bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of foreign alliances on the performance of small-scale agricultural businesses in South Africa: A new institutional economics perspective
Authors: Rambe Patient , Agbotame Livingstone A.K. 
Published: October 2018

Background: Globalisation has accentuated the need for small-scale agricultural businesses (SSABs) to network horizontally and vertically into world markets. However, the capacity of SSABs to cement foreign alliances to capitalise on business opportunities that the expansion of global markets presents, while simultaneously mitigating against the negative forces of globalisation remains a grey area.Aim: The study sought to contribute to internationalisation literature by examining: (1) the extent to which SSABs’ owner and/or managers in selected South African provinces establish foreign alliances, (2) whether there are any statistically significant differences in SSABs’ performance based on their extent of establishment of foreign alliances.Setting: The setting for this study was Vryburg-Pokwani in the North West and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa, respectively.Method: A survey was conducted on 151 SSAB owner and/or managers in the aforementioned study area.Results: The results revealed that although a majority (51.7%) had some (i.e. few) foreign alliances, 48.3% of SSABs had no foreign alliances at all. The results also demonstrated that the establishment of foreign alliances was positively and statistically significantly related to the performance of SSABs in the Vryburg-Pokwani area. Post-hoc comparisons (Bonferroni) results showed that while SSABs with 1–2 foreign alliances perform better than those with no foreign alliances at all, those SSABs with 6–10 foreign alliances perform better than those with none, 1–2 and 3–5 foreign linkages respectively.Conclusion: Since SSABs with foreign alliances tended to outperform those that were dependent on domestic links, the extent to which the economic benefits derived from internationalisation are reinvested into the businesses for the continued sustenance of businesses needs more rigorous investigation.
Vitamin D deficiency in elderly: Risk factors and drugs impact on vitamin D status
Authors: Kweder Hasan , Eidi Housam 
Published: October 2018

Abstract
Introduction: Vitamin D (VD) deficiency is a major public health problem worldwide. In spite of its high prevalence, particularly among elderly people, VD deficiency is still underestimated by many physicians. Increasingly, VD deficiency is associated with several known geriatric syndromes. Methods: The study sample consisted of 125 patients, aged 75 years and older, admitted to the acute geriatric unit. The plausible association between the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level and patient age, sex, body mass index, renal function, cholecystectomy history, and the prescribed drugs had been investigated. The Fisher's exact test was used to conduct the statistical analysis of data. Results: Surprisingly, furosemide treatment was correlated with normal 25(OH)D levels and an increased incidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Unlike the other four parameters mentioned above, our data showed that only the patient sex exhibited a significant association with 25(OH)D level as elderly males suffered from a serious VD deficiency as compared to elderly females. Conclusion: Old age is an independent risk factor for VD deficiency. The supplementary dose of VD should be precisely defined to achieve the optimal serum 25(OH)D level in elderly people. The definition of the normal serum 25(OH)D threshold in elderly furosemide-treated patients is worth of further studies.
Season-ahead forecasting of water storage and irrigation requirements – an application to the southwest monsoon in India
Authors: Ravindranath Arun , Devineni Naresh , Lall Upmanu , Concha Larrauri Paulina 
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Water risk management is a ubiquitous challenge faced by stakeholders in the
water or agricultural sector. We present a methodological framework for
forecasting water storage requirements and present an application of this
methodology to risk assessment in India. The application focused on
forecasting crop water stress for potatoes grown during the monsoon season
in the Satara district of Maharashtra. Pre-season large-scale climate
predictors used to forecast water stress were selected based on an
exhaustive search method that evaluates for highest ranked probability skill
score and lowest root-mean-squared error in a leave-one-out cross-validation
mode. Adaptive forecasts were made in the years 2001 to 2013 using
the identified predictors and a non-parametric k-nearest neighbors approach.
The accuracy of the adaptive forecasts (2001–2013) was judged based on
directional concordance and contingency metrics such as hit/miss rate and
false alarms. Based on these criteria, our forecasts were correct 9 out
of 13 times, with two misses and two false alarms. The results of
these drought forecasts were compared with precipitation forecasts from the
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). We assert that it is necessary to
couple informative water stress indices with an effective forecasting
methodology to maximize the utility of such indices, thereby optimizing
water management decisions.
Implementing an interprofessional information literacy course: impact on student abilities and attitudes
Authors: Rapchak Marcia E. , Nolfi David A. , Turk Melanie T. , Marra Lori , O'Neil Christine K. 
Published: October 2018

