bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes in hormonal profiles during competition preparation in physique athletes
Authors: Isola Ville , Hulmi Juha J. , Mbay Theo , Kyröläinen Heikki , Häkkinen Keijo , Ahola Vilho , Helms Eric R. , Ahtiainen Juha P. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Purpose
Physique athletes engage in rigorous competition preparation involving intense energy restriction and physical training to enhance muscle definition. This study investigates hormonal changes and their physiological and performance impacts during such preparation.

Methods
Participants included female (10 competing (COMP) and 10 non-dieting controls (CTRL)) and male (13 COMP and 10 CTRL) physique athletes. COMP participants were tested 23 weeks before (PRE), one week before (MID), and 23 weeks after the competition (POST). Non-dieting CTRL participants were tested at similar intervals. Measurements included body composition (DXA), muscle cross-sectional area (ultrasound), energy availability (EA) derived by subtracting exercise energy expenditure (EEE) from energy intake (EI) and dividing by fat-free mass (FFM), muscle strength, and various serum hormone concentrations (ACTH, cortisol, estradiol, FSH, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, insulin, and free and total testosterone and SHBG).

Results
During the diet, EA (p < 0.001), IGF-1 (p < 0.001), IGFBP-3 (p < 0.01), and absolute muscle strength (p < 0.01–0.001) decreased significantly in both sexes in COMP. Decreases in IGF-1 were also associated with higher loss in FFM. In males, testosterone (p < 0.01) and free testosterone (p < 0.05) decreased, while SHBG (p < 0.001) and cortisol (p < 0.05) increased. Insulin decreased significantly only in males (p < 0.001). Mood disturbances, particularly increased fatigue in males (p < 0.05), highlighted the psychological strain of competition preparation. All these changes were restored by increased EA during the post-competition recovery period.

Conclusion
Significant reductions in IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 during competition preparation may serve as biomarkers for monitoring physiological stress. This study offers valuable insights into hormonal changes, muscle strength, and mood state during energy-restricted intense training.
Immune mediators in heart–lung communication
Authors: Gillan Jonathan L. , Jaeschke Lara , Kuebler Wolfgang M. , Grune Jana 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIt is often the case that serious, end-stage manifestations of disease result from secondary complications in organs distinct from the initial site of injury or infection. This is particularly true of diseases of the heart–lung axis, given the tight anatomical connections of the two organs within a common cavity in which they collectively orchestrate the two major, intertwined circulatory pathways. Immune cells and the soluble mediators they secrete serve as effective, and targetable, messengers of signals between different regions of the body but can also contribute to the spread of pathology. In this review, we discuss the immunological basis of interorgan communication between the heart and lung in various common diseases, and in the context of organ crosstalk more generally. Gaining a greater understanding of how the heart and lung communicate in health and disease, and viewing disease progression generally from a more holistic, whole-body viewpoint have the potential to inform new diagnostic approaches and strategies for better prevention and treatment of comorbidities.
The risk of endocrine interventions in carriers of a genetic predisposition for breast and gynecologic cancers: recommendations of the German Consortium for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Ortmann O. , Schüler-Toprak S. , Kast K. ,   For The working group “Hormones”, The German Consortium for Hereditary Breast, Ovarian Cancer (GC-HBOC), Fehm T. , Hahne A. , Huber D. , Kühnle E. , Mohr K. , Rhiem K. , Seitz S. , Speiser D. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
To support doctors in counselling women with genetic predisposition for breast or gynecologic cancers on endocrine interventions.

Methods
Evidence on the safety of endocrine interventions for fertility treatment, contraception, hormone replacement therapy after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) or treatment of symptoms during peri- and postmenopause was analysed for carriers of probably pathogenic and pathogenic variants in BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2-pV), in other breast and ovarian cancer genes and the Lynch Syndrome. Cancer risks were compared with data on risks for the general population.

Results
Data on risk modulation of endocrine interventions in women with genetic predisposition is limited. Ovarian hyperstimulation for fertility treatment may be performed. Oral contraceptives should not be used to reduce ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1/2-pV carriers. Premenopausal BRCA1/2-pV carriers and carriers of pV in Lynch Syndrome genes should be offered hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after RRSO, to prevent diseases caused by estrogen deficiency.

