bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Degradable starch microspheres transarterial chemoembolization (DSM-TACE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: results from the Prospective Multicenter Observational HepaStar Trial
Authors: Collettini Federico , Andrašina Tomáš , Reimer Peter , Schima Wolfgang , Stroszczynski Christian , Lamprecht Yasmina , Auer Timo Alexander , Rohan Tomáš , Wildgruber Moritz , Gebauer Bernhard , Masthoff Max 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Objectives
Despite increasing interest, prospective data on the use of degradable starch microsphere-transarterial chemoembolization (DSM-TACE) in the management of patients with unresectable HCC are still scarce. The objective of the HepaStar study was to collect prospective safety and effectiveness data in a prospective multicenter observational study.

Materials and methods
Between January 2017 and December 2022, consecutive participants with unresectable or recurrent HCC treated with DSM-TACE as standard of care at 6 participating centers in Europe were enrolled. Tumor response was evaluated according to the mRECIST criteria. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs) were assessed by using Kaplan–Meier analysis and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5. Liver function deterioration was assessed by monitoring changes in liver blood tests during the follow-up.

Results
Seventy-nine participants (median age, 69 years (IQR, 51–87 years); 67 men (85%)) were enrolled and treated. The median follow-up time was 18 months (IQR 9.5–38.0 months). The estimated median OS and PFS for the entire cohort was 32 months (CI, 95% 21-NaN) and 9 months (CI, 95% 7-NaN), respectively. Eleven (13.9%) participants experienced at least one grade 3 or 4 AE. The most frequent grade 3–4 AE was elevated bilirubin (2.2%, 5 of 79). Deterioration of bilirubin, AST, ALT, and albumin were observed in 24.1%, 23.7%, 19%, and 24% of participants, respectively.

Conclusion
DSM-TACE achieves promising survival in patients with unresectable or recurrent HCC. This technique shows a favorable safety profile both in terms of treatment-related AEs and liver function deterioration.

Key Points
QuestionAlthough degradable starch microspheres transarterial chemoembolization is widely used in clinical practice across Europe, prospective data on its application in hepatocellular carcinoma patients remains limited.
FindingsDegradable starch microspheres transarterial chemoembolization results in promising survival rates, good tumor response rates, and low rates of treatment-related adverse events.
Clinical relevanceIn patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, degradable starch microspheres transarterial chemoembolization represents a safe and effective alternative to more well-established chemoembolization techniques like conventional transarterial chemoembolization and drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization.
MRI-based prediction of microvascular invasion/high tumor grade and adjuvant therapy benefit for solitary HCC ≤ 5 cm: a multicenter cohort study
Authors: Jiang Hanyu , Li Binrong , Zheng Tianying , Qin Yun , Wu Yuanan , Wu Zhenru , Ronot Maxime , Chernyak Victoria , Fowler Kathryn J. , Bashir Mustafa R. , Chen Weixia , Wang Yuan-Cheng , Ju Shenghong , Song Bin 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Objectives
To develop and externally validate an MRI-based diagnostic model for microvascular invasion (MVI) or Edmondson-Steiner G3/4 (i.e., high-risk histopathology) in solitary BCLC 0/A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤ 5 cm and to assess its performance in predicting adjuvant therapy benefits.

Materials and methods
This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 577 consecutive adult patients who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI and subsequent curative resection or ablation for solitary BCLC 0/A HCC ≤ 5 cm (December 2011 to January 2024) from four hospitals. For resection-treated patients, a diagnostic model integrating clinical and 50 semantic MRI features was developed against pathology with logistic regression analyses on the training set (center 1) and externally validated on the testing dataset (centers 2–4), with its utilities in predicting posttreatment recurrence-free survival (RFS) and adjuvant therapy benefit evaluated by Cox regression analyses.

