University of Nicosia

This article investigates the relationship between intra-party leadership contestations on levels of satisfaction with democracy among party voters, trying to identify the impact of the former on the latter. The article draws on empirical data for a cross-sectional analysis from three different data sets that cover 11 countries, including a more case-specific analysis that utilizes panel data from Germany. Overall, the study aims to capture the dynamics of intra-party politics and the magnitude of its effect on perceptions of democracy among parties' voters. We find that intra-party politics at its probably most competitive version, that is elections for the head of the party, does not seem to exercise any significant influence on voters' satisfaction with democracy.

The workplace is a key environmental determinant of health and wellbeing. Food choices can be influenced by several workplace related factors including, but not limited to, working hours, the workplace food environment, job roles and workplace culture. Therefore, the workplace is increasingly viewed as an important place for public health nutrition interventions. However, research in this area is fragmented and heterogeneous due to the wide range of workplace settings and occupational groups. This editorial summarises the research presented at The Nutrition Society Workplace Diet and Health Special Interest Group Satellite Symposium in July 2024 as part of the inaugural Nutrition Society congress.

This research is concerned with the investigation of waste bentonite produced from a quarry in Cyprus, after being polymer-amended for use as a low-density solid additive in water-based drilling fluid systems (WBFS). According to API procedures, the waste bentonite samples are mechanically processed to a size < 63 μm and then activated with soda ash under “wet & thermal” conditions. The activated material is then used in the blending of actual WBF drilling fluid systems amended with polymers to obtain the desired colloidal properties because bentonite alone was not sufficient. For this procedure, three anionic polymers, Xanthan gum, CMC, and PAC-R were considered because they are very common as drilling fluid additives and under certain concentrations can help reach the desired colloidal properties of the WBFS. Results from this work show that minor polymer addition of all three polymers assists the waste material in reaching excellent filtration control qualifying the waste material according to API. Repurposing local waste clay material for drilling applications serves as a cost-effective solution leading to the management of local resources and aligning with environmental sustainability thus contributing to the circular economy principle.

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) encounter difficulties in acquiring various language structures. Early identification and intervention are crucial to prevent negative long-term outcomes impacting the academic, social, and emotional development of children. The study aims to develop an automated method for the identification of DLD using artificial intelligence, specifically a neural network machine learning algorithm. This protocol is applied for the first time in a Cypriot Greek child population with DLD. The neural network model was trained using perceptual and production data elicited from 15 children with DLD and 15 healthy controls in the age range of 7;10–10;4. The k-fold technique was used to cross-validate the algorithm. The performance of the model was evaluated using metrics, such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and ROC curve/AUC to assess its ability to make accurate predictions on a set of unseen data. The results demonstrated high classification values for all metrics, indicating the high accuracy of the neural model in classifying children with DLD. Furthermore, a variable importance analysis revealed that the language production skills of children had a more significant impact on the performance of the model compared to perception skills. Machine learning paradigms provide effective discrimination between children with DLD and those with TD, with the potential to enhance clinical assessment and facilitate earlier and more efficient detection of the disorder.

Microscopic, membranous vesicles known as extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been proposed to play a role in the mechanisms underlying central nervous system (CNS) diseases. EVs are secreted by a variety of cells, including myeloid, endothelial, microglial, oligodendroglial, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Body fluids such as plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contain microparticles (MPs). The detection of MPs in CSF may indicate genetic or environmental susceptibility to conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. MPs of different origins can exhibit changes in specific biomarkers at various stages of the disease, aiding in the diagnosis and monitoring of neurological conditions. However, understanding the role and clinical applications of MPs is complicated by challenges such as their isolation and dual roles within the CNS. In this review, we discuss the history, characteristics, and roles of MPs in CNS diseases. We also provide practical insights for future research and highlight the challenges that obscure the therapeutic potential of MPs.

