bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Statin-associated immune-mediated necrotizing myositis in Native Americans
Authors: Muruganandam Maheswari , Iqbal Ahsan , Akpan Eyerusalem B , Dolomisiewicz Anthony C , Waters Yvonne M , Emil N Suzanne , Nunez Sharon E , McElwee Matthew K , O’Sullivan Frank X , Fields Roderick A , Sibbitt Wilmer L 
Published: March 2022

AbstractObjectivesStatin-associated immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) and idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) are myopathies with overlapping features. This study compared the manifestations of IMNM to IIM in Native Americans.MethodTwenty-one Native American patients with inflammatory myopathy (IM) were characterized as to diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, statin exposure, myopathy diagnosis, muscle histology, autoimmune and myositis-specific autoantibodies, therapy and outcome.ResultsIM consisted of 52.4% IMNM, 42.9% IIM and 4.8% metabolic myopathy. IMNM vs IIM patients were older [61.6 years (s.d. 9.8) vs 39.8 (14.3)], diabetes mellitus (100% vs 55.6%), hyperlipidaemia (100% vs 33.3%), statin-exposure (100% vs 22.2%), creatine kinase [CK; 11 780 IU (s.d. 7064) vs 1707 (1658)], anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) antibodies (85.7% vs 11.1%) and necrotizing IM (81.8% vs 11.1%), but shorter disease duration [26.2 months (s.d. 395) vs 78.4 (47.9)], RP (9.1% vs 55.6%), cutaneous manifestations (0% vs 55.6%), ANA (18.2% vs 66.7%) or any autoantibody (18.2% vs 88.9%) (all P &lt; 0.05). MRI abnormalities, histologic IM, myositis-specific autoantibodies, pulmonary hypertension, oesophageal dysfunction, interstitial lung disease, disability and persistently elevated CK were similar. IMNM vs IIM was treated more with IVIG (72.7% vs 11.1%; P = 0.009) and less with antimetabolites (45.5% vs 88.9%; P = 0.05) and rituximab (18.2% vs 55.6%; P = 0.09).ConclusionsIMNM may occur in Native Americans and is associated with diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, statin use and older age and is characterized by marked CK elevation, necrotizing myopathy and anti-HMGCR antibodies with few cutaneous or vascular manifestations.
Clinical manifestation of patients with isolated rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder after modest-to-long disease duration
Authors: Hong Jung Kyung , Kim Jong-Min , Kim Ki-woong , Han Ji Won , Ahn Soyeon , Yoon In-Young 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Study Objectives
Patients with isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) are known to be at risk of neurodegenerative diseases but the time process of neurodegeneration remains unclear and its ethnic difference is rarely discussed. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical manifestation of iRBD according to disease duration in a Korean cohort.

Methods
Patients who had been diagnosed with iRBD for at least 5 years were tracked and those currently remaining as iRBD were invited for motor, autonomic, olfactory, color discrimination, and cognitive tests. Cross-sectional comparison between patients with iRBD with modest disease duration (5–9.9 years) and long disease duration (≥10 years) was conducted.

Results
There were total of 198 patients with iRBD (135 males, 68.2%) tracked, whose average age at diagnosis was 65.9 years. Thirty-three had developed parkinsonism and 17 had developed dementia, resulting in a phenoconversion risk of 35.7% at 10 years. Hazard rate showed a gradually increasing trend over time, beginning from 2.1 conversions per year to 8.5 at 10 years. Patients with iRBD with a long disease duration (n = 19) had slightly higher motor scores than those with a modest duration (n = 82). However, they showed no difference in the frequency of motor abnormality or other clinical markers.

Conclusions
There is a possible racial or geographical difference of phenoconversion risk. The progression of neurodegeneration might be very subtle in that patients with iRBD with longer disease duration do not necessarily show higher frequency of neurodegeneration markers.
IMAGING THE VITREOUS WITH A NOVEL BOOSTED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE
Authors: Spaide Richard F. , Valmaggia Philippe , Maloca Peter M. , Scholl Hendrik P. N. , Otto Tilman P. , Caujolle Sophie 
Published: March 2022

Purpose:
To evaluate the degenerative findings including cistern formation in the premacular vitreous using optical coherence tomography.

