bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalent and persistent new-onset autoantibodies in mild to severe COVID-19
Authors: Jernbom Falk August , Skoglund Lovisa , Pin Elisa , Sjöberg Ronald , Tegel Hanna , Hober Sophia , Rostami Elham , Rasmusson Annica , Cunningham Janet L. , Havervall Sebastian , Thålin Charlotte , Månberg Anna , Nilsson Peter
Published: February 2024

Autoantibodies have been shown to be implied in COVID-19 but the emerging autoantibody repertoire remains largely unexplored. We investigated the new-onset autoantibody repertoire in 525 healthcare workers and hospitalized COVID-19 patients in five time points over 16 months using proteome-wide and targeted protein and peptide arrays. Our results show that prevalent new-onset autoantibodies against a wide range of antigens emerged following SARS-CoV-2 infection in relation to pre-infectious baseline samples and remained elevated for at least 12 months. We demonstrated associations between distinct new-onset autoantibodies and neuropsychiatric symptoms post-COVID-19. Using epitope mapping, we determined the main epitopes of selected new-onset autoantibodies, validated them in independent cohorts of neuro-COVID and pre-pandemic healthy controls, and identified molecular mimicry between main epitopes and the conserved fusion peptide of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein. Our work describes the complexity and dynamics of the autoantibody repertoire emerging with COVID-19 and supports the need for continued analysis of the new-onset autoantibody repertoire to elucidate the mechanisms of the post-COVID-19 condition.
Genetically proxied PDE5 inhibition and risk of dementia: a drug target Mendelian randomisation study
Authors: Brennan Stephen O. , Tinworth Alexander C.
Published: February 2024

Background

Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors have gained interest as a potential treatment for dementia. However, current evidence is limited to observational and pre-clinical studies. This drug- target Mendelian Randomisation (MR) study aims to elucidate the on-target effects of pharmacological PDE5 inhibition on dementia subtypes, cognitive traits, and neuro-imaging phenotypes.

Methods

Two independent (r2<0.001) blood pressure lowering variants from around the PDE5A locus were used in two-sample MR to assess the effect of genetically proxied PDE5 inhibition on risk of dementia subtypes, cognitive performance, and neuroimaging traits (cortical thickness, surface area and volume of white matter hyperintensities) in large-scale genomic consortia. The instrument’s predictive validity was assessed against erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) as positive controls.

Results

Following correction for multiple comparisons, genetically proxied PDE5 inhibition was associated with lower odds of erectile dysfunction (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.83-0.87) and PAH (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.55-0.61), and higher odds of Alzheimer’s disease (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10), Lewy body dementia (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.17-1.23) and vascular dementia (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.07). Furthermore, genetically proxied PDE5 inhibition was associated with reduced cortical thickness (SD change -0.003, 95% CI -0.004, -0.002) and cognitive performance (SD change -0.010, 95% CI -0.013, -0.007), but not cortical surface area nor volume of white matter hyperintensities.

Conclusion

In contrast to evidence from observational studies, our findings indicate that inhibition of PDE5 is associated with a higher risk of dementia and an unfavourable neurocognitive profile. This risk should be further investigated prior to clinical trials of pharmacological PDE5 inhibition for the treatment and prevention of dementia.
Evolutionary genomics reveals variation in structure and genetic content implicated in virulence and lifestyle in the genusGaeumannomyces
Authors: Hill Rowena , Grey Michelle , Fedi Mariano Olivera , Smith Daniel , Ward Sabrina J. , Canning Gail , Irish Naomi , Smith Jade , McMillan Vanessa E. , Hammond Jess , Osborne Sarah-Jane , Chancellor Tania , Swarbreck David , Hall Neil , Palma-Guerrero Javier , Hammond-Kosack Kim E. , McMullan Mark
Published: February 2024

Gaeumannomyces triticiis responsible for take-all disease, one of the most important wheat root threats worldwide. High-quality annotated genome resources are sorely lacking for this pathogen, as well as for the closely related antagonist and potential wheat take-all biocontrol agent,G. hyphopodioides. As such, we know very little about the genetic basis of the interactions in this host-pathogen-antagonist system. Using PacBio HiFi sequencing technology we have generated nine near-complete assemblies, including two different virulence lineages forG. triticiand the first assemblies forG. hyphopodioidesandG. avenae(oat take-all). Genomic signatures support the presence of two distinct virulence lineages inG. tritici(types A and B), with A strains potentially employing a mechanism to prevent gene copy-number expansions. The CAZyme repertoire was highly conserved acrossGaeumannomyces, while candidate secreted effector proteins and biosynthetic gene clusters showed more variability and may distinguish pathogenic and non-pathogenic lineages. A transition from self-sterility (heterothallism) to self-fertility (homothallism) may also be a key innovation implicated in lifestyle. We did not find evidence for transposable element and effector gene compartmentalisation in the genus, however the presence ofStarshipgiant transposable elements likely contributes to genomic plasticity in the genus. Our results depictGaeumannomycesas an ideal system to explore interactions within the rhizosphere, the nuances of intraspecific virulence, interspecific antagonism, and fungal lifestyle evolution. The foundational genomic resources provided here will enable the development of diagnostics and surveillance of understudied but agriculturally important fungal pathogens.
A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Map Disease Relationships Challenges Classical Disease Views
Authors: Möbus Lena , Serra Angela , Fratello Michele , Pavel Alisa , Federico Antonio , Greco Dario
Published: February 2024

