLD response in bilateral ventromedial prefrontal, dorsolateral prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and visual cortices, as well as the striatum. Similarly, there was stronger task-based functional-connectivity (tbFC) between the medial prefrontal cortex and both the amygdala and the visual cortex. There were no significant differences in either activation or tbFC between studies or between sexes. Craving negatively correlated with BOLD response in the left ventral striatum (R2=-0.25;p=0.01).ConclusionsWe found that, among two separate treatment-seeking CUD groups, cannabis cue-reactivity was evidenced by greater activation and tbFC in regions related to executive function and reward processing, and craving was negatively associated with cue-reactivity in the ventral striatum. Future directions include examining if pharmacological, neuromodulatory, or psychosocial interventions can alter corticostriatal cue-reactivity.
Combined Right Ventricular Preload and Afterload Challenge Induces Contractile Dysfunction and Ventricular Arrhythmia in an Age-dependent Manner in Isolated Hearts of Dystrophin-deficient Mice
Authors: Behrmann Andrew , Cayton Jessica , Hayden Matt , Lambert Michelle , Nourian Zahra , Nyanyo Keith , Hanft Laurin , Krenz Maike , McDonald Kerry , Domeier Timothy 
Published: November 2023

AbstractDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive myopathy due to mutations in the dystrophin gene. Diaphragmatic weakness in DMD causes restrictive lung disease and excessive afterload on the right ventricle (RV). Thus, RV dysfunction in DMD develops early in disease progression. Herein, we deliver a 30-minute sustained RV preload and afterload challenge to isolated hearts of wildtype (Wt) and dystrophic (mdx4CV) mice at both young (2-6 month) and middle-age (8-12 month). Young dystrophic hearts exhibited greater pressure development than wildtype under unloaded conditions but following RV preload/afterload challenge exhibited similar contractile function as wildtype. Following RV preload/afterload challenge, young dystrophic hearts had an increased incidence of ventricular arrhythmias compared to wildtype. Hearts of middle-aged wildtype and dystrophic mice had similar contractile function during unloaded conditions, yet, after RV preload/afterload challenge, hearts of middle-aged dystrophic mice had severe RV contractile dysfunction and ventricular arrhythmogenesis, including ventricular tachycardia. Following load challenge, young and middle-aged dystrophic hearts had greater damage, measured via tissue LDH release, than wildtype mice of similar age. Our data indicate complex age-dependent changes in RV function and arrhythmogenesis with load in dystrophin deficiency, highlighting the need to avoid sustained RV load to forestall RV dysfunction and arrhythmia.
Hybrid Adipocyte-Derived Exosome Nano Platform for Potent Chemo-Phototherapy in Targeted Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Liu Xinying , Zhang Jiaxin , Zheng Shunzhe , Li Meng , Xu Wenqian , Shi Jianbin , Kamei Ken-ichiro , Tian Chutong 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe high prevalence and severity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) present a significant menace to human health. Despite the significant advancements in nanotechnology-driven antineoplastic agents, there remains a conspicuous gap in the development of targeted chemotherapeutic agents specifically designed for HCC. Consequently, there is an urgent need to explore potent drug delivery systems for effective HCC treatment. Here we have exploited the interplay between HCC and adipocyte to engineer a hybrid adipocyte-derived exosome platform, serving as a versatile vehicle to specifically target HCC and exsert potent antitumor effect. A lipid-like prodrug of docetaxel (DSTG) with a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-cleavable linker, and a lipid-conjugated photosensitizer (PPLA), spontaneously co-assemble into nanoparticles, functioning as the lipid cores of the hybrid exosomes (HEMPs and NEMPs). These nanoparticles are further encapsuled within adipocyte-derived exosome membranes, enhancing their affinity towards HCC cancer cells. As such, cancer cell uptakes of hybrid exosomes are increased up to 5.73-fold compared to lipid core nanoparticles. Ourin vitroandin vivoexperiments have demonstrated that HEMPs not only enhance the bioactivity of the prodrug and extend its circulation in the bloodstream but also effectively inhibit tumor growth by selectively targeting hepatocellular carcinoma tumor cells. Self-facilitated synergistic drug release subsequently promoting antitumor efficacy, inducing significant inhibition of tumor growth with minimal side effects. Our findings herald a promising direction for the development of targeted HCC therapeutics.Graphical abstractAn adipocyte-derived exosome nanoplatform has been developed for the combined therapy of both chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. The hybrid adipocyte-derived exosome nanoplatform integrates the advantage of targeted co-delivery and combination therapy, which can stimulate the release of drugs under the tumor microenvironment, effectively enhanced targeted co-delivery in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, prolonged blood circulation time and improve the therapeutic effect of hepatocellular carcinoma tumors model.
