bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Examining the Challenges of Sports Tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Authors: Shakeel Muhammad , Nadeem Fahad , Gill Sajjad Ali , Sehar Rashna 
Published: December 2024

Aim of the Study: Prime objective of current research was to examining the challenges of sports tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Methodology: The population of this particular study was comprised of all the sport organizers of tourism authorities (The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cultural & Tourism Authority (K.P.C.T.A), Galiyat Development Authority (G.D.A) and Kaghan Development Authority (K.D.A) in K.P.K, Pakistan. A total 75 subjects were taken as population, it was very limited and easily approachable, and census method was used for data collection. The investigator used descriptive research design with the cross-sectional survey approach for data collection. The investigator utilized a self-made close-ended on 4-point Likert scale for the purpose of data collection. The pilot testing was done for the purpose to examine the existing draw backs and errors in the initial draft of research instrument. For the content validity purpose, the initial version of the instrument was sent to the five experts of the field. Cronbach’s alpha method was used for checking the research tool’s reliability and its value was 0.76. The response rate was recorded as 92.30%. For data analysis, descriptive statistics (Frequencies, percentages and mean) were used to analyze and tabulate the collected information.
Findings: The results showed that sports tourism challenges such as organizational challenges, environmental challenges and social challenges are a major concern for sports tourism in the surveyed area which is the main cause of downfall of sports tourism. Additionally, the study identifies the importance of addressing social and cultural barriers to promote greater participation, particularly among female athletes.
Conclusion: So, the study recommended that sports tourism department of Pakistan may improve the infrastructures (accommodation, transportation, and equipment). This will lead to enhance sports tourism in Pakistan.
Household Level Sanitation Practices and Their Implication on the Occurrence of Diarrhea and Other Related Infections in Temeke Municipality, Tanzania
Authors: Munissi Hafidh S. , Mwalilino Jilisa K. 
Published: December 2024

This study aimed at assessing households' level sanitation practices and their implication on the occurrence of diarrhoea and other related infections in Temeke Municipality. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the study area involving 220 respondents, randomly selected through simple random sampling from Azimio, Mtoni and Tandika wards. The study employed a mixed-method approach involving quantitative data from the household survey and qualitative data from key informant interviews. Data were analyzed using IBM-Statistics SPSS V.20 to compute frequencies and percentages presented in tables. The findings revealed that 77.7% of all the households have latrines that can be accessed within their plot. Furthermore, 94.7% of all the households share latrines which are located near their respective compound. In addition, the majority (97.4%) of the respondents use a bowl for washing hands, while 0.9% have a tap connected to water distribution. The majority (70%) of the respondents’ latrines are in bad condition, 94% have no water available inside for flushing and cleaning the facility and 17% reported that their facility leak sometimes in the past 6 months. The study concludes that there is improper management of available latrines in the study area which is attributed to factors like overuse and water scarcity among household compounds. The study recommends that the improvement of household-level sanitation practices should be embedded with behavioural change for better utilization of available facilities.
Double Negative Differential Transconductance Characteristic: From Device to Circuit Application toward Quaternary Inverter
Authors: Lim Ji‐Hye , Shim Jaewoo , Kang Beom‐Seok , Shin Gicheol , Kim Hyeongjun , Andreev Maksim , Jung Kil‐Su , Kim Kwan‐Ho , Choi Jae‐Woong , Lee Yoonmyung , Park Jin‐Hong 
Published: September 2019

AbstractMulti‐valued logic (MVL) computing, which uses more than three logical states, is a promising future technology for handling huge amounts of data in the forthcoming “big data” era. The feasibility of MVL computing depends on the development of new concept devices/circuits beyond the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. This is because many CMOS devices are required to implement basic MVL functions, such as multilevel NOT, AND, and OR. In this study, a novel MVL device is reported with a complementarily controllable potential well, featuring the negative differential transconductance (NDT) phenomenon. This NDT device implemented on the WS2–graphene–WSe2 van der Waals heterostructure is evolved to a double‐NDT device operating on the basis of two consecutive NDT phenomena via structural engineering and parallel device configuration. This double‐NDT device is intensively analyzed via atomic force microscopy, kelvin probe force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and temperature‐dependent electrical measurement to gain a detailed understanding of its operating mechanism. Finally, the operation of a quaternary inverter configured with the double‐peak NDT device and a p‐channel transistor through Cadence circuit simulation is theoretically demonstrated.
Surface Reconstruction Limited Conductivity in Block‐Copolymer Li Battery Electrolytes
Authors: Sutton Preston , Bennington Peter , Patel Shrayesh N. , Stefik Morgan , Wiesner Ulrich B. , Nealey Paul F. , Steiner Ullrich , Gunkel Ilja 
Published: September 2019