Objectives: The authors investigated the impact of an interprofessional, freshman-level, information literacy course on nursing, pharmacy, and allied health professions students by examining whether students successfully met learning objectives in the course related to interprofessional attitudes, identification of research study types, and ability to relate evidence-based practice questions to their disciplines.Methods: Student posters (n=20) completed in a team project were evaluated to determine whether students were able to accurately identify the type of evidence, population, intervention, and primary outcome of studies (n=192). Additionally, posters (n=78) were evaluated to assess whether students could identify a relevant foreground question and link it to their disciplines. Students also completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) before (n=413) and after (n=352) the course to determine whether their attitudes toward interprofessional learning changed.Results: Students performed well on learning outcomes in the course, with most teams identifying relevant evidence-based practice questions (83.8%) and effectively connecting questions with their disciplines (65.4%). Students correctly identified the type of evidence, population, intervention, and primary outcome for 70.0%, 81.8%, 76.0%, and 74.0% of cited studies, respectively. Student attitudes after the course did not significantly change.Conclusion: Interprofessional information literacy education can generate positive learning experiences for freshman health care professions students to increase their beginning-level understanding of research in the health care professions and to prepare them for participation in future interprofessional courses and health care teams. This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program.
Clinical Access Assessment
Authors: Tessitore Nicola , Bedogna Valeria , Verlato Giuseppe , Poli Albino 
Published: October 2018

Background Vascular access guidelines recommend routine screening for the timely detection of stenosis using noninvasive methods, including clinical assessment (monitoring) and device-based surveillance relying on access blood flow (Qa) and static intra-access pressure (sVPR, static venous pressure ratio) measurements and duplex ultrasound (DU). Methods We reviewed the literature to see how monitoring compares with surveillance in terms of compliance with the World Health Organization's criteria for screening tests. Results The fundamental element of monitoring, physical examination (PE), has a fair-to-good performance in detecting stenosis in both fistulas and grafts, similar to the Qa criteria recommended in the guidelines. In fistulas, the “or” combination of a positive PE with a Qa <900 mL/min or sVPR >0.5 is more sensitive in detecting stenosis (in up to 98% of cases), making it as good as DU. In grafts, PE performed significantly less well in diagnosing stenosis than sVPR or DU. In randomized controlled trials on fistulas, Qa surveillance enables a significant halving of the risk of thrombosis and access loss by comparison with monitoring alone when Qa criteria highly sensitive to stenosis are considered. In grafts, neither Qa nor DU nor sVPR is able to reduce thrombosis or access loss rates by comparison with monitoring alone. Conclusions Our analysis indicates that regular monitoring should be the backbone of any vascular access stenosis screening program (possibly associated with Qa and sVPR surveillance for fistulas), and PE should be part of every teaching program for caregivers involved in hemodialysis.
Multistate Logic Inverter Based on Black Phosphorus/SnSeS Heterostructure
Authors: Lv Wenxing , Fu Xia , Luo Xin , Lv Weiming , Cai Jialin , Zhang Baoshun , Wei Zhongming , Liu Zhongyuan , Zeng Zhongming 
Published: October 2018

Abstractvan der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have attracted intensive attention due to their great potential in future functional electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, a systematic electrical transport investigation on black phosphorus (BP)/SnSeS heterostructures is presented. The BP/SnSeS heterostructure shows diverse diode functional features by modulating BP channel length and back‐gate modulation, which is closely associated with the carrier tunneling at the heterojunction interface. The performances of the logic inverter based on the BP/SnSeS heterojunction are effectively enhanced by increasing the source voltage, and a middle state is observed with the increase of BP channel length. These findings could stimulate further research activities on vdW heterostructures for multiple functionality devices.
[Co@Sn6Sb6]3−: Ein endohedraler 12‐Atom‐Cluster mit einem nicht‐zentrierten inneren Atom
Authors: Wilson Robert J. , Hastreiter Florian , Reiter Kevin , Büschelberger Philipp , Wolf Robert , Gschwind Ruth M. , Weigend Florian , Dehnen Stefanie 
Published: October 2018