The categorization of human diseases is mainly based on the affected organ system and phenotypic characteristics. This is limiting the view to the pathological manifestations, while it neglects mechanistic relationships that are crucial to develop therapeutic strategies. This work aims to advance the understanding of diseases and their relatedness beyond traditional phenotypic views. Hence, the similarity among 502 diseases is mapped using six different data dimensions encompassing molecular, clinical, and pharmacological information retrieved from public sources. Multiple distance measures and multi-view clustering is used to assess the patterns of disease relatedness. The integration of all six dimensions into a consensus map of disease relationships reveals a divergent disease view from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), emphasizing novel insights offered by a multi-view disease map. Disease features such as genes, pathways, and chemicals that are enriched in distinct disease groups are identified. Finally, an evaluation of the top similar diseases of three candidate diseases common in the Western population shows concordance with known epidemiological associations and reveals rare features shared between Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer disease. A revision of disease relationships holds promise for facilitating the reconstruction of comorbidity patterns, repurposing drugs, and advancing drug discovery in the future.
Eph/ephrin signalling in the developing brain is regulated by tissue stiffness
Authors: Sipkova Jana , Franze Kristian
Published: February 2024

Eph receptors and their membrane-bound ligands, ephrins, provide key signals in many biological processes, such as cell proliferation, cell motility and cell sorting at tissue boundaries. However, despite immense progress in our understanding of Eph/ephrin signalling, there are still discrepancies betweenin vitroandin vivowork, and the regulation of Eph/ephrin signalling remains incompletely understood. Since a major difference betweenin vivoand mostin vitroexperiments is the stiffness of the cellular environment, we here investigated the interplay between tissue mechanics and Eph/ephrin signalling using theXenopus laevisoptic pathway as a model system.Xenopusretinal neurons cultured on soft substrates mechanically resembling brain tissue showed the opposite response to ephrinB1 compared to those cultured on glass.In vivoatomic force microscopy (AFM)-based stiffness mapping revealed that the visual area of theXenopusbrain, the optic tectum, becomes mechanically heterogeneous during its innervation by axons of retinal neurons. The resulting stiffness gradient correlated with both a cell density gradient and expression patterns of EphB and ephrinB family members. Exposingex vivobrains to stiffer matrices or locally stiffening the optic tectumin vivoled to an increase in EphB2 expression in the optic tectum, indicating that tissue mechanics is an important regulator of Eph/ephrin signalling. Similar mechanisms are likely to be involved in the development and diseases of many other organ systems.
Linear and nonlinear beam dynamics of vertical fixed-field accelerators
Authors: Vanwelde Marion , Hernalsteens Cédric , Pauly Nicolas
Published: February 2024

Vertical fixed-field accelerators (vFFAs) feature a magnetic field that increases exponentially in the vertical direction, resulting in vertically stacked nonplanar orbits. Their magnetic field is highly nonlinear, and their solenoid and quadrupolar components induce strongly coupled optics. The detailed study of their beam dynamics must account for the transverse motion linear and nonlinear coupling. Specifically, the study of linear beam dynamics requires adequate coupling parametrizations, and the study of nonlinear beam dynamics, including the characterization of the dynamic aperture (DA), must be performed in the full 4D phase space. The ray-tracing code is ideally suited to study the vFFA transverse dynamics, as it can perform step-by-step particle tracking in vFFA complex geometry and magnetic fields. This paper provides an in-depth study of the vFFA prototype ring designed under the ISIS-II proton driver prototype project to accelerate proton beams from 3 to 12  MeV. The magnets of this vFFA ring exhibit slow magnetic field falloffs, resulting in a significant influence of the neighboring cells on the optical lattice parameters. The determination of stable orbits and tunes requires superimposing 3D magnetic field maps in to account for the neighboring cell residual fields. The study of nonlinear beam dynamics revealed the appearance of fourth-order stability islands. A complete characterization of the DA in the 4D phase space was conducted to give a measure of the stability domain and characterize the performance and limitations of this lattice. This study paves the way for further validation studies with experimental data and field maps.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Updated global fit of the aligned two-Higgs-doublet model with heavy scalars
Authors: Karan Anirban , Miralles Víctor , Pich Antonio
Published: February 2024