Conclusion
Effect direction and strength of risk modulation by endocrine interventions is similar to the general population. Participation of individuals at risk in prospective registries is recommended.
Needs, preferences, and patient participation for a randomized controlled trial on postneoadjuvant complete tumor response: A qualitative study of patients with esophageal cancer
Authors: Czornik Manuel , Weis Joachim , Kiemen Andrea , Schmoor Claudia , Hipp Julian , Hoeppner Jens 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
For patients with clinical complete response of non-metastatic esophageal cancer (EC) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT), the two treatment options obligate postneoadjuvant surgery as the current standard treatment (surgery on principle) versus active surveillance with surgery as needed only in recurring loco-regional tumor as a possible future alternative or standard exist. Since these treatments are presumably equivalent in terms of overall survival, patient-centered information can encourage the discussion with the treating physician and can make it easier for patients to make trade-offs between the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment alternatives in a highly distressed situation.

Methods
A qualitative prospective cross-sectional study was conducted to create patient-centered information material that is based on patients’ preferences, needs, and concerns regarding the two treatment options, and to investigate the potential participation in a consecutive randomized controlled trial (RCT). Therefore, EC patients (N = 11) were asked about their attitudes.

Results
Concerns about the surgery and possible postoperative impairments in quality of life were identified as most mentioned negative aspects of surgery on principle, and recurrence and progression fear and the concern that surgery cannot be avoided anyways as most named negative aspects of surgery as needed. In regard to the participation in an RCT, making a contribution to science and the hope that the novel therapy would be superior to the established one were relevant arguments to participate. On the other hand, the lack of a proactive selection of treatment was named an important barrier to participation in an RCT.

Conclusion
The importance of adapting medical conversations to the patients’ lack of expertise and their exceptional cognitive and emotional situation is stressed. Results of this study can be used to improve patient-centered information and the recruitment of patients in RCTs in cancer.
ASA-score is associated with 90-day mortality after complicated mild traumatic brain injury – a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kiwanuka Olivia , Lassarén Philipp , Hånell Anders , Boström Lennart , Thelin Eric P. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract

Purpose
This study explores the association of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score with 90-day mortality in complicated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients, and in trauma patients without a TBI.

Methods
This retrospective study was conducted using a cohort of trauma patients treated at a level III trauma center in Stockholm, Sweden from January to December 2019. The primary endpoint was 90-day mortality. The population was identified using the Swedish Trauma registry. The Trauma and Injury Severity Score (TRISS) was used to estimate the likelihood of survival. Trauma patients without TBI (NTBI) were used for comparison. Data analysis was conducted using R software, and statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results
A total of 244 TBI patients and 579 NTBI patients were included, with a 90-day mortality of 8.2% (n = 20) and 5.4% (n = 21), respectively. Deceased patients in both cohorts were generally older, with greater comorbidities and higher injury severity. Complicated mTBI constituted 97.5% of the TBI group. Age and an ASA score of 3 or higher were independently associated with increased mortality risk in the TBI group, with odds ratios of 1.04 (95% 1.00–1.09) and 3.44 (95% CI 1.10–13.41), respectively. Among NTBI patients, only age remained a significant mortality predictor. TRISS demonstrated limited predictive utility across both cohorts, yet a significant discrepancy was observed between the outcome groups within the NTBI cohort.

Conclusion
This retrospective cohort study highlights a significant association between ASA score and 90-day mortality in elderly patients with complicated mTBI, something that could not be observed in comparative NTBI cohort. These findings suggest the benefit of incorporating ASA score into prognostic models to enhance the accuracy of outcome prediction models in these populations, though further research is warranted.
Assessing the impact of energy R&D on green growth in OECD countries: a CS-ARDL analysis
Authors: Eid Ashraf Galal , Mrabet Zouhair , Alsamara Mouyad 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSince the introduction of the OECD innovation and green growth strategies in 2007 and 2011, respectively, the OECD countries have been actively engaged in supporting green energy R&D to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies. Specifically, the OECD recognizes that both renewable energy R&D and energy efficiency R&D are key components of a low-carbon and sustainable energy system. This study aims to assess the impact of disaggregated energy R&D on green growth in 21 high-income OECD countries, from 1990 to 2021. Two key green growth indicators, namely energy productivity and CO2 productivity, are used as response variables. The long-run CS-ARDL model results show that renewable energy R&D and fossil fuel R&D have a positive and significant impact on energy productivity in all model specifications, with renewable energy R&D exhibiting a relatively stronger impact compared to fossil fuel R&D. The long-run effects of the disaggregated energy R&D variables on CO2 productivity align with the results of the energy productivity model. Based on the study's findings, policymakers should consider reallocating the energy R&D budget towards renewable energy R&D, fostering international collaboration between OECD countries in renewable energy R&D, and implementing technology-specific policies to encourage investment in renewable energy technologies.
Travel distance estimation of landslide-induced debris flows by machine learning method in Nepal Himalaya after the Gorkha earthquake
Authors: Qiu Chenchen , Geng Xueyu 
Published: September 2024

