bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular risk among in-patients with depression compared to healthy controls
Authors: Gerber Markus , Cody Robyn , Beck Johannes , Brand Serge , Donath Lars , Eckert Anne , Hatzinger Martin , Imboden Christian , Kreppke Jan-Niklas , Lang Undine E. , Ludyga Sebastian , Mans Sarah , Mikoteit Thorsten , Oswald Anja , Schweinfurth-Keck Nina , Zahner Lukas , Faude Oliver 
Published: June 2023

IntroductionCompared to the general population, individuals with depression have an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, little is known so far whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) moderates this relationship. Therefore, we examined whether common physiological cardiovascular risk factors differ between patients with depression and healthy (non-depressed) controls, whether patients and controls differ in CRF, and whether higher CRF is associated with a lower cardiovascular risk in both patients and healthy controls. Additionally, we examined whether within the patient sample, cardiovascular risk factors differ between patients with mild, moderate and severe depression, and whether the relationship between symptom severity and cardiovascular risk is moderated by patients’ CRF levels.MethodsData from a multi-centric, two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was analyzed, including 210 patients (F32, single episode: n = 72, F33, recurrent major depression: n = 135, F31-II, bipolar type II: n = 3) and 125 healthy controls. Waist circumference, body mass index, body fat, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and blood glucose were considered as cardiovascular risk markers. CRF was assessed with a submaximal ergometer test. Differences between groups were examined via χ2-tests and (multivariate) analyses of covariance.ResultsCompared to healthy controls, patients with depression had a higher cardiovascular risk as evident from about half of the examined indicators. In the total sample, participants with good CRF had more favourable scores across nearly all risk markers than counterparts with poor CRF. For most variables, no interaction occurred between group and fitness, indicating that in patients and controls, similar differences existed between participants with poor and good CRF. Few differences in risk markers were found between patients with mild, moderate and severe depression, and no interaction occurred between depression severity and CRF.DiscussionPatients with depression and healthy controls differ in several cardiovascular risk markers, putting patients at increased risk for CVDs. In contrast, people with good CRF show more favourable cardiovascular risk scores, a relationship which was observed in both healthy controls and patients with depression. Physical health of psychiatric patients should receive the clinical attention that it deserves. Lifestyle interventions targeting healthy diet and/or physical activity are recommended as a physically active and healthy lifestyle contributes equally to patients’ mental well-being and cardiovascular health.
Effects of ambient temperature and relative humidity on preterm birth during early pregnancy and before parturition in China from 2010 to 2018: a population-based large-sample cohort study
Authors: Wu Yu , Yuan Jie , Yuan Yanling , Kong Cai , Jing Wenzhan , Liu Jue , Ye Hanfeng , Liu Min 
Published: June 2023

BackgroundThe progression of global warming and increase in instances of extreme weather have received considerable attention. We conducted a cohort study on women of childbearing age in Yunnan Province, examined the association between ambient temperature and humidity on preterm birth and evaluated the effects of extreme weather during early pregnancy and before parturition on preterm birth.MethodsWe conducted a population-based cohort study on women of childbearing age 18–49 years who participated in National Free Preconception Health Examination Project (NFPHEP) in Yunnan Province from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2018. Meteorological data, namely daily average temperature (°C) and daily average relative humidity (%), were obtained from China National Meteorological Information Center. Four exposure windows were explored: 1 week of pregnancy, 4 weeks of pregnancy, 4 weeks before delivery, and 1 week before delivery. We used a Cox proportional hazards model and adjusted the potential risk factors for preterm birth to obtain the effects of exposure to temperature and humidity on preterm birth among the stages of pregnancy.ResultsAt 1 week of pregnancy and at 4 weeks of pregnancy, the association between temperature and preterm birth was U-shaped. The correlation between relative humidity and the risk of preterm birth was n-type at 1 week of pregnancy. The correlation between preterm birth and temperature and relative humidity at 4 weeks before delivery and at 1 week before delivery is J-shaped. Low temperature and low humidity were protective factors against preterm birth, whereas high temperature and high humidity were risk factors for preterm birth.The effects of high temperature and extremely high temperature were the strongest at 4 weeks before delivery, with HRs of 1.417 (95% CI: 1.362–1.474) and 1.627 (95% CI: 1.537–1.722), respectively. The effects of extremely low humidity and low humidity were strongest at 1 week before delivery, with HRs of 0.681 (95% CI: 0.609–0.761) and 0.696 (95% CI: 0.627–0.771), respectively.ConclusionTemperature and relative humidity affect preterm birth differently for each pregnancy stage. The effects of meteorological factors on pregnancy outcomes such as premature birth should not be ignored.
Expanding opportunities for chronic disease prevention for Hispanics: the Better Together REACH program in Pennsylvania
Authors: Calo William A. , Aumiller Betsy , Murray Andrea , Crawford Laurie , Bermudez Madeline , Weaver Lisa , Henao Maria Paula , Gray Nicole Maurer , DeLoatch Vicki , Rivera-Collazo Darilyn , Gomez Janelle , Kraschnewski Jennifer L. 
Published: June 2023

