bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic Yield of Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Endoscopies in Children in a Tertiary Centre
Authors: Thomson Mike , Sharma Shishu
Published: March 2017

Introduction:

Endoscopy is integral to the diagnosis and management of many gastrointestinal problems in children. Recently the number of endoscopic procedures performed has increased considerably worldwide raising questions about their appropriateness and cost‐efficacy.

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic yield (the likelihood that a procedure or test will provide information required to establish a diagnosis) of endoscopy in a paediatric population in a large tertiary referral centre and to determine the terminal ileum intubation (TII) rate of paediatric ileocolonosocopy (IC) in an active training environment and compare with previously calculated rates.

Methods:

Random selection of cases from a theatre electronic database from a 30‐month period covering April 2012 to October 2014. The data were collected for initial presenting symptoms; age at diagnosis; indications for endoscopy; endoscopic findings; histopathological findings; and any change in management postendoscopic procedure. The diagnostic yield of the endoscopies and the TII rate of IC were calculated. Change in and contribution to management was assessed.

Results:

Median age 9.58 (0.5–16.5) years and M:F ratio 1:1.42. The positive diagnostic yield was 18.9% for oesophago‐gastro‐duodenoscopy alone, 32.6% for IC alone, and 39.2% when both occurred. In 45% management was actively changed due to endoscopy/histopathology findings and a significant management contribution occurred in all patients. TII was achieved in 98% of cases, which compares favourably to a TII rate of 89% at the same centre during the period 2009 to 2011.

Conclusions:

Diagnostic yield was 32.6% for IC and 39.2% when oesophago‐gastro‐duodenoscopy also occurred. A TII rate of 98% should be achievable in children. A change in management occurred in 45% and as a significant negative finding may be as important as a positive diagnosis for exclusion of suspected disorders, with consequent reassurance and change in management. Contribution to management was therefore identified in all cases.
Early Presence of Sleep Spindles on Electroencephalography Is Associated With Good Outcome After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Ducharme-Crevier Laurence , Press Craig A. , Kurz Jonathan E. , Mills Michele G. , Goldstein Joshua L. , Wainwright Mark S.
Published: March 2017

Objectives:

The role of sleep architecture as a biomarker for prognostication after resuscitation from cardiac arrest in children hospitalized in an ICU remains poorly defined. We sought to investigate the association between features of normal sleep architecture in children after cardiac arrest and a favorable neurologic outcome at 6 months.

Design:

Retrospective review of medical records and continuous electroencephalography monitoring.

Setting:

Cardiac and PICU of a tertiary children’s hospital.

Patients:

All patients from 6 months to 18 years old resuscitated from cardiac arrest who underwent continuous electroencephalography monitoring in the first 24 hours after in- or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from January 2010 to June 2015.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Thirty-four patients underwent continuous electroencephalography monitoring after cardiac arrest. The median age was 6.1 years (interquartile range, 1.5–12.5 yr), 20 patients were male (59%). Most cases (n = 23, 68%) suffered from in-hospital cardiac arrest. Electroencephalography monitoring was initiated a median of 9.3 hours (5.8–14.9 hr) after return of spontaneous circulation, for a median duration of 14.3 hours (6.0–16.0 hr) within the first 24-hour period after the cardiac arrest. Five patients had normal spindles, five had abnormal spindles, and 24 patients did not have any sleep architecture. The presence of spindles was associated with a favorable neurologic outcome at 6-month postcardiac arrest (p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

Continuous electroencephalography monitoring can be used in children to assess spindles in the ICU. The presence of spindles on continuous electroencephalography monitoring in the first 24 hours after resuscitation from cardiac arrest is associated with a favorable neurologic outcome. Assessment of sleep architecture on continuous electroencephalography after cardiac arrest could improve outcome prediction.
Prone Positioning Improves Ventilation Homogeneity in Children With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Lupton-Smith Alison , Argent Andrew , Rimensberger Peter , Frerichs Inez , Morrow Brenda
Published: March 2017

Objectives:

To determine the effect of prone positioning on ventilation distribution in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Design:

Prospective observational study.

Setting:

Paediatric Intensive Care at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.

Patients:

Mechanically ventilated children with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Interventions:

Electrical impedance tomography measures were taken in the supine position, after which the child was turned into the prone position, and subsequent electrical impedance tomography measurements were taken.