An updated global fit on the parameter-space of the aligned two-Higgs-doublet model is performed with the help of the open-source package fit, assuming the Standard-Model Higgs to be the lightest scalar. No new sources of CP violation, other than the phase in the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix of the Standard Model, are considered. A similar global fit was previously performed by O. Eberhardt [Global fits in the aligned two-Higgs-doublet model, ] with a slightly different set of parameters. Our updated fit incorporates improved analyses of the theoretical constraints required for the perturbative unitarity and boundedness of the scalar potential from below, additional flavor observables and updated data on direct searches for heavy scalars at the LHC, Higgs signal strengths, and electroweak precision observables. Although not included in the main fit, the implications of the CDF measurement of the W± mass are also discussed.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
QED contributions to
Ξc+−Ξc′+
mixing
Authors: Deng Zhi-Fu , Shi Yu-Ji , Wang Wei , Zeng Jun
Published: February 2024

We explore the quantum electrodynamic (QED) corrections to the Ξc+−Ξc′+ mixing within the framework of light-front quark model (LFQM) in the three-quark picture. After explicitly investigating the relation between the Ξc−Ξc′ mixing and the flavor SU(3) and heavy quark symmetry breaking, we derive the QED contributions to the Ξc+−Ξc′+ mixing angle. Numerical results indicate the QED contribution is smaller than the one from the mass difference between the strange and up/down quark provided by a recent lattice quantum chromodynamics analysis. Adding these contributions together we find that at this stage the Ξc+−Ξc′+ mixing is small and still incapable to account for the large SU(3) symmetry breaking in the semileptonic Ξc decays.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Hardware-efficient autonomous error correction with linear couplers in superconducting circuits
Authors: Li Ziqian , Roy Tanay , Pérez David Rodríguez , Schuster David I. , Kapit Eliot
Published: February 2024

Large-scale quantum computers will inevitably need quantum error correction (QEC) to protect information against decoherence. Given that the overhead of such error correction is often formidable, autonomous quantum error correction (AQEC) proposals offer a promising near-term alternative. AQEC schemes work by transforming error states into excitations that can be efficiently removed through engineered dissipation. The recently proposed AQEC scheme by Li , called the Star code, can autonomously correct or suppress all single qubit error channels using two transmons as encoders with a tunable coupler and two lossy resonators as a cooling source. The Star code requires only two-photon interactions and can be realized with linear coupling elements, avoiding experimentally challenging higher-order terms needed in many other AQEC proposals, but needs carefully selected parameters to achieve quadratic improvements in logical states' lifetimes. Here, we theoretically and numerically demonstrate the optimal parameter choices in the Star code. We further discuss adapting the Star code to other planar superconducting circuits, which offers a scalable alternative to single qubits for incorporation in larger quantum computers or error correction codes.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Social contacts, neighborhoods and individual unemployment risk
Authors: Poggi Ambra
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to empirically investigate whether social contacts can mediate the way in which current unemployment impacts future unemployment.

Design/methodology/approach

We use 2006–2017 data from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and a dynamic random-effects model to describe the evolution of individual unemployment status over time.

Findings

Once controlled for the local context where individuals live and create friendships, we find that above-average social contacts reduce unemployment persistence. However, social contacts seem to be slightly less effective in deprived neighborhoods. These findings are consistent with the idea that individuals obtain information about job opportunities through a network of social contacts, and unemployment may lead to a decay of social capital, making it more difficult to find employment in future periods. Our results also show that neighborhood deprivation increases individual unemployment risk, while above-average neighborhood cohesion reduces the probability of unemployment in deprived neighborhoods.

Originality/value

Although many studies have been published on unemployment persistence, to the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study quantifying the impact of social contacts on unemployment persistence. The study also offers fresh empirical evidence on the impact of neighborhood characteristics on unemployment risk.
The gig verse: building a sustainable future
Authors: Ray Bhumika , Sengupta Atri , Varma Arup
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Despite the popularity of gig employment amid the changing business landscape, gig scholarship is somewhat limited and the untold reality about gig is yet to be fully revealed. This study aims to critically address the nature of gig employment, its ambiguities, evolution, theoretical premises and the appropriate future road ahead.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a dual analytical approach – bibliometric and thematic analyses. After incorporating the exclusion–inclusion criteria, the authors identified 2,135 articles for the bibliometric analyses by using VOSviewer. Additionally, for the deep-delving synthesis, the authors conducted thematic analyses following Braun and Clarke (2006), based on 351 papers.