AbstractWir berichten von dem asymmetrischen Einschluss eines einzelnen Metallatoms in einen 12‐atomigen Cluster. Drei Salze verwandter intermetalloider Clusteranionen, [Co@Sn6Sb6]3− (1), [Co2@Sn5Sb7]3− (2) und [Ni2@Sn7Sb5]3− (3) wurden synthetisiert, die pseudo‐C4v‐ oder pseudo‐D4h‐symmetrische 12‐atomige Sn/Sb‐Clusterhüllen und interstitielle Co−‐Ionen oder Ni‐Atome besitzen. 1 ist ein sehr ungewöhnlicher, durch ein einzelnes Metallatom “zentrierter” 12‐Atom‐Cluster, da das innere Atom aus energetischen Gründen klar aus einer zentralen Position ausgelenkt ist. Mittels quantenchemischer Rechnungen konnten die Atomsorten den Atompositionen zugeordnet und relative Stabilitäten möglicher Isomere dieses Clustertyps bestimmt werden. Die Studien zeigen, dass die Gesamtvalenzelektronenzahl der Cluster – die bei ternären intermetalloiden Clusteranionen besonders leicht variiert – ihre Struktur determiniert. Erste 119Sn‐NMR‐Studien in Lösung, die von quantenchemischen Rechnungen flankiert wurden, illustrieren die Komplexität solcher Systeme bezüglich der Sn:Sb‐Verteilung.
Tanzende Vesikel: Proteinoszillationen führen zu periodischer Membranverformung
Authors: Litschel Thomas , Ramm Beatrice , Maas Roel , Heymann Michael , Schwille Petra 
Published: October 2018

AbstractDas bakterielle Min‐Proteinsystem wurde in unilamellaren Riesenvesikeln (GUVs) verkapselt. Es lassen sich mehrere Moden von raumzeitlichen Mustern in kugelförmigen GUVs unterscheiden. Bei osmotisch entspannten GUVs verändert sich die Vesikelform im Zusammenspiel mit den Min‐Oszillationen periodisch. Dabei geht die reversible Anlagerung von Min‐Proteinen aus dem Vesikelinnern an die Membran mit drastischen Veränderungen der mechanischen Eigenschaften der Lipiddoppelschicht einher. Zwei Arten periodischer Membran‐Formveränderungen sind hervorzuheben: 1) GUVs, die sich wiederholt in zwei miteinander verbundene Kammern aufspalten und dann wieder zu einem hantelförmigen Kompartiment verschmelzen; 2) GUVs, die ein periodisches Knospen und anschließendes Verschmelzen der Knospen mit dem Muttervesikel zeigen, begleitet von einer übergreifenden Formänderung des Vesikels. Diese auf Reaktion‐Diffusion basierende Protein‐Selbstorganisation kann damit direkt sichtbare mechanische Auswirkungen auf Membrankompartimente haben, bis hin zur autonomen Teilung, ohne eine Kopplung mit Strukturelementen des Zytoskeletts zu erfordern.
A functional but atypical self: Influence of self‐relevant processing on the gaze cueing effect in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Zhao Shuo , Uono Shota , Yoshimura Sayaka , Toichi Motomi 
Published: October 2018