Feeding is an interactive process between parents and children and is related to children’s healthy nutrition, growth, and feelings about the child or parent. The effectiveness of the interaction between feeding and behaviour is strongly influenced by how well this reciprocal procedure is stimulated and supported. The current study aimed to cross-culturally adapt and validate the About Your Child’s Eating (AYCE) questionnaire in its Greek language version for Greek-Cypriot parents and caregivers of children aged six months to 16 years with or without feeding and swallowing problems. One hundred Greek-Cypriot parents/caregivers of children with feeding and swallowing difficulties and 100 Greek-Cypriot parents/caregivers of children without feeding and swallowing difficulties participated in this study. This study was conducted at mainstream schools and private speech-language therapy clinics in Cyprus. According to WHO, the AYCE questionnaire was translated and culturally tailored for Greek speakers. The analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the AYCE total mean scores of parents in the Typical Development of Feeding Behaviors group (c-TDFB) (M = 44.03, SD = 11.18) and parents in the Atypical Development of Feeding Behaviors group (c-ADFB) (M = 63.56, SD: 16.22) (P < 0.001), with c-ADFB scoring significantly higher. The overall evaluation of the scale yielded a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.916. The validity of the AYCE questionnaire in Cyprus was also assessed. The findings demonstrate that the AYCE can be a beneficial tool for determining critical facets of the feeding parent–child interaction for preschool- and school-aged Greek-Cypriot children in Cyprus.

This study explores the integration of sustainable practices in the advancing domain of sixth-generation and beyond (6G+) network technologies, with a particular focus on enhancing the efficiency of search and rescue operations. It presents a comprehensive strategy for network slicing designed to bolster seamless communication and operational efficacy of emergency response teams in varied and ever-changing conditions. It presents an innovative approach to managing workload fluctuations in network slicing. Also, it introduces a new slice configuration mechanism to prioritize signals for devices within the complex, compelling, hierarchical network systems. Incorporating a Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MADDPG) algorithm is central to the approach, tackling the complexity of implementing effective communication strategies across multiple network layers. Our findings demonstrate a highly adaptable and real-time slice configuration technique within System of Systems (SoS) environments, offering significant enhancements in systems engineering and emergency communication management. This approach contributes to the robustness and reliability of emergency response communications and underscores the importance of integrating environmental sustainability in developing next-generation network technologies.

In this introductory chapter, we first argue that populism is not a uniform phenomenon. At the core of populism lies a critique of contemporary liberal democracy and its constitutional orthodoxy, but different kinds of populism may come with widely different attitudes towards constitutionalism and constitutional law. While authoritarian populism poses indeed a threat to constitutional democracy, democratic populism might rejuvenate it. However, populists’ institutional reformism is not per se incompatible with constitutionalism. It depends on the specific direction of the reforms and of the way they are carried out. Next, we revue the literature that claims a strong connection between populism and authoritarianism. This is what the historical evidence for the common genealogy, at least in some cases, of fascism and populism indicates. However, populists challenge democracy, especially its liberal version, but they typically do not aim to destroy it, since populism remains always within the paradigm of electoral democracy. In extremis, authoritarian populism may even evolve into dictatorship. Yet, when this happens, it isn’t populist in any proper sense anymore but rather a ‘pseudo-populist dictatorship’. On the other hand, authoritarian populism is only a potential outcome, while there are other populisms that are not authoritarian. Lastly, we propose a connection between populism and representative democracy’s structural contradictions: the definition of sovereignty’s agent and the contemporary tug-of-war between the people and the nation; issues concerning the participation of the citizens in the exercise of political power; the methods of expression and representation of the electorate; and the contribution of fundamental rules. Hence, we place populism within the problematic of the democratic re-organization of power at a time when the field of politics is shrinking, and the laws of market and/or science tend to become the main regulator of social relations.

Constituent power as a form of an unlimited power of the people fits into the populist discourse about the primacy of the people over procedures. The populist perception of constituent power emphasizes the immense presence of people on which its limitless character relies. Since constituent power stems from the people, it can take any form, as long as it is the outcome of popular will and can make decisions on any matter and not solely on the substance of the Constitution. The crucial issue then is whether or not there any criteria which could help us to draw some demarcation lines. Instead of the peculiarities of each case, there are some indicators which could make possible the differentiation between populist and non-populist attempts of constitution making, even if they sometimes look similar. The examination of each case though the lenses of these indicators might not provide us with a clear answer on whether a case is a definite case of populist constitution making. However, if we rely on the impact that such indicators have had on the constitution-making process in total, we can come to safe conclusions.

