bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficiency of electricity distribution companies
Authors: Boente Diego Rodrigues , Lustosa Paulo Roberto B. 
Published: October 2019

Purpose
After assessing papers on efficiency, most of the studies available are focused on the analysis of efficiency measures, without providing a deep discussion of the factors that determine efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of Brazilian electricity distribution companies based on a structural model that enables the identification of a network of relationships among representative variables that contribute to efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modeling was applied in a sample of 62 electricity distribution companies operating in Brazil, forming a balanced panel from 2010 to 2014. Then, the authors verified the model compliance according to the empirical evidence of the entities analyzed. This verification included a survey of the variables, which was supported by theoretical references related to the phenomenon studied. The data collected were statistically treated, and benchmarking models and multivariate techniques were used. Once the adjustments were made, the re-specified model was estimated using the maximum likelihood method.

Findings
The empirical model reached good adjustment rates. The analysis concluded that the constructs information system, structural system, management system and sociocultural system affect efficiency.

Originality/value
This study adds to several other papers, and this is one of its main contributions. Relationships among the constructs have been systematized according to literature in the form of a structural model, which will enable future researchers to have a reference frame of relevant studies and a research foundation in this area of knowledge. A third contribution is the model tested in a sample of Brazilian electricity distribution companies, whose results can be compared to other utility sectors (e.g. telecommunications) or to other countries' electrical sectors, thus providing an empirical basis for the proposed hypotheses. Finally, this study also offers a contribution to the Brazilian Electrical Energy Agency (Aneel, in Portuguese), a regulatory agency, providing mechanisms to guide tariff adjustments, seeking a balance between costs and the need for investments allied to tariff affordability.
Overcoming cultural resistance to open source innovation
Authors: Winsor John , Paik Jin , Tushman Mike , Lakhani Karim 
Published: October 2019

Purpose
This article offers insight on how to effectively help incumbent organizations prepare for global business shifts to open source and digital business models.

Design/methodology/approach
Discussion related to observation, experience and case studies related to incumbent organizations and their efforts to adopt open source models and business tools.

Findings
Companies that let their old culture reject the new risk becoming obsolete if doing so inhibits their rethinking of their future using powerful tools like crowdsourcing, blockchain, customer experience-based connections, integrating workflows with artificial intelligence (AI), automated technologies and digital business platforms. These new ways of working affect how and where work is done, access to information, an organization’s capacity for work and its efficiency. As important as technological proficiency is, managing the cultural shift required to embrace transformative industry architecture – the key to innovating new business models – may be the bigger challenge.

Research limitations/implications
Findings are based on original research and case studies. Insights are theoretically, based on additional study, interviews, and research, but need to be tested through additional case studies.

Practical implications
The goal is to make the transition more productive and less traumatic for incumbent firms by providing a language and tested methods to help senior leaders use innovative technologies to build on their core even as they explore new business models.

Social implications
This article provides insights that will lead to more effective ideas for helping organizations adapt.

Originality/value
This article is based on original research and case experience. That research and experience has then been analyzed and viewed through the lens of models that have been known to work. The result is original insights and findings that can be applied in new ways to further adoption within incumbent organizations.
Degree of invasion of Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) plays an important role in the variation of plant taxonomic diversity and community stability in eastern China
Authors: Wang Shu , Wei Mei , Wu Bingde , Jiang Kun , Du Daolin , Wang Congyan 
Published: October 2019