The present study aimed to determine whether the impairments in joint attention observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in clinical studies were influenced by self‐relevant processing. To investigate this possibility, participants were trained to associate two cues (a female face and male face) with distinct words (“self” and “other”). The ASD and typically developing (TD) groups both demonstrated a significant self‐relevant effect, responding more quickly to self‐pairs than to other pairs. Then, two types of sound (voice and tone) used as targets were manipulated to determine whether the influence of self‐relevance on the cueing effect would be similar between individuals with ASD and TD individuals. Individuals with ASD exhibited reduced cueing effect to voice vs. tone targets, whereas TD individuals showed an enhanced cueing effect to voice vs. tone targets when using self‐relevant, but not other‐relevant, gaze cues. The present results suggest that individuals with ASD exhibit intact self‐relevant processing but that the self‐relevant processing affects the attentional system of individuals with ASD in a manner different from that of TD individuals and that this difference depends on the self‐relevance of the specific target stimuli. Autism Research 2018, 11: 1522–1531. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Lay SummaryObserving another person's eye gaze induces attentional shift in the onlooker. Clinical studies have reported that social interaction, including gaze‐triggered attention, is impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while psychological studies have generally reported intact gaze‐triggered attention in ASD. This study provided new evidence indicating that gaze‐triggered attention is influenced by self‐relevant processing in a different manner in ASD individuals than it is in TD individuals. The magnitude of attentional shift triggered by the self‐relevant gaze cue was associated with symptom severity in ASD. The functional but atypical self‐relevant processing might be able to explain discrepancies in social attention between experimental and real situations.
The oncogenic roles of nuclear receptor coactivator 1 in human esophageal carcinoma
Authors: Wang Lu , Li Weiwei , Li Kai , Guo Yi , Liu Ditian , Yao Zhimeng , Lin Xianjie , Li Shujun , Jiang Zuojie , Liu Qing , Jiang Yi , Zhang Beien , Chen Lei , Zhou Fuyou , Ren Hongzheng , Lin Danxia , Zhang Dianzheng , Yeung Sai‐Ching Jim , Zhang Hao 
Published: October 2018

AbstractNuclear receptor coactivator 1 (NCOA1) plays crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression mediated by a wide spectrum of steroid receptors such as androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor α (ER α), and estrogen receptor β (ER β). Therefore, dysregulations of NCOA1 have been found in a variety of cancer types. However, the clinical relevance and the functional roles of NCOA1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are less known. We found in this study that elevated levels of NCOA1 protein and/or mRNA as well as amplification of the NCOA1 gene occur in human ESCC. Elevated levels of NCOA1 due to these dysregulations were not only associated with more aggressive clinic‐pathologic parameters but also poorer survival. Results from multiple cohorts of ESCC patients strongly suggest that the levels of NCOA1 could serve as an independent predictor of overall survival. In addition, silencing NCOA1 in ESCC cells remarkably decreased proliferation, migration, and invasion. These findings not only indicate that NCOA1 plays important roles in human ESCC but the levels of NCOA1 also could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker of ESCC and targeting NCOA1 could be an efficacious strategy in ESCC treatment.
Facile Synthesis of Hypercrosslinked Hollow Microporous Organic Capsules for Electrochemical Sensing of CuII Ions
Authors: Razzaque Shumaila , Wang Kewei , Hussain Irshad , Tan Bien 
Published: October 2018

AbstractA very simple and facile methodology is used to prepare dithiocarbamate‐functionalized hollow microporous organic capsules (HMOCs‐DTC), which exhibit excellent stability, a high surface area, and appropriate microporous architecture. In this strategy, SiO2 particles are used as templates to construct PS‐DVB‐MAA microspheres, and then dithiocarbamate groups are grafted onto them. The dithiocarbamate‐functionalized hypercrosslinked microporous organic capsules (HMOCs‐DTC/GC) are then used as an electrode material for the detection of CuII ions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electron impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are exploited to study the electrochemical potential of the designed material. The placement of functional groups (dithiocarbamate) at the mesopore interface effectively enhances the mass transfer, which facilitates the more selective detection of CuII ions. The high sensitivity of the modified electrode is expressed in terms of current (Ip) enhancement at extremely low concentrations of CuII ions. Thus, a functional and robust porous material (HMOCs‐DTC) presents a sensitive sensing ability, displaying the calibration response over a wide linear range (2.50×10−11–3.50×10−10 m), with a lowest limit of detection of 1.02×10−11 m. Indeed, these HMOCs present a new class of porous polymers possessing extraordinarily high scalability but avoiding complex and expensive synthetic methodologies, promoting its practical utilization.
A Cyclometalated N‐Heterocyclic Carbene: The Wings of the First Pt2(II,II) Butterfly Oxidized by CHI3
Authors: Arnal Lorenzo , Fuertes Sara , Martín Antonio , Baya Miguel , Sicilia Violeta 
Published: October 2018