Measurements and Main Results:

Thoracic electrical impedance tomography measures were taken at baseline and after 5, 20, and 60 minutes in the prone position. The proportion of ventilation, regional filling characteristics, and global inhomogeneity index were calculated for the ventral and dorsal lung regions. Arterial blood gas measurements were taken before and after the intervention. A responder was defined as having an improvement of more than 10% in the oxygenation index after 60 minutes in prone position. Twelve children (nine male, 65%) were studied. Four children were responders, three were nonresponders, and five showed no change to prone positioning. Ventilation in ventral and dorsal lung regions was no different in the supine or prone positions between response groups. The proportion of ventilation in the dorsal lung increased from 49% to 57% in responders, while it became more equal between ventral and dorsal lung regions in the prone position in nonresponders. Responders showed greater improvements in ventilation homogeneity with R
2 improving from 0.86 ± 0.24 to 0.98 ± 0.02 in the ventral lung and 0.91 ± 0.15 to 0.99 ± 0.01 in the dorsal lung region with time in the prone position.

Conclusions:

The response to prone position was variable in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Prone positioning improves homogeneity of ventilation and may result in recruitment of the dorsal lung regions.
Medication Reconciliation During Hospitalization and in Hospital-Home Interface: An Observational Retrospective Study
Authors: Volpi Elisabetta , Giannelli Alessandro , Toccafondi Giulio , Baroni Monica , Tonazzini Sara , Alduini Stefania , Biagini Stefania , Gini Rosa , Bellandi Tommaso , Emdin Michele
Published: March 2017

Objective

Medication errors are one of the leading causes of patient harms. Medication reconciliation is a fundamental process that to be effective, it should be embraced during each single care transition. Our objectives were to investigate current medication reconciliation practices in the 2 Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio hospitals and comprehensively assess the quality of medication reconciliation practices between inpatient and outpatient care by analyzing the medication patterns 6 months before admission, during hospitalization, and 9 months after discharge for a selected group of patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted in the Cardiothoracic Department of the Fondazione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio hospitals. Medication history was reviewed for all the patients admitted from and discharged to the community, from January to March 2013. Patients were excluded if they had less than 4 drugs or less than 2 drugs for cardiovascular system in their prescription list at admission or if they died during follow-up. We selected 714 patients, and we obtained the clinical charts and all drug prescriptions collected during patients’ hospitalization by the electronic clinical recording system. We also analyzed the list of prescriptions of this sample of patients, from 6 months before admission to 9 months after discharge, extracted from the regional prescription registry. In the resulting sample, prescriptions were analyzed to assess unintentional discrepancies.

Results

The study included 298 patients (mean age, 71.2 years), according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among 14,573 prescriptions analyzed, we found 4363 discrepancies (14.6 discrepancies per patient). Among these discrepancies, 1310 were classified as unintentional (4.4 discrepancies per patient). Among unintentional discrepancies, only 63 (4.8%) took place during hospitalization. Although at the hospital-home interface, 33.1% of unintentional discrepancies were detected through the comparison between the patients’ declared therapy and the previous medication consumption and 62.1% were identified in the comparison between the prescription at the discharge and the following medication pattern at home.

Conclusions

Medication errors have important implications for patient safety, and their identification is a main target for improving clinical practice. The comparison between the medication patterns acquired through the regional prescription registry before and after hospitalization outlined critical touchpoint in the current medication reconciliation process, calling for the definition of shared medication reconciliation standards between hospitals and primary care services to minimize medication discrepancies and enhance patient safety.
Clinical application of perioperative multimodal analgesia
Authors: Bruhn Jörgen , Scheffer Gert J. , van Geffen Geert-Jan
Published: March 2017

Purpose of review

The experience of intense postoperative pain remains a significant problem in perioperative medicine. The mainstay of postoperative analgetic therapy is the combination of nonopioid agents (e.g. paracetamol and NSAIDs) with strong opioids (e.g. morphine) according to the WHO analgesic ladder. But as the incidence and intensity of postoperative pain remains high, the search for and evaluation of additional concepts is ongoing. This review highlights the current trends of perioperative multimodal analgesia concepts.

Recent findings

Gabapentinoids, ketamine, dexamethasone and magnesium are effective parts of a multimodal analgesia concept without absolute contraindications and nearly without major negative side effects. Recent publications further define the role of these substances for perioperative use in terms of optimal dosing, positive side effects, relative potency and interaction.

Components of well tolerated and simple advanced multimodal analgesia concepts in the perioperative period are now easy to apply and ready to become a standard in the daily clinical practice.
Decomposing leaf mass into metabolic and structural components explains divergent patterns of trait variation within and among plant species
Authors: Katabuchi Masatoshi , Kitajima Kaoru , Wright S. Joseph , Van Bael Sunshine A. , Osnas Jeanne L. D. , Lichstein Jeremy W.
Published: March 2017

Across the global flora, interspecific variation in photosynthetic and metabolic rates depends more strongly on leaf area than leaf mass. In contrast, intraspecific variation in these rates is strongly mass-dependent. These contrasting patterns suggest that the causes of variation in leaf mass per area (LMA) may be fundamentally different within vs. among species.