BackgroundHispanics in Lebanon and Reading, Pennsylvania, experience high levels of socioeconomic and health disparities in risk factors for chronic disease. In 2018, our community-academic coalition “Better Together” received a Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) award to improve healthy lifestyles. This report describes our work-in-progress and lessons learned to date from our REACH-supported initiatives in Lebanon and Reading.MethodsFor the past 4 years, our coalition has leveraged strong community collaborations to implement and evaluate culturally-tailored practice- and evidence-based activities aimed at increasing physical activity, healthy nutrition, and community-clinical linkages. This community case report summarizes the context where our overall program was implemented, including the priority population, target geographical area, socioeconomic and health disparities data, community-academic coalition, conceptual model, and details the progress of the Better Together initiative in the two communities impacted.ResultsTo improve physical activity, we are: (1) creating new and enhancing existing trails connecting everyday destinations through city redesigning and master planning, (2) promoting outdoor physical activity, (3) increasing awareness of community resources for chronic disease prevention, and (4) supporting access to bikes for youth and families. To improve nutrition, we are: (1) expanding access to locally-grown fresh fruit and vegetables in community and clinical settings, through the Farmers Market Nutrition Program to beneficiaries of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program and the Veggie Rx to patients who are at risk for or have diabetes, and (2) providing bilingual breastfeeding education. To enhance community-clinical linkages, we are training bilingual community health workers to connect at-risk individuals with diabetes prevention programs.ConclusionsIntervening in areas facing high chronic disease health disparities leads us to develop a community-collaborative blueprint that can be replicated across Hispanic communities in Pennsylvania and the United States.
Prevalence of smoking cigarettes and beliefs regarding smoking habits among medical students: a cross-sectional study in Sudan
Authors: Jarelnape Ahmed Abdalla , Ahmed Waled , Omer Suaad , Fadlala Aida , Ali Zeinab , Hassan Mohamed , Ahmed Ragaa , Hakami Manal , Ali Mujtaba , Mohammed Khalid , Sagiron Elwaleed , Abdalla Yahya Hussein , Osman Abdalla , Abdelazeem Eltayeb , Balola Hamza 
Published: June 2023

BackgroundSmoking is a common problem in university students worldwide. Smoking is one of the most dangerous social phenomena and has a significant impact on public health. This study investigated the beliefs and attitudes of medical students toward smoking in Sudan.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at Al Neelain University, Sudan, from March to June 2022 using a web-based questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of eight items on demographic characteristics and 13 on the beliefs and attitudes toward smoking. Other data included smoking status, smoking habits, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and smoking duration. Data analysis was performed descriptively, and chi-square test and logistic regression were conducted using SPSS version 24. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.ResultsA total of 336 students participated in this study, and the smoking prevalence was 48.8% (41.1% in men and 7.7% in women). In total, 76.8% reported smoking daily at a rate of 5–10 cigarettes per day. In terms of students’ beliefs about smoking, 86.8% disagreed with selling cigarettes at the university. Of the respondents, 68.4% did not approve smoking on campus. There was a relationship between smoking habits and the age group of 22–25 years, which was the highest smoking category among students (p-value = 0.01).ConclusionThe prevalence of cigarette smoking among medical students is disturbing, particularly as they are future doctors. There is a need to include plans to reduce smoking among students that can be incorporated into courses and special programs.
Convergent validity and inter-rater reliability of a lower-limb multimodal physical function assessment in community-dwelling older adults
Authors: O’Brien Myles W. , Neyedli Heather F. , Bosquet Laurent , Leadbetter Brianna , Smith Alex , Gallant Francois , Tanguay Pamela , Bélanger Mathieu , Mekari Said 
Published: June 2023