Methods:
A novel enhanced vitreous imaging method by which four A-scans at each position were averaged before the Fourier transform increased the image quality per frame so that subsequent image registration for averaging could occur. Analysis of B-scans and volume-rendered images of eyes in subjects of various ages was performed.

Results:
There were 43 eyes of 23 subjects ranging in age from 23 to 68 years. The texture in the vitreous images suggests specific orientations of the vitreous fibers in the macular region; there were fibers circumferential to the retina immediately anterior to the premacular bursa. The pattern of the vitreous fibers seemed less well-defined internal to the zone of circumferential fibers. In younger eyes, there were striations oriented in a roughly inferior to superior direction in this zone. In older eyes, there were striations in the same orientation but actually were alternating zones of vitreous synchysis and syneresis. In these same eyes, numerous cisterns appeared at various levels in the vitreous gel. With extensive vitreous condensation and synchysis, definition of the premacular bursa was lost.

Conclusion:
With this novel method of enhanced vitreous imaging, the vitreous seemed to have stereotypic patterns of degeneration. The formation of vitreous syneresis and synchysis may be related to organization architecture of the vitreous, including the pattern of vitreous collagen deposition, and the effects of eye motion through decades of time.
Enhancing Hepatic MBOAT7 Expression Does Not Improve Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Mice
Authors: Sharpe Martin C. , Pyles Kelly D. , Hallcox Taylor , Kamm Dakota R. , Piechowski Michaela , Fisk Bryan , Albert Carolyn J. , Carpenter Danielle H. , Ulmasov Barbara , Ford David A. , Neuschwander-Tetri Brent A. , McCommis Kyle S. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackground & AimsGenetic analyses of human NASH have revealed polymorphisms near the membrane bound O-acyl transferase domain containing 7 (MBOAT7) gene associated with worsened liver injury. NAFLD/NASH also appears to decrease MBOAT7 expression or activity independent of these polymorphisms. Thus, we hypothesized that enhancing MBOAT7 function in NASH would improve pathology.Approach & ResultsMale C57BL6/J mice were infected with adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) expressing MBOAT7 under control of the hepatocyte-specific thyroid hormone-binding globulin promoter, or control virus expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). Mice were infected after NASH induction with either choline-deficient high-fat diet or Gubra Amylin NASH diet and compared to low-fat fed control mice. Both NASH diets increased liver weights, liver triglycerides, and plasma alanine and aspartate aminotransferase (ALT and AST) markers of liver injury, which were modestly yet significantly improved by MBOAT7 overexpression. However, NASH liver histology assessed by categorical scoring was not substantially improved by MBOAT7 overexpression. MBOAT7 regulates the formation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) predominantly by arachidonoylation of lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI). Shotgun lipidomics of NASH GFP-control livers suggested decreased MBOAT7 activity in that LPI content was elevated, and both total and arachidonoylated-PI were reduced. Surprisingly, MBOAT7 overexpression did not rescue the content of most arachidonoylated PI species but did normalize or increase the abundance of several oleate and linoleate-containing PI species. Free arachidonic acid was elevated but the MBOAT7 substrate arachidonoyl-CoA was found to be low in all NASH livers compared to low-fat fed mice, likely due to decreased expression of both long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSL) 1 and 4 in NASH livers compared to controls.ConclusionsThese results suggest MBOAT7 overexpression fails to measurably improve NASH pathology potentially due to insufficient abundance of its arachidonoyl-CoA substrate in fatty livers.
Adaptations of endolithic communities to abrupt environmental changes in a hyper-arid desert
Authors: Perez-Fernandez Cesar A. , Wilburn Paul , Davila Alfonso , DiRuggiero Jocelyne 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACTThe adaptation mechanisms of microbial communities to natural perturbations remain relatively unexplored, particularly in extreme environments. The extremophilic communities of halite (NaCl) nodules from the hyper-arid core of the Atacama Desert are self-sustained and represent a unique opportunity to study functional adaptations and community dynamics with changing environmental conditions. We transplanted halite nodules to different sites in the desert and investigated how their taxonomic, cellular, and biochemical changes correlated with water availability, using environmental data modeling and metagenomic analyses. Salt-in strategists, mainly represented by haloarchaea, significantly increased in relative abundance at sites characterized by extreme dryness, multiple wet/dry cycles, and colder conditions. The functional analysis of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) revealed site-specific enrichments in archaeal MAGs encoding for the uptake of various compatible solutes and for glycerol utilization. These findings suggest that opportunistic salt-in strategists took over the halite communities at the driest sites. They most likely benefited from metabolites newly released in the environment by the death of microorganisms least adapted to the new conditions. The observed changes were consistent with the need to maximize cellular bioenergetics when confronted with lower water availability and higher salinity, providing valuable information on microbial community adaptations and resilience to climate change.
Information disclosure quality and firm value: empirical evidence for an emerging integrated market
Authors: Restrepo Luisa Fernanda , Tellez-Falla Diego , Godoy-Bejarano Jesús 
Published: March 2022