AbstractDebris flows are more likely to be triggered in the earthquake-strike areas with a widespread presence of unstable slopes, causing severe casualties and changing the surrounding natural topography. In such scenario, estimating the travel distance of debris flows becomes crucial to understand the hazardous areas. Therefore, a hybrid machine learning model (GA-XGBoost) was employed to achieve a reliable estimation of debris-flow travel distance. This model was applied to the Nepal Himalayas, the site of the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. We selected four geomorphological factors for travel distance estimation. They are the volume of failure mass (VL), the height difference between the material source center and end point of movement mass (H), the mean gradient of the travel path (J), and the mean curvature of the travel path (C). Furthermore, to eliminate the noise information and enhance stability of input data, a principal component analysis (PCA) was used to generate three principal components (PC1, PC2, and PC3) from the selected factors to serve as input variables of model development. The performance of this model was evaluated using the assessment indexes, resulting in a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 8.71%, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 144.3 m, and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 86.1 m. Four empirical approaches were also introduced for comparison analysis. Our proposed model has proven to be superior and effective, as the estimated results closely match the actual values. All the results affirm the suitability of our developed model for estimating the travel distance of landslide-induced debris flows following a strong earthquake.
Comparison of the urinary microbiome in men who have sex with men with and without Chlamydia trachomatis infection
Authors: Mofolorunsho Kehinde C. , Mabaso Nonkululeko G. , Nundlall Nikita , Ojo Abidemi O. , Cason Errol D. , Abbai Nathlee S. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
The urinary tract is colonized by microbial communities that impact urinary health. Previous studies have suggested that the bacterial composition of the male urinary microbiota is related to STIs. This study assessed the bacterial composition of the urinary microbiome in South African MSM with and without C. trachomatis.

Methods
This study used urine samples from MSM attending care at the King Edward VIII hospital and the Aurum Institute in Durban, South Africa. A total of 200 samples were tested for C. trachomatis infection using the Applied Biosystems™ TaqMan® Assays. Urinary microbiomes of 23 samples were characterized using 16 S rRNA (V3 and V4) gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform.

Results
Bacterial taxonomic analysis showed a high abundance of Streptococcus, Corynebacterium, and Staphylococcus in all the sequenced samples. Moreover, Prevotella and Lactobacillus were detected in urine samples of MSM. Alpha diversity metrics showed a slight increase in microbial diversity in C. trachomatis positive samples; however, this was not significant (ANOVA, P > 0.05). Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the microbiome of C. trachomatis infected MSM was not clearly different from those uninfected. Distinct bacterial communities were not detected between positive and negative samples (PERMANOVA F1,22= 1.0284, R2 = 0.047%, P = 0.385).

Conclusion
Most microbiome studies on MSM to date have focused on the gut microenvironment. Few studies, however, have provided data regarding the normal composition of the male urethral microbiomes or if these microbiomes are associated with male STIs. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge highlighting the urinary microbiome in MSM.
Iterative Deep Learning Approach to Active Portfolio Management with Sentiment Factors
Authors: Pantoja Robayo Javier Orlando , Alemán Muñoz Julián Alberto , Tellez-Falla Diego F. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractWe suggest using deep learning networks to create expert opinions as part of an iterative active portfolio management process. These opinions would be based on posts from the X platform and the fundamentals of stocks listed in the S&P 500 index. Expert views are integral to active portfolio management, as proposed by Black–Litterman. The method we propose addresses the original subjectivity of the opinions by incorporating innovation and accuracy to generate views using analytical techniques. We utilize daily data from 2010 to 2022 for stocks from the S&P 500 and daily posts from Twitter API v2, collected under a research account license spanning the same period. We found that incorporating sentiment factors with machine learning techniques into the view generation process of the Black–Litterman model improves optimal portfolio allocation. Empirically, our results notably outperform the S&P 500 market when considering the annualized alpha.
The impacts of stockout cost on a stochastic production-inventory system in minimizing total cost conditional value-at-risk
Authors: Bai Bingfeng , Li Bo , Jia Xingzhi 
Published: September 2024