We developed a statistical modeling framework to decompose LMA into two conceptual components – metabolic LMAm (which determines photosynthetic capacity and dark respiration) and structural LMAs (which determines leaf toughness and potential leaf lifespan) - using leaf trait data from tropical forests in Panama and a global leaf-trait database.

Decomposing LMA into LMAm and LMAs improves predictions of leaf trait variation (photosynthesis, respiration, and lifespan). We show that strong area-dependence of metabolic traits across species can result from multiple factors, including high LMAs variance and/or a slow increase in photosynthetic capacity with increasing LMAm. In contrast, strong mass-dependence of metabolic traits within species results from LMAm increasing from sunny to shady conditions. LMAm and LMAs were nearly independent of each other in both global and Panama datasets.

Synthesis: Our results suggest that leaf functional variation is multi-dimensional and that biogeochemical models should treat metabolic and structural leaf components separately.
CRISPulator: a discrete simulation tool for pooled genetic screens
Authors: Nagy Tamas , Kampmann Martin
Published: March 2017

The rapid adoption of CRISPR technology has enabled biomedical researchers to conduct CRISPR-based genetic screens in a pooled format. The quality of results from such screens is heavily dependent on optimal screen design, which also affects cost and scalability. We present CRISPulator, a computational tool that simulates the impact of screen parameters on the robustness of screen results, thereby enabling users to build intuition and insights that will inform their experimental strategy. We illustrate its power by deriving non-obvious rules for optimal screen design.
Emergence of an adaptive command for orienting behavior in premotor brainstem neurons of barn owls
Authors: Cazettes Fanny , Fischer Brian J. , Beckert Michael V. , Pena Jose L.
Published: March 2017

The midbrain map of auditory space commands sound-orienting responses in barn owls. Owls precisely localize sounds in frontal space but underestimate the direction of peripheral sound sources. This bias for central locations was proposed to be adaptive to the decreased reliability in the periphery of sensory cues used for sound localization by the owl. Understanding the neural pathway supporting this biased behavior provides a means to address how adaptive motor commands are implemented by neurons. Here we find that the sensory input for sound direction is weighted by its reliability in premotor neurons of the owl’s midbrain tegmentum such that the mean population firing rate approximates the head-orienting behavior. We provide evidence that this coding may emerge through convergence of upstream projections from the midbrain map of auditory space. We further show that manipulating the sensory input yields changes predicted by the convergent network in both premotor neural responses and behavior. This work demonstrates how a topographic sensory representation can be linearly read out to adjust behavioral responses by the reliability of the sensory input.

Significance statement

This research shows how statistics of the sensory input can be integrated into a behavioral command by readout of a sensory representation. The firing rate of midbrain premotor neurons receiving sensory information from a topographic representation of auditory space is weighted by the reliability of sensory cues. We show that these premotor responses are consistent with a weighted convergence from the topographic sensory representation. This convergence was also tested behaviorally, where manipulation of stimulus properties led to bidirectional changes in sound localization errors. Thus a topographic representation of auditory space is translated into a premotor command for sound localization that is modulated by sensory reliability.
clusterTools: proximity searches for functional elements to identify putative biosynthetic gene clusters
Authors: de los Santos Emmanuel LC , Challis Gregory L.
Published: March 2017

Motivation:The low cost of DNA sequencing has accelerated research in natural product biosynthesis allowing us to rapidly link small molecules to the clusters that produce them. However, the large amount of data means that the number of putative biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) far exceeds our ability to experimentally characterize them. This necessitates the need for development of further tools to analyze putative BGCs to flag those of interest for further characterization.

Results:Clustertools implements a framework to aid in the characterization of putative BGCs. It does this by or-ganizing genomic information on coding sequences in a way that enables directed, hypothesis-driven queries for functional elements in close physical proximity of each other. Genomic sequence databases can be constructed in clusterTools with an interface to the NCBI Genbank and Genomes databases, or from private sequence databases. clusterTools can be used either to identify interesting BGCs from a database of putative BGCs, or on databases of genomic sequences to identify and download regions of interest in the DNA for further processing and annotation in programs such as antiSMASH. We have used clusterTools to identify putative and known biosynthetic gene clus-ters involved in bacterial polyketide alkaoloid and tetronate biosynthesis.