Predicting the causal relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids and cerebral aneurysm risk from a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Yu Weijie , Zhou Liwei , Li Chongfei , Lu Zhenwei , Chen Xiaoyu , Yu Hao , Chen Xiaoyan , Huang Qionghui , Li Zhangyu , Xiao Deyong , Mei Yunyun , Wang Zhanxiang 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIntroductionNo conclusive evidence for a link between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and cerebral aneurysm has been found in observational research. The aim of our study was to determine the causal impact of PUFA on cerebral aneurysm.MethodsTwo sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed using genetic instruments derived from a recent genome wide association study (GWAS) of fatty acids from UK Biobank and outcome data obtained from the large-scale cerebral aneurysm GWASs in European ancestry which include IA, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and unruptured intracranial aneurysm (uIA). Sensitivity analyses were implemented with MVMR, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out analysis and so on. Bayesian colocalization (COLOC) methods was conducted to focus on the association between the fatty acid gene expression and cerebral aneurysm.ResultsGenetically predicted assessed omega-3 fatty acids decreased the risk for IA (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.69 - 0.91, P = 1.01ⅹ10-3) and aSAH (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.61 - 0.84, P = 3.73ⅹ10-5). Furthermore, the Docosahexaenoic acid decreased the risk for IA (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63 - 0.87, P = 3.12ⅹ10-4) and aSAH (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.55 - 0.8, P = 2.32ⅹ10-5). The same results were discovered from ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to total fatty acids. While the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids increased the risk of IA (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.12 – 1.44, P = 1.53ⅹ10-4) and aSAH (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17 – 1.56, P = 5.78ⅹ10-5). The result of the COLOC suggested that the above four kinds of fatty acids and IA, aSAH likely share causal variants in gene fatty acid desaturase 2, separately.ConclusionThis study utilized integrative analysis of MR and colocalization to discover causal relationships between genetic variants, PUFA and cerebral aneurysm.FundingThis study was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of China (82072777), the Natural Science Foundation of Xiamen (3502Z20227097), Fujian Provincial Health Commission, Provincial Health and Health Young and Middle-aged Backbone Talent Training Project (2022GGB010).
Barriers and enablers to accessing HIV services at South Sudan military facilities: Using qualitative data for program improvement
Authors: Lasu Ally A. R. , Changjowk Awin , Fezeu Meyou Shanice , Awongo Habib D. , Lefebvre R. Craig , Tongun Justin , Elinana John Woja , Courtney Lauren Pindzola 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACTIntroductionSouth Sudan established an HIV program for the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) in 2006, recognizing the potential national security threat posed by HIV’s impact in post-conflict settings. By 2018, the SSPDF program’s scope had expanded to include three VMMC clinics and four ART service delivery facilities. This qualitative study examined participant feedback on two existing HIV services, ART and VMMC, with the goal of identifying and prioritizing barriers and improving program performance. We used focus group discussions to gather information from male and female participants chosen at random across the four main project sites.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study from March to April 2022 involving 177 people (108 men and 69 women) within fifteen focus group discussions. We collected data on enablers and barriers to HIV service uptake and utilization using a thematic framework approach.ResultsPerceived high-quality HIV services in a secure environment, organizational support systems, peer-led mobilization, and transportation facilitation were all identified as HIV service delivery enablers. HIV service delivery was hampered by knowledge gaps, poverty and food insecurity, access issues, a lack of treatment support groups, transportation challenges, social cultural barriers (stigma and discrimination), and the need for permission from commanders.ConclusionsThe findings show some overlap in client needs for VMMC and ART services. To increase ART retention and overall HIV service demand, the program will focus on improving the quality of HIV services and tailored client support, as well as addressing barriers resulting from structural and social cultural challenges to increase ART retention and overall HIV service demand.