AbstractConditional value-at-risk (CVaR) is a metric for downside risks and increasingly used in supply chain management. Under this metric, we build a single-item production-inventory model with stochastic demand. The production capacity, too, is stochastic due to random unit processing time. The total cost includes stockout, inventory holding, and backordering costs and accumulates. After presenting convexity properties of the total cost CVaR within a finite time horizon, we propose a two-moment closed-form normal approximation of it using Markov reward chain theory. The approximated total cost CVaR is exact with respect to the length of the horizon asymptotically. The desirable base-stock levels obtained perform satisfactorily for industry settings. In an extension, we have also benchmarked the proposed approximation with alternative formulations and show that the proposed approximation works satisfactorily. With a numerical simulation experiment, we outline observations and findings that characterize how relevant economic factors could impact the approximately optimal base-stock levels.
Transforming traditions into academic resources: a study of Chinese scholars in the humanities and social sciences
Authors: Zhu Yanzhen , Shen Yuting , Yang Rui 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe asymmetrical global higher education and knowledge systems ordered by Euro–American hegemony have been increasingly interrogated, especially by scholars in the humanities and social sciences (HSS). With gathering awareness, growing HSS scholars from non-Western backgrounds have called for global intellectual pluriversality. Responding to such a trend, this article sheds new light on the status quo of East Asian and other non-Euro–American intellectual traditions by taking Chinese intellectual traditions as a case. Since the nineteenth century, generations of Chinese intellectuals have strived to transform their intellectual traditions into modern resources. This historical mission has been carried on by contemporary scholars and become even more complex in the current global era. By unpacking the real perceptions and recent experiences of Chinese HSS scholars, this study demonstrates that Chinese intellectual traditions deeply influence today’s knowledge production and have been transformed into three kinds of academic resources: approaches, methodologies/paradigms, and theories. However, the transformation process has never been smooth. Domestically, the great endeavours of Chinese HSS scholars are often impeded by the dominant intellectual extraversion and coercive audit culture; internationally, they feel constrained by epistemic injustice. This article proposes an empirical approach to examining and presenting intellectual traditions in the individual experiences of scholars. It reveals the high complexities of navigating through asymmetrical globalisation to achieve intellectual pluriversality.
Three Injustices of Adaptation Finance - A Relational Egalitarian Analysis
Authors: Schulan Alexander , Heilinger Jan-Christoph 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis primarily diagnostic paper offers, from the perspective of relational egalitarianism, a normative analysis of three major injustices in the context of adaptation finance. Adaptation finance includes payments provided by the affluent countries of the Global North to low-income countries in the Global South, countries particularly exposed to the harms of climate change. Relational egalitarianism is the normative view that interactions between people and between institutions have to respect the equal moral status of every human being. The first injustice, from this perspective, consists in the sheer fact that adaptation measures are required at all to deflect harm from people who did not significantly contribute to the causes of climate change. The second injustice consists in the persisting, even increasing adaptation finance gap, as countries of the Global North do neither provide adequate financial means to reduce climate risks, nor even fulfil their commitments to adaptation finance pledged in the Copenhagen Accord in 2009. The third injustice emerges from current procedures to determine criteria for distributing scarce financial resources that consolidate structural injustice. The paper concludes by providing the contours of a practical response to these injustices that respects the demands of relational egalitarianism.
Under pressure: inhibited sporophyte growth of the sugar kelp Saccharina latissima (Phaeophyceae)
Authors: Cunningham Eoghan Mánus , Wright Luka Seamus , Crowe Molly , Healey Emma , Robinson Laura F. , Ng Hong Chin , Kregting Louise 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSeaweed aquaculture, which takes place mostly in Asia, is a lucrative industry that is valued > US $9 billion. However, technological modifications are needed to ensure economic viability and growth of the seaweed aquaculture industry throughout Europe. While current research is investigating the use of certain mechanised processes in seaweed aquaculture, the impact of pressurised spraying of macroalgal cultures on subsequent growth remains unknown. Here, we aimed to determine the efficacy of a future mechanised seeding procedure by investigating how differing pressure treatments impact upon the growth and percentage cover of zoospores seeded onto twine in the hatchery, using the kelp Saccharina latissima as a model species. Zoospore solutions were subjected to pressures of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 bar, before being seeded on hatchery twine and left to grow for 7 weeks. We demonstrate that both percentage cover and sporophyte lengths for S. latissima are significantly reduced by ~ 22% and ~ 61%, respectively, when juvenile zoospores are subjected to increasing pressure from 1 to 5 bar. This indicates that minimal pressure in the use of mechanised hatchery techniques is optimal for growth of seaweed.