Findings

The findings revealed that gig work, in its different forms, is emerging as an alternative work arrangement with respect to the future of work. This study also identified multilevel perspectives of gig employment along with its holistic nomological network. Finally, this study offers some critical research directions that should help enhance the theoretical and practical strengths of this nascent scholarship in future.

Research limitations/implications

The review findings are limited in nature owing to the paucity of quality research papers published in the said domain.

Practical implications

The paper brings more clarity to what gig is and isn’t, along with its critical perspectives from multilevel lenses.

Originality/value

This paper identifies critical perspectives related to gig work and suggests appropriate directions for future gig work related scholarship.
Perspectives of the administration of Greek universities regarding the adoption of sustainability practices
Authors: Platitsa Vasiliki , Sardianou Eleni , Abeliotis Konstantinos , Mitoula Roido
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to the perceptions of the administration of Greek universities on sustainable development and the role of the administration in the implementation of corresponding practices. Specifically, it examines management’s perception and contribution to sustainable development and assesses the sustainability initiatives taking place in universities and the factors that influence their implementation. The obstacles and motivations in the implementation of these actions are also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

For the empirical analysis, a survey was conducted during the period March–June 2022, addressing questionnaires to 12 rectors or vice rectors dealing with the sustainability of the respective 12 Greek universities. Secondary data about their sustainability practices were also collected from the institutions’ official Web pages.

Findings

The results show that management’s perception of sustainable development mainly concerns the conservation of resources for future generations and the balancing of the economy. Moreover, the findings indicate that universities play a significant role in achieving sustainability by contributing to the educational process, conducting research and serving as a model of sustainability for both the educational community and society as a whole. Financial and institutional barriers are characterized as the most important obstacles for adopting sustainability practices. The most popular motives to promote sustainability issues are financial support of universities, in addition to the governmental support of the leadership and, in particular, of the rectorate authorities.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first conducted among the Greek universities that focuses on administration’s viewpoint and contributes to the international dialogue on the implementation of sustainability by higher education institutions. The results provide preliminary evidence of top management responses to endorse sustainability activities at the higher education institutes in the broader area of Eastern Europe.
Moment or movement – the heterogeneous impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on personal and societal charitable crowdfunding campaigns
Authors: Seutter Janina , Müller Michelle , Müller Stefanie , Kundisch Dennis
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Whenever social injustice tackled by social movements receives heightened media attention, charitable crowdfunding platforms offer an opportunity to proactively advocate for equality by donating money to affected people. This research examines how the Black Lives Matter movement and the associated social protest cycle after the death of George Floyd have influenced donation behavior for campaigns with a personal goal and those with a societal goal supporting the black community.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper follows a quantitative research approach by applying a quasi-experimental research design on a GoFundMe dataset. In total, 67,905 campaigns and 1,362,499 individual donations were analyzed.

Findings

We uncover a rise in donations for campaigns supporting the black community, which lasts substantially longer for campaigns with a societal than with a personal funding goal. Informed by construal level theory, we attribute this heterogeneity to changes in the level of abstractness of the problems that social movements aim to tackle.

Originality/value

This research advances the knowledge of individual donation behavior in charitable crowdfunding. Our results highlight the important role that charitable crowdfunding campaigns play in promoting social justice and anti-discrimination as part of social protest cycles.
Performance and returns volatility of banks in India: public versus private sector
Authors: Singh Kuldeep
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This current study draws a comparison between the performance indicators of public sector banks (PSBs) and private sector banks (or non-PSBs) in India. The study controls for the impact of COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses strongly balanced panel data for seven years of 12 PSBs and 10 non-PSBs from the Nifty PSU Bank Index and Nifty Private Bank Index. The study applies panel data methodology to arrive at the results.

Findings

The study demonstrates that the behavior of indicators of performance and returns volatility for PSBs and non-PSBs differs substantially. While factors like capital adequacy ratio (CAR), cost management (COST), liquidity (LIQ), inflation and economic growth exhibit a similar impact on both categories of Indian banks, the effect of credit risk (RISK), market power (POWER) and COVID-19 on performance and returns stability is different for PSBs and non-PSBs.

Research limitations/implications

There is a limited sample size of banks in India.

Practical implications

PSBs and non-PSBs need distinct treatments when calibrating performance indicators.

Social implications

The performance and stability of banks are essential for society at large, the depositors and the investors.