Gender inequalities in the disruption of long-term life satisfaction trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of time use: evidence from the 1970 British birth cohort
Authors: Moreno-Agostino Darío , Chanfreau Jenny , Knowles Gemma , Pelikh Alina , Das-Munshi Jayati , Ploubidis George B. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women’s mental health, although most evidence has focused on mental illbeing outcomes. Previous research suggests that gendered differences in time-use may explain this disparity, as women generally spend more time doing psychologically taxing activities than men. We investigated gender differences in the long-term trajectories of life satisfaction, how these were impacted during the pandemic, and the role of time-use differences in explaining gender inequalities.MethodsWe used data from 6766 (56.2% women) members of the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), a nationally representative birth cohort of people born in Great Britain in 1970, who were alive and residing in the UK between May 2020 and March 2021. Life satisfaction was prospectively assessed between the ages of 26 (1996) and 51 (2021) using a single question with responses ranging from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest). We analysed life satisfaction trajectories using piecewise latent growth curve models and investigated whether gender differences in the change in the life satisfaction trajectories with the pandemic were explained by self-reported time spent doing different paid and unpaid activities.FindingsWomen had consistently higher life satisfaction than men prior to the pandemic (Δintercept,unadjusted=0.213 [95% CI: 0.087, 0.340],p=.001) and experienced a more accelerated decline with the pandemic onset (Δquad2,unadjusted=−0.018 [−0.026, −0.011],p<.001). Time-use differences did not account for the more accelerated decrease in women’s life satisfaction levels with the pandemic (Δquad2,adjusted=−0.016 [−0.031, −0.001],p=.035).InterpretationOur study shows pronounced gender inequalities in the impact of the pandemic on the long-term life satisfaction trajectories of adults in their 50s, with women losing their historical advantage over men. Self-reported time-use differences did not account for these inequalities, suggesting that they could be linked to other factors including the ‘mental load’ (invisible, unrecognised labour disproportionately undertook by women) or the menopausal transition.
FooDOxS: A Database of Oxidized Sterols Content in Foods
Authors: Medina-Meza Ilce Gabriela , Vaidya Yashasvi , Barnaba Carlo 
Published: November 2023

ABSTRACTThis research addresses the knowledge gap regarding dietary oxidized lipids (DOxS) in foods classified under the NOVA and WWEIA systems. We present the FooDOxS database, a comprehensive compilation of DOxS content in over 1,680 food items from 120 publications across 25 countries, augmented by internal lab data. Our analysis discerns DOxS exposure in diverse diets, differentiating between plant-based and animal-based sources. Notably, we evaluate the efficacy of NOVA and WWEIA classifications in capturing DOxS variations across food categories. Our findings provide insights into the strengths and limitations of these systems, enhancing their utility for assessing dietary components. This research contributes to the understanding of DOxS in food processing and suggests refinements for classification systems, holding promise for improved food safety and public health assessments.
Homologs of the plastidal preprotein translocase Tic20 mediate organelle assembly in bacteria
Authors: Paulus Anja , Ahrens Frederik , Schraut Annika , Hofmann Hannah , Schiller Tim , Sura Thomas , Becher Dörte , Uebe René 
Published: November 2023

AbstractOrganelle-specific protein translocation systems are essential for organelle biogenesis and maintenance in eukaryotes but thought to be absent from prokaryotic organelles. Here, we identified that MamF-like proteins involved in the formation of bacterial magnetosome organelles share an ancient origin with Tic20 protein translocases found in chloroplasts. Deletion ofmamF-like genes in the alphaproteobacteriumMagnetospirillum gryphiswaldenseresults in severe defects in organelle positioning, biomineralization, and magnetic navigation. Consistent with translocase-like functions, these defects are caused by the loss of magnetosome targeting of a subset of organellar proteins containing C-terminal glycine-rich integral membrane domains. Our findings suggest that organelle-specific protein translocation systems may indeed play a role in bacterial organelle formation.