AbstractSolid polymer electrolytes for lithium batteries promise improvements in safety and energy density if their conductivity can be increased. Nanostructured block‐copolymer electrolytes specifically have the potential to provide both good ionic conductivity and good mechanical properties. This study shows that the previously neglected nanoscale composition of the polymer electrolyte close to the electrode surface has an important effect on impedance measurements, despite its negligible extent compared to the bulk electrolyte. Using standard stainless steel blocking electrodes, the impedance of lithium salt‐doped poly(isoprene‐b‐styrene‐b‐ethylene oxide) (ISO) exhibits a marked decrease upon thermal processing of the electrolyte. In contrast, covering the electrode surface with a low molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) brush results in higher and more reproducible conductivity values, which are insensitive to the thermal history of the device. A qualitative model of this effect is based on the hypothesis that ISO surface reconstruction at the different electrode surfaces leads to a change in the electrostatic double layer, affecting electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. As a main result, PEO‐brush modification of electrode surfaces is beneficial for the robust electrolyte performance of PEO‐containing block‐copolymers and may be crucial for their accurate characterization and use in Li‐ion batteries.
Orientation Engineering in Low‐Dimensional Crystal‐Structural Materials via Seed Screening
Authors: Li Kanghua , Chen Chao , Lu Shuaicheng , Wang Chong , Wang Siyu , Lu Yue , Tang Jiang 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe orientation of low‐dimensional crystal‐structural (LDCS) films significantly affects the performance of photoelectric devices, particularly in vertical conducting devices such as solar cells and light‐emitting diodes. According to film growth theory, the initial seeds determine the final orientation of the film. Ruled by the minimum energy principle, lying (chains or layers parallel to the substrate) seeds bonding with the substrate through van der Waals forces are easier to form than standing (chains or layers perpendicular to the substrate) seeds bonding with the substrate by a covalent bond. Utilizing high substrate temperature to re‐evaporate the lying seeds and preserve the standing seeds, the orientation of 1D crystal‐structural Sb2Se3 is successfully controlled. Guided by this seed screening model, highly [211]‐ and [221]‐oriented Sb2Se3 films on an inert TiO2 substrate are obtained; consequently, a record efficiency of 7.62% in TiO2/Sb2Se3 solar cells is achieved. This universal model of seed screening provides an effective method for orientation control of other LDCS films.
3D Printing of Magnetoresponsive Polymeric Materials with Tunable Mechanical and Magnetic Properties by Digital Light Processing
Authors: Lantean Simone , Barrera Gabriele , Pirri Candido Fabrizio , Tiberto Paola , Sangermano Marco , Roppolo Ignazio , Rizza Giancarlo 
Published: September 2019

AbstractDigital light processing is used for printing magnetoresponsive polymeric materials with tunable mechanical and magnetic properties. Mechanical properties are tailored, from stiff to soft, by combining urethane‐acrylate resins with butyl acrylate as the reactive diluent. The magnetic response of the printed samples is tuned by changing the Fe3O4 nanoparticle loading up to 6 wt%. Following this strategy, magnetoresponsive active components are fabricated with programmable complex functions using external magnetic fields. Different objects are printed exhibiting varying stiffness and magnetic responses, probing different kinds of movements, such as rolling, translation, stretching, shape‐shifting, and folding/unfolding.
Manipulation of Multi‐Level Quantum Systems via Unsharp Measurements and Feedback Operations
Authors: Ran Du , Shan Wu‐Jiang , Shi Zhi‐Cheng , Yang Zhen‐Biao , Song Jie , Xia Yan 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe recently proposed quantum control method called self‐fulfilling prophesy is investigated in multi‐level cases, based on a sequence of measurement‐feedback operations. The feedback operation is elaborately designed with respect to the eigenstates of the density matrix of the target state and its post‐measurement state. This design procedure is suitable for the generation of any predefined coherent superpositions of multiple quantum states and elicitation of desired quantum dynamics. For the sake of clearness, arbitrarily prescribed superposition states in three‐ and four‐level systems are prepared, and quantum dynamics achieved as desired. The simulation results indicate that the scheme tolerates modest imprecisions of feedback operation and is robust against sudden perturbations. Thus, the scheme enables new insight on quantum manipulations in a variety of multi‐level systems to be achieved.
Meta‐analysis of the difference of medians
Authors: McGrath Sean , Sohn Hojoon , Steele Russell , Benedetti Andrea 
Published: September 2019

