bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Post‐marketing surveillance data for avelumab + axitinib treatment in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma in Japan: Subgroup analyses by pathological classification
Authors: Nonomura Norio , Ito Taito , Sato Masashi , Morita Makiko , Kajita Masahiro , Oya Mototsugu 
Published: December 2024

ObjectiveClinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of avelumab + axitinib in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, information is limited regarding the activity of avelumab + axitinib in patients with non‐clear cell RCC (nccRCC). In Japan, post‐marketing surveillance (PMS) of patients with RCC receiving avelumab + axitinib treatment in general clinical practice was undertaken. We report ad hoc analyses of PMS data according to RCC pathological classification.MethodsOf 328 patients with RCC who received ≥1 dose of avelumab and were enrolled between December 2019 and May 2021, 271 (82.6%) had ccRCC, 22 (6.7%) had nccRCC, and 35 (10.7%) had missing or unknown RCC pathology. Among patients with nccRCC, pathological subtypes were papillary in 12 (3.7%), translocation in 3 (0.9%), acquired cystic disease associated in 3 (0.9%), chromophobe in 2 (0.6%), mucinous tubular and spindle cell in 1 (0.3%), and Bellini duct in 1 (0.3%).ResultsAmong patients with ccRCC or nccRCC, any‐grade adverse drug reactions of safety specifications occurred in 140 (51.7%) and 15 (68.2%), and of grade ≥3 in 48 (17.7%) and 6 (27.3%), respectively. The objective response rate in patients with ccRCC or nccRCC was 36.9% and 22.7%, respectively; in patients with papillary tumors, it was 33.3%. Median overall survival was not reached in patients with ccRCC or nccRCC, and 12‐month overall survival rates were 86.8% and 76.7%, respectively.ConclusionsOverall, subgroup analyses of PMS data suggest that avelumab + axitinib improved clinical outcomes in nccRCC in addition to ccRCC.
Associations between oral frailty, oral microbiota composition, and postoperative delirium in older adult patients
Authors: Hu Xiao‐yi , Duan Hua‐wei , Wang Lei‐yuan , Liu Quan‐fang , Yao Hao , Ma Da‐qing , Wang Dong‐xin , Yang Jian‐jun , Ji Mu‐huo 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundPoor oral health, prevalent among the older adults, can undermine overall health and contribute to frailty. Older adults experiencing oral frailty and dysbiosis potentially face an elevated risk of postoperative delirium. This study aims to explore the influence of oral frailty and changes in oral microbiota composition on occurrence of postoperative delirium in older adult patients undergoing non‐cardiac surgery.MethodsA total of 303 older adult patients undergoing non‐cardiac surgeries were recruited in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from July 2023 to December 2023. Oral swabs for oral microbiota analyses were collected before surgery. Subsequently, after propensity score matching, 21 samples from patients with postoperative delirium and 21 samples from patients without postoperative delirium were analyzed for oral microbiota. Our primary objective was to determine the association between oral frailty, changes in oral microbiota composition, and the occurrence of postoperative delirium.ResultsOral frailty emerged as an independent risk factor for postoperative delirium [HR = 1.75; 95% CI = (1.04–2.96); p = 0.035]. Additionally, patients with postoperative delirium demonstrated lower oral microbiota diversity, as indicated by a reduced Chao index compared with those without postoperative delirium (p = 0.034). A significant association was also found between the dysbiosis index and postoperative delirium (p < 0.001). ROC analysis revealed a pronounced area under the curve of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.88–1.00) for the dysbiosis index in predicting postoperative delirium. Subsequent Principal Coordinates and Kaplan–Meier analyses affirmed that both beta diversity and the dysbiosis index were significantly correlated with incidence of postoperative delirium, with p‐values of 0.002 and <0.001, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction analysis through Cox proportional hazards regression suggested a combined effect of oral frailty and the dysbiosis index on the likelihood of developing postoperative delirium (p = 0.004).ConclusionsOral frailty and changes in oral microbiota among older adult patients undergoing non‐cardiac surgery may influence the incidence of postoperative delirium.
Cumulative anticholinergic exposure and white matter hyperintensity burden in community‐dwelling older adults
Authors: Li Kevin H. , Krakauer Chloe , Nelson Jennifer C. , Crane Paul K. , Andre Jalal B. , Curl Patti K. , Yuh Esther , Mossa‐Basha Mahmud , Ralston James D. , Mac Donald Christine L. , Gray Shelly L. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBackgroundAnticholinergic exposure is associated with dementia risk; however, the mechanisms for this association remain unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the association between anticholinergic exposure and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden.MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, a prospective cohort study among adults aged ≥65 years on dementia risk factors. We used data collected through March 2020 for this analysis. The sample included ACT participants who were referred for and had a clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and ≥10 years of continuous healthcare enrollment prior to the scan. Our primary exposure was total standardized daily dose (TSDD) of anticholinergics. Outcomes included three semi‐quantitative ratings of WMH volume. We used separate linear regression models for each outcome to estimate and compare covariate‐adjusted mean values of WMH ratings in each exposure group.ResultsOf the 1043 individuals included in the analyses, 28% had no use, 33% had 1–90 TSDD, 15% had 91–365 TSDD, 7% had 366–1095 TSDD, and 17% had ≥1096 TSDD. The mean age was 81 years, most were female (58%) and White race (88%). Compared to those with no use, the ≥1096 TSDD group had a higher (worse) adjusted mean [95% confidence intervals] Fazekas (4.0 [3.8, 4.2] vs. 3.4 [3.2, 3.5]; p: <0.001), Modified Scheltens (14.3 [13.4, 15.2] vs. 12.2 [11.5, 12.9]; p: <0.001), and Age‐Related White Matter Changes (5.6 [5.3, 6.0] vs. 4.8 [4.5, 5.1]; p = 0.001). A dose–response relationship was not found.ConclusionsThe highest anticholinergic exposure was associated with greater WMH burden. Future studies should focus on longitudinal changes of WMH burden to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying the link between anticholinergics and dementia risk.