Results
Serum α-fetoprotein > 100 ng/mL (odds ratio (OR), 1.94; p = 0.006), non-simple nodular growth subtype (OR, 1.69; p = 0.03), and the VICT2 trait (OR, 4.49; p < 0.001) were included in the MVI or high-grade (MHG) trait, with testing set AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.832, 74.0%, and 82.5%, respectively. In the multivariable Cox analysis, the MHG-positive status was associated with worse RFS (resection testing set HR, 3.55, p = 0.02; ablation HR, 3.45, p < 0.001), and adjuvant therapy was associated with improved RFS only for the MHG-positive patients (resection HR, 0.39, p < 0.001; ablation HR, 0.30, p = 0.005).

Conclusion
The MHG trait effectively predicted high-risk histopathology, RFS and adjuvant therapy benefit among patients receiving curative resection or ablation for solitary BCLC 0/A HCC ≤ 5 cm.

Key Points
QuestionDespite being associated with increased recurrence and potential benefit from adjuvancy in HCC, microvascular invasion or Edmondson-Steiner grade 3/4 are hardly assessable noninvasively.
FindingsWe developed and externally validated an MRI-based model for predicting high-risk histopathology, post-resection/ablation recurrence-free survival, and adjuvant therapy benefit in solitary HCC ≤ 5 cm.
Clinical relevanceAmong patients receiving curative-intent resection or ablation for solitary HCC ≤ 5 cm, noninvasive identification of high-risk histopathology (MVI or high-grade) using our proposed MRI model may help improve individualized prognostication and patient selection for adjuvant therapies.
7 days of L-citrulline supplementation does not improve running performance in the heat whilst in a hypohydrated state
Authors: Cable Thomas G. , Funnell Mark P. , Reynolds Kirsty M. , Hudson Ella F. , Macrae Heather Z. , Johnson Drusus A. , Taylor Lee , Heaney Liam M. , Mears Stephen A. , Bailey Stephen J. , James Lewis J. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Purpose
7 days L-citrulline supplementation has been reported to improve blood pressure, $$\mathop {\text{V}}\limits^{.}$$

V
.

O2 kinetics, gastrointestinal (GI) perfusion and endurance cycling performance through increasing arterial blood flow. In situations where blood volume is compromised (e.g., hyperthermia/hypohydration), L-citrulline may improve thermoregulation and exercise performance by redistributing blood flow to aid heat loss and/or muscle function. This study assessed 7 days L-citrulline supplementation on running performance in the heat, whilst mildly hypohydrated.

Methods
13 endurance runners (2 female, 31 ± 8 y, $$\mathop {\text{V}}\limits^{.}$$

V
.

O2peak 60 ± 6 mL/kg/min) participated in a randomised crossover study with 7 days L-citrulline (CIT; 6 g/d) or placebo (maltodextrin powder; PLA) supplementation. Participants completed a 50 min running ‘preload’ at 65% $$\mathop {\text{V}}\limits^{.}$$

V
.

O2peak (32 °C, 50% relative humidity) to induce hyperthermia and hypohydration before a 3 km running time trial (TT). Body mass and blood samples were collected at baseline, pre-preload, post-preload and post-TT, whilst core and skin temperature, heart rate and perceptual responses were collected periodically throughout.

Results
TT performance was not different between trials (CIT 865 ± 142 s; PLA 892 ± 154 s; P = 0.437). Core and skin temperature and heart rate (P ≥ 0.270), hydration (sweat rate, plasma volume, osmolality) indices (P ≥ 0.216), GI damage (P ≥ 0.260) and perceptual responses (P ≥ 0.610) were not different between trials during the preload and TT.

