bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Modeling, Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis in 𝗥
Authors: Kaschek Daniel , Mader Wolfgang , Fehling-Kaschek Mirjam , Rosenblatt Marcus , Timmer Jens 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn a wide variety of research elds, dynamic modeling is employed as an instrument to learn and understand complex systems. The differential equations involved in this process are usually non-linear and depend on many parameters whose values decide upon the characteristics of the emergent system. The inverse problem, i.e. the inference or estimation of parameter values from observed data, is of interest from two points of view. First, the existence point of view, dealing with the question whether the system is able to reproduce the observed dynamics for any parameter values. Second, the identi ability point of view, investigating invariance of the prediction under change of parameter values, as well as the quanti cation of parameter uncertainty.In this paper, we present the R packagedModproviding a framework for dealing with the inverse problem in dynamic systems. The particularity of the approach taken bydModis to provide and propagate accurate derivatives computed from symbolic expres-sions wherever possible. This derivative information highly supports the convergence of optimization routines and enhances their numerical stability, a requirement for the appli-cability of so sticated uncertainty analysis methods. Computational efficiency is achieved by automatic generation and execution of C code. The framework is object oriented (S3) and provides a variety of functions to set up dynamic models, observation functions and parameter transformations for multi-conditional parameter estimation.The key elements of the framework and the methodology implemented indModare highlighted by an application on a three-compartment transporter model.
Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome carrier frequency and estimates ofin uteromortality rates
Authors: Lazarin Gabriel A. , Haque Imran S. , Evans Eric A. , Goldberg James D. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTObjective: To tabulate individual allele frequencies and total carrier frequency for Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) and compare expected versus observed birth incidences.Design: Retrospective analysis of patients from the general population who have undergone carrier screening for SLOS.Setting: Individuals were offered and elected carrier screening in their respective physician’s offices.Patients: 262,399 individuals with no indication of family or personal history of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, primarily US-based, screened for Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome mutations as part of an expanded carrier screening panel.Intervention(s): Data on mutations in theDHCR7gene causing SLOS were analyzed to estimate carrier frequencies in multiple ethnic groups. SLOS birth incidences obtained from existing literature are then compared to our data to estimate the effect of SLOS on fetal survival.Main Outcome Measure(s): Individual and cumulative allele frequencies stratified by self-reported patient ethnicity.Results: SLOS carrier frequency is highest in individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (1 in 43) and Northern Europeans (1 in 54). Comparing predicted birth incidence to that observed in published literature suggests that approximately 42% to 88% of affected conceptuses experience fetal demise.Conclusion: SLOS is relatively frequent in certain populations and, due to its impact on fetal survival, merits preconception screening.
ARhizobiales-specific unipolar polysaccharide adhesin contributes toRhodopseudomonas palustrisbiofilm formation across diverse photoheterotrophic conditions
Authors: Fritts Ryan K. , LaSarre Breah , Stoner Ari M. , Posto Amanda L. , McKinlay James B. 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACTBacteria predominantly exist as members of surfaced-attached communities known as biofilms. Many bacterial species initiate biofilms and adhere to each other using cell surface adhesins. This is the case for numerous ecologically diverseα-proteobacteria,which use polar exopolysaccharide adhesins for cell-cell adhesion and surface attachment. Here, we show thatRhodopseudomonas palustris, a metabolically versatile member of the α-proteobacterial orderRhizobiales, encodes a functional unipolar polysaccharide (UPP) biosynthesis gene cluster. Deletion of genes predicted to be critical for UPP biosynthesis and export abolished UPP production. We also found thatR. palustrisuses UPP to mediate biofilm formation across diverse photoheterotrophic growth conditions, wherein light and organic substrates are used to support growth. However, UPP was less important for biofilm formation during photoautotrophy, where light and CO2support growth, and during aerobic respiration with organic compounds. Expanding our analysis beyondR. palustris, we examined the phylogenetic distribution and genomic organization of UPP gene clusters amongRhizobialesspecies that inhabit diverse niches. Our analysis suggests that UPP is a conserved ancestral trait of theRhizobialesbut that it has been independently lost multiple times during the evolution of this clade, twice coinciding with adaptation to intracellular lifestyles within animal hosts.IMPORTANCEBacteria are ubiquitously found as surface-attached communities and cellular aggregates in nature. Here, we address how bacterial adhesion is coordinated in response to diverse environments using two complementary approaches. First, we examined howRhodopseudomonas palustris, one of the most metabolically versatile organisms ever described, varies its adhesion to surfaces in response to different environmental conditions. We identified 2 critical genes for the production of a unipolar polysaccharide (UPP) and showed that UPP is important for adhesion when light and organic substrates are used for growth. Looking beyondR. palustris, we performed the most comprehensive survey to date on the conservation of UPP biosynthesis genes among a group of closely related bacteria that occupy diverse niches. Our findings suggest that UPP is important for free-living and plant-associated lifestyles but dispensable for animal pathogens. Additionally, we propose guidelines for classifying the adhesins produced by variousα-proteobacteria, facilitating future functional and comparative studies.
Sustainability of Indian PPP procurement process
Authors: Patil Nilesh Agarchand , Laishram Boeing Singh 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
Though public-private partnership (PPP) programme in India has stabilized significantly with implementation of successful infrastructure projects, still it suffers from shortfalls related to some aspects of sustainable development. One of the ways to overcome these shortfalls is to modify the existing PPP procurement process in order to attain the sustainable development goals. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework highlighting the strategies for integrating sustainable development principles in PPP procurement process.

Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis through literature review has been adopted to identify the shortfalls in PPP process and examine the possible strategies to overcome the shortfalls from best practices in implementation of PPP projects. The preliminary framework of strategies has been conceptualized to integrate sustainable development principles in PPP procurement process. Finally, the feasibility of preliminary framework has been undertaken through focussed interviews with local stakeholders of PPPs.

Findings
The study indicates opportunities to promote sustainable development in the current PPP procurement process exists through enhancement in critical aspects like stakeholder’s participation, environment impact assessment, value for money analysis, user’s charges, risk allocation policies, transaction and bidding cost, and bid evaluation criteria.

Originality/value
The paper presents a critical insight on integrating sustainable development principles in PPP procurement process which has not been the focus in the majority of previous research studies.
Water use efficiency and conservation during construction: drivers, barriers and practices
Authors: Waidyasekara K.G.A.S. , De Silva Lalith , Rameezdeen Raufdeen 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore ways to enhance water use efficiency at construction sites according to project stakeholders’ perceptions.

Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was developed based on drivers, barriers and potential water use efficiency measures identified through a literature review. It was administered among professionals working in the construction industry who have more than ten years of work experience.

Findings
The study highlighted cost of water and sources of water as main drivers that promote water use efficiency on sites. Lack of priority for water management among host of other managerial functions was identified as the main barrier. In order to conserve water, respondents favoured “soft” measures such as changes in workers’ behaviour and managerial policies and planning for water savings, as opposed to “hard” measures which were primarily technology based.

Research limitations/implications
The major implications of the study are related to how behaviour of the workers could be changed to accommodate water use efficiency in their everyday activities. Water saving measures such as leak detection, auditing and sub-metering were favoured by respondents referring to policies and planning, as well as implementing a water action plan when a project begins.

Originality/value
This study makes a contribution to the body of knowledge on the subject of water sustainability at construction projects. This is an understudied area. In addition, the findings will enhance the understanding of construction companies on water use efficiency and should serve as a platform to develop improved and appropriate techniques.
Sustainable management of NHS assets backlog maintenance
Authors: Pantzartzis Efthimia , Deka Lipika , Price Andrew D.F. , Tann Chris , Mills Grant R.W. , Rich-Mahadkar Sameedha 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
Lord Carter’s (2015) “Review of Operational Productivity in NHS providers” stated that to improve National Health Service (NHS) England’s efficiency, operational productivity should be targeted in four main areas, one being estates management. NHS England’s estate includes a variety of buildings some of which are considered no longer fit-for-purpose, thus creating risk to patients and staff. These built assets require continuous maintenance, adding pressures to NHS England’s precarious financial situation. The purpose of this paper is to identify positive strategies and major constraints to achieving sustainable management of backlog maintenance (BM) across the NHS assets, and thus suggest balanced actions.

Design/methodology/approach
The research adopts a qualitative approach and combines: literature review of current BM methodologies; interviews with estates and facilities directors from seven NHS trusts on BM strategies; and a NHS trust detailed case study.

Findings
The major finding is that sustainable management of BM is achievable if there is a consistent, pro-active and long-term strategic approach where critical levels of BM are prioritised. Additional issues (i.e. appropriate methodology, performance metrics and links with clinical service delivery strategies) also need to be considered.