Availability and Implementation:Clustertools is implemented in Python and is available via the AGPL. Stand-alone versions of clusterTools are available for Macintosh, Windows, and Linux upon registration (https://goo.gl/forms/QRKTkpqiA0g31IWp1). The source-code is available athttps://www.github.com/emzodls/clusterArch.

Supplementary information:A manual describing the Python toolkit that powers clusterTools, as well as the HMMs constructed for the tetronate search is available online.
Two-photon calcium imaging of medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus without cortical invasion
Authors: Kondo Masashi , Kobayashi Kenta , Ohkura Masamichi , Nakai Junichi , Matsuzaki Masanori
Published: March 2017

In vivotwo-photon calcium imaging currently allows us to observe the activity of multiple neurons up to ∼900 μm below the cortical surface without cortical invasion. However, many other important brain areas are located deeper than this. Here, we used a 1100 nm laser, which underfilled the back aperture of the objective, and red genetically encoded calcium indicators to establish two-photon calcium imaging of the intact mouse brain and detect neural activity up to 1200 μm from the cortical surface. This imaging was obtained from the medial prefrontal cortex (the prelimbic area) and the hippocampal CA1 region. We found that the neural activity related to reward prediction is higher in the prelimbic area than in layer 2/3 of the secondary motor area, while it is negligible in the hippocampal CA1 region. Reducing the invasiveness of imaging is an important strategy to reveal the brain processes active in cognition and memory.
Space use and movement of jaguar (Panthera onca) in western Paraguay
Authors: McBride Roy T , Thompson Jeffrey J
Published: March 2017

We estimated home range and core area size for jaguar (Panthera onca) in western Paraguay in the Dry Chaco, Humid Chaco and Pantanal using an autocorrelated kernel density estimator. Mean home range size was 818 km2(95% CI:425-1981) in the Dry Chaco and 237 km2(95% CI:90-427) in the Humid Chaco/Pantanal. Core areas, defined as the home range area where use was equal to expected use, was consistent across sexes and systems represented on average by the 59% utility distribution isopleth (range:56-64%). Males had a higher probability of larger home ranges and more directional and greater daily movements than females collectively and within systems. The large home ranges in the Dry Chaco are attributable to the relatively low productivity of that semi-arid ecosystem and high heterogeneity in resource distribution while larger than expected home ranges in the Humid Chaco/Pantanal compared to home range estimates from the Brazilian Pantanal may be due to differences in geomorphology and hydrological cycle. The large home ranges of jaguars in western Paraguay and a low proportional area of protected areas in the region demonstrate the importance of private ranchland for the long-term conservation of the species.
A likelihood ratio test for changes in homeolog expression bias
Authors: Smith Ronald D. , Kinser Taliesin J. , Conradi Smith Gregory D. , Puzey Joshua R.
Published: March 2017

Background:Gene duplications are a major source of raw material for evolution and a likely contributor to the diversity of life on earth. Duplicate genes (i.e., homeologs, in the case of a whole genome duplication) may retain their ancestral function, sub- or neofunctionalize, or be lost entirely. A primary way that duplicate genes may evolve new functions is by altering their expression patterns. Comparing the expression patterns of duplicate genes may give clues as to whether any of these evolutionary processes have occurred.

Results:We develop a likelihood ratio test for the analysis of the expression ratios of duplicate genes across two conditions (e.g., tissues). We demonstrate an application of this test by comparing homeolog expression patterns of 1,448 homeologous gene pairs using RNA-seq data generated from the leaves and petals of an allotetraploid monkeyflower(Mimulus luteus). We assess the sensitivity of this test to different levels of homeolog expression bias and compare the method to several alternatives.

Conclusions:The likelihood ratio test derived here is a direct, transparent, and easily implemented method for detecting changes in homeolog expression bias that outperforms three alternative approaches. While our method was derived with homeolog analysis in mind, this method can be used to analyze changes in the ratio of expression levels between any two genes in any two conditions.
Cortical neural activity predicts sensory acuity under optogenetic manipulation
Authors: Briguglio John J. , Aizenberg Mark , Balasubramanian Vijay , Geffen Maria N.
Published: March 2017

Excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the mammalian sensory cortex form interconnected circuits that control cortical stimulus selectivity and sensory acuity. Theoretical studies have predicted that suppression of inhibition in such excitatory-inhibitory networks can lead to either an increase or, paradoxically, a decrease in excitatory neuronal firing, with consequent effects on stimulus selectivity. We tested whether modulation of inhibition or excitation in the auditory cortex could evoke such a variety of effects in tone-evoked responses and in behavioral frequency discrimination acuity. We found that, indeed, the effects of optogenetic manipulation on stimulus selectivity and behavior varied in both magnitude and sign across subjects, possibly reflecting differences in circuitry or expression of optogenetic factors. Changes in neural population responses consistently predicted behavioral changes for individuals separately, including improvement and impairment in acuity. This correlation between cortical and behavioral change demonstrates that, despite complex and varied effects these manipulations can have on neuronal dynamics, the resulting changes in cortical activity account for accompanying changes in behavioral acuity.