AbstractWe consider the problem of meta‐analyzing two‐group studies that report the median of the outcome. Often, these studies are excluded from meta‐analysis because there are no well‐established statistical methods to pool the difference of medians. To include these studies in meta‐analysis, several authors have recently proposed methods to estimate the sample mean and standard deviation from the median, sample size, and several commonly reported measures of spread. Researchers frequently apply these methods to estimate the difference of means and its variance for each primary study and pool the difference of means using inverse variance weighting. In this work, we develop several methods to directly meta‐analyze the difference of medians. We conduct a simulation study evaluating the performance of the proposed median‐based methods and the competing transformation‐based methods. The simulation results show that the median‐based methods outperform the transformation‐based methods when meta‐analyzing studies that report the median of the outcome, especially when the outcome is skewed. Moreover, we illustrate the various methods on a real‐life data set.
Droplet Evaporation on a Hydrophilic Mesh Considering Their Sunken Shapes in Holes
Authors: Yang Qiang , Ding Yanliang , Xu Xiao , Lu Hao , Wang Hualin , Liu Honglai 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe evolution of droplet shapes on a hydrophilic copper mesh was studied by using high‐speed microscopic imaging technology. When a water droplet wets a hydrophilic mesh, the liquid‐vapor interface initially adopts a convex shape, named as the “first darkness”. Then, as the water evaporates, the liquid‐vapor interface flattens, and then it gradually adopts a concave shape; meanwhile, a “second darkness” forms. Taking the shapes of droplets sunken in holes into consideration, the quantitative liquid‐vapor interface area was acquired. The evaporation coefficient becomes lower and more reasonable when considering the area increase due to the pentahedron sunken liquid in the holes. A speculation was employed to understand the observed evaporation behavior and the overprediction of the evaporation coefficient.
Inhomogeneous Distribution of Cationic Surfactants around Anionic Molecular Clusters
Authors: Gao Yunyi , Chen Jiahui , Zhang Tong , Szymanowski Jennifer E. S. , Burns Peter C. , Liu Tianbo 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAn interesting phenomenon is reported when uranyl peroxide nanoclusters U60 (Li48+mK12(OH)m[UO2(O2)(OH)]60 (H2O)n, m≈20 and n≈310) interact with a small number of cationic surfactant molecules. Cationic surfactant molecules do not distribute evenly around the U60 clusters during the interaction as expected. Instead, a small fraction of U60 clusters attract almost all the surfactant molecules, leading to the self‐assembly into supramolecular structures by using surfactant–U60 complexes as building locks, and later further aggregate and precipitate based on hydrophobic interaction, whereas the rest of the clusters remained unbounded soluble macroions in bulk dispersion. This phenomenon nicely demonstrates a unique feature of macroion solutions. Considering that Debye–Hückel approximation is no longer valid in such solutions, the competition between the local electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction becomes important to regulate the solution behaviors of macroions.
Formal Lossen Rearrangement/Alkenylation or Annulation Cascade of Heterole Carboxamides with Alkynes Catalyzed by CpRhIII Complexes with Pendant Amides
Authors: Yamada Takayuki , Shibata Yu , Tanaka Ken 
Published: September 2019

