bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Paternally-acting canonical RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway genes sensitize Arabidopsis endosperm to paternal genome dosage
Authors: Satyaki P. R. V. , Gehring Mary 
Published: January 2019

AbstractSeed development is sensitive to parental dosage, with excess maternal or paternal genomes creating reciprocal phenotypes. Paternal genomic excess frequently results in extensive endosperm proliferation without cellularization and seed abortion. We previously showed that loss of the RNA Pol IV genenrpd1in tetraploid fathers represses seed abortion in paternal excess crosses. Here we show genetically that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway activity in the paternal parent is sufficient to determine the viability of paternal excess seeds. We compared transcriptomes, DNA methylation, and small RNAs from endosperm of balanced crosses (diploid × diploid) and lethal (diploid × tetraploid) and viable paternal excess (diploid × tetraploidnrpd1). Endosperm from both lethal and viable paternal excess seeds share widespread transcriptional and DNA methylation changes at genes and TEs. Interploidy seed abortion is thus unlikely to be caused by either transposable element or imprinted gene mis-regulation, and its repression by loss of paternal RdDM is associated with only modest gene expression changes. Finally, using allele-specific transcription data, we present evidence for a transcriptional buffering system that increases expression of maternal alleles and represses paternal alleles in response to excess paternal genomic dosage. These findings prompt reconsideration of models for dosage sensitivity in endosperm.
Acis-carotene derived apocarotenoid regulates etioplast and chloroplast development
Authors: Cazzonelli Christopher I , Hou Xin , Alagoz Yagiz , Rivers John , Dhami Namraj , Lee Jiwon , Shashikanth Marri , Pogson Barry J 
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACTCarotenoids are core plastid components, yet a regulatory function during plastid biogenesis remains enigmatic. A unique carotenoid biosynthesis mutant,carotenoid chloroplast regulation 2(ccr2), that has no prolamellar body (PLB) and normal PROTOCHLOROPHYLLIDE OXIDOREDUCTASE (POR) levels, was used to demonstrate a regulatory function for carotenoids under varied dark-light regimes. A forward genetics approach revealed how an epistatic interaction between a(-carotene isomerasemutant (ziso-155) andccr2blocked the biosynthesis of specificcis-carotenes and restored PLB formation in etioplasts. We attributed this to a novel apocarotenoid signal, as chemical inhibition of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase activity restored PLB formation inccr2etioplasts during skotomorphogenesis. The apocarotenoid acted in parallel to the transcriptional repressor of photomorphogenesis, DEETIOLATED1 (DET1), to post-transcriptionally regulate PROTOCHLOROPHYLLIDE OXIDOREDUCTASE (POR), PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR3 (PIF3) and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5) protein levels. The apocarotenoid signal anddet1complemented each other to restore POR levels and PLB formation, thereby controlling plastid development.One-sentence summaryCarotenoids are not just required as core components for plastid biogenesis, they can be cleaved into an apocarotenoid signal that regulates etioplast and chloroplast development during extended periods of darkness.
Cryopreservation of Paramecium bursaria Chlorella Virus-1 during an active infection cycle of its host
Authors: Coy Samantha R. , Alsante Alyssa N. , Van Etten James L. , Wilhelm Steven W. 
Published: January 2019

AbstractBest practices in laboratory culture management often include cryopreservation of microbiota, but this can be challenging with some virus particles. By preserving viral isolates researchers can mitigate genetic drift and laboratory-induced selection, thereby maintaining genetically consistent strains between experiments. To this end, we developed a method to cryopreserve the model, green-alga infecting virus,Paramecium bursaria Chlorella virus 1(PBCV-1). We explored cryotolerance of the infectivity of this virus particle, whereby freezing without cryoprotectants was found to maintain the highest infectivity (~2.5%). We then assessed the cryopreservation potential of PBCV-1 during an active infection cycle in itsChlorella variabilisNC64A host, and found that virus survivorship was highest (69.5 ± 16.5 %) when the infected host is cryopreserved during mid-late stages of infection (i.e., coinciding with virion assembly). The most optimal condition for cryopreservation was observed at 240 minutes post-infection. Overall, utilizing the cell as a vehicle for viral cryopreservation resulted in 24.9 – 30.1 fold increases in PBCV-1 survival based on 95% confidence intervals of frozen virus particles and virus cryopreserved at 240 minutes post-infection. Given that cryoprotectants are often naturally produced by psychrophilic organisms, we suspect that cryopreservation of infected hosts may be a reliable mechanism for virus persistence in non-growth permitting circumstances in the environment, such as ancient permafrosts.
Dynamization of bankruptcy models via indicator variables
Authors: Nyitrai Tamás 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to enhance the predictive power of bankruptcy prediction models by taking the past values of firms’ financial ratios as benchmark. For this purpose, the paper proposes an indicator variable expressing the time trends of financial ratios.

