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The effect of hormonal contraceptive use on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, power and strength adaptations to resistance exercise training: a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis.
No full textBackground Resistance exercise training is widely used by general and athletic populations to increase skeletal muscle
hypertrophy, power and strength. Endogenous sex hormones influence various bodily functions, including possibly exercise
performance, and may influence adaptive changes in response to exercise training. Hormonal contraceptive (HC) use modulates
the profile of endogenous sex hormones, and therefore, there is increasing interest in the impact, if any, of HC use on
adaptive responses to resistance exercise training.
Objective Our aim is to provide a quantitative synthesis of the effect of HC use on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, power and
strength adaptations in response to resistance exercise training.
Methods A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted on experimental studies which directly compared skeletal
muscle hypertrophy, power and strength adaptations following resistance exercise training in hormonal contraceptive users
and non-users conducted before July 2023. The search using the online databases PUBMED, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science,
Embase and other supplementary search strategies yielded 4669 articles, with 8 articles (54 effects and 325 participants)
meeting the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the “Tool for the
assessment of study quality and reporting in exercise”.
Results All included studies investigated the influence of oral contraceptive pills (OCP), with no study including participants
using other forms of HC. The articles were analysed using a meta-analytic multilevel maximum likelihood estimator
model. The results indicate that OCP use does not have a significant effect on hypertrophy [0.01, 95% confidence interval
(CI) [− 0.11, 0.13], t = 0.14, p = 0.90), power (− 0.04, 95% CI [− 0.93, 0.84], t = − 0.29, p = 0.80) or strength (0.10, 95% CI
[− 0.08, 0.28], t = 1.48, p = 0.20).
Discussion Based on the present analysis, there is no evidence-based rationale to advocate for or against the use of OCPs in
females partaking in resistance exercise training to increase hypertrophy, power and/or strength. Rather, an individualised approach
considering an individual’s response to OCPs, their reasons for use and menstrual cycle history may be more appropriate.
Registration The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (ID number and hyperlink: CRD42022365677).ye
Older adult's and service providers' experiences of a settings-based health promotion initiative in English football
No full textThe study was undertaken to explore the experiences of older adults and service providers in a settings-based health promotion initiative in a football club. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 older adults attending an ‘Extra Time Hub’ (ETH) and two staff delivering the initiative. Our reflexive thematic analysis generated six themes. Findings revealed the brand of the sports club attracted some to join the ETH, but through partnerships with local agencies, the initiative was also successful in widening participation beyond older adults with an interest in football. Participants perceived that the ETH was beneficial for their mental health, helped them develop social connections, and promoted positive physical activity experiences. Moreover, the variety of pleasures derived from participation were also discussed. Our findings also illustrate the central role of staff in older adults’ experiences of this form of health promotion. Overall, this study contributes to understandings of settings-based health promotion activities in sports clubs, and also demonstrates the potential for sports clubs to widen engagement with the local community through health promotion for older adults.ye
Integrating 3D printing and injection molding for mass customization: advancements in hybrid manufacturing
Get PDFAdditive manufacturing (AM) is renowned for its ability to create complex
geometries and customized products but is limited by low throughput. Conversely,
injection molding (IM) excels in high-volume production but struggles with costeffective
customization due to mold tooling constraints. This thesis investigates hybrid
manufacturing (HM), which combines the strengths of AM and IM, as a solution for
mass customization - the production of personalized products at costs comparable to
mass production. The focus is on integrating fused deposition modeling (FDM), a form
of AM, with IM to achieve mass customization. The study is divided into two main
sections: overmolding and overprinting.
In the overmolding section, FDM-fabricated preforms are integrated into the
mold cavity. The study examines how various parameters, such as infill density, joint
configuration, interface direction, and material choice, affect the mechanical
properties of the hybrid products. The results indicate anisotropic maximum tensile
strength between half-length (25.47 MPa in HL-FT 25 for Acrylonitrile Butadiene
Styrene (ABS) batches and 30.11 MPa in HL-FT 75 for Polylactic Acid (PLA) batches) and
half-thickness specimens (48 MPa in HT-FT 50 for ABS batches and 68.38 MPa for HTFC
75 in PLA batches) for single-material overmolding specimens. As for the dualmaterial
overmolding, a worse tensile performance (46.1 MPa in 75-FT-60) in
comparison to the half-thickness series for single-material ones can be found.
The overprinting section explores the integration of FDM components onto
injection-molded substrates. While this approach showed inferior tensile performance
(47.1 MPa in 25-70-220 batch for ABS pieces and 56.3 MPa in 50-70-210 batch for PLA
pieces) compared to pure IM and overmolding, it demonstrated potential benefits
including reduced manufacturing costs and enhanced design flexibility.