Introduction: Lower-limb physical function declines with age and contributes to a greater difficulty in performing activities of daily living. Existing assessments of lower-limb function assess one dimension of movement in isolation or are not time-efficient, which discourages their use in community and clinical settings. We aimed to address these limitations by assessing the inter-rater reliability and convergent validity of a new multimodal functional lower-limb assessment (FLA).Methods: FLA consists of five major functional movement tasks (rising from a chair, walking gait, stair ascending/descending, obstacle avoidance, and descending to a chair) performed consecutively. A total of 48 community-dwelling older adults (32 female participants; age: 71 ± 6 years) completed the FLA as well as timed up-and-go, 30-s sit-to-stand, and 6-min walk tests.Results: Slower FLA time was correlated with a slower timed up-and-go test (ρ = 0.70), less sit-to-stand repetitions (ρ = −0.65), and a shorter distance in the 6-min walk test (ρ = −0.69; all, p &lt; 0.001). Assessments by two raters were not different (12.28 ± 3.86 s versus 12.29 ± 3.83 s, p = 0.98; inter-rater reliability ρ = 0.993, p &lt; 0.001) and were statistically equivalent (via equivalence testing). Multiple regression and relative weights analyses demonstrated that FLA times were most predicted by the timed up-and-go performance [adjusted R2 = 0.75; p &lt; 0.001; raw weight 0.42 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.53)].Discussion: Our findings document the high inter-rater reliability and moderate-strong convergent validity of the FLA. These findings warrant further investigation into the predictive validity of the FLA for its use as an assessment of lower-limb physical function among community-dwelling older adults.
Alternative psychopharmacologic treatments for pediatric catatonia: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Smith Joshua R. , Baldwin Isaac , York Tasia , Anderson Carina , McGonigle Trey , Vandekar Simon , Wachtel Lee , Luccarelli James 
Published: June 2023

IntroductionPediatric catatonia is a highly co-morbid condition with treatment options often limited to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or lorazepam. However, lorazepam may not be readily available, and access to ECT is limited by restrictive legislation and stigma. This study aims to provide alternative treatment options for pediatric catatonia.MethodsThe study involved a single-site retrospective analysis of a private university hospital in the southern United States. The study included patients under eighteen with catatonia who received psychopharmacologic treatment with an agent other than lorazepam. The patients were evaluated with the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS), Kanner Catatonia Severity Scale (KCS), and Kanner Catatonia Examination (KCE) at the time of initial evaluation and upon stabilization. A retrospective clinical global impressions-improvement (CGI-I) score was assigned by four authors.Results102 pediatric patients diagnosed with catatonia were identified, and 31 met criteria for the study. 20 (65%) were white, 6 (19%) were Black, 4 (13%) were Hispanic, and 1 (3%) were Indian. Most patients (N = 18; 58%) were insured by Medicaid. The mean age at the time of catatonia diagnosis was 13.5 years. All patients were stabilized on either clonazepam or diazepam, with 21 (68%) requiring treatment with an additional medication of either an anti-epileptic, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, and aripiprazole or clozapine. Statistically significant reductions in the BFCRS [t = 11.2, df = 30, std = 6.3, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI = (7.8, 15.1)], KCS [t = 4.6, df = 38, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI = (12.0, 31.0)], and KCE [t = 7.8, df = 30, std = 1.8, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI = (1.9, 3.2)] were observed. For CGI-I the results showed that the estimated probability of observing a score better than no change (&gt;4) is 0.976 [t.s. = 43.2, p &lt; 0.001, 95% CI = (0.931,0.992)], indicating the average subject is expected to experience some improvement.DiscussionIn conclusion, all patients responded to these treatments with improvement in their catatonic symptoms. Alternative pharmacologic interventions for catatonia, including benzodiazepines other than lorazepam, valproic acid, NMDA receptor antagonists, and atypical antipsychotics were safe and effective in treating catatonia in this population.
The Impact of Gold Nanoparticles on Somatic Embryogenesis Using the Example of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Godel-Jędrychowska Kamila , Milewska-Hendel Anna , Sala Katarzyna , Barański Rafał , Kurczyńska Ewa 
Published: June 2023

Although the influence of nanoparticles (NPs) on developmental processes is better understood, little is known about their impact on somatic embryogenesis (SE). This process involves changes in the direction of cell differentiation. Thus, studying the effect of NPs on SE is essential to reveal their impact on cell fate. This study aimed to examine the influence of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with different surface charges on the SE of 35S:BBM Arabidopsis thaliana, with particular emphasis on the spatiotemporal localization of pectic arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) and extensin epitopes in cells changing the direction of their differentiation. The results show that under the influence of nanoparticles, the explant cells of 35S:BBM Arabidopsis thaliana seedling origin did not enter the path of SE. Bulges and the formation of organ-like structures were observed in these explants, in contrast to the control, where somatic embryos developed. Additionally, spatiotemporal changes in the chemical composition of the cell walls during the culture were observed. Under the influence of Au NPs, the following effects were observed: (1) explant cells did not enter the SE pathway, (2) the impacts of Au NPs with different surface charges on the explants were variable, and (3) the compositions of the analyzed pectic AGPs and extensin epitopes were diverse in the cells with different developmental programs: SE (control) and non-SE (treated with Au NPs).
Identification of Potent Inhibitors Targeting EGFR and HER3 for Effective Treatment of Chemoresistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Dera Ayed A. , Zaib Sumera , Areeba  , Hussain Nadia , Rana Nehal , Javed Hira , Khan Imtiaz 
Published: June 2023