Design/methodology/approach
The proposed measure uses the minimum and the maximum of financial ratios from the previous period as benchmarks in order to give a more complete picture about the present financial performance of firms. The most popular classification methods of bankruptcy prediction were employed: discriminant analysis, logistic regression, decision trees. Sample specific results and conclusions were avoided by applying tenfold stratified cross-validation.

Findings
The empirical results suggest that the proposed measure can increase the predictive performance of bankruptcy prediction models compared to models based solely on static financial ratios. The results gave evidence for the fact that the firms’ past financial performance is a useful benchmark for evaluating the risk of future insolvency.

Originality/value
The proposed concept is completely new to the literature and practice of bankruptcy prediction. Similar concept has not been published to date. The suggested dynamization approach has three important advantages. It is easy to compute from time series of financial ratios. It is applicable within any classifier irrespective of its mathematical background. The performance of models can be enhanced without the necessity of giving up the interpretability of bankruptcy models, so the proposed measure may play very important role in the practice of credit scoring modeling as well.
The limits and promises of embeddedness as a strategy for social value creation
Authors: Lashitew Addisu A. , van Tulder Rob 
Published: January 2019

PurposeMultinational enterprises (MNEs) attempting to create social value in base of the pyramid (BoP) economies are encumbered by unique market and institutional barriers. To overcome these challenges, BoP scholars have advocated the strategy of using embeddedness as a replacement for inefficient formal institutions. Reliance on informal social ties for coordinating market exchange, however, leads to costly investments, exposure to opportunism and the creation of nontransferable capabilities. This paper aims to investigate these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors argue that embeddedness should be used as an intermediate step toward developing more enduring formal institutions rather than as a replacement for them.FindingsThe authors put forward the notion of proto-institutions as a useful concept for exploring how MNEs can engage in co-designing efficient and inclusive institutional forms aimed at engendering long-term social value creation.Originality/valueThe authors identify three institutional fields wherein MNEs can leverage social embeddedness to develop proto-institutions that are potentially transferable to become formal institutions. First, MNEs can build governance institutions that can enhance coordination among local actors. Second, MNEs can experiment with small-scale change and adaptation of market institutions that reduce transaction costs and facilitate market exchanges. For example, improved institutional practices in value chain governance can boost business performance while also improving the livelihoods of supply chain partners. Finally, the authors discuss the potential for developing favorable socio-cultural institutions by introducing new principles of organizing or educational practices.
Future-proofing placements
Authors: Fowlie Julie , Forder Clare 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study centred on steps taken at a Business School in a UK university, to improve local work placement provision, respond to student demand and engage more productively with local businesses. It is situated against renewed focus on universities’ engagement with local economies and the graduate labour market context as demonstrated by the government’s Industrial Strategy (BEIS, 2017) and the OfS (2018) business plan. It aims to emphasise how moving the focus back from graduates to placement students could offer a useful collaborative opportunity for local businesses to articulate what they want from future employees.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper follows a mixed methods approach, drawing upon a case study on a new intervention piloted in the Business School as well as qualitative research gathered from questionnaires and interviews with students. Responses to questionnaires and interviews were analysed thematically in the Grounded Theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) tradition.

Findings
The paper highlights the lack of literature on local placements and also demonstrates findings which echo existing research on typical barriers and drivers to placements in general. It offers original outcomes such as how for some students local placements offer a convenience value but for others they are part of committing to living and working locally after graduation.

Research limitations/implications
The small-scale nature of the study means that only indicative findings are presented. Further research is necessary for a more detailed examination of its implications.

Practical implications
Recommendations are made for a systematic approach to developing, or establishing for the first time, university–employer relationships in order to future-proof local placement opportunities.

Originality/value
The paper fills a gap in the literature on local placements and also provides a fresh approach to how universities and employers might work together to identify local skills gaps and increase the provision of local placements. It also offers ways in students’ often negatively framed reasons for not undertaking a placement can be mitigated through engaging with the local context.
Modified algebraic model of laminar-turbulent transition for internal flows
Authors: Nering Konrad , Rup Kazimierz 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
For internal flows with small values of the Reynolds number, there is often at a considerable distance from the pipe inlet cross-section a change of the flow form from laminar to turbulent. To describe this phenomenon of laminar-turbulent transition in the pipe, also parallel-plate channel flow, a modified algebraic intermittency model was used. The original model for bypass transition developed by S. Kubacki and E. Dick was designed for simulating bypass transition in turbomachinery.