Author summary

Excitatory and inhibitory interactions determine stimulus specificity and tuning in sensory cortex, thereby controlling perceptual discrimination acuity. Modeling of such excitatory-inhibitory circuits has predicted that suppressing the activity of inhibitory neurons can lead to increases or, paradoxically, decreases in excitatory activity, depending on the architecture and modulation parameters of the inhibitory component of the network. Here, we capitalized on differences between subjects to test whether suppressing/activating inhibition and excitation across a range of parameters in sensory cortex can in fact exhibit such paradoxical effects for both stimulus sensitivity and behavioral discriminability. Indeed, we found that the same optogenetic manipulation in the auditory cortices of different mice could improve or impair frequency discrimination acuity, in a fashion that was predictable from the effects on cortical responses to tones. The same manipulations sometimes produced opposite changes in the behavior of different individuals, supporting theoretical predictions for inhibition-stabilized networks.
Plant organ evolution revealed by phylotranscriptomics inArabidopsis
Authors: Lei Li , Steffen Joshua G , Osborne Edward J , Toomajian Christopher
Published: March 2017

The evolution of species’ phenotypes occurs through changes both in protein sequence and gene expression levels. Though much of plant morphological evolution can be explained by changes in gene expression, examining its evolution has challenges. To gain a new perspective on organ evolution in plants, we applied a phylotranscriptomics approach. We combined a phylostratigraphic approach with gene expression based on the strand-specific RNA-seq data from seedling, floral bud, and root of 19Arabidopsis thalianaaccessions to examine the age and sequence divergence of transcriptomes from these organs and how they adapted over time. Our results indicate that, among the sense and antisense transcriptomes of these organs, the sense transcriptomes of seedlings are the evolutionarily oldest across all accessions and are the most conserved in amino acid sequence for most accessions. In contrast, among the sense transcriptomes from these same organs, those from floral bud are evolutionarily youngest and least conserved in sequence for most accessions. Different organs have adaptive peaks at different stages in their evolutionary history, however, from the Magnoliophyta stage to the Brassicale stage, all three organs show a common adaptive signal. Our research is significant because it offers novel evolutionary insight on plant organs revealed by phylotranscriptomics.
Ecological drivers of body size evolution and sexual size dimorphism in short-horned grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
Authors: García-Navas Vicente , Noguerales Víctor , Cordero Pedro J. , Ortego Joaquín
Published: March 2017

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is widespread and variable in nature. Although female-biased SSD predominates among insects, the proximate ecological and evolutionary factors promoting this phenomenon remain largely unstudied. Here, we employ modern phylogenetic comparative methods on 8 subfamilies of Iberian grasshoppers (85 species) to examine the validity of different models of evolution of body size and SSD and explore how they are shaped by a suite of ecological variables (habitat specialization, substrate use, altitude) and/or constrained by different evolutionary pressures (female fecundity, strength of sexual selection, length of the breeding season). Body size disparity primarily accumulated late in the history of the group and did not follow a Brownian motion pattern, indicating the existence of directional evolution for this trait. We found support for the converse of Rensch’s rule across all taxa but not within the two most speciose subfamilies (Gomphocerinae and Oedipodinae), which showed an isometric pattern. Our results do not provide support for the fecundity or sexual selection hypotheses and we did not find evidence for significant effects of habitat use. Contrary to that expected, we found that species with narrower reproductive window are less dimorphic in size than those that exhibit a longer breeding cycle, suggesting that male protandry cannot solely account for the evolution of female-biased SSD in Orthoptera. Our study highlights the need to consider alternatives to the classical evolutionary hypotheses when trying to explain why in certain insect groups males remain small.
The functional anatomy of self-generated and predictable speech
Authors: Oestreich Lena K. L. , Whitford Thomas J. , Garrido Marta I.
Published: March 2017