Originality/value

The study provides vibrant implications for insight for banks to calibrate the variables that determine performance and stability, regulators and policymakers for effective governance of the banking ecosystem and effective utilization of public funds and capital. The findings are relevant for policymaking today, when the government is considering the privatization of a few PSBs.
From hurdles to heights: blueprint for tackling distributed ledger technology challenges in the construction sector of a developing economy
Authors: Oke Ayodeji Emmanuel , Aliu John , Ehiosun Lydia Uyi , Ebekozien Andrew , Rotimi Akinrolade Ayowole
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The emergence of distributed ledger technology (DLT) has transformed the way construction industries approach data management, ushering in an era of increased transparency, security and efficiency. The purpose of this study is to investigate the strategies to promote the adoption of DLT in the Nigerian construction sector. This was done to address the challenges that hinder the widespread adoption of DLT within the Nigerian construction sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review informed the design of a structured questionnaire for data collection. The questionnaire was distributed among diverse construction professionals to explore their perceptions of potential strategies. The collected data were analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk test for data distribution, while mean values and standard deviations were used to facilitate the ranking of strategies. The Kruskal–Wallis H-test was used to assess opinion differences, and exploratory factor analysis was applied to uncover underlying dimensions.

Findings

The findings revealed the top five strategies for DLT adoption as conducting workshops and seminars to educate professionals, collaborating with universities for DLT courses, encouraging joint projects for shared insights, forming consortia for DLT standards and allocating funding for DLT research in construction. Through factor analysis, the strategies identified were categorized into four principal clusters: awareness and education advancements, government support and incentives, industry collaboration and standards and pilot projects and demonstrations.

Originality/value

While prior studies have identified barriers to DLT adoption and offering recommendations, this research advances the field by empirically investigating and assessing several of these strategies proposed in various studies. This approach provides valuable insights that go beyond existing research, offering a deeper understanding of the practical and contextual dynamics influencing DLT adoption in the construction sector.
Why do employees hide knowledge after working hours? Linking non-working time ICT demands to deceptive knowledge hiding
Authors: He Peixu , Zhou Hanhui , Zhou Qiongyao , Jiang Cuiling , Anand Amitabh
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Employees may adopt deceptive knowledge hiding (DKH) due to nonworking time information and communication technology (ICT) demands. Drawing from the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to develop and test a model of deceptive knowledge hiding (DKH) due to nonworking time information and communication technology (ICT) demands.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 300 service employees have joined the three-wave surveys. Path analysis and bootstrapping methods were used to test the theoretical model.

Findings

Results suggest that knowledge requests during nonworking time could deplete employees’ resources and increase their tendency to engage in DKH, whereas work recovery and emotional exhaustion mediate this relationship. In addition, employees’ work–family segmentation preferences (WFSP) were found to moderate the direct effects of nonworking time ICT demands on employees’ work recovery and emotional exhaustion and the indirect effects of knowledge requests after working hours on DKH through employees’ work recovery and emotional exhaustion.

Originality/value

First, the findings of this study shed light on the relationship between knowledge requests during employees’ nonworking time and knowledge hiding, suggesting that knowledge hiding could occur beyond working hours. Second, drawing on COR theory, this study explored two joint processes of resource replenishment failure and depletion and how nonworking time ICT demands trigger knowledge hiding. Third, the interaction effect of individuals’ WFSP and nonworking time factors on knowledge hiding deepens the understanding of when nonworking time ICT demands may induce knowledge hiding through various processes.
Oil rent, corruption and economic growth relationship in Nigeria: evidence from various estimation techniques
Authors: David Joseph , Gamal Awadh Ahmed Mohammed , Mohd Noor Mohd Asri , Zakariya Zainizam
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Despite the huge financial resources associated with oil, Nigeria has consistently recorded poor growth performance. Therefore, this study aims to examine how corruption and oil rent influence Nigeria’s economic performance during the 1996–2021 period.

Design/methodology/approach

Various estimation techniques were used. These include the bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds-testing, dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), the fully modified OLS (FMOLS) and the canonical cointegration regression (CCR) estimators and the Toda–Yamamoto causality.

Findings

The bounds testing results provide evidence of a cointegrating relationship between the variables. In addition, the results of the ARDL, DOLS, CCR and FMOLS estimators demonstrate that oil rent and corruption have a significant positive impact on growth. Further, the results indicate that human capital and financial development enhance economic growth, whereas domestic investment and unemployment rates slow down long-term growth. Additionally, the causality test results illustrate the presence of a one-way causality from oil rent to economic growth and a bi-directional causal relationship between corruption and economic growth.