In conclusion, this thesis establishes a groundwork for future HM techniques that
demand higher design flexibility and fabrication efficiency. Overmolding and
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overprinting have demonstrated their potential in producing customized products at
lower costs. Future research could explore the integration of Stereolithography (SLA)
for creating tailored molds with thermosetting polymers, combining higher design
flexibility with cost efficiency.ye
Improved type III solar radio bust detection using congruent deep learning models
Get PDFSolar flares are energetic events in the solar atmosphere that are often linked with solar radio bursts (SRBs). SRBs are observed at
metric to decametric wavelengths and are classified into five spectral classes (Type I–V) based on their signature in dynamic spectra.
The automatic detection and classification of SRBs is a challenge due to their heterogeneous form. Near-real time detection and
classification of SRBs has become a necessity in recent years due to large data rates generated by advanced radio telescopes such as
the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR). For this study, we implemented congruent deep learning models to automatically detect and
classify Type III SRBs. We generated simulated Type III SRBs, which were comparable to Type IIIs seen in real observations, using
a deep learning method known as the generative adversarial network (GAN). This simulated data were combined with observations
from LOFAR to produce a training set that was used to train an object detection model known as you only look once (YOLOv2).
Using this congruent deep learning model system, we can accurately detect Type III SRBs at a mean Average Precision (mAP) value
of 77.71%ye
Enhancing the biotechnological potential of marine diatoms via phytohormonal treatments and two-stage batch cultivation strategies /
No full textDiatoms are ubiquitous photosynthetic microorganisms with great potential for
biotechnological applications owing to the high lipid content and capacity to
biosynthesise polyunsaturated fatty acids and pigments. Their suitability for mass
cultivation has promoted the development of their biorefinery for high-value
biological products such as food and feeds, biofuels, biofertilisers, cosmetics and
pharmaceuticals. However, yields can often be too low to cover the production costs,
thus requiring cultivation and biomass processing optimisation.
The first objective of the thesis was to evaluate the effect of several phytohormones at
varying concentrations on the growth and fatty acid and pigment profiles of three
pennate diatoms (Chapter 2). This led to the identification of the conditions allowing
the best yields for a strategic choice of species and medium supplementation. The
most promising phytohormones were then tested in combination with different light
quality (Chapter 3) and abiotic stresses (Chapter 4) using two-phase cultivation
methods. It was shown that gibberellic acid (GA3) could be synergically co-supplemented with blue radiation and/or abscisic acid (ABA) and key time of
application have been proposed to maximise the treatment efficacy. ABA and NaCl
were also effectively supplemented under cold stress to enhance the yields of multiple
valuable compounds. Furthermore, within the collaborative EU H2020 FET OPEN
VES4US project, the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from the model diatom
Phaeodactylum tricornutum was compared to that of the chlorophyte Tetraselmis
chuii, which was recently selected to produce novel drug nano-carriers, showing
differences between the EV populations of the two species (Chapter 5).
Phytohormones were supplemented to the microalgae to investigate if such
messengers could trigger EV shedding and methyl jasmonate (MJ)- and SA-dependent responses were observed.
These results are further illustrated and discussed in the context of optimising the
growth of microalgae species and the biorefining of multiple high-value compounds.ye
D7.3. Best Practices Annual Report - 2nd Report
No full textThis deliverable is the second of a series of three reports, following on from D7.2, the first Best Practice Annual Report of the RUN-EU PLUS project. The report summarises best practices utilised by the RUN-EU PLUS project in communication and dissemination activities related to the work package activities and details the measured impacts by the RUN-EU PLUS alliance partners from M13 until M24 of the project development, matching them with target audiences, tools and channels and key performance indicators. It follows the provisions of the D7.1 Communication and Dissemination Strategy.
The results of the communication and dissemination actions carried out by all RUN-EU PLUS alliance partners from M13 until M24 of the project development are encouraging and positive. They reflect the success of the strategy implemented at the beginning of the project, as well as the commitment and engagement of the members.
The RUN-EU PLUS project was launched in 2021 by an alliance composed of seven alliance partners (commonly referred to as RUN-EU PLUS members). The universities that compose RUN-EU PLUS are the Polytechnic of Leiria (IPL), the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), the Polytechnic of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), the Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), the University of Győr – Széchenyi István University (SZE), the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (NHL Stenden), and the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences (FHV). RUN-EU welcomed two new alliance members for the RUN-EU2 submission, The University of Burgos (Spain) and Howest University of Applied Sciences (Belgium)
Joint CLM-EJNI Submission to the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Planning and Development Bill 2022
Get PDFFramed as a response to the housing crisis, the Planning and Development Bill 2022 (P&D Bill 2022,
‘the Bill’) is designed to enact a radical overhaul of the planning system and related court processes in
Ireland. Its central aim is to increase efficiency and the speed of the development consent process by
centralising power and restricting access to justice in order to remove perceived impediments to
housing development. Unfortunately, it is likely to backfire and lead to years of satellite litigation.