Sensory attenuation refers to the cortical suppression of self-generated sensations relative to externally-generated sensations. This attenuation of cortical responsiveness is the result of internal forward models which make precise predictions about forthcoming sensations. Forward models of sensory attenuation in the auditory domain are thought to operate along auditory white matter pathways such as the arcuate fasciculus and the frontal aslant. The aim of this study was to investigate whether brain regions that are structurally connected via these white matter pathways are also effectively connected during overt speech, as well as as when listening to externally-generated speech that is temporally predictable via a visual cue. Using Electroencephalography (EEG) and Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM) we investigated network models that link the primary auditory cortex to Wernicke’s and Broca’s area either directly or indirectly through Geschwind’s territory, which are structurally connected via the arcuate fasciculus. Connections between Broca’s and supplementary motor area, which are structurally connected via the frontal aslant, were also included. Our results revealed that bilateral areas interconnected by indirect and direct pathways of the arcuate fasciculus, in addition to regions interconnected by the frontal aslant best explain the EEG responses to both self-generated speech, and speech that is externally-generated but temporally predictable. These findings indicate that structurally connected brain regions thought to be involved in auditory attenuation are also effectively connected. Critically, our findings expand on the notion of internal forward models, whereby sensory consequences of our actions are internally predicted and reflected in reduced cortical responsiveness to these sensations.

Highlights

Effective connectivity of auditory attenuation to self-generated and predictable speech

EEG and DCM were used to investigate several plausible network models

Structurally connected brain areas of auditory attenuation are effectively connected

Internal forward models modulate self-generated and predictable speech
Regulation of nucleosome positioning by a CHD Type III chromatin remodeler and its relationship to developmental gene expression inDictyostelium
Authors: Platt James L. , Kent Nicholas A. , Kimmel Alan R. , Harwood Adrian J.
Published: March 2017

Nucleosome placement and repositioning can direct transcription of individual genes; however, the precise interactions of these events are complex and largely unresolved at the whole-genome level. The Chromodomain-Helicase-DNA binding (CHD) Type III proteins are a subfamily of SWI2/SNF2 proteins that control nucleosome positioning and are associated with several complex human disorders, including CHARGE syndrome and autism. Type III CHDs are required for multicellular development of animals andDictyosteliumbut are absent in plants and yeast. These CHDs can mediate nucleosome translocation in vitro, but their in vivo mechanism is unknown. Here, we use genome-wide analysis of nucleosome positioning and transcription profiling to investigate the in vivo relationship between nucleosome positioning and gene expression during development of wild-type (WT)Dictyosteliumand mutant cells lacking ChdC, a Type III CHD protein ortholog. We demonstrate major nucleosome positional changes associated with developmental gene regulation in WT. Loss ofchdCcaused an increase of intragenic nucleosome spacing and misregulation of gene expression, affecting ∼50% of the genes that are repositioned during WT development. These analyses demonstrate active nucleosome repositioning duringDictyosteliummulticellular development, establish an in vivo function of CHD Type III chromatin remodeling proteins in this process, and reveal the detailed relationship between nucleosome positioning and gene regulation, as cells transition between developmental states.
Color preferences for four different types of spaces
Authors: van der Voordt Theo , Bakker Iris , de Boon Jan
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Studies on color preferences for different types of spaces are scarce and show ambiguous results. This paper aims to present data about preferred colors for two work environments: the office and a meeting room, and two residential spaces: the living room and the bedroom. The authors also explore whether people with different personal characteristics of gender, age, education and type of person have different color preferences.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected by means of a questionnaire that was distributed among 1,077 Dutch people.

Findings

The color white was most frequently mentioned as the preferred color, by 32-44 per cent of all male respondents and 28-38 per cent of all female respondents, dependent on type of space. The choice “no color preference” rated high as well: by 11-22 per cent of men and 7-22 per cent of women. Preferred colors showed to be significantly different for different types of spaces, males and females, different age groups, level of education and type of person.

Research limitations/implications

The research took place in the Netherlands, so only Dutch color preferences have been collected. Due to the many influencing factors, only a selection of the conceptual model could be empirically tested.

Practical implications

Information about color preferences for different types of spaces can support clients, end users and (interior) architects to create environments that people like, which may influence peoples’ well-being in a positive way. It is suggested to apply colors in the built environment more like nature shows.

Originality/value

Until now, no information was available about color preferences for different types of spaces in connection with different types of personalities.
Developing across boundaries – mentor and mentee perceptions and experiences of cross-organisational mentoring
Authors: Mains Irene , MacLean Samantha
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the operating factors influencing a cross-organisational mentoring initiative created to support leadership development. The research provides insight on participants’ views and mentoring practices around planning and preparation of mentoring relationships, to inform future training of leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is inductive in nature, using an exploratory approach via a two-stage qualitative analysis. The qualitative data were gathered via interviews with the initiative partners and questionnaires distributed to all mentors and mentees involved. Data were gathered at the outset of the initiative and one year later.