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of information disclosure on firm value for firms in the Integrated Latin American Market (MILA) over the period 2011–2017.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses structural equation modeling (SEM), where the latent variable “Disclosure Quality” is measured using five textual analysis variables as indicators. The final sample is composed of 1,412 observations representing 198 firms from which we were able to collect annual reports and financial information required.FindingsThe authors find a positive and statistically significant effect of “Disclosure Quality” on firm value. The indirect effect of language on firm value is also captured. Text similarity, negative tone, readability and text length in corporate disclosure are negatively related to firm value while using positive tone is positively related. In the exploratory analysis, the authors have significant effects of textual measures on disclosure quality.Originality/valueThe research is original and unique as it approaches the relation between disclosure quality and market valuation of the firm using SEM for firms participating in the MILA.
Management or market variables in the assessment of corporate performance? Evidence on a bank-based system
Authors: Neves Maria Elisabete , Vieira Elisabete , Serrasqueiro Zélia 
Published: March 2022

PurposeThis paper aims to study the influence of some company-specific characteristics, corporate governance factors and macroeconomic factors on the Portuguese companies’ performance.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve this aim, the authors have used data from 39 Euronext Lisbon companies for the period between 2014 and 2019. The authors used panel data methodology, specifically the generalized method of moments estimation method by Arellano and Bover (1995) and Blundell and Bond (1998).FindingsThe results point out that the sign and significance of the determinants of corporate performance change depending on the variable used to measure performance. The Tobin’s Q variable, as a market variable and variable of interest to potential investors, is explained by some corporate governance variables and company-specific factors. Specifically, potential investors are confident in the leadership power of the chief executive office (CEO) and the members of the Board of Directors, which contributes positively to corporate performance. However, the firms’ age has a negative impact on Tobin’s Q. Considering an accounting variable managed internally by the organizations, the results show that return on assets is negatively influenced by leverage, and positively affected by CEO duality, which the manager believes is decisive to maintain performance levels.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to analyze specific characteristics of companies and corporate governance factors, in a specific macroeconomic environment of high dependence on banking, considering the nonlinear effect of company age on company performance.
Creativity and innovation in rapidly developing Qatar: the impact of leadership and the mediation of psychological empowerment amidst rapid growth
Authors: Gelaidan Hamid Mahmood , Houtgraaf Glenn , Al-kwifi Osama Sam 
Published: March 2022

PurposeThis study examines the effects of perceived leadership styles on the perceived creativity and innovation of public servants working in a rapidly developing country while shedding light on the internal causal dynamics of these effects.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data are collected from 568 Qatari public servants working in a variety of public sector organizations. Data are analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) employing SmartPLS.FindingsA significant relationship between perceived leadership styles and public servants' self-perceived creativity is found, with psychological empowerment as a mediating variable. Public servants that perceive their leaders as conveying transformational, transactional and servant leadership styles are found to have significantly higher self-perceived creativity, whereas authentic leadership does not have a significant positive effect. This finding indicates that transformational, transactional and servant leadership styles appear to impact public servants' creativity. This impact corresponds with findings from research on the relationship between leadership styles and creativity in the private sector. The results of this study confirmed the mediating effect of psychological empowerment, apart from authentic leadership.Originality/valueThe findings shed light on the relationship between perceived leadership styles and the self-perceived creativity of public servants working in a rapidly developing country, its causal dynamics and how these effects relate to corresponding findings in the private sector. The ensuing practical implications offer guidelines on how to organize leadership to maximize creativity and innovation in the public sector, especially in rapidly developing countries.
Design of the participatory budget: how to turn citizens into process protagonists
Authors: Mattei Giorgia , Santolamazza Valentina , Grandis Fabio Giulio 
Published: March 2022

