11237 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring the micro-mosaic landscape of FGFR3 mutations in the ageing male germline and their potential implications in meiotic differentiation
No full textAdvanced paternal age increases the risk of transmitting de novo germline mutations, particularly missense mutations activating the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signalling pathway, as exemplified by the FGFR3 mutation, which is linked to achondroplasia (ACH). This risk is attributed to the expansion of spermatogonial stem cells carrying the mutation, forming sub-clonal clusters in the ageing testis, thereby increasing the frequency of mutant sperm and the number of affected offspring from older fathers. While prior studies proposed a correlation between sub-clonal cluster expansion in the testis and elevated mutant sperm production in older donors, limited data exist on the universality of this phenomenon. Our study addresses this gap by examining the testis-expansion patterns, as well as the increases in mutations in sperm for two FGFR3 variants—c.1138G>A (p.G380R) and c.1948A>G (p.K650E)—which are associated with ACH or thanatophoric dysplasia (TDII), respectively. Unlike the ACH mutation, which showed sub-clonal expansion events in an aged testis and a significant increase in mutant sperm with the donor’s age, as also reported in other studies, the TDII mutation showed focal mutation pockets in the testis but exhibited reduced transmission into sperm and no significant age-related increase. The mechanism behind this divergence remains unclear, suggesting potential pleiotropic effects of aberrant RTK signalling in the male germline, possibly hindering differentiation requiring meiosis. This study provides further insights into the transmission risks of micro-mosaics associated with advanced paternal age in the male germline
Stress and resilience in parents of autistic children - a cross-cultural research
No full textRaising an autistic child presents distinct cultural challenges. Hence, the sociocultural elements that contribute to parenting stress and resilience need to be investigated to address effectively the psychological needs of parents of autistic children. This thesis is aimed at examining parental responses to stress and resilience and contributing factors in a sample of parents of autistic children from the UK and India using a mixed-methods design.For Study1, parents of autistic children (n=120) and typically developing (TD) children (n=120) in India participated in uncovering the aspects of parental stress and resilience particular to each group. The study elicited that the Indian parents of autistic children have higher stress and lower resilience than the parents of TD children. Using the Double ABCX Model as a framework, Study 2 was aimed at investigating its utility in a cross-cultural study. A sample of parents of autistic children aged 3-16 years old from the UK (n=120) was compared with a sample from India (n=120). The findings indicate that the reported level of parental stress is higher, and resilience is lower in the Indian sample as compared with their UK counterparts. Factors contributing to elevated stress and lower resilience among Indian parents included poorer mental health, lower perceived social support, higher level of negative parental attitude towards the child, and higher affiliate stigma. However, Indian parents perceived they received more emotional support than UK parents. In Study 3, the experiences of stress and resilience in parents of autistic children in India (n=15) was compared with an UK (n=15) sample. The findings reveal that both Indian and UK parents described their stressors as ranging from child-related factors to socio-economic, cultural, and family-level difficulties However, there were significant disparities in the nature and the perception of stress. Notably, to make sense of their child's autism diagnosis, Indian parents used a blend of cultural and religious explanations.The findings from these studies help us fill in the gaps in the lived experience underlying the Double ABCX framework and explain why Indian parents may be reluctant to seek a diagnosis for their children. These findings could assist practitioners in understanding the specific requirements of parents from diverse cultures and thus, be able to give appropriate culturally sensitive support.</p
An exploration of Scottish teachers’ perceptions of equitable teaching practices in mathematics
No full textEquitable teaching practices encompass evidence-based strategies utilised by teachers to support the learning of all pupils, while recognising each pupil’s unique back-ground. This study delves into the perspectives of Scottish teachers regarding equity in mathematics, as evidenced by their self-reported practices. By analysing semi-structured interviews with 29 teachers from various school levels (early years, primary, and secondary) through Variation Theory, we were able to uncover common practices, such as ability grouping versus mixed-ability grouping, as well as practices specific to each level. We also identified overlaps between early-years/primary and primary/secondary, highlighting the importance of transitioning from one school level to another. It is imperative for teacher education programmes to address these transitions more explicitly in order to ensure greater continuity and consistency in equitable teaching practices.</p
Reduction of financial tick big data for intraday trading
No full textVarious neural network architectures are often used to forecast movements in financial markets. Most research in quantitative analytics in finance uses interval financial data as this reduces the raw tick big data, but the averaging can lose key behaviour patterns. This work presents an alternative novel method to reduce raw tick data whilst retaining important information for training, as demonstrated with intraday trading using the EURO/USD currency pair. This time series reduction method focuses on short periods preceding significant movements in financial features and allows the most popular neural network architectures to be applied using less powerful but more readily available computer resources. It is shown that the proposed data preprocessing method for machine learning and other AI‐techniques successfully reduced the size of the selected dataset covering a three‐year period (2018–2021) by 275 times.</p
Exploring teachers views of cultural capital in English schools
No full textThis paper aims to raise questions about the role that cultural capital might have to play in English schooling. With the term being used by both the Department for Education and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted, the English schools' inspectorate) as a means of describing certain key characteristics of a school's curriculum, the authors of this paper consider what the term actually now means in this educational context. To ground this consideration in a real-world context, we present some data from a 2-year study, which evaluated an intervention programme for disadvantaged young people in one English local authority. One aspect of this programme was the development of cultural capital for disadvantaged young people, and in the course of the evaluation a number of teachers were interviewed about how they saw this role and what cultural capital meant to them. As we explore in the paper, while English policymakers' and regulators' views of cultural capital are both narrow and perhaps, in some senses, deviate from both traditional and contemporary definitions of the term, teachers take a much richer and more flexible approach to the idea. With this in mind, we explore both the term itself and what it means for these teachers.</p