Findings

Emergent themes revealed that centrally driven criterion-based matching was deemed effective, with skills and experience of mentors perceived as more important than seniority. Support from senior management was of paramount importance at all stages. Clear personal and professional objective setting was vital at the outset of the mentoring relationship; however, a degree of fluidity in direction occurred over time. Planned periodic meetings to share experiences, aid reflection and gather feedback from individual mentors and mentees groups was requested. Finally, while the mentees should drive the process, it was recognised that mentors may be required to take the lead initially.

Research limitations/implications

It is recognised that wider generalisations are limited; the initiative would require replication with a number of different participants to increase validity. However, as the research is exploratory in nature, there is value in the initial research findings with potential for replication within other organisations and for other cross-organisational mentoring initiatives.

Practical implications

The research provides a number of useful themes which practitioners could use to explore the creation of a cross-organisational mentoring scheme and provides benchmarking indicators for this.

Originality/value

This is an innovative approach to leadership training that can be seen in the limited literature and theory related to cross-organisational mentoring as a leadership training tool that the design team, a partnership of HR academics and HRD professionals, were able to access.
Artificial intelligence, computational thinking, and mathematics education
Authors: Gadanidis George
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), computational thinking (CT), and mathematics education (ME) for young students (K-8). Specifically, it focuses on three key elements that are common to AI, CT and ME: agency, modeling of phenomena and abstracting concepts beyond specific instances.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical framework of this paper adopts a sociocultural perspective where knowledge is constructed in interactions with others (Vygotsky, 1978). Others also refers to the multiplicity of technologies that surround us, including both the digital artefacts of our new media world, and the human methods and specialized processes acting in the world. Technology is not simply a tool for human intention. It is an actor in the cognitive ecology of immersive humans-with-technology environments (Levy, 1993, 1998) that supports but also disrupts and reorganizes human thinking (Borba and Villarreal, 2005).

Findings

There is fruitful overlap between AI, CT and ME that is of value to consider in mathematics education.

Originality/value

Seeing ME through the lenses of other disciplines and recognizing that there is a significant overlap of key elements reinforces the importance of agency, modeling and abstraction in ME and provides new contexts and tools for incorporating them in classroom practice.
The Open Wings project
Authors: Pyrini Nancy , Varonis Orestes Johns , Varonis Evangeline Marlos
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the implementation and outcomes of the “Open Wings” project, a continuing effort to create a community of self-directed elementary school learners and to enhance their homonomy. Technology-enhanced international videoconference presentations resulted in both knowledge gains and attitude changes. These, in turn, inspired creative, collaborative interdisciplinary projects through which students demonstrated that they could embed themselves in contexts that contribute to homonomous identification and development.

Design/methodology/approach

Over the 2015-2016 school year, interactive international videoconferences were delivered to first and sixth grade classrooms in two elementary schools in Athens, Greece. Topics included a personal immigration story and responsible citizenship. Impact was measured quantitatively by a pre-test/post-test design that measured changes in knowledge and attitudes and qualitatively by student group projects at six stations inspired by e-reflect methodology.

Findings

Students demonstrated gains in factual knowledge and changes in attitudes toward immigrants and refugees. Individual and group work at each station revealed that they could plan, research, and present projects that demonstrated their personal sense of self and their place in the community.

Originality/value

With many in Greece directly affected by the economic crisis and an influx of refugees and immigrants, students feel they have no control over their lives and become fearful of outsiders. Even when resources are limited, innovative use of learning technologies can help educate students in the prescribed curriculum and guide them beyond hopelessness to see themselves as empowered individuals who can enrich their own lives and those of their communities.
Exploring approaches to teaching in three-dimensional virtual worlds
Authors: Englund Claire
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how teachers’ approaches to teaching and conceptions of teaching and learning with educational technology influence the implementation of three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVWs) in health care education.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through thematic interviews with eight teachers to elicit their approaches to teaching in a 3DVW and their conceptions of teaching and learning with technology in online health care education.

Findings

Results indicate that teaching in 3DVWs necessitates the adoption of a student-centred approach to teaching. The teachers’ underlying approaches to teaching and learning became evident in their student-centred approach and use of problem-based activities. The immersive, social nature of the environment facilitated the creation of authentic, communicative learning activities created by the health care teachers and was in alignment with their disciplinary approaches to teaching and learning.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size of the study is relatively small which limits the degree of external validity and generalisability of the results.

Practical implications

If sustainability of 3DVWs is to be achieved, academic development activities for teachers and their communities of practice may be necessary to support conceptual change and facilitate a shift to student-centred teaching where necessary.