AbstractUnderstanding the impacts of invaders on plant taxonomic diversity and community stability is significant for understanding the mechanisms underlying successful invasion. This study explored the impacts of the invasive plant Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.; goldenrod hereafter) with different degrees of invasion on plant taxonomic diversity and community stability by conducting a comparative study in eastern China. Degree of invasion was divided into the following categories, low (<35%, LDI), moderate (35–75%, MDI), and high (>75%, HDI), on the basis of the relative abundance of goldenrod in the invaded plant communities. Plant diversity, dominance, richness, and plant community stability noticeably decreased under HDI but plant diversity and dominance dramatically increased under LDI compared with the adjacent uninvaded plant communities. Plant diversity, dominance, richness, and community stability markedly declined as the degree of goldenrod invasion increased in the invaded plant communities. The greater plant diversity and dominance observed under LDI may be primarily driven by the passenger effects rather than a driving force of the presence of goldenrod. The greater competitive superiority of goldenrod over coexisting native plants under HDI might allow for invasion and enhance the risk of stochastic local extinction of several native species. A significantly positive diversity‐stability relationship was observed, which may explain the underlying mechanisms for the decreased plant community stability and drastic decline in plant diversity under HDI. Accordingly, the degree of invasion of goldenrod plays an important role in the variation of plant taxonomic diversity and community stability in eastern China.
Adolescents’ experiences of communication following acquired brain injury
Authors: Buckeridge Katherine , Clarke Channine , Sellers Diane 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundPaediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) is one of the leading causes of neurodisability in childhood. The long‐term effects of ABI on cognition, behaviour and emotions are well documented. Previous research has found that communication is difficult for adolescents with ABI compared with typically developing peers. Quantitative studies have identified deficits in specific domains of speech and language, but no research studies have sought to capture adolescents’ lived experiences of communication or explored the multidimensional nature of this.AimsTo explore adolescents’ everyday experiences of communication following ABI. This research also offered adolescents an opportunity to give their views on an issue that has not previously been explored in relation to paediatric ABI.Method & ProceduresA qualitative study was undertaken using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) for in‐depth exploration of the lived experiences of communication following ABI. Participants were recruited from an NHS Trust in England. Six adolescents (aged 11–18 years) participated in semi‐structured interviews. Data analysis followed the guides for IPA.Outcomes & ResultsThe data revealed three main themes: the social world; communication competence; and life in the classroom. Adolescents experienced communication changes and challenges, which affected functioning and participation. Difficulties with communication affected identity, learning, relationships and confidence.Conclusions & ImplicationsThese findings provide an insight into how communication is experienced in everyday life from the perspectives of adolescents with ABI. The study revealed that adolescents’ individual experiences of communication were dependent on contextual factors. Sensitivity to communication changes was associated with the age when the ABI occurred. Difficulties with communication impacted on identity. Negative communication experiences at school affected a sense of belonging; peer group support helped some adolescents to cope with the communication challenges they faced. Further research is needed to explore how participation in communication is affected by paediatric ABI and what could be done to support this. It is recommended that increased attention should be paid by professionals to the psychological impact of communication changes and difficulties experienced by this population.
Bacterial Profiling of Soil For Forensic Investigations: Consideration of Ex Situ Changes in Questioned and Known Soil Samples
Authors: Foran David R. , Badgley Alyssa J. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractSoil, being diverse and ubiquitous, can potentially link a suspect or victim to a crime scene. Recently scientists have examined the microbial makeup of soil for determining its origin, and differentiating soil samples is well‐established. However, when soil is transferred to evidence its microbial makeup may change over time, leading to false exclusions. In this research, “known” soils from diverse habitats were stored under controlled conditions, while evidence soils were aged on mock evidence. Limited quantities of soil were also assayed. Bacterial profiles were produced using next‐generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Overall, known soils stored open at room temperature were more similar to evidence soils over time than were known soils stored bagged and/or frozen. Evidence soils, even as little as 1 mg, associated with the correct habitat 99% of the time, accentuating the importance of considering ex situ microbial changes in soil for its successful use as forensic evidence.
Petroleum Origins and Accumulation Patterns in the Weixinan Sag in the Beibu Gulf Basin, Using Subsag B as an Example
Authors: GAO Gang , XU Xinde , QU Tong , GAN Jun , DANG Wenlong , ZHOU Xiaoxiao , LIU Fengyan 
Published: October 2019

AbstractCrude oil has been discovered in the Paleogene and Neogene units of the Weixinan Sag in the Beibu Gulf Basin. To determine the source and accumulation mode of this crude oil, 12 crude oil samples and 27 source rock samples were collected and an extensive organic geochemical analysis was conducted on them. Based on the geological conditions and the analytical results, the types, origins and accumulation patterns of crude oil in the study area were elucidated. Except for a shallowly‐buried and biodegraded crude oil deposit in Neogene rocks, the crude oil samples in the study area were normal. All of the crude oils were derived from lacustrine source rocks. According to biomarker compositions, the crude oils could be divided into two families, A and B, distinctions that were reinforced by differences in carbon isotope composition and spatial distribution. Oil‐source correlation analysis based on biomarkers revealed that Family A oils were derived from the mature oil shale at the bottom of the second member of the Liushagang Formation, while the Family B oils formed in the mature shale of the Liushagang Formation. The Family A oils, generated by oil shale, mainly migrated laterally along sand bodies and were then redistributed in adjacent reservoirs above and below the oil shale layer, as well as in shallow layers at high structural positions, occupying a wide distribution range. The Family B oils were generated by other shale units before migrating vertically along faults to form reservoirs nearby, resulting in a narrow distribution range.
The Impact of Climatic and Environmental Factors onn‐Alkanes Indices in Southwestern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: LING Yuan , ZHENG Mianping , WANG Shuxian , SUN Qing , XIE Bingjing , ZHANG Chengjun 
Published: October 2019