Conclusions
7 days of L-citrulline supplementation had no effect on 3 km running performance in the heat or any effects on thermoregulation or GI damage in trained runners in a hypohydrated state.
The presence, maintenance, and adaptation of Indigenous and local knowledge about climate-related hazards in Nordic contexts
Authors: Harnesk David , Baron Nina , Kongsager Rico , Heidenreich Sara 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe ability of people to act on their knowledge of their surrounding physical environments before, in response to, and after impactful climate-related hazards is shaped by broader environmental and socio-economic conditions. We present a multiple case study that illustrates how people from both non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities living in remote areas in the Nordic countries maintain and adapt their hazard-related Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK). The four communities that we followed through qualitative, fieldwork-based research are characterized by a strong attachment to place, a developed sense of place, and high exposure to climate-related hazards. The hazard-related ILK of people in these communities is integrated into place-based everyday practices in the physical environment and includes helping others in the community. Our research highlights that people maintain their ILK in several ways: through intergenerational relations with family and friends; by adopting place-based cultural practices into everyday life; by relating to past experience and historical events; and through community inclusion. However, adapting this knowledge to their surrounding conditions is challenged by compounding pressures of environmental and socio-economic change. Given that knowledge claims may be incommensurable, we highlight different approaches to the question of which of the various values found in ILK could be deemed relevant for policy development. Whether the policy objective is to support the practical application of ILK or the cultural diversity it represents, we underline the need for greater theorization regarding the deeper structural drivers that shape local agency, if such goals are to be reached more effectively.
The Intimate and Sexual Costs of Emotional Labor: The Development of the Women’s Sexual Emotional Labor Assessment
Authors: Oschatz Tanja , Piemonte Jennifer L. , Klein Verena 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Emotional labor, the act of suppressing or altering one’s feelings to enhance another person’s well-being, is predominantly performed by women, especially within intimate relationships. Despite its impact on well-being, research on its role in sexuality remains limited. We developed the Women’s Sexual Emotional Labor Assessment (WOSELA), a 12-item scale based on themes identified by past qualitative studies. To ensure its reliability and validity, we conducted three studies with women partnered with men, as well as heterosexual single women from the UK and the USA (N = 831). Drawing on exploratory factor analysis in Study 1, four subscales were identified: faking orgasm, performing desire, tolerating discomfort or pain, and partner-referenced sexual satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analyses in Study 2 (pre-registered) provided support for the WOSELA in its current form. In Study 3 (pre-registered), we demonstrated the validity of the WOSELA by establishing significant negative correlations with sexual agency, sexual communication, and sexual pleasure. Our results further show that the WOSELA was not significantly related to positive-partner-oriented sexual responsiveness. The WOSELA offers a unique tool to explore the role of emotional labor in sustaining the pleasure gap, as well as in broader power dynamics within intimate relationships and its impact on women’s well-being.
Chemical determination of silica in seagrass leaves reveals two operational silica pools in Zostera marina
Authors: Roth Justine , Gallinari Morgane , Schoelynck Jonas , Hernán Gema , Máñez-Crespo Julia , Ricart Aurora M. , López-Acosta María 
Published: December 2024

AbstractSilicon is a major driver of global primary productivity and CO2 sequestration, and is a beneficial element for the growth and environmental stress mitigation of many terrestrial and aquatic plants. However, only a few studies have examined the occurrence of silicon in seagrasses, and its function within seagrass ecosystems and the role of seagrasses in silicon cycling remain largely unexplored. This study uses for the first time two methods, the wet-alkaline digestion and the hydrofluoric acid digestion, to quantify silicon content in seagrass leaves using the species Zostera marina and elaborates on the potential role of silicon in seagrass biogeochemistry and ecology, as well as the role of seagrass ecosystems as a silicon reservoir. The results revealed that seagrass leaves contained 0.26% silicon:dry-weight, which is accumulated in two forms of silica: a labile form digested with the alkaline method and a resistant form digested only with acid digestion. These findings support chemical digestions for silicon quantification in seagrass leaves and provide new insights into the impact of seagrasses on the marine silicon cycle. Labile silica will be recycled upon leaf degradation, benefiting siliceous organisms, while refractory silica will contribute to the ecosystem’s buried silica stock and coupled carbon sequestration. In the Bay of Brest (France), the seagrass silicon reservoir was estimated at 0.18 ± 0.07 g Si m⁻2, similar to that of benthic diatoms, underscoring the potential role of seagrasses in silicon biogeochemistry in the land–ocean continuum, where they might act as a buffer for silicon transport to the ocean.
CEO Activism and Political Mobilization
Authors: Hou Young , Poliquin Christopher 
Published: December 2024