Originality/value

There is limited research concerning the relationship between teachers’ approaches to teaching and the use of educational technologies, in particular the implementation of 3DVWs.
Choosing an external auditor: does the composition of boards of directors matter?
Authors: Alfraih Mishari M.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the association between the composition of boards of directors and the choice of external auditor among companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) in 2013.

Design/methodology/approach

Consistent with prior research, audit quality is represented by two proxies, namely, a Big 4 and Non-Big 4 audit firm. Independence, diversity, interlocks, size and role duality are used as proxies for board composition. To accommodate the dichotomous dependent variable (auditor choice), a logistic regression model is used to test the hypothesized associations between board composition and auditor choice.

Findings

After controlling for firm-specific characteristics, results show that independence, diversity and size are statistically significant and increase the likelihood that a KSE-listed company selects a high-quality (Big 4) audit firm. Role duality is also statistically significantly but decreases the likelihood of choosing a Big 4 audit firm.

Practical/implications

This research has implications for regulators, shareholders, boards and academics. The paper underlines the importance of the composition of the board in increasing the likelihood of hiring a high-quality audit firm. Regulators can draw upon these results when assessing the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to study the association between auditor choice and board composition using data from the frontier market of Kuwait, thus responding to the call for empirical research into the issue in less-developed markets. Overall, it sheds light on the effectiveness of board composition and provides empirical evidence that it is an important element in the choice of auditors. The findings indicate that board composition may be a mechanism that can promote demand for high audit quality.
The impact of Iran Central Bank’s sanction on Tehran Stock Exchange
Authors: Salehi Mahdi , Karimzadeh Mostafa , Paydarmanesh Navid
Published: March 2017

Purpose

US sanctions have been a major feature of US Iran policy since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, but the imposition of UN and worldwide bilateral sanctions on Iran that began in 2006 and increased dramatically as of 2010 is recent by comparison. The objectives of US sanctions have evolved over time. Broad international sanctions imposed on Iran harmed Iran’s economy and contributed to Iran’s acceptance of agreements that exchange constraints on its nuclear program for sanctions relief. The subject of this study is important because both Iran and the international communities are demanding for information about the effect of sanctions on Iran. In an international and regional perspective, it seems that sanctions have a negative impact on economic, social and even political status of Iran. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the impact of Iran Central Bank sanction on Tehran Stock Exchange as on December 31, 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

Variables of model are consisted by exchange rate, oil prices and Tehran Stock Exchange Price Index (TEPIX) from October 2, 2011 to March 29, 2012, which is offered daily. To analyze the model, the authors used Johansen–Juselius and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) methods.

Findings

The results indicate that there is a long-run equilibrium relationship between selected variables as oil prices, and exchange rates have a positive effect on the TEPIX. In other words, the results of the econometric estimation show the positive effect of the Iran Central Bank sanction on the TEPIX. Thus, because of economic sanctions imposed by the Western countries, Tehran Stock Exchange has been growing.

Originality/value

No empirical research exists that examines the impact of sanctions on stock price in developing countries. This study fills this gap by examining the links between sanctions and stock price in Iran.
Corporate governance and whistle blowing in India: promises or reality?
Authors: Marwaha Karn
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the legal provisions relating to the protection extended to the private company employees who blows the whistle. It is a major requirement of the country that Whistle Blowers Protection Act should not only be made compulsory for public sector but also be made compulsory for private companies of any size so that illegal activities could be identified and major risk could be avoided. Presently, private sector is growing rapidly, and it has a growth in way of economic resources, and private sector is also entering into the public domain by privatization, so exclusion of private sector by the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011 is very dangerous.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher has resorted to primary as well as secondary sources of data. The primary sources of data are the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011, Official Secrets Act, 1923, Right to Information Act, 2005, The 179th Law commission report, report of Second Administrative Reforms Commissions, 2007 and recommendations made by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievance, Law and Justice, 2011. The secondary data are the books and articles of different authors.

Findings

This Act provides a mechanism to receive complaints and inquire into the allegations of corruption or willful misuse of power by the public servants only. Although, this act has not come into existence, but on bare perusal, it seems to be inadequate and still needs more amendments for efficient outcomes or else the zeal of whistle blowers particularly in a private sector will fade away. The need of exhaustive and complete law is also necessary so that the evils like corruption can be curbed completely and effectively.

Originality/value

Private sector, if included in the above-mentioned act, would definitely resolve the problem, but on the same hand, it will raise the question of space that needs to be given to private organization. So in concluding remarks, the author would like to suggest that, to improve the organizational quality of private sector, there should be a national legislation which should deal with substantial guidelines that needs to be adopted by private companies. There is a significant need to raise the standard of corporate governance in India, only then it could achieve stability, transparency and growth.