Purpose of Review At present, breast cancer represents the most common malignancy diagnosed in women worldwide. Due to the trend toward delayed childbearing, many women of reproductive age are being diagnosed with breast cancer and treated with chemotherapy or hormone therapy which can adversely affect their fertility. This literature review discusses the effects of breast cancer treatment on fertility and options for fertility preservation. Recent findings Treatments used in the management of breast cancer often result in a diminished ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency, and treatment-related amenorrhea. Chemotherapy may cause direct damage to oocytes and deplete ovarian reserve, while hormone therapies such as tamoxifen can cause amenorrhea and delay childbearing. Targeted therapies and radiotherapy may also pose risks to reproductive health. Fertility preservation is a concern for patients, and many of them may refuse or prematurely discontinue treatment to preserve their fertility. It is relevant to incorporate considerations of fertility at the time of treatment planning for breast cancers and to provide information to appropriate patients regarding their options. Current techniques available for fertility preservation include ovarian suppression, oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation. In spite of these techniques being in existence, there are plenty of barriers that deter the patients from availing them, including lack of awareness, financial constraints, and the need for timely treatment. This review implicates that these challenges require multidisciplinary approaches and a patient-centered approach. Summary Further research is warranted toward the improvement of fertility preservation techniques, individual variability in protocols, and newer advances in reproductive medicine to further optimize quality of life in survivors of breast cancer.

Purpose To assess the effects of carbohydrate timing and type on body composition and physical fitness. Methods Forty-two healthy, trained male volunteers underwent a four-week intervention, randomly divided into three groups: (i) Sleep Low-No Carbohydrates (SL-NCHO): consuming all carbohydrate intake at regular intervals prior to evening training, (ii) Sleep High-Low Glycemic Index (SH-LGI), and (iii) Sleep High-High Glycemic Index (SH-HGI). In both SH-LGI and SH-HGI, carbohydrates were distributed throughout the day, both pre-(60% of total intake) and post-evening training (40% of total intake). The SH-LGI and SH-HGI groups diverged in evening carbohydrate quality, featuring LGI and HGI foods, respectively. All participants performed a standardized exercise program combining resistance exercise and high-intensity interval training. Body composition was assessed using skinfold measurements and bioelectrical impendence analysis. Physical fitness was assessed by measuring VO2max, Visual Reaction Time (VRT), Countermovement Jump (CMJ), and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) in hack squat, chest press, shoulder press, and lat-pulldown exercises. Results There was a significant time-effect on both body composition and physical fitness indices. Bodyfat percentage decreased by an average of 1.5% (p < 0.001), fat-mass by 1.4 kg (p < 0.001) and fat-free mass increased by 0.9 kg (p = 0.006). A time-effect was also observed in VO2max, CMJ, 1RM testing, and VRT (all p < 0.05). There were no significant differences among interventions. Conclusions A balanced dietary plan with sufficient nutrient and energy intake promotes body composition optimization and physical fitness, independently of carbohydrate type or timing. This study points towards implementing flexible nutrition interventions, emphasizing the potential of tailored dietary strategies to optimize health and physical fitness. Trial registration number The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05464342.

INTRODUCTION Tobacco use remains a significant public health issue worldwide, causing over 7 million deaths annually. Polytobacco use has become a common phenomenon. This study aims to analyze reasons for cigarette and tobacco product use, dual use and poly use among university students by sex, in China and Cyprus, selected owing to their still high consumption rates. METHODS An online survey was conducted among 589 university students (55% women) with a mean age of 24.2 years from Guangzhou, China, and the Republic of Cyprus. Participants reported their use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and waterpipes, as well as their reasons for using these products. Statistical analyses included chi-squared tests, and effect sizes were computed using the phi (φ) coefficient. RESULTS The Chinese participants gave as reasons for using cigarettes: ‘because of the taste’, ‘because it looks cool’, ‘to get high’ and ‘because friends and family use them’. These were less frequently given by the Cypriots who opted more for ‘to relax and relieve tension’. Compared to the Cypriot participants, the more frequent reasons given for consuming e-cigarettes and waterpipes among Chinese students were: ‘due to boredom’, ‘because it looks cool’, ‘to get high’, ‘because I am hooked’, ‘because friends or family members use them’, ‘because they are less harmful than regular cigarettes’ and ‘because friends of family members allow their use more’. Dual or poly users felt more addicted than those who practiced single use. Among e-cigarette users, dual users and poly users valued the taste of the product more than single users. In general, men found more reasons for tobacco use than women did. CONCLUSIONS This study shows substantial differences in the motivation for using these products according to the product type, number of tobacco/nicotine products used, country, and sex. Understanding the reasons for tobacco use can inform targeted interventions aimed at reducing tobacco consumption among young adults.

Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive degenerative neurological disorder that negatively affects the quality of life of affected individuals as well as their care givers. There is limited information in both epidemiological data and awareness level on PD in the Middle East. Considering the increasing prevalence of PD, the lack of awareness and negative attitudes toward PD pose a barrier in the provision of appropriate care for individuals with PD. Objective This study aimed to validate scales to explore the knowledge and attitude towards PD among the general population in Lebanon and identify the associated factors related to the knowledge and attitude assessment. This study’s results would guide awareness strategies in the country including public health strategies, campaigns and education sessions for the general population as well as targeted people. Methodology An online cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2023 in Lebanon. Snowball sampling was used to recruit 400 Lebanese adults living in Lebanon. The validity and reliability of the knowledge and attitude scales were assessed, followed by a thorough statistical analysis to explore the factors associated with these scales. Results The knowledge and attitude scales generated by this study were valid and reliable; Cronbach’s alpha values for knowledge and attitude scales were 0.697 and 0.901, respectively. Using these scales, 91.8% demonstrated inappropriate knowledge and 93% showed positive attitude towards PD. Higher knowledge scores were significantly associated with female gender (Beta = 1.130), being a healthcare professional (Beta = 2.514), having heard about PD (Beta = 5.338), obtaining the source of information from electronic databases (Beta = 1.283), from pharmacist or physician (Beta = 1.212), from personal readings (Beta = 2.386), and having PD or knowing someone with PD; a friend or a family member (Beta = 1.179). However, being illiterate or having primary or secondary education (Beta = -0.874), having a higher household crowding index (Beta = -1.890), not knowing if contents from sources provide negative images about PD (Beta = − 1.908) and preferring not to say to which social class they belong (Beta = − 1.602) were significantly associated with lower knowledge scores. Believing that contents from sources provide negative images about PD (Beta = 8.246) was significantly associated with a higher attitude score, i.e., a more negative attitude towards PD. Conclusion This study showed low levels of knowledge and an overall positive attitude towards PD in Lebanon. Factors associated with higher knowledge and attitude scores, including gender, education level, profession, knowing someone with the disease, household crowding index, social class, source of information and contents of such sources, reflect the need to consider those when implementing targeted corrective actions. Future studies can focus on educational campaigns to improve public awareness, reduce misconceptions and limit barriers to the early diagnosis and provision of optimal care to the affected patients.

A linear sixth-order partial differential equation (PDE) of “parabolic” type describes the dynamics of thin liquid films beneath surfaces with elastic bending resistance when deflections from the equilibrium film height are small. On a finite domain, the associated sixth-order eigenvalue problem is self-adjoint for the boundary conditions corresponding to a thin film in a closed trough, and the eigenfunctions form a complete orthonormal set. Using these eigenfunctions, we derive the Green’s function for the governing sixth-order PDE on a finite interval and compare it to the known infinite-line solution. Further, we propose a Galerkin spectral method based on the constructed sixth-order eigenfunctions and their derivative expansions. The system of ordinary differential equations for the time-dependent expansion coefficients is solved by standard numerical methods. The numerical approach is applied to versions of the governing PDE with a second-order spatial derivative (in addition to the sixth-order one), which arises from gravity acting on the film. In the absence of gravity, we demonstrate the self-similar intermediate asymptotics of initially localized disturbances on the film surface, at least until the disturbances “feel” the finite boundaries, and show that the derived Green’s function is an attractor for such solutions. In the presence of gravity, we use the proposed Galerkin numerical method to demonstrate that self-similar behavior persists, albeit for shortened intervals of time, even for large values of the gravity-to-bending ratio.