AbstractThe X‐ray study on a single crystal of the butterfly‐like complex [{Pt(C^C*)(μ‐pz)}2] (1), containing a cyclometalated N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand as wings (HC^C*=1‐(4‐(ethoxycarbonyl)phenyl)‐3‐methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐2‐ylidene), showed three molecules in the asymmetric unit with intermetallic separations (Å) of 3.2294(4) (1A), 3.2834(4) (1B), and 3.1208(6) (1C). From the reaction of 1 with excess of CHI3 in the air and the sunlight, complex [{Pt(C^C*)(μ‐pz)I)}2] (2) (dPt−Pt=2.6079(2) Å) was obtained as the major product, while [IPt(C^C*)(μ‐pz)2Pt(C^C*)CHI2] (3) (dPt−Pt=2.6324(3) Å) was obtained as the major product under argon atmosphere in the dark. Experimental and theoretical investigations showed that an easily accessible radical‐like mechanism operates under thermal conditions, with dioxygen acting as an efficient radical (R.) scavenger. The oxidation of a Pt2(II,II) “butterfly” by CHI3 to give metal−metal bonded Pt2(III,III) compounds is described now for the first time.
Fundamental Vibrational Analyses of the HCN Monomer, Dimer and Associated Isotopologues
Authors: Hoobler Preston R. , Turney Justin M. , Agarwal Jay , Schaefer Henry F. 
Published: October 2018

AbstractIn this work we provide high level ab initio treatments of the structures, vibrational frequencies, and electronic energies of the HCN monomer and dimer systems along with several isotopologues. The plethora of information related to this system within the literature is summarized and serves as a basis for comparison with the results of this paper. The geometry of the dimer and monomer are reported at the all electroncoupled‐cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples level of theory [AE‐CCSD(T)] with the correlation consistent quadruple‐zeta quality basis sets with extra core functions (cc‐pCVQZ) from Dunning. The theoretical geometries and electronic structures are further analyzed through the use of the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) method and Natural Resonance Theory (NRT). At the AE‐CCSD(T)/cc‐pCVQZ level of theory, the full cubic with semi‐diagonal quartic force field for nine dimer and four monomer isotopologues (the parent isotopologue along with 15N, 13C, and D derivatives) were obtained to treat the anharmonicity of the vibrations via second order vibrational perturbation theory (VPT2). Lastly, the enthalpy change associated with the formation of the dimer from two monomer units was determined using the focal point analysis. Computations including coupled‐cluster through perturbative quadruples as well as basis sets up to six‐zeta quality, including core functions (cc‐pCVXZ, X=D,T,Q,5,6) were used to extrapolate to the AE‐CCSDT(Q)/CBS energy associated with this hydrogen‐bond forming process. After appending anharmonic zero‐point vibrational, relativistic, and diagonal Born‐Oppenheimer corrections, we report a value of −3.93 kcal mol−1 for the enthalpy of formation. To our knowledge, each set of results (geometries, vibrational frequencies, and energetics) reported in this study represents the highest‐level and most reliable theoretical predictions reported for this system.
Power supply based on a multi‐stage‐shunt class E amplifier applied to ozone generation with high efficiency
Authors: Ponce‐Silva Mario , Aquí‐Tapia Juan A. , Arellano María C. , Moreno Edwing A. , Cortés‐García Claudia 
Published: October 2018

SummaryIn this paper, the analysis, design, and implementation of a power supply based on a multi‐stage‐shunt class E amplifier applied to ozone generation are presented. The proposed topology operates with pulsating waveforms and allows unidirectional energy flow from the power supply to the load with no energy return. Furthermore, due to the multi‐stage operation, it presents a lower stress in the switches compared with other similar topologies. To validate the proposed topology, a prototype was designed to feed a set of ozone generating cells in a power range of 0 to 500 W. This prototype provides an efficiency of 95% with an ozone production of 10.5 g/h and efficacy of 22.89 g/kWh. The proposed power supply is an alternative to feed any other type of dielectric barrier discharge load while keeping the efficiency of the power supply above 90%.