Exploring spiritual capital in the social and economics context of Hong Kong: from case studies in social enterprise
No full textThis thesis investigates the recent growth of the role of spiritual capital in the social and economic context of Hong Kong. A gap in knowledge existed regarding how and why spiritual capital can have an impact on economic and social outcomes. The purpose of the research was to better understand the role of spiritual capital to shape economic and social behaviour in a profound way leading to redistribution of capital. The research also provided new insight into the practice of spiritual capital in the context of market-driven society and thus to contribute to knowledge, and practice.The research adopted the approach of case studies in social enterprise. It was designed as qualitative case studies of the emergence of spiritual capital in two social enterprises. Data were collected by interviews, observation and documentary analysis. The data provided descriptions and analysis on what was happening in the organizations. A cross-case analysis identified three main themes from the data (intrinsic motive; organizational culture, leadership and values; and habitus and virtues).The findings demonstrated that, unlike other capitals, which prioritise accumulation, spiritual capital is about giving and sharing as a response to the market-driven society that created the social issue of wealth gap. The findings also demonstrated the concept gap about what spiritual capital is. Spiritual capital is not limited to ethics, and spiritual wealth, it is spiritual knowledge that a person accumulated. The spiritual knowledge motived him/her to share and give for the redistribution of capital so as to alleviate the wealth gap.The research concludes that spiritual capital is spiritual knowledge, which can be drawn on to attain the redistribution of capital within a society. This can be practiced through social entrepreneurship that prioritizes social impact over financial profit. Spiritual capital responds to the drawback of capitalist market through redistribution of capital. By harnessing spiritual capital, individuals and communities can work towards creating a more just and equitable society.</p
National trends in sleep sufficiency and sleep time among adolescents, including the late-COVID-19 pandemic, 2009-2022: a nationally representative serial study in South Korea
No full textSouth Korea has garnered a reputation for its high prevalence of sleep deprivation among adolescents (Choi et al., 2022). Given the profound health implications of sleep deprivation (Li et al., 2023; Ramar et al., 2021), the significance of sufficient sleep, especially among adolescents, cannot be overstressed. Recognizing these potential health ramifications among the population, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) have produced recommendations for sleep time in adolescents; both organizations have recommended adolescents to have eight to ten hours of sleep a day (Wheaton et al., 2018). With South Korea’s pre-existing challenges regarding adolescent sleep, understanding the potential compounded effects of the pandemic is crucial; by conducting this cross sectional, comprehensive analysis, it would be possible to derive actional insights to mitigate the negative impacts and promote healthier sleep behaviors amongst South Korean adolescents.</p
The IPS and ISCEV joint guidelines for full-field stimulus testing
No full textThe first electrophysiology standard was published in 19891 as a collaboration between the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) and the National Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation of the USA and is currently in its seventh version.2 These Standards are the keystone of clinical visual electrophysiology, embedding comparability and repeatability in the tests to an extent rarely achieved in clinical or laboratory measurement. We start 2024 with the publication of the Guideline for the Full-field Stimulus Test (FST).3 The Guideline is the result of a successful collaboration between ISCEV and the Imaging and Perimetry Society (IPS), bringing together both electrophysiology and psychophysics expertise as required for conduct and interpretation of the FST.</p
Editorial: Persistent inequality in urban educational organizations – current issues and possible solutions
No full textIn urban settings, educational inequality remains a tenacious challenge. This Research Topic explores the complexities of urban educational organizations, untangling the entrenched issues while offering innovative solutions to mitigate these disparities. Our collective understanding of educational inequality has evolved, and we acknowledge its roots in systemic and situational factors (Smeplass et al., 2023a). Policymakers globally grapple with these persistent inequalities, which manifest in ever-evolving forms (Pfeffer, 2008; Lamont and Pierson, 2019; Corral-Granados et al., 2023a)...</p
How do men who are unknown to authorities for using violence and abuse towards women experience their actions?
No full textThis research is sited within the area of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA), a complex, enduring and multifaceted global issue. Whilst acknowledging DVA affects men and women this research considers men’s violence and abuse towards intimate partner women. In highlighting a current paucity of research with men who use DVA this research offers an original contribution to knowledge through a focus on understanding more from men who are unknown to authorities about how they experience their violent and abusive actions.Existing research with men often repetitiously focuses on description of incidents and is mostly gained from men enrolled on some form of domestic violence and abuse perpetrator programme. This qualitative research reports on the findings from interviews held with eight men who self-identified as using DVA and who had no authority involvement related to their DVA actions.Whilst there is evidence in the findings of denial, minimising and blaming others, which is a theme of existing research, participants were also able to reflect earnestly on how they thought and felt about their actions. Additionally, the findings offer further understanding of how participants have avoided being reported for DVA even though in a majority of cases somebody else outside of the couple relationship knew about their violence and abuse.Men who are unknown to authorities are willing to be part of DVA research. Some of the findings echo earlier research but there are poignant reflections from participants on how DVA has remained unadjudicated and the circumstances in which they have spoken to others about their actions. It is clear from participant accounts that DVA was not a positive experience for them either. Men who use DVA are responsible for their own actions but there is a role for family, friends and society in supporting attitudinal shift so that stigma and taboo surrounding DVA is not a barrier to accountability or for men who want to seek help to change. There are important implications for policy and practice for the multiple agencies working with DVA to gain a better understanding of men’s experiences.</p
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage Open Research Online? Become a CORE Member to access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard! 👇