Spatiotemporal expression of thyroid hormone transporter MCT8 andTHRAmRNA in human cerebral organoids recapitulating first trimester cortex development
Authors: Graffunder Adina Sophie , Julie Bresser Audrey Amber , Fernandez-Vallone Valeria , Megges Matthias , Stachelscheid Harald , Kühnen Peter , Opitz Robert 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThyroid hormones (TH) play critical roles during nervous system development and patients carrying coding variants of MCT8 (Monocarboxylate transporter 8) or THRA (Thyroid hormone receptor alpha) present a spectrum of neurological phenotypes resulting from perturbed local TH action during early brain development. Recently, human cerebral organoids (hCOs) emerged as powerful three-dimensionalin vitrotools for disease modelling recapitulating key aspects of early human cerebral cortex development. To begin exploring prospects of this model for thyroid research, we performed a detailed characterization of the spatiotemporal expression of the TH transporter MCT8 and TH receptor THRA in developing hCOs. Immunostaining of hCOs showed MCT8 membrane expression in neuronal progenitor cell types including early neuroepithelial cells, SOX2+/Nestin+ radial glia cells (RGCs), TBR2+ intermediate progenitors and HOPX+ outer RGCs. In addition, we detected robust MCT8 protein expression in CTIP2+ deep layer neurons and at later developmental stages in SATB2+ upper layer neurons. SpatiotemporalSLC16A2mRNA expression, detected by fluorescentin situhybridization (FISH), was highly concordant with MCT8 protein expression across cortical cell layers. FISH detectedTHRAmRNA expression already in neuroepithelium before the onset of neurogenesis andTHRAexpression was maintained in RGCs of the ventricular zone. IncreasedTHRAexpression was later detected in the subventricular zone whereas highestTHRAexpression was observed in excitatory neurons in peripheral hCO regions. In combination with strong up-regulation of known T3 response genes following short-term T3 treatment of hCOs, these observations show that hCOs provide a promising and experimentally tractable model to probe local TH action during human cortical neurogenesis and eventually to model the consequences of impaired TH function for early cortex development.
Developing deep learning-based strategies to predict the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease from electronic health records
Authors: Li Zhao , Lan Lan , Zhou Yujia , Li Ruoxing , Chavin Kenneth D. , Xu Hua , Li Liang , Shih David J. H. , Zheng W. Jim 
Published: November 2023

AbstractBackgroundDeep learning models showed great success and potential when applied to many biomedical problems. However, the accuracy of deep learning models for many disease prediction problems is affected by time-varying covariates, rare incidence, and covariate imbalance when using structured electronic health records data. The situation is further exasperated when predicting the risk of one disease on condition of another disease, such as the hepatocellular carcinoma risk among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease due to slow, chronic progression, the scarce of data with both disease conditions and the sex bias of the diseases.ObjectiveThe goal of this study is to investigate the extent to which time-varying covariates, rare incidence, and covariate imbalance influence deep learning performance, and then devised strategies to tackle these challenges. These strategies were applied to improve hepatocellular carcinoma risk prediction among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.MethodsWe evaluated two representative deep learning models in the task of predicting the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in a cohort of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 220,838) from a national EHR database. The disease prediction task was carefully formulated as a classification problem while taking censorship and the length of follow-up into consideration.ResultsWe developed a novel backward masking scheme to evaluate how the length of longitudinal information after the index date affects disease prediction. We observed that modeling time-varying covariates improved the performance of the algorithms and transfer learning mitigated reduced performance caused by the lack of data. In addition, covariate imbalance, such as sex bias in data impaired performance. Deep learning models trained on one sex and evaluated in the other sex showed reduced performance, indicating the importance of assessing covariate imbalance while preparing data for model training.ConclusionsDevising proper strategies to address challenges from time-varying covariates, lack of data, and covariate imbalance can be key to counteracting data bias and accurately predicting disease occurrence using deep learning models. The novel strategies developed in this work can significantly improve the performance of hepatocellular carcinoma risk prediction among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Furthermore, our novel strategies can be generalized to apply to other disease risk predictions using structured electronic health records, especially for disease risks on condition of another disease.