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer. Despite the existence of various therapeutic options, NSCLC is still a major health concern due to its aggressive nature and high mutation rate. Consequently, HER3 has been selected as a target protein along with EGFR because of its limited tyrosine kinase activity and ability to activate PI3/AKT pathway responsible for therapy failure. We herein used a BioSolveIT suite to identify potent inhibitors of EGFR and HER3. The schematic process involves screening of databases for constructing compound library comprising of 903 synthetic compounds (602 for EGFR and 301 for HER3) followed by pharmacophore modeling. The best docked poses of compounds with the druggable binding site of respective proteins were selected according to pharmacophore designed by SeeSAR version 12.1.0. Subsequently, preclinical analysis was performed via an online server SwissADME and potent inhibitors were selected. Compound 4k and 4m were the most potent inhibitors of EGFR while 7x effectively inhibited the binding site of HER3. The binding energies of 4k, 4m, and 7x were −7.7, −6.3 and −5.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Collectively, 4k, 4m and 7x showed favorable interactions with the most druggable binding sites of their respective proteins. Finally, in silico pre-clinical testing by SwissADME validated the non-toxic nature of compounds 4k, 4m and 7x providing a promising treatment option for chemoresistant NSCLC.
Cyber power in the African context: an exploratory analysis and proposition
Authors: Duvenage Petrus , Bernhardt Wilhelm , Von Solms Sebastian 
Published: June 2023

While the centrality of cyber power in the safeguarding and advancing nation states’ national interests and objectives is now widely accepted, the academic discourse (on cyber power) is still incipient. In literature reviewed, cyber power is predominantly viewed as comprising of two dimensions, namely offensive and defensive. The exploratory analysis we conducted found that Africa’s unique, contextual factors necessitate an expanded conceptualisation of cyber power. This alternative conceptualisation does not dispute the existing notion that cyber power has offensive and defensive dimensions. The fact that cyber is by its very nature borderless and that African countries function in an interconnected global arena of competition and conflict, are also not contested. What is required is the addition of a third dimension to cyber power, namely developmental power. This paper advances a tentative proposition on a cyber-power triad (with offensive, defensive and developmental dimensions). This proposition, we argue, is more apposite to African countries’ national objectives —strategically and in the allocation of resources. At least on a notional level, the cyber-power triad can guide the leveraging of the asymmetric advantages that cyber space offers African nation states and in a manner that pursues all three (cyber power) dimensions in a complementary manner. Such synergetic wielding of cyber power is one of the keys indispensable to African countries addressing their substantial challenges and unlocking their vast potential.
A Cyber Counterintelligence Competence Framework: Developing the Job Roles
Authors: Thenjiwe Sithole  , Du Toit Jaco , Von Solms Sebastian 
Published: June 2023

In recent years, there have been intensifying cyber risks and volumes of cyber incidents prompting a significant shift in the cyber threat landscape. Both nation-state and non-state actors are increasingly resolute and innovative in their techniques and operations globally. These intensifying cyber risks and incidents suggest that cyber capability is inversely proportional to cyber risks, threats and attacks. Therefore, this confirms an emergent and critical need to adopt and invest in intelligence strategies, predominantly cyber counterintelligence (CCI), which is a multi-disciplinary and proactive measure to mitigate risks and counter cyber threats and cyber-attacks. Concurrent with the adoption of CCI is an appreciation that requisite job roles must be defined and developed. Notwithstanding the traction that CCI is gaining, we found no work on a clear categorisation for the CCI job roles in the academic or industry literature surveyed. Furthermore, from a cybersecurity perspective, it is unclear which job roles constitute the CCI field.
This paper stems from and expands on the authors’ prior research on developing a CCI Competence Framework. The proposed CCI Competence Framework consists of four critical elements deemed essential for CCI workforce development. In order of progression, the Framework’s elements are: CCI Dimensions (passive-defensive, active-defensive, passive-offensive, active-offensive), CCI Functional Areas (detection, deterrence, deception, neutralisation), CCI Job Roles (associated with each respective Functional Area), and Tasks and Competences (allocated to each job role). Pivoting on prior research on CCI Dimensions and CCI Functional Areas, this paper advances a proposition on associated Job Roles in a manner that is both intelligible and categorised.
To this end, the paper advances a five-step process that evaluates and examines Counterintelligence and Cybersecurity Job Roles and functions to derive a combination of new or existing Job Roles required for the CCI workforce/professionals. Although there are several cybersecurity frameworks for workforce development, establishing the CCI Job Roles is specifically based on the expression of the Job Roles defined in the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.