The Power of Monetary and Fiscal Policies in a Neoliberal Age: A Christian Ethical Engagement with the Cases of Sweden and the United States
Authors: Ahn Ilsup , Sundman Per 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this coauthored research is to develop a Christian ethical argument that better addresses the various social ills of financial neoliberalism, especially the growing wealth gap between the haves—the top 1%—and the have‐nots—the bottom 50%. We find that a more progressive and integrative approach to monetary and fiscal policy is necessary. First, we critically review the histories of United States and Swedish monetary policies. We then provide a theological perspective regarding how Christian ethicists should engage with neoliberal structural injustice. Finally, we propose an ethical principle of justice for use in the state's macroeconomic management of money: the accumulation of financial capital should also promote the increase of social capital. Put negatively, the accumulation of financial capital should not be achieved at the expense of depleting social capital.
Potato Leaf Disease Detection and Classification With Weighted Ensembling of YOLOv8 Variants
Authors: Muthulakshmi Muthunayagam , Aishwarya Nagasubramanian , Vinesh Kumar Rajes Kumar , Rakesh Thoppaen Suresh Babu 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTThe identification and control of potato leaf diseases pose considerable difficulties for worldwide agriculture, affecting both the quality and yield of crops. Addressing this issue, we investigate the efficacy of the lightweight YOLOv8 variants, namely YOLOv8n, YOLOv8s and YOLOv8m, for the automated detection and classification of different potato leaf states. These conditions are categorised into three types: healthy, early blight disease and late blight disease. Our findings show that YOLOv8n achieves a mean average precision (mAP) of 94.2%, YOLOv8s achieves a mAP of 93.4%, and YOLOv8m achieves a mAP of 94%. Building on these results, we propose a novel weighted ensembling technique based on the confidence score (WECS) to combine the predictions of these YOLOv8 variants. The WECS technique efficiently leverages the advantages of each YOLOv8 variant by assigning weights based on the confidence scores of individual model predictions. These weighted forecasts are then combined to produce a final ensemble prediction for each sample. Achieving 99.9% precision and 89.6% recall, the WECS method attains a global mean Average Precision (mAP) of 96.3%, showcasing its robustness in real‐world applications.
The Uncertainty in Energy and Cryptocurrency Markets: Is Gold Really a Safe Haven?
Authors: Chang Shuangshuang , Qin Meng , Su Chi Wei 
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACTInvestigating gold's safe‐haven status is crucial to stabilising energy and cryptocurrency markets. To capture the dynamic relationships between energy‐related uncertainty (ERU), gold prices (GP), and cryptocurrency policy uncertainty (CPOU), this study employs the TVP‐SV‐VAR methodology. Through quantitative analysis, we find ERU has favourable and unfavourable effects on GP. The favourable impact underscores gold's safe‐haven role against energy market uncertainty. At the same time, the negative impact contradicts this view and theoretical models, likely due to the U.S. dollar's value and gold's hedging performance against other uncertainties. CPOU, however, positively impacts GP, supporting gold's safe‐haven characteristics against uncertainty in the cryptocurrency market and aligning with theoretical predictions. Gold's safe‐haven status in the cryptocurrency market is comparably more consistent but slightly less significant. Additionally, this study validates the findings by substituting CPOU with cryptocurrency price uncertainty (CPRU), confirming their robustness. Given the high volatility in energy and cryptocurrency markets, this article offers valuable insights for authorities to maximise profits and ensure stable growth.
Phenotypic and genetic variation of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand and its global relationships: Insights from wing morphometric and mitochondrial COI gene analyses
Authors: Laojun Sedthapong , Chaiphongpachara Tanawat 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is an important vector transmitting dangerous arboviruses to humans. This study investigated the phenotypic and genetic variation of this species in Thailand through wing geometric morphometric (GM) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence analyses. A total of 236 Ae. albopictus specimens from 12 populations in Thailand and 89 specimens from invasive populations in Florida, Hawaii and Brazil underwent wing GM analysis. The centroid size (CS) of Ae. albopictus populations in Thailand ranged from 2.00 mm in Bangkok to 2.36 mm in Chanthaburi, while in invasive populations, CS varied from 2.25 mm in Brazil to 2.47 mm in Florida. Pairwise comparisons of wing shape revealed significant differences for most population pairs, with distances ranging from 1.63 to 10.02. The clustering tree indicated distant relationships in wing shape between native and invasive populations. Additionally, partial COI gene sequences were amplified from 108 specimens, revealing a mean haplotype diversity of 0.842 ± 0.025 and a mean nucleotide diversity of 0.002 ± 0.001. The results from neutral Tajima's D and Fu's Fs tests indicated negative and statistically significant values (−2.159 and −33.846, respectively), suggesting population expansion. Further examination of haplotype relationships between Thailand and other countries identified two distinct groups: a Southeast Asia group, with Thai haplotypes clustered exclusively within it, and a non‐Southeast Asia group. These findings highlight the phenotypic and genetic variation of Ae. albopictus in Thailand, providing essential insights for disease control strategies and tracing the mosquito's origins across regions.
Human coronaviruses: activation and antagonism of innate immune responses
Authors: Tanneti Nikhila S. , Stillwell Helen A. , Weiss Susan R. 
Published: December 2024