Design/methodology/approach
A modification of mentioned model was proposed. Modified model is suitable for simulating internal flows in pipes and parallel-plate channels. Implementation of the modified model was made using the OpenFOAM framework. Values of several constants of the original model were modified.

Findings
For selected Reynolds numbers and turbulence intensities (Tu), localization of laminar breakdown and fully turbulent flow was presented. Results obtained in this work were compared with corresponding experimental results available in the literature. It is particularly worth noting that asymptotic values of wall shear stress in flow channels and asymptotic values of axis velocity obtained during simulations are similar to related experimental and theoretical results.

Originality/value
The modified model allows precision numerical simulation in the area of transitional flow between laminar, intermittent and turbulent flows in pipes and parallel-plate channels. Proposed modified algebraic intermittency model presented in this work is described by a set of two additional partial differential equations corresponding with k-omega turbulence model presented by Wilcox (Wilcox, 2006).
Improving patient satisfaction: the virtual breakthrough series collaborative
Authors: Wijaya Made Indra , Mohamad Abd Rahim , Hafizurrachman Muhammad 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve the Siloam Hospitals’ (SHs) patient satisfaction index (PSI) and overcome Indonesia’s geographical barriers.

Design/methodology/approach
The topic was selected for reasons guided by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement virtual breakthrough series collaborative (VBSC). Subject matter experts came from existing global quality development in collaboration with sales and marketing, and talent management agencies/departments. Patient satisfaction (PS) was measured using the SH Customer Feedback Form. Data were analysed using Friedman’s test.

Findings
The in-patient (IP) department PSI repeated measures comparison during VBSC, performed using Friedman’s test, showed a statistically significant increase in the PSI, χ2 = 44.00, p<0.001. Post hoc analysis with Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted with a Bonferroni correction applied, which resulted in a significant increase between the baseline and action phases (Z=3.317, p=0.003) between the baseline and continuous improvement phases (Z=6.633, p<0.001), and between the action and continuous improvement phases (Z=3.317, p=0.003), suggesting that IP PSI was continuously increasing during all VBSC phases. Like IP PSI, the out-patient department PSI was also continuously increasing during all VBSC phases.

Research limitations/implications
The VBSC was not implemented using a control group. Factors other than the VBSC may have contributed to increased PS.

Practical implications
The VBSC was conducted using virtual telecommunication. Although conventional breakthrough series might result in better cohesiveness and commitment, Indonesian geographical barriers forced an alternative strategy, which is much more cost-effective.

Originality/value
The VBSC, designed to improve PS, has never been implemented in any Indonesian private hospital group. Other hospital groups might also appreciate knowing about the VBSC to improve their PSI.
Service quality and urolithiasis patient adherence
Authors: Golshan Shabnam , Feizy Tahereh , Tavasoli Sanaz , Basiri Abbas 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
Adherence to preventive recommendations improves clinical outcomes and is compulsory for long-term prevention in urolithiasis patients. Service quality can affect patients’ adherence to treatment and care. The purpose of this paper is to compare perceived service quality, using the SERVQUAL model, between urolithiasis patients who were nonadherent to their follow-up visits and those who were adherent, in a stone prevention clinic, Tehran, Iran.

Design/methodology/approach
This was a cross-sectional study on patients with urolithiasis referred to the Shahid-Labbafinejad Hospital stone prevention clinic between 2010 and 2014. All patients withdrawing from follow-up visits were selected as the nonadherent group. Patients with follow-up visits were randomly selected and appointed as the adherent group. Data included demographic, service quality (assessed using the SERVQUAL) and a questionnaire about the reason for withdrawal from follow-up visits. Man–Whitney U test, χ2 and binary logistic regression were used for data analyses.

Findings
In total, 531 nonadherent and 51 adherent patients entered the study. SERVQUAL results revealed that patients’ expectations were significantly higher than their perceptions in all five service quality dimensions in both groups. The adherent group had better-quality scores. Responsibility, assurance and empathy scores significantly increased patient adherence odds.

Research limitations/implications
Uni-center design; missing data, such as socioeconomic status and disease severity, which may influence treatment adherence; and missing data regarding adherence to medication and dietary advice were limitations.

Practical implications
Service quality needs to be improved in all dimensions.

Originality/value
Since responsiveness, assurance and empathy dimensions determined patients’ adherence, giving special attention to these dimensions could improve patient adherence.
Patients’ perceptions of healthcare quality in Ghana
Authors: Anabila Peter , Kumi Desmond Kwadjo , Anome Janet 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of service quality (SQ), customer satisfaction (CS) and customer loyalty (CL) in Ghana’s health sector and a comparative analysis of private and public hospital SQ.