AbstractIt has been established that a cyclopentadienyl (Cp) RhIII complex with two aryl groups and a pendant amide moiety catalyzes the formal Lossen rearrangement/alkenylation cascade of N‐pivaloyl heterole carboxamides with internal alkynes, leading to alkenylheteroles. Interestingly, the use of sterically demanding internal alkynes afforded not the alkenylation but the [3+2] annulation products ([5,5]‐fused heteroles). In these reactions, the pendant amide moiety of the CpRhIII complex may accelerate the formal Lossen rearrangement. The use of five‐membered heteroles may deter reductive elimination to form strained [5,5]‐fused heteroles; instead, protonation proceeds to give the alkenylation products. Bulky alkyne substituents accelerate the reductive elimination to allow the formation of the [5,5]‐fused heteroles.
Redox‐Neutral Metal‐Free Three‐Component Carbonylative Dearomatization of Pyridine Derivatives with CO2
Authors: Cerveri Alessandro , Pace Stefano , Monari Magda , Lombardo Marco , Bandini Marco 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe TBD (1,3,5‐triazabicyclodec‐5‐ene) assisted three‐component carbonylation of pyridine‐2‐methanamines is documented by means of CO2 as a benign CO surrogate. The redox‐neutral methodology enables the realization of densely functionalized imidazo‐pyridinones in high yields (up to 93 %) and excellent chemoselectivity. Combined computational and experimental investigations revealed an unprecedented RCOCl/TBD concerted electrophilic activation of carbon dioxide.
Biosynthesis of a Tricyclo[6.2.2.02,7]dodecane System by a Berberine Bridge Enzyme‐Like Aldolase
Authors: Li Hang , Hu Jinyu , Wei Haochen , Solomon Peter S. , Stubbs Keith A. , Chooi Yit‐Heng 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe aldol reaction is one of the most fundamental stereocontrolled carbon–carbon bond‐forming reactions and is mainly catalyzed by aldolases in nature. Despite the fact that the aldol reaction has been widely proposed to be involved in fungal secondary metabolite biosynthesis, a dedicated aldolase that catalyzes stereoselective aldol reactions has only rarely been reported in fungi. Herein, we activated a cryptic polyketide biosynthetic gene cluster that was upregulated in the fungal wheat pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum during plant infection; this resulted in the production of the phytotoxic stemphyloxin II (1). Through heterologous reconstruction of the biosynthetic pathway and in vitro assay by using cell‐free lysate from Aspergillus nidulans, we demonstrated that a berberine bridge enzyme (BBE)‐like protein SthB catalyzes an intramolecular aldol reaction to establish the bridged tricyclo[6.2.2.02,7]dodecane skeleton in the post‐assembly tailoring step. The characterization of SthB as an aldolase enriches the catalytic toolbox of classic reactions and the functional diversities of the BBE superfamily of enzymes.
Determination method of Volt‐Var and Volt‐Watt curve for smart inverters applying optimization of active/reactive power allocation for each inverter
Authors: Yamane Keisuke , Orihara Dai , Iioka Daisuke , Aoto Yuki , Hashimoto Jun , Goda Tadahiro 
Published: September 2019

AbstractIn recent years, the smart inverter that is an advanced inverter has been investigated as a solution to voltage problem in the distribution network in which a lot of photovoltaic(PV)s are introduced Among multiple functions of the smart inverter, voltage‐reactive power control (Volt‐Var) and voltage‐active power control (Volt‐Watt) have been attracted attention because of their effectiveness. However, the problem is how to determine optimal curves setting of Volt‐Var and Volt‐Watt. In this paper, we suggest the determination method of optimal Volt‐Var and Volt‐Watt curves, and verify the effectiveness of the optimal curves on distribution network.
Radical Mediated Aza‐Pauson‐Khand Reaction of Acetylenes, Imines, and CO Leading to Five‐Membered Unsaturated Lactams
Authors: Fukuyama Takahide , Okada Takuma , Nakashima Nao , Ryu Ilhyong 
Published: September 2019