SUMMARY
Human coronaviruses cause a range of respiratory diseases, from the common cold (HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and SARS-CoV-2) to lethal pneumonia (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV). Coronavirus interactions with host innate immune antiviral responses are an important determinant of disease outcome. This review compares the host’s innate response to different human coronaviruses. Host antiviral defenses discussed in this review include frontline defenses against respiratory viruses in the nasal epithelium, early sensing of viral infection by innate immune effectors, double-stranded RNA and stress-induced antiviral pathways, and viral antagonism of innate immune responses conferred by conserved coronavirus nonstructural proteins and genus-specific accessory proteins. The common cold coronaviruses HCoV-229E and -NL63 induce robust interferon signaling and related innate immune pathways, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 induce intermediate levels of activation, and MERS-CoV shuts down these pathways almost completely.
Digital Twin-Driven Analysis of Microstructure Evolution in Li-Ion Battery Electrodes during Calendering
Authors: Lim Jaejin , Song Jihun , Lee Hyobin , Kim Kyung-Geun , Lee Yong Min 
Published: December 2024

As electric vehicles (EVs) have replaced internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), there's a requirement to increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) to match the mileage capabilities of ICEVs. Achieving this accompanies optimization in the calendering process, which plays a crucial role in designing high-energy-density LIBs under the same materials. A well-designed calendering process not only boosts energy density but also improves the electronic conductivity and mechanical durability of electrodes. However, excessive calendering can result in detrimental effects such as the formation of tortuous ion percolation pathways and mechanical breakdown like crack formation in active materials. This underscores the importance of understanding how calendering impacts the microstructure of composite electrodes, which varies depending on the pressure levels applied. Therefore, a thorough analysis of the effect of the calendering process on composite electrodes is essential. Nonetheless, it is challenging to analyze microstructural changes and correlate them with electrochemical characteristics solely through experimental means.
Addressing this challenge, herein, digital twin 3D structures of composite electrodes were obtained from FIB-SEM tomographic images before and after the calendering process. Subsequently, simulations of the calendering process are conducted to analyze the microstructure evolution depending on the calendering ratio or electrode density. As a result, virtual structures derived from the calendering simulation are created with varying densities. Key parameters related to electrochemical performance are calculated, enabling a systematic analysis of the structural, electrochemical, and mechanical characteristics during the calendering process.
Chemical Durability Enhancement of Gas Barrier Cellulose Nanocrystal Electrolyte Membranes
Authors: Nishihara Masamichi , I Yang , Gautama Zulfi , Lyth Stephen Matthew , Sasaki Kazunari 
Published: December 2024

Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) system for fuel cell vehicle (FCV) application is one of promising technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emission from transportation sector and mitigate the global warming issue. However, durability of the PEFC system is not enough for commercial requirement, especially heavy-duty vehicles. With regards to polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) in the PEFCs system, chemical degradation is the important issue of PEM durability and occurs because of radical attacks during fuel cell operation. One of the routes of radical formation is related to oxygen penetration from cathode to anode through PEMs (Fig. 1, a)[1]. Based on this mechanism, suppressing gas penetration is one of the solutions to alleviate radical attacks to PEMs. To realize this concept, we developed a high gas barrier sandwiched PEM by introducing a cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) interlayer (Fig.1, b, c). CNCs are an abundant biomaterial and have high gas barrier property. To use the biomaterial with high gas barrier, we confirmed the fuel cell performance and chemical durability of the gas barrier PEM.
A gas barrier CNC interlayer was sandwiched between two Nafion211 outer layers (Fig.1, c), and the total thickness was about 55µm. Fuel cell performance of the CNC gas barrier PEM was evaluated under 80°C and 95% RH. Then, open-circuit voltage (OCV) holding test, accelerated stress test for PEMs, was performed to evaluate the chemical durability of PEMs under 90°C and 30% RH, and the performance of PEMs were also measured after every 72 hours cycle during OCV holding test by following NEDO protocol.
CNC gas barrier PEM could exhibit about 4 times higher gas barrier properties than Nafion211 doble layer (N211DL, 50µm) under 80˚C and dry condition. And the CNC gas barrier PEM could show about 1.6 times longer durability than N211DL in the OCV holding test (Fig. 1, d), indicating that good gas barrier CNC interlayer could suppress radical formation. Therefore, we proved our research concept is available for cellulose nanocrystals, promising for durable PEMs and future PEFCs applications.
References

Gautama, et. al, J. Membrane Science, 2022, 658, 15, 120734.

Figure 1
Interpretation of PEMFC Impedance Response Using Continuum Modeling
Authors: Dizon Arthur , Mukundan Rangachary , Weber Adam Z. 
Published: December 2024

The proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an energy conversion technology developed to assist in the decarbonization of our energy infrastructure. Oxygen and hydrogen are electrochemically reacted to produce electricity, which can be used to power industrial processes like transportation and manufacturing. For hydrogen viability in heavy-duty transportation applications, PEMFC stacks are required to operate over long times scales, which prompts the development of more durable PEMFCs. Improving the durability of PEMFCs relies on understanding process variables and parameters that cause degradation and performance loss. A common diagnostic tool for electrochemical characterization is electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), where the current—potential relationship of an electrochemical cell is probed using sinusoidal perturbations, which yields the transfer function known as impedance.
Due to the complex physics and chemistry occurring within a PEMFC, meaningful interpretation of impedance spectra is often challenging and relies on assumed equivalent-circuit models. The objective of this work is the development of mathematical continuum first-principle cell-level models capable of providing insight on the relationship between cell properties and measured impedance spectra. The mathematical model is based on a non-isothermal multi-scale continuum model of a PEMFC that accounts for multi-phase transport, where the impedance response is simulated about a steady-state operational mode.
The mathematical model was used to simulate experimental measurements obtained from accelerated-stress tests on a commercially available PEMFC membrane-electrode assembly, as shown in Figure 1. Kinetic parameters obtained from a single EIS measurement were generalized to estimate overall cell performance, which was in good agreement with experimental polarization curves. The mathematical model represents the development of descriptive diagnostic tools capable of providing insights into the underlying governing physics and chemistry.

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, through the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) Consortia.

Figure 1
Design of Pillar-Structured Electrode of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells by Experiment and Simulation of Reaction and Mass Transport
Authors: Koshiba Hideto , Nagato Keisuke , Inoue Gen , Tomizawa Morio , Tanaka Akihisa , Nakao Masayuki 
Published: December 2024

Imparting microstructures into polymer electrolyte membranes is effective in improving the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). A previous study proposed a pillar structure as a microstructure from the viewpoint of proton conductivity [1]. In this study, we focus on the effect of the pillar-structured electrode on the power generation performance. The pillar structure was transferred to the cathode by thermal nanoimprinting using a self-made mold, and the catalyst layer was deposited by air spraying. Four pillar structures with different widths and heights were fabricated. The pillar electrode was then fabricated by hot pressing a gas diffusion layer (GDL) on the cathode and a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) on the anode. The fabricated pillar electrodes were then subjected to Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV). Figure 1 shows the polarization curve and power density of MEA, where W is defined as pillar width and H as pillar height. As shown in Figure 1, the power generation performance of the pillar electrode was 40% higher than that of the flat electrode. In addition, the power generation performance was affected significantly by the change in the pillar height and negligibly by the change in the pillar width. In this paper, the effect of the pillar structure is discussed using reaction transport simulations, in addition to experiments.
Reference
[1] M. Tomizawa et al., J. Power Source., 556(2023) 232507.

Figure 1