AbstractCEOs increasingly engage in activism on issues such as gun control, voting rights, and abortion. Although such activism may benefit their firms, the stated goal is often to mobilize the public and precipitate change. In an experiment with 4,578 respondents, we study the effect of CEO activism on people’s willingness to contact their U.S. senators about abortion. On average, showing a CEO message supporting abortion rights is not more effective at mobilizing pro-choice citizens than showing no message or showing a message from other speakers. Additionally, CEOs do not provoke countermobilization by people who oppose abortion. We explore heterogeneous treatment effects and find that CEO activism is better at motivating pro-choice citizens to engage in politics when their senators are Democrats and thus likely receptive to pro-choice activism, consistent with stakeholder alignment theory. Our findings contribute to research on leadership ethics and democracy by examining the ability of CEOs and organizations to foster engagement in the democratic process.
Optimal blocks for maximizing the transaction fee revenue of Bitcoin miners
Authors: Alambardar Meybodi Mohsen , Goharshady Amir , Hooshmandasl Mohammad Reza , Shakiba Ali 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
In this work, we consider a combinatorial optimization problem with direct applications in blockchain mining, namely finding the most lucrative blocks for Bitcoin miners, and propose optimal algorithmic solutions. Our experiments show that our algorithms increase the miners’ revenues by more than a million dollars per month. Modern blockchains reward their miners in two ways: (i) a base reward for each block that is mined, and (ii) the transaction fees of those transactions that are included in the mined block. The base reward is fixed by the respective blockchain’s protocol and is not under the miner’s control. Hence, for a miner who wishes to maximize earnings, the fundamental problem is to form a valid block with maximal total transaction fees and then try to mine it. Moreover, in many protocols, including Bitcoin itself, the base reward halves at predetermined intervals, hence increasing the importance of maximizing transaction fees and mining an optimal block. This problem is further complicated by the fact that transactions can be prerequisites of each other or have conflicts (in case of double-spending). In this work, we consider the problem of forming an optimal block, i.e. a valid block with maximal total transaction fees, given a set of unmined transactions. On the theoretical side, we first formally model our problem as an extension of Knapsack and then show that, unlike classical Knapsack, our problem is strongly NP-hard. We also show a hardness-of-approximation result. As such, there is no hope in solving it efficiently for general instances. However, we observe that its real-world instances are quite sparse, i.e. the transactions have very few dependencies and conflicts. Using this fact, and exploiting three well-known graph sparsity parameters, namely treedepth, treewidth and pathwidth, we present exact linear-time parameterized algorithms that are applicable to the real-world instances and obtain optimal results. On the practical side, we provide an extensive experimental evaluation demonstrating that our approach vastly outperforms the current Bitcoin miners in practice, obtaining a significant per-block average increase of 11.34 percent in transaction fee revenues which amounts to almost one million dollars per month.
The Single Case Study is a Crucial Bridge between Research and Practice
Authors: Råbu Marit , Binder Per-Einar 
Published: December 2024