Practical implications
This study is relevant to the management of the NHS estate including development and adoption of sustainable strategies.

Originality/value
This paper offers original insights to the factors influencing healthcare estates’ BM at a time when the UK policy agenda is targeting infrastructure operational efficiency and organisations are seeking more comprehensive methodologies.
Green business models transformation: evidence from the UK construction sector
Authors: Abuzeinab Amal , Arif Mohammed , Kulonda Dennis J. , Awuzie Bankole Osita 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
Sustainability has the potential to bring enormous benefits to our built environment. To release this potential, a change in business models is required. The purpose of this paper is to investigate green business models (GBMs) transformation by adopting five essential elements of green value creation and capture: green value proposition (GVP), target group (TG), key activities (KA), key resources (KR), and financial logic (FL).

Design/methodology/approach
In this qualitative study, 19 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interviewees were selected purposively. The emergent data were analysed with the aid of themes.

Findings
It was observed that significant effort was being made towards enabling the transformation of certain elements pertinent to green value creation: KA and KR. This was particularly so when compared to other elements like GVP, TG, and FL.

Practical implications
Findings from this study should encourage construction managers to align their extant BMs to green activities hence enabling new approaches to green value creation and capture. Furthermore, the study will aid in improving the environmental and economic positions of the value chain within the construction sector.

Originality/value
This research is one of the few empirical academic works investigating GBMs in the construction sector.
The impact of industry concentration on the market’s ability to anticipate future earnings
Authors: Haw In-Mu , Hu Bingbing , Lee Jay Junghun , Wu Woody 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The existing literature has established the importance of industry concentration in explaining firm performance and information environments. However, little is known about whether and how industry concentration affects investors’ ability to anticipate future earnings. This paper aims to investigate this query by identifying and testing two channels, product market power and intra-industry information transfer, through which industry concentration affects the informativeness of stock returns about future earnings.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper measures the informativeness of stock returns about future earnings by the future earnings response coefficient (FERC)). This study estimates the FERC using a firm-level sample from 38 economies.

Findings
The authors find that industry concentration significantly enhances investors’ ability to predict future earnings. Further tests show that both product market power and intra-industry information transfer contribute to explaining the positive association between industry concentration and the FERC, with the former playing a more salient role. Finally, the authors show that a country’s effective competition law attenuates the positive impact of industry concentration on the FERC by weakening the economic impact of the two underlying channels.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the growing literature on the price-leading-earnings relation, industry concentration and international corporate governance.
Corporate social reporting (CSR) and stakeholder accountability in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Md Moazzem , Alam Manzurul 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate organisational accountability to less economically powerful stakeholders in the absence of formal corporate social reporting (CSR) guidelines. In addition, this study emphasises the role of administrative and institutional reforms in empowering stakeholders in a developing country context, namely, Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach
Consistent with prior literature, this qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews with 23 representatives from NGOs, media, civil society, customers, regulators, trade union leaders and employees who are considered as less economically powerful stakeholders. This paper draws on the demand for administrative reforms along with an institutional support structure (Owen et al., 1997) to enhance CSR and corporate accountability.

Findings
The empirical evidence shows that there is a need for a stand-alone mandatory CSR to achieve stakeholder accountability. It also shows that there are demands from “stakeholders to right to know” about the company’s social and environmental performance along with stakeholder engagements. There is a perceived demand for administrative reform along with institutional supports that can contribute to the CSR development in Bangladesh. These administrative reforms would encourage transparent corporate social and environmental practices. Given the socio-economic and vulnerable environmental conditions of Bangladesh, stakeholders in this study suggested contextually relevant CSR guidelines towards greater accountability.

Research limitations/implications
This paper is one of the few engagement-based studies which explore the perceptions of less economically powerful stakeholders towards CSR developments in an emerging economy – Bangladesh. The findings of this study using the theoretical lens of accountability with administrative and institutional reforms lead us to conclude that companies in Bangladesh have low level of CSR towards stakeholder accountability and stakeholder engagements.

Originality/value
The paper contributes to the CSR literature by highlighting the needs of CSR from the stakeholder’s accountability perspective.
Understanding consumers’ relationships with contemporary artworks through identity narratives
Authors: Stavraki Georgia 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
This paper focuses on the relationships that consumers develop with experiential objects in the context of the Biennale of Contemporary Art Exhibition, viewed from a dialogical and intersubjective approach. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the interpersonal relationships that visitors of the Biennale establish with contemporary artworks and to understand the characteristics of these relationships as well as their role in shaping Biennale visitors’ identity narratives.