Abstractn‐Alkanes are widely used in paleoenvironmental reconstructions. However, our understanding of changes in the distribution ofn‐alkanes with climatic and environmental factors remains unclear in arid/semi‐arid regions. We sampled 26 surface sediments from three climatic zones across the southwestern Tibetan Plateau to evaluate the sensitivity of chain length distributions ofn‐alkanes to climatic and environmental parameters. Our observations demonstrate that average chain length (ACL), proportion of aquatic macrophyte (Paq), carbon preference index (CPI) and ratio of the contents ofnC27andnC31(nC27/nC31) are all sensitive to hydroclimatic conditions. In contrast to commonly‐adopted assumptions, the correlations between these indices and hydrological parameters are not always good, which indicates that the interpretation ofn‐alkane indices is special on the southwestern Tibetan Plateau. These might be related to the vegetation characteristics and seasonality of biological activity, and need to be considered in paleoclimatic reconstruction. The impact of seasonal precipitation onn‐alkanes indices was also evaluated.
Application of Statistical Methods to Biomarkers for Geochemical Evaluation and Genetic Type Determination of Gas Condensates in the Persian Gulf and Coastal Fars, Southern Iran
Authors: SEIDY Mohammad Javad , SABERI Mohammad Hossein 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIn a comprehensive geochemical study, the genetic relationships among 14 samples of gas condensates from the Persian Gulf were investigated for the purpose of evaluating the respective source rocks in terms of both age and sedimentary paleoenvironment. Chemometric analysis was used for categorization and determination of a certitude range to determine the genetic type of the condensate families in the studied basin. The samples were collected from Late Permian – Triassic reservoirs (Dalan and Kangan formations) located in 6 gasfields (gas condensate) hosting some of Iran's most important gas/gas condensate reserves. Obtained by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS), a total of 16 biomarker parameters (10 maturity‐related parameters and 6 sedimentary environment‐related parameters) were used to evaluate the samples in terms of thermal maturity (and hence their positions in the maturity chart), the sedimentary environment of the source rock and the lithology. Application of Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to the collected data led to the categorization of the samples into three main genetic groups, I–III. Groups I and III were found to be located in the east and the west of the Persian Gulf, respectively, while Group II was developed between the two other groups.
At the dawn of Arabian fisheries: Fishing activities of the inhabitants of the Neolithic tripartite house of Marawah Island, Abu Dhabi Emirate (United Arab Emirates)
Authors: Lidour Kevin , Beech Mark Jonathan 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a study of nearly 8000 fish bones from MR11 Area A, a Neolithic stone‐built house located on Marawah Island, United Arab Emirates. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the site was inhabited from the first half of the 6th to the mid‐5th millennium BC, making it one of the oldest Neolithic occupation sites in the whole of the Arabian Gulf. Initial excavations between 2003 and 2004 revealed a single room and then more recent excavations in 2016–2017 uncovered two adjacent structures which proved to be a tripartite house. Examination of the fish remains from this particular site allows both a spatial and diachronic analysis. Archaeo‐ichthyological studies can determine the role of fisheries within the subsistence strategies of past societies and the fishing techniques they adopted. This study provides important evidence regarding coastal and island lifestyle during the Neolithic. It outlines the predominance of small coastal fish such as grunts, emperors, and seabreams in the faunal assemblage. It thus suggests that fishing was essentially carried out in the surrounding shallow waters where soft‐bottoms and seagrass meadows predominate. Non‐selective fishing techniques probably involved the use of small‐mesh devices such as beach seines and coastal barrier traps.
In silico analysis of nonsynonymous single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of the SMPX gene
Authors: Arifuzzaman Md. , Mitra Sarmistha , Das Raju , Hamza Amir , Absar Nurul , Dash Raju 
Published: October 2019