Firstly, because it is based on a flawed premise, i.e. that there is a tsunami of judicial reviews holding
up projects, when figures indicate that only around 1% of the circa 30k planning decisions made
annually are ever judicially reviewed (and around 3.65% of An Bord Pléanála decisions). Secondly,
because the Bill conflicts with International and EU legal principles and obligations surrounding access
to justice, specifically through restricting access to public participation and access to judicial review in
planning (i.e. reducing accountability), and through centralising powers in the planning system in
undemocratic ways. It is worth noting that judicial review of planning decisions is already subject to a
more restrictive regime than other administrative decisions (introduced via the Planning and
development Act 2000) - this bill proposes to restrict access to justice even further (e.g. see Browne
(2021) in Simons on Planning, para 12-01 to 12-13).
In the era of increasingly urgent climate and biodiversity crises, the importance of judicial review for
environmental and climate accountability cannot be overstated. It is a vital mechanism for ensuring that
development that is carried out aligns with our climate and environmental goals, as well as with State
policies and plans. For example, the Edenderry Peat case (An Taisce v Bord Na Mona (2020) IESC 39)
shows how planning judicial review can prevent extraordinary destruction of important habitats. More
broadly, cases like Friends of the Irish Environment v Ireland (2020) IESC 49 (“Climate Case Ireland”)
demonstrate how judicial review can be used by the public to keep Government accountable on
climate targets. It has never been more important that we stop permitting projects which will push us
out of compliance with Paris Agreement/EU Climate Law Net Zero and 2030 targets. Pressure
continues to build for Ireland to keep to its commitments under the EU climate framework, and there is
increasing attention on backsliding on both EU and international commitments around access to
environmental justice in Ireland and in other member states. Ireland’s poor track record in meeting its
climate obligations suggests that the role of pushing to ensure achievement of these targets will fall
largely on the public and NGOs in between EU reporting periods.
There are many issues with the Bill at detail level (discussed below), but one of the most striking is the
lack of consultation with the public on massive changes in our land use law. The public need to be given
a proper say (i.e. via public consultation) on such significant changes to the democratic balance of our
planning system, and proper recognition needs to be given to the right of communities to have a say in
what happens to their local environment
The optimisation of biomimetic scaffold fabrication for the controlled release of Osteogenic factors for bone tissue regeneration
No full textBone tissue defect is a rising global concern and is one of the leading causes of morbidity
and disability in patients. Bone regeneration treatments that demonstrate all key
characteristics for successful bone healing: osteoinductivity, osteoconductivity,
osteogenicity and mechanical stability, are not yet available. Also, mitigation against
bacterial infections, an increasing complication associated with impeded bone tissue
repair, is urgently required. This report presents the development of a biomimetic
antimicrobial scaffold that capable of inducing bone tissue-specific regeneration. The
tunable biodegradability feature for a sustained bio-agent release was facilitated using a
tailored crosslinking formulation that maintained the scaffolds' mechanical performance.
In this work, biodegradable chitosan (CS) scaffolds were prepared with combinations of
bioactive ceramics, namely hydroxyapatite (HAp), tricalcium phosphate-α (TCP-α), and
fluorapatite (FAp), crosslinked using a UV curing system. The efficacy of the
crosslinking reaction was assessed using swelling and compression testing, SEM and
FTIR analysis, and biodegradation studies in simulated body fluid. Consequently, various
benzophenone concentrations were added to CS/HAp formulations to determine their
effect on the degradation rate. The results presented indicate that incorporating
bioceramics with a suitable photoinitiator concentration can tailor the biodegradability
and load-bearing capacity of the scaffolds.
Subsequently, a combination of CS/HAp scaffold was UV crosslinked with either bone
morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or its related peptide P28. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
activity and alizarin red staining (ARS) were conducted to validate that the photo crosslinking fabrication method did not interfere with the functionality of the growth
factors. The C2C12 cultured with CS/HAp/BMP-2 and CS/HAp/P28 scaffolds showed
an increased ALP activity compared to the negative control. The in vivo osteoconductive
of the treatment was then investigated through a rat femoral condyle defect model. The
ex vivo histological assessment showed a favourable bone regeneration efficacy of the
CS/HAp/P28 compared to the CS/HAp/BMP-2 treatment, thus showing the use of P28 as
a promising osteoinductive treatment.
