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Review of Nicolet, V. and Kartzow, M. B. (eds.), The Complexity of Conversion: Intersectional Perspectives on Religious Change in Antiquity and Beyond, Sheffield: Equinox, 2020
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Automated Estimation of Crop Yield Using Artificial Intelligence and Remote Sensing Technologies
No full textNon-financial reporting and corporate governance: a conceptual framework
No full textPurposeThis paper aims to develop a conceptual framework informed by a literature review. This framework aims to deepen and broaden the understanding of the relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and non-financial reporting (NFR) through qualitative research approaches.Design/methodology/approachA review of corporate governance and NFR literature and existing research frameworks leads to the development of a conceptual framework to encourage future qualitative accounting research on the corporate governance mechanisms for NFR.FindingsFew studies consider the complex interrelationships between NFR and corporate governance mechanisms. Quantitative studies using secondary data sources dominate accounting research on the topic. Of the small number of qualitative studies, many are theoretical and offer little new knowledge about the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms in practice. The research framework, developed from a literature review and consideration of multiple qualitative approaches, proposes numerous avenues for future research.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is based on a scoping review of the literature using peer-reviewed journal papers. Other researchers may have identified additional literature for inclusion, including grey literature.Practical implicationsMore qualitative research into NFR and corporate governance mechanisms may help to guide practitioners seeking to incorporate sustainability into their governance practices.Social implicationsThe critical relationship between NRF and corporate governance is under-explored in research yet has significant consequences for organisations pursuing sustainability.Originality/valueThe authors develop a conceptual framework for qualitative accounting research on NFR and corporate governance, addressing key outstanding questions in this area and considering different theoretical perspectives when approaching this critical topic. Although there is scope for further research in general in this promising area, including quantitative reviews and discursive studies, qualitative research would be of particular value. The authors also outline multiple directions for nurturing academic debate
Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on the extent to which assistive technology maximises independence
No full textAssistive Technologies (ATs) are extensively used and integrated into society, mainstream and specialist education settings, more so with students who have learning disabilities. Everyone has a perspective on the extent to which these devices provide students with disabilities and specifically in this case study, students with visual impairments (VI) independence during their education. This case study indicates the importance of researching emerging technologies within specialist education such as tablets, multiple forms of braille, and screen readers, while utilising a constructivist paradigm to undertake the mixed methods research. This study triangulates through the use of qualitative and quantitative research tools to discover mixed views on the extent to which AT promotes the independence of students with vision impairment, ultimately discovering the extent is somewhat individualised to each and every student. This study was conducted in an English, special-mainstream partnership further education college. Four students and five teaching staff members were interviewed, alongside five classroom observations of each staff member interviewed. The foci of this article are teacher and student perspectives on the extent to which ATs provide students with VIs independence in their learning, and if ATs play a crucial role in these students’ educations. The findings revealed largely positive views surrounding ATs potential for students with VI. The extent to which the students benefit from these advantages is dependent on the individual. The students focused much of their attention on their personal feelings towards using technology, whereas the teachers elaborated on their feelings and went into detail about particular students’ successes and pitfalls when using ATs. As technology is constantly changing, the participants expressed their concerns for keeping up to date. Recommendations for further research include a longitudinal study at the college where this research took place to discover whether partnership further education facilitates inclusion
A possible role for G-quadruplexes formation and DNA methylation at IMOOD gene promoter in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
No full textObsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition still classified and diagnosed with subjective interview-based assessments and which molecular clues have not completely been elucidated. We have recently identified a new regulator of anxiety and OCD-like behavior called Immuno-moodulin (IMOOD) and, here, we report that IMOOD gene promoter is differentially methylated in OCD subjects when compared to genomic material collected from healthy controls and this alteration is significantly correlated with the increased expression of the gene in OCD. We also demonstrated that IMOOD promoter can form G-quadruplexes and we suggest that, in homeostatic conditions, these structures could evoke DNA-methylation silencing the gene, whereas in pathological conditions, like OCD, could induce gene expression making the promoter more accessible to transcriptional factors. We here thus further suggest IMOOD as a new biomarker for OCD and also hypothesize new mechanisms of gene regulation.</p