Design/methodology/approach
A convenient sample of 1,236 respondents was generated from both private and public hospitals. The study utilises an asymptotic distribution free estimation technique in CB-SEM using LISREL to test the relationships, while Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test was used to determine the differences in SQ performances between private and public hospitals.

Findings
The study found a significant positive relationship between SQ and CS. Also, the study found a significant positive relationship between CS and CL. Finally, SQ was found to be better in private hospitals, resulting higher CS and CL.

Practical implications
The study highlights the significant role SQ plays in generating CS and CL to guide healthcare provider policy decision making to improve healthcare delivery. It also serves as a guide to patients to make informed decisions regarding the choice of alternative hospitals.

Originality/value
The study provides a useful guide to strategy and policy formulation in the healthcare sector by exploring the potential viability of SERVQUAL-related model as a relevant tool for assessing SQ in Ghana’s health sector. The results also identified SQ gap between private and public hospitals and thus have implications on how hospitals should strategise to improve their SQ.
Better get moving on laboratory quality assurance
Authors: Ali Sidra Asad , Shaikh Muhammad Shariq 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
With recent advances in laboratory hematology automation, emphasis is now on quality assurance processes as they are indispensable for generating reliable and accurate test results. It is therefore imperative to acquire efficient measures for recognizing laboratory malfunctions and errors to improve patient safety. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
Moving algorithm is a quality control process that monitors analyzer performance from historical records through a continuous process, which does not require additional expenditure, and can serve as an additional support to the laboratory quality control program.

Findings
The authors describe an important quality assurance tool, which can be easily applied in any laboratory setting, especially in cost-constrained areas where running commercial controls throughout every shift may not be a feasible option.

Originality/value
The authors focus on clinical laboratory quality control measures for providing reliable test results. The moving average appears to be a reasonable and applicable choice for vigilantly monitoring each result.
Assessing hospital quality management systems: evidence from Iran
Authors: Zarei Ehsan , Karimi Soghra , Mahfoozpour Soad , Marzban Sima 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
A quality management system (QMS) is defined as interacting activities, methods and procedures used to monitor, control and improve service quality. The purpose of this paper is to describe the QMS status using the Quality Management System Index (QMSI) in hospitals affiliated to Shahid Beheshti Medical Sciences University in Tehran, Iran.

Design/methodology/approach
In this cross-sectional study, 28 hospitals were investigated. A validated 46-item questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent student’s t-test and regression analysis.

Findings
The mean QMSI score was 18.4: 15.3 for public and 20.9 for non-public hospitals (p=0.001). The lowest (1.96) and the highest (2.14) scores related to “Quality policy documents” and “Quality monitoring by the board,” respectively. The difference between public and non-public hospitals was significant in all nine QMSI dimensions (p=0.001). The QMSI score was higher in non-public and small hospitals than in public and large ones (p=0.05).

Originality/value
Most QMS studies come from developed countries, and there is no systematic information about the mechanisms and processes involved in implementing QMS in developing countries like Iran. This is the first study on Iranian hospital QMS using a newly developed tool (QMSI), and results showed that QMS maturity in these hospitals was relatively good, but the non-public hospitals status (private and charity) was far better than public hospitals.
Evaluating inputs of failure modes and effects analysis in identifying patient safety risks
Authors: Simsekler Mecit Can Emre , Kaya Gulsum Kubra , Ward James R. , Clarkson P. John 
Published: January 2019

Purpose
There is a growing awareness on the use of systems approaches to improve patient safety and quality. While earlier studies evaluated the validity of such approaches to identify and mitigate patient safety risks, so far only little attention has been given to their inputs, such as structured brainstorming and use of system mapping approaches (SMAs), to understand their impact in the risk identification process. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the inputs of a well-known systems approach, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), in identifying patient safety risks in a real healthcare setting.

Design/methodology/approach
This study was conducted in a newly established adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder service at Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust in the UK. Three stakeholders of the chosen service together with the facilitators conducted an FMEA exercise along with a particular system diagram that was initially found as the most useful SMA by eight stakeholders of the service.

Findings
In this study, it was found that the formal structure of FMEA adds value to the risk identification process through comprehensive system coverage with the help of the system diagram. However, results also indicates that the structured brainstorming refrains FMEA participants from identifying and imagining new risks since they follow the process predefined in the given system diagram.

Originality/value
While this study shows the potential contribution of FMEA inputs, it also suggests that healthcare organisations should not depend solely on FMEA results when identifying patient safety risks; and therefore prioritising their safety concerns.