Design/methodology/approach
This research employs an instrumental case study that draws on multiple data sources and examines consumers’ relationships with contemporary artworks.

Findings
The case study evidence introduces the relationships that emerged from Biennale visitors’ interactions with contemporary artworks and the identity narratives evolving from these relationships. The findings suggest that Biennale visitors’ relationships with the contemporary artworks take the form of I-thou and I-it relationships. These two modes of interpersonal relationships by entailing different characteristics led investigated visitors to live different types of experiences of contemporary art consumption.

Research limitations/implications
The first limitation of this research is that it focuses on the establishment of interpersonal relationships at the microgenetic level. Further research can provide additional insights by conducting a longitudinal case study. The second limitation is that it provides limited insights into the relationships that are revealed by consumers’ experiences with possessive objects. Future research may examine interpersonal relationships in terms of consumers’ relationships with their brands.

Practical implications
The understanding of visitors’ interactions and relationships with contemporary artworks provides insights into curatorial and marketing practices for such art institutions.

Originality/value
The findings of the current research provide new theoretical insights into the interpersonal relationships that consumers develop with experiential objects and into the distinctive identity narratives that evolve from the establishment of different types of interpersonal relationships.
Case-mix accounting beyond the hospital
Authors: Ng Frederick , Li Isabella 
Published: November 2016

Purpose
This paper aims to examine how the customer can be better integrated into case-mix systems for primary healthcare. Case-mix is an established performance management tool in hospitals, and there is growing interest in its extensions into out-of-hospital healthcare.

Design/methodology/approach
Interviews with academics and clinicians are used to explore conceptual foundations for this area. A service-dominant logic perspective is used to problematize the roles of accounting in this complex setting.

Findings
The findings identify that a customer focus is embedded in current primary healthcare thinking, contrasting with the goods-dominant focus in hospitals. This paper identifies diverse objectives and coordinating networks of care as challenges for case-mix.

Research limitations/implications
This paper breaks down the complexity of primary healthcare case-mix into two accounting roles: a “dialogue machine” to understand client objectives and a “learning machine” to understand clients’ networks of resources. The infancy of case-mix for primary healthcare means our interview sample is restricted to a small group of pioneers in the area, within a supply perspective.

Practical implications
Primary healthcare management is a priority area in New Zealand. The findings describe opportunities and challenges for the “dialogue” and “learning” roles of accounting. This paper discusses practical and ideological tensions to be resolved when integrating customers into case-mix systems.

Originality/value
This paper contributes to the limited literature on the use of case-mix accounting outside of hospitals, discussing the role of customers and networks of care. Findings contribute by describing the customer as both a source of, and a means to resolving, complexity.
Drug resistance and cancer stem cells: the shared but distinct roles of hypoxia‐inducible factors HIF1α and HIF2α
Authors: Schöning Jennifer Petra , Monteiro Michael , Gu Wenyi 
Published: November 2016

SummaryChemotherapy resistance is a major contributor to poor treatment responses and tumour relapse, the development of which has been strongly linked to the action of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Mounting evidence suggests that CSCs are reliant on low oxygen conditions and hypoxia‐inducible factors 1α and 2α (HIF1α and HIF2α) to maintain their stem cell features. Research in the last decade has begun to clarify the functional differences between the two HIFα subtypes (HIFαs). Here, we review and discuss these differences in relation to CSC‐associated drug resistance. Both HIFαs contribute to CSC survival but play different roles –HIF1α being more responsible for survival functions and HIF2α for stemness traits such as self‐renewal – and are sensitive to different degrees of hypoxia. Failure to account for physiologically relevant oxygen concentrations in many studies may influence the current understanding of the roles of HIFαs. We also discuss how hypoxia and HIFαs contribute to CSC drug resistance via promotion of ABC drug transporters Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), MDR1, and MRP1 and through maintenance of quiescence. Additionally, we explore the PI3K/AKT cell survival pathway that may support refractory cancer by promoting CSCs and activating both HIF1α and HIF2α. Accordingly, HIF1α and HIF2α inhibition, potentially via PI3K/AKT inhibitors, could reduce chemotherapy resistance and prevent cancer relapse.