AbstractQualitative single case studies offer insights into developmental processes within specific contexts. Case studies enables us to investigate how development takes place, since it allows for a detailed examination of therapeutic processes, relationship dynamics, and developmental trajectories. Traditionally, case studies were typically therapist-authored retrospective accounts. Contemporary approaches incorporate multiple perspectives. This includes patient and therapist narratives, researcher observations, and systematic data collection methods. Case studies can be beneficial for investigating exceptions to general trends and giving voice to underrepresented experiences in psychotherapy research. Case studies can be useful in knowledge transmission within communities of practice. There is a close connection between single case studies and psychotherapy as it is practiced since clinical competence necessarily is built case by case. Thus, case studies can be useful to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application and thereby contribute to development of professional expertise, including practical wisdom and clinical flexibility. Since psychotherapy case studies often involve ethical dilemmas, they may be useful to help therapists to develop their ethical reasoning skills. Advice for how to do qualitative case study research are provided, highlighting practical and ethical implications.
Enhancing extrusion die design efficiency through high-performance computing based optimization
Authors: Vidal J. P. O. , Oliveira M. , Srivastava A. , Sacramento A. , Aali M. , Guerrero J. , Nóbrega J. M. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis work presents a new computational framework for designing profile extrusion dies. The framework utilizes High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources to optimize parameterized die flow channels within a one-day time-frame, resulting in a significant reduction in the typical design time required for profile extrusion dies. By employing objective function-controlled convergence criteria, the framework achieved a 50% reduction in calculation time compared to runs where only the unknowns residuals were considered for the same purpose. Furthermore, it offers full optimization capability, requiring no user intervention once the CAD parameterization is complete. OpenFOAM and Dakota were employed for modeling and optimization, respectively. Fusion 360 and Onshape CAD software were used for drawing and parameterizing the flow channel. By leveraging HPC systems, the optimization framework can automatically test hundreds of alternative geometries within one day to find the optimal solution. This research demonstrates the feasibility and advantages of HPC-driven extrusion die optimization, which contributes to increased efficiency and competitiveness in the manufacturing industry.
Evaluating action possibilities: a procedural metacognitive view of intentional omissions
Authors: Kärki Kaisa 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
How do we control what we do not do? What are the relevant guiding mental states when an agent intentionally omits to perform an action? I argue that what happens when an agent intentionally omits is a two-part metacognitive process in which a representation of an action is brought to the agent’s mind for further processing and evaluated by her as something not to be done. Without a representation of the action not done, the agent cannot further process the possibility of her own action; she cannot intentionally try to not do something, resist performing an action, or decide or choose to not perform an action. The literature on people with frontal lobe damage suggests that without metacognitive control of action, a person automatically follows what the environment affords or what others are doing. Through at least procedural metacognitive control of action, agents are able to intentionally omit. This view has explanatory power over a variety of intentional omissions and over a variety of agents. It answers central questions in the philosophy of intentional omissions: who is capable of intentionally omitting, when and where intentional omissions unfold, and what are the relevant guiding mental states on which the control of intentional omissions is based? The answers to these questions contribute in part to naturalizing agency, at least when it comes to negative agency, our ability to guide the non-performance of our actions.
Interactive effects of crop types and nitrogen sources on N2O emissions in a cool humid climate
Authors: D’Amours Joannie , Pelster David E. , Chantigny Martin H. , VanderZaag Andrew C. , Smith Erin L. , Bélanger Gilles , Maillard Émilie , Samson Marie-Élise , Gregorich Edward G. , Angers Denis A. , Royer Isabelle , Thivierge Marie-Noëlle 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
Aims
Perennial forages in rotation with annual crops can improve agricultural resilience by increasing soil organic carbon. However, how nitrogen (N) sources interact with rotation diversity to influence soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions is not well understood.

Methods
During three snow-free seasons, N2O emissions, crop yields, and ancillary variables were measured at three experimental sites with contrasting soil textures (silty clay and sandy loam) in eastern Canada. Using a split-plot design, we compared a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.)-corn rotation and a mixed perennial grass sward receiving N via: i) mineral fertilizer (MIN), ii) liquid dairy manure (LDM), and iii) inclusion of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) to the perennial forages with no additional N (LEG).

Results
When summed across sites over all three years, cumulative N2O emissions were greater for LDM than MIN in annual crops (8.75 ± 1.63 and 5.15 ± 0.96 kg N2O-N ha–1, respectively), but not in perennial grasses (2.95 ± 0.55 and 3.76 ± 0.70 kg N2O-N ha–1, respectively). When comparing N sources within each crop type over the three years, MIN generated greater yields than LDM in annual and perennial crops, but lower yield-scaled N2O emissions than LDM in annual crops only. During forages post-seeding years, area- and yield-scaled N2O emissions induced by LDM and LEG were lower than MIN.

Conclusion
Our results suggest that for a cool humid climate using LDM or LEG in perennial forages and MIN on annual crops can reduce overall N2O emissions, while generating similar or lower yield-scaled emissions.