Originality/value

Existing studies focused on the effects of either oil rent or corruption on growth in Nigeria. Little attention has been paid to the exploration of how the rent from oil and the pervasiveness of corruption contribute to the performance of the Nigerian economy. Based on the outcome of this study, strategies and policies geared towards reducing oil dependence and the pervasiveness of corruption, enhancing human capital and financial development and reducing unemployment are recommended.
Business model transition and entrepreneurial small businesses: a systematic literature review
Authors: Leipziger Martin , Kanbach Dominik K. , Kraus Sascha
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Small businesses are facing evolving environments, with a resulting need to shift their traditional approaches toward new business models (BMs). Many face difficulties within this transition process due to their specific resource constraints. Based on this, incremental changes to the BM – business model transition (BMT) – are proposed as comprising a suitable framework for entrepreneurial small businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) to cover a broad range of relevant literature within a final sample of 89 articles. The SLR method was chosen to integrate research in a systematic, transparent and reproducible way. For qualitative analysis and framework derivation, the study draws on a thematic ontological analysis.

Findings

The broad search criteria, focusing on BM, incremental BM changes and small businesses, pave the way for a comprehensive overview of multiple research streams of BM concepts (e.g. digital and sustainable BM). The main contribution of this work is the resulting holistic BMT framework, comprising the main parts BM innovation, external antecedents (transition of environment, entrepreneurial ecosystem), internal antecedents (dynamic capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, resilience, strategy) and output (firm performance).

Practical implications

The framework provides guidance for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial managers to implement and complete BMT in small businesses. Furthermore, the presented paper sets a future research agenda focusing on small businesses structured according to the derived framework.

Originality/value

This study provides the first SLR of existing BM concepts with a small-business specific perspective on BMI and a focus on various incremental BM changes.
Economics of Information Search and Financial Misreporting
Authors: KIM JUNG MIN
Published: February 2024

I examine how investors’ search for different types of information affects managers’ reporting decisions. I distinguish investors’ search for information about firm fundamentals (“fundamental search”) from their search for information about managers’ incentives (“incentive search”). Based on a parsimonious model of misreporting, I predict that fundamental search reduces the earnings response coefficient, which reduces managers’ benefits from misreporting, resulting in less misreporting. In contrast, incentive search increases the earnings response coefficient, which increases the benefits from misreporting, resulting in more misreporting. I test these predictions using an empirical technique that classifies EDGAR downloads as fundamental search or incentive search. Consistent with my theoretical predictions, I find that fundamental (incentive) search is negatively (positively) related to the earnings response coefficients and intentional restatements. I confirm my findings in two distinct empirical settings where the costs of information search exogenously changed: the adoption of XBRL and the electronic filing mandate of Form 4s. Collectively, the results show that investors’ information demand can shape managers’ reporting decisions, and its effects can vary depending on the type of information investors search for.
When HRM meets politics: Interactive effects of high‐performance work systems, organizational politics, and political skill on job performance
Authors: Chang Huikun , Pak Jongwook
Published: February 2024

Recently, scholars in strategic human resource management have attended to internal dynamics that give rise to variability within organizations. Given that workplace politics is an inherent and inevitable part of organizational life, this study investigates the interplay of organizational politics (OP) and an individual's political skill (PS) in shaping the relationship between high‐performance work systems (HPWS) and employees' performance behaviors. Utilizing multilevel, multisource data collected in two phases from 187 employees nested within 47 workgroups, we explore cross‐level three‐way interaction effects involving group‐level HPWS, OP, and individual‐level PS on task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors. The results reveal that the positive impact of HPWS is more pronounced among individuals with strong PS when OP is low. Conversely, in high OP environments, the HPWS–performance relationship becomes negative for those with poor PS, while individuals with strong PS continue to exhibit positive outcomes. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the intricate and nuanced nature of the HPWS–performance relationship.
Counting in qualitative fieldwork: Notes from a large urban park
Authors: Layton Jack
Published: February 2024

This paper reflects on the practice of counting physical activity in a large urban park as a social research method. Using a page of tabulated numbers from inside my notebook as a launching off point, it discusses how this quantitative method aided my qualitative inquiry. It discusses some of the strengths and weaknesses of the method as well as offering a reflection on how geographers and urban scholars might use counting as a regular part of their research practice. By opening up my notebook I reflect on how I went about assembling evidence as a researcher in my investigation of a busy urban space, and how it helped me to understand the social life of a well‐used park in situ as I developed an argument about conceptualising parks as social infrastructures.
Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD)‐idiopathic plasmacytic lymphadenopathy: A distinct subtype of iMCD‐not otherwise specified with different clinical features and better survival
Authors: Gao Yu‐han , Liu Yan‐ting , Zhang Miao‐yan , Li Si‐yuan , Fajgenbaum David C. , Zhang Lu , Li Jian
Published: February 2024

Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is subclassified into iMCD‐thrombocytopenia, anasarca, reticulin fibrosis, renal dysfunction, organomegaly (TAFRO) and iMCD‐not otherwise specified (NOS) according to the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) consensus criteria. With a deeper understanding of iMCD, a group of patients with iMCD‐NOS characterised by polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia, plasmacytic/mixed‐type lymph node histopathology and thrombocytosis has attracted attention. This group of patients has been previously described as having idiopathic plasmacytic lymphadenopathy (IPL). Whether these patients should be excluded from the current classification system lacks sufficient evidence. This retrospective analysis of 228 patients with iMCD‐NOS identified 103 (45.2%) patients with iMCD‐IPL. The clinical features and outcomes of patients with iMCD‐IPL and iMCD‐NOS without IPL were compared. Patients with iMCD‐IPL showed a significantly higher inflammatory state but longer overall survival. No significant difference in overall survival was observed between severe and non‐severe patients in the iMCD‐IPL group according to the CDCN severity classification. Compared with lymphoma‐like treatments, multiple myeloma‐like and IL‐6‐blocking treatment approaches in the iMCD‐IPL group resulted in significantly higher response rates and longer time to the next treatment. These findings highlight the particularities of iMCD‐IPL and suggest that it should be considered a new subtype of iMCD‐NOS.
Resolution pharmacology and the treatment of infectious diseases
Authors: Costa Vivian Vasconcelos , Resende Filipe , Melo Eliza Mathias , Teixeira Mauro Martins
Published: February 2024

Inflammation is elicited by the host in response to microbes, and is believed to be essential for protection against infection. However, we have previously hypothesized that excessive or misplaced inflammation may be a major contributor to tissue dysfunction and death associated with viral and bacterial infections. The resolutive phase of inflammation is a necessary condition to achieve homeostasis after acute inflammation. It is possible that targeting inflammation resolution may be beneficial for the host during infection. In this review, we summarize the evidence demonstrating the expression, roles and effects of the best described pro‐resolving molecules in the context of bacterial and viral infections. Pro‐resolving molecules play a pivotal role in modulating a spectrum of pathways associated with tissue inflammation and damage during both viral and bacterial infections. These molecules offer a blend of anti‐inflammatory, pro‐resolving and sometimes anti‐infective benefits, all the while circumventing the undesired and immune‐suppressive unwanted effects associated with glucocorticoids. Whether these beneficial effects will translate into benefits to patients clearly deserve further investigation.
Dietary melatonin and liver cancer incidence in Japan: From the Takayama study
Authors: Wada Keiko , Hattori Atsuhiko , Maruyama Yusuke , Mori Tomoka , Sugino Masaaki , Nakashima Yuma , Yamakawa Michiyo , Yamamoto Masayuki , Hori Akihiro , Seishima Mitsuru , Tanabashi Shinobu , Matsushita Shogen , Nagata Chisato
Published: February 2024

There is some biological plausibility that exogenous melatonin plays a role in preventing liver carcinogenesis. There has been little research on the association between melatonin intake in a normal diet and health outcomes. We evaluated the association between dietary melatonin intake and the incidence of liver cancer in a population‐based prospective study in Japan. This study included 30,824 residents of Takayama city who were 35 years of age or older in 1992 and had participated in the Takayama study, Japan. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire at the baseline. Melatonin content in foods was measured by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Cancer incidence was confirmed through regional population‐based cancer registries in Gifu. Liver cancer was defined as code C22 according to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision. Hazard ratios for liver cancer were estimated for the tertile groups of melatonin intake using a Cox proportional hazards model. During the mean follow‐up period of 13.6 years, 189 individuals developed liver cancer. Compared with subjects in the lowest tertile of melatonin intake, those in the middle and highest tertiles had decreased risks of liver cancer, with a significant linear trend after multivariate adjustments (hazard ratios: 0.64 and 0.65, respectively, trend p = 0.023). There was no significant interaction by sex (interaction p = 0.54). This initial finding, which needs to be confirmed by further studies, suggests that consuming melatonin‐containing foods might play a role in the prevention of liver cancer.
Caregivers' perspectives of community acceptance before and after surgical treatment for their child's disability
Authors: Johnson Kali , Hartwig Kari , Maisano Kristen , Crusan Ambria , Biggs Jennifer , DiSpirito Keira
Published: February 2024