AbstractMutations in the SMPX gene can disrupt the regular activity of the SMPX protein, which is involved in the hearing process. Recent reports showing a link between nonsynonymous single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) in SMPX and hearing loss, thus classifying deleterious SNPs in SMPX will be an uphill task before designing a more extensive population study. In this study, damaging nsSNPs of SMPX from the dbSNP database were identified by using 13 bioinformatics tools. Initially, the impact of nsSNPs in the SMPX gene were evaluated through different in silico predictors; and the deleterious convergent changes were analyzed by energy‐minimization‐guided residual network analysis. In addition, the pathogenic effects of mutations in SMPX‐mediated protein–protein interactions were also characterized by structural modeling and binding energy calculations. A total of four mutations (N19D, A29T, K54N, and S71L) were found to be highly deleterious by all the tools, which are located at highly conserved regions. Furthermore, all four mutants showed structural alterations, and the communities of amino acids for mutant proteins were readily changed, compared to the wild‐type. Among them, A29T (rs772775896) was revealed as the most damaging nsSNP, which caused significant structural deviation of the SMPX protein, as a result reducing the binding affinity to other functional partners. These findings reflect the computational insights into the deleterious role of nsSNPs in SMPX, which might be helpful for subjecting wet‐lab confirmatory analysis.
Xq26 duplications lead to undergrowth or overgrowth via competing pathways including GPC3/GPC4
Authors: Karna Gaurav K. , Myers Kenneth A. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractThe Xq26 locus has importance in human growth with multiple genes and regions playing important roles, which potentially leads to macrosomia or microsomia if disrupted. One region of Xq26.2 comprises the genes GPC3 and GPC4; deletion or duplication of this region has been recently been shown to result in overgrowth, specifically Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome. We describe a male patient with two maternally inherited Xq26 microduplications; the first was 0.8 Mb at Xq26.2 affecting only GPC3 and GPC4, and the second, a distal 0.6 Mb duplication at Xq26.3 affecting seven genes. Rather than having Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome, our patient had microcephaly and undergrowth, with development that was within normal limits at 25 months of age. This finding suggests that the molecular pathway leading to overgrowth secondary to GPC3/GPC4 haploinsufficiency can be overpowered by a disruption to the distal Xq26.3 region. Of the genes in that region, we propose that SLC9A6 is the most likely to play an important role as mutations in this gene lead to Christianson syndrome, in which patients may have microcephaly and weight loss.
Data‐driven step doses for drug provocation tests to nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs
Authors: Nohra Dunya , Molinari Nicolas , Demoly Pascal , Chiriac Anca‐Mirela 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIntroductionHypersensitivity to nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is of great concern because they are frequently encountered in daily clinical practice. Drug provocation tests (DPTs) are particularly needed for NSAIDs.MethodsThe aim of this retrospective study was to detect eliciting dose thresholds during NSAIDs DPT in order to suggest optimal step doses, using the survival analysis method. Our secondary objective was to describe subgroups at higher risk during DPT and evaluate the safety of our 30 minutes incremental 1‐day protocol. The study comprised all the patients attended the Allergy of the University Hospital of Montpellier (France), between 1997 and 2017 for a suspicion of drug hypersensitivity reaction to NSAIDs.ResultsThroughout the study period, 311 positive DPT were analyzed (accounting for 285 hypersensitive patients). We identified eliciting thresholds (dose and time), and we suggest the following steps for future DPT: for the rapid absorption group (acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid), every 30 minutes: 20%‐30%‐50% of daily therapeutic dose, for the moderate absorption group, every 30 minutes: for diclofenac 5%‐15%‐30%‐50%, and for celecoxib, 20%‐80%. For the slow absorption group, piroxicam, 25%‐75%, was separated by a 3‐hours interval. A surveillance period of 3 hours after the last dose is mandatory for patients.ConclusionDrug provocation test protocols for NSAID are empirical, driven by the knowledge on patterns of DHR, cross‐reactivity between NSAID and pharmacological effects of these all drugs. This is the second experience in improving DPT protocols, after BL (B‐lactam) antibiotics.
Hip and wrist accelerometers showed consistent associations with fitness and fatness in children aged 8‐12 years
Authors: Leppänen Marja H. , Migueles Jairo H. , Cadenas‐Sanchez Cristina , Henriksson Pontus , Mora‐Gonzalez Jose , Henriksson Hanna , Labayen Idoia , Löf Marie , Esteban‐Cornejo Irene , Ortega Francisco B. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractAimPhysical activity (PA) has traditionally been measured wearing accelerometers on the hip, but they are increasingly being worn on the wrist. We compared hip and wrist accelerometers with regard to their acceptability and any associations between PA and fatness and fitness.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study comprised 103 children aged 8‐12 years (62% boys) who participated in the ActiveBrains trial by the University of Granada, Spain, in 2014‐2016. The children wore both ActiGraph GT3X+ hip and wrist accelerometers round the clock for 7 days. The acceptability of both placements was evaluated by a questionnaire, while the children's fat mass index, waist circumference and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were assessed.ResultsWearing wrist accelerometers caused less disturbance, mainly because hip accelerometers caused more issues during the night. The measurements from both placements showed that lower PA levels were associated with fatness and that higher PA levels were associated with better CRF.ConclusionBoth placements showed consistent results with regard to measuring associations between PA levels and fatness and fitness. However, wearing them on the wrist caused less discomfort at night. Future studies are needed to confirm the best placement for accelerometers during PA studies.