AbstractFormal [2+2+1] cycloaddition reaction involving acetylenes, aromatic imines, and CO was achieved by radical chain reaction, which gave five‐membered unsaturated lactams in modest to good yields. When we used 5‐chloropentyne, sequential carbonylation took place accompanied with double annulation events to give a cyclohexanone‐fused lactam in excellent stereoselectivity.
MicroRNAs in acute pancreatitis: From pathogenesis to novel diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Yang Yi , Huang Qilin , Luo Chen , Wen Yi , Liu Ruohong , Sun Hongyu , Tang Lijun 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAcute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disorder initiated by activation of pancreatic zymogens, leading to pancreatic injury and systemic inflammatory response. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of gene expression and key players in human physiological and pathological processes. Discoveries over the past decade have confirmed that altered expression of miRNAs is implicated in the pathogenesis of AP. Indeed, a number of miRNAs have been found to be dysregulated in various cell types involved in AP such as acinar cells, macrophages, and lymphocytes. These aberrant miRNAs can regulate acinar cell necrosis and apoptosis, local and systemic inflammatory response, thereby contributing to the initiation and progression of AP. Moreover, patients with AP possess unique miRNA signatures when compared with healthy individuals or those with other diseases. In view of their stability and easy detection, therefore, miRNAs have the potential to act as biomarkers for the diagnosis and assessment of patients with AP. In this review, we provide an overview of the novel cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the roles of miRNAs during the disease processes of AP, as well as the potential diagnosis and therapeutic biomarkers of miRNAs in patients with AP.
Challenges to informed consent for exome sequencing: A best–worst scaling experiment
Authors: Gore Rachel H. , Bridges John F. P. , Cohen Julie S. , Biesecker Barbara B. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAs exome sequencing expands as a diagnostic tool, patients and providers have voiced concerns about communicating the breadth and scope of potential results when obtaining informed consent. This study aimed to understand how genetic counselors prioritize essential components of the informed consent process and whether counselor factors influence these decisions. Development of a best–worst scaling experiment was informed by a systematic literature review and two focus groups. In all, 11 choice sets were created using a balanced incomplete block design, where participants selected the most and least important object in each set. Mean best–worst (BW) scores were calculated to summarize the relative importance of each object, and mediation analyses assessed whether responses were associated with genetic counselor factors and attitudes. In all, 342 members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors completed the online survey. Ranking of BW scores suggests that participants prioritize collaborative decision‐making, assessing understanding and managing expectations, with the least emphasis placed on discussing technological complexities. Stratified analyses found that counselors more experienced with obtaining informed consent for exome sequencing and those reporting higher perceptions of patients’ ability to manage information rated discussing variants of uncertain significance as significantly more important (p < .05). Our results suggest that genetic counselors report intentions to prioritize individual patient needs when obtaining informed consent for exome sequencing. Professional characteristics and attitudes may influence preemptive discussion of uncertain results.
Recontacting patients for multigene panel testing in hereditary cancer: Efficacy and insights
Authors: Sawyer Lindsey , Creswick Heather , Lewandowski Raymond , Quillin John 
Published: September 2019

AbstractIn hereditary cancer, multigene panel testing is currently replacing older single‐gene approaches. Patients whose tests were previously uninformative could benefit from updated testing. Research suggests that patients desire to be recontacted about updated genetic testing, but few studies have tested the efficacy of recontact efforts. This study investigated the outcomes of a recontact effort in a hereditary cancer clinic and explored the impact of four different recontact letters, randomized in a 2X2 factorial design. Patients who had negative genetic testing for single genes or conditions were mailed letters inviting them to schedule an appointment to discuss updated testing. Patients were randomized to receive one of four letters and each letter emphasized different implications of updated multigene genetic testing: (a) personal medical management implications, (b) implications for family members, (c) both personal and family implications or (d) a control letter. The proportion of patients who arrived for appointments was assessed approximately 7 months after mailing along with associations with patient demographics and type of letter received. Letters were mailed to 586 patients who had initial testing between 2001 and 2015. Most patients were white (78%) and female (97%) with private insurance (65%). At 7 months, 25 patients (4.3%, 95% CI: 2.6% to 5.9%) had arrived for an appointment. Older age was significantly associated with response rate (p = .01), while type of recontact letter was not (p = .54). This study suggests that recontacting patients about updated genetic testing by mail does not yield a large response. It also suggests that personal and/or familial implications do not seem to be significant factors that determine response rate. Nevertheless, results provide meaningful information for cancer clinics about the outcomes of recontact efforts via informational letter.