Further work was carried out to improve the degradation rate in vivo, utilising CS, HAp
and FAp at different ratios. Various P28 concentrations were incorporated into the
CS/HAp/FAp scaffolds for implantation in vivo. H&E staining shows minimal scaffold
traces in most of the defects induced after eight weeks, showing that the combination of
HAp and FAp in the chitosan-based delivery system has enhanced the biodegradability
of the scaffolds in vivo. Histological assessments indicated ongoing bone formation
throughout the in vivo duration of the study. These results show the ability of this tailored
formulation to improve the scaffold degradation for bone regeneration and presenting a
cost-effective alternative to BMP-2.
In conclusion, the CS/ceramic scaffold with the presence of P28 peptide appears to have
potential in bone defect healing due to its potent osteogenicity, biocompatibility and non toxicity features.ye
Assessing antimicrobial and metal resistance genes in Escherichia coli from domestic groundwater supplies in rural Ireland
Get PDFNatural ecosystems can become significant reservoirs and/or pathways for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination, with the potential to affect nearby microbiological, animal, and ultimately human communities. This is further accentuated in environments that provide direct human exposure, such as drinking water. To date, however, few studies have investigated AMR dissemination potential and the presence of co-selective stressors (e.g., metals/metalloids) in groundwater environments of human health significance. Accordingly, the present study analysed samples from rural (drinking) groundwater supplies (i.e., private wells) in the Republic of Ireland, where land use is dominated by livestock grazing activities. In total, 48 Escherichia coli isolates tested phenotypically for antimicrobial susceptibility in an earlier study were further subject to whole genome sequencing (WGS) and corresponding water samples were further analysed for trace metal/metalloid concentrations. Eight isolates (i.e., 16.7%) were genotypically resistant to antimicrobials, confirming prior phenotypic results through the identification of ten antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs); namely: aph(3″)-lb (strA; n=7), aph(6)-Id (strA; n = 6), blaTEM (n = 6), sul2 (n = 6), tetA (n = 4), floR (n = 2), dfrA5 (n = 1), tetB (n = 1), and tetY (n = 1). Additional bioinformatic analysis revealed that all ARGs were plasmid-borne, except for two of the six sul2 genes, and that 31.2% of all tested isolates (n = 15) and 37.5% of resistant ones (n = 3) carried virulence genes. Study results also found no significant relationships between metal concentrations and ARG abundance. Additionally, just one genetic linkage was identified between ARGs and a metal resistance gene (MRG), namely merA, a mercury-resistant gene found on the same plasmid as blaTEM, dfrA5, strA, strB, and sul2 in the only isolate of inferred porcine (as opposed to bovine) origin. Overall, findings suggest that ARG (and MRG) acquisition may be occurring prior to groundwater ingress, and are likely a legacy issue arising from agricultural practices. © 2023 The Authorsye
A circular economy framework for seafood waste valorisation to meet challenges and opportunities for intensive production and sustainability
Get PDFThere is a growing concern among societies and consumers over food security and the sustainability of food production systems. For seafood, it has been highly advocated as a healthy food source and its sustainability credentials. However, the increasing global demand for seafood and the need to supply the quantities are creating sustainability issues, e.g., the importation of plant and marine proteins for aquafeed production. Consequently, there is a necessary need to analyse the supply chain and life cycle of these systems to determine their sustainability merits and how to enhance them. The circular economy (CE) aims to reduce processing by-product underutilisation, increase the rate of reuse, and reduce pressure on natural resources and systems. For seafood, there are large quantities of biomass that are being lost through bycatch/discards, waste from aquaculture (e.g., sludge and wastewater), and by-products generated through processing (e.g., trimmings and offal). These can all be valorised for the generation of feeds, value-added products, or further food production. This review will focus on seafood by-products generated during the processing into consumer products, and the current methods that could be used to manage or treat these waste streams. The review presents a stepwise framework that outlines valorisation opportunities for seafood by-products. This framework can enable producers, operators, regulators, and investors to integrate with the principles of the CE with the consideration of achieving economic viability. The challenges of seafood loss due to climate change and emerging recycling strategies will also need to be considered and integrated into the valorisation pathways. Communication, education, and engagement with stakeholders are key to transitioning to a circular economy. Where increase awareness and acceptance will create drivers and demand for seafood by-product valorisation. Overall, the impact of such a circular production system will potentially lead to higher production efficiency, reduce demand for natural resources, and greater seafood production. All of which addresses many of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals by contributing towards future food security and sustainability.ye