In Tanzania, about 600 000 youth between 5 and 24 years old have a disability. Individuals with disabilities face numerous obstacles due to social stigma. The aim of this formative evaluation is to assess how caregivers of children with correctable disabilities (e.g., cleft lip/palate, club foot, and burn scar contractures) in Tanzania perceive their community's acceptance of their child before and after surgical treatment. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 80 caregivers of children with disabilities treated at Kafika House in Arusha, Tanzania. The constant comparative method identified themes regarding the caregivers' feelings on their child's functional abilities and experiences of stigma in their community. Caregiver perceptions of stigma before and after surgical treatment were categorized and quantified as ‘positive’, ‘neutral’ and ‘negative’. Thematic analysis of the 80 interviews resulted in five major themes: (1) stigma and acceptance (pre‐treatment) and (2) post‐treatment; (3) functional abilities (pre‐treatment) and (4) post‐treatment; and (5) emotional impact (pre‐ and post‐treatment). These themes indicate caregivers and their children experience a range of emotional impacts before and after treatment, more severe stigma before treatment, and overall better social, emotional and functional status after treatment. Frequency analysis of caregiver experiences indicated that stigma experienced by children and their families decreased from 75% before surgical treatment to 2.5% after surgery. Surgical intervention and rehabilitation of physical disabilities mitigated experiences of social stigma for both children and their caregivers. Findings support the need for expanded treatment of correctable disabilities, larger investments in community‐based rehabilitation programmes and further interventions to support stigmatized parents and their children.
Prevalence and phenotypes associated with ALPK3 null variants in a large French multicentric cohort: Confirming its involvement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Ader Flavie , Jedraszak Guillaume , Janin Alexandre , Billon Clarisse , Buisson Nathalie Roux , Bloch Adrien , Bensalah Meriem , De Sandre‐Giovannoli Anachiara , Goudal Adeline , Marsili Luisa , Cazeneuve Cécile , Charron Philippe , Millat Gilles , Richard Pascale ,   Cardiogen French Network of Molecular Biologists
Published: February 2024

Biallelic disease‐causing variants in the ALPK3 gene were first identified in children presenting with a severe cardiomyopathy. More recently, it was shown that carriers of heterozygous ALPK3 null variants are at risk of developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with an adult onset. Since the number of reported ALPK3 patients is small, the mutational spectrum and clinical data are not fully described. In this multi‐centric study, we described the molecular and clinical spectrum of a large cohort of ALPK3 patients. Genetic testing using targeted next generation sequencing was performed in 16 183 cardiomyopathy index cases. Thirty‐six patients carried at least one null ALPK3 variant. The five paediatric patients carried two ALPK3 variants, all presented an HCM phenotype with severe outcomes (one transplantation, one heart failure and one cardiac arrest). The 31 adult patients carried heterozygous variants and the main phenotype was HCM (n = 26/31); including 15% (n = 4) presented with an apical or a concentric form of hypertrophy. Reporting a large cohort of ALPK3 patients, this collaborative work confirmed a strong association with HCM and suggesting his screening in the context of idiopathic HCM.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation ameliorates adolescent depressive‐ and anxiety‐like behaviors via hippocampus glycolysis and inflammation response
Authors: Sun Lan , Ma Shixiang , Yu Yun , Li Xiangji , Wei Qianwen , Min Li , Rong Peijing
Published: February 2024

Background

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a crucial neuromodulation therapy for depression, yet its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we aim to unveil the underlying mechanisms of antidepression by systematically evaluating the change of gene expression in different brain regions (i.e., hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex).

Methods

The adolescent depression rat model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), followed by the taVNS treatment for 3 weeks. The open field test (OFT), forced swimming test (FST), elevated plus maze test (EPM), and new object recognition (NOR) test were used to evaluate depressive‐ and anxiety‐like behaviors. Gene expression analysis of three brain regions was conducted by RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) and further bioinformatics methods.

Results

The depressive‐ and anxiety‐like behaviors in CUMS‐exposed rats were manifested by decreased spontaneous locomotor activity of OFT, increased immobility time of FST, increased entries and time in the closed arms of EPM, and decreased new object index of NOR. Furthermore, CUMS exposure also led to alterations in gene expression within the hippocampus (HIP), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), suggesting a potential link between adolescent stress and pathological changes within these brain regions. TaVNS could significantly ameliorate depressive‐ and anxiety‐like behaviors. Its effects on these three brain regions were found related to regulation of the metabolism, and there were some brain region‐specific findings. Compared with ACC and mPFC, taVNS has a more concrete effect on HIP by regulating the inflammation response and glycolysis.

Conclusion

taVNS is capable of ameliorating adolescent depressive‐ and anxiety‐like behaviors by regulating plenty of genes in the three brain regions. Suppressed level of inflammatory response and enhanced glycolysis manifests the dominant role of taVNS in HIP, which provides a theoretical foundation and data support for the molecular mechanism of antidepression by taVNS.