PurposeIn the New Public Governance (NPG) paradigm, citizens play a vital role in the decision-making of public organisations and are fundamental to aligning their expectations with service delivery. Citizen engagement could be realised in the budgeting process by adopting participatory budgeting (PB) even if previous literature on PB does not focus on this tool design issue. Therefore, this study aims to understand which PB institutional design arrangements help enhance citizen participation.Design/methodology/approachA deductive content analysis and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis were carried out on the PB regulations of 100 Italian municipalities.FindingsThe results suggest that the PB design can be elaborated in different ways that do not always guarantee the involvement of citizens. Virtuous municipalities engage citizens from the start of the process and in the most relevant discussion and deliberation phases. A simple legislative provision does not guarantee a real introduction of participatory governance.Originality/valueThis study theorises citizen participation in PB and examines it through empirical evidence to define relationships between PB design arrangements and citizen engagement.
Immersive netnography: a novel method for service experience research in virtual reality, augmented reality and metaverse contexts
Authors: Kozinets Robert V. 
Published: March 2022

PurposeAs immersive technologies gain wider adoption, contemporary service researchers are tasked with studying their service experiences in ways that preserve and attend to their holistic and human characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to provide service researchers with a new qualitative approach to studying immersive technologies.Design/methodology/approachUsing logic and following established methodological rules, this article develops the scope, definition and set of procedures for a novel form of netnography specifically adapted for the study of immersive technologies: immersive netnography. The research question is “How might netnography be adapted to research service experiences in virtual and augmented environments, which include and overlap with the notion of a Metaverse?”FindingsImmersive netnography should be at the vanguard of phenomenological service experience studies of augmented reality, virtual reality and the Metaverse. A set of data collection, analysis, ethical and representational research practices, immersive netnography is adapted to digital media phenomena (customer and employee) that include immersive technology experiences. Developed through logical argumentation after analyzing key differences between social media and immersive technology, immersive netnography is procedurally customized for experience research in immersive technology environments.Research limitations/implicationsThree of the most significant practical limitations to producing high-quality netnography are rapidly changing contexts, scarce time resources and narrow researcher skillsets.Practical implicationsIndustries and organizations may benefit from a new, holistically focused, ethically robust and culturally attuned market research method for understanding service experience in immersive technology contexts.Originality/valueThere have been no prior studies that develop netnography for the service research opportunities presented by immersive technologies. By applying the rigorous methodological guidance provided in this paper, future service researchers may find value in using specifically adapted qualitative research methods to study immersive technology experiences.
Budget systems and post-pandemic economic resilience in developing countries
Authors: Dzigbede Komla D. , Pathak Rahul , Muzata Sombo 
Published: March 2022

PurposeOver the years, public sector reforms in emerging economies have focused on improving national budget systems and financial management practices to promote sustainable development. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, this article examines whether the strength or effectiveness of national budget systems and related financial management practices moderates the impact of fiscal policy measures on economic recovery and resilience.Design/methodology/approachThe article uses bivariate correlations and difference-in-difference analyses to examine the relationship between budget system effectiveness, government stimulus measures and forecasts of economic recovery and resilience. The analysis uses data from the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) program, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.FindingsThe article finds that estimates of economic recovery and resilience are higher in countries with more reliable budget processes and more transparent public finances. Also, the strength or effectiveness of the budget system before the pandemic appears to moderate the impact of government stimulus measures on economic recovery and resilience over a medium-term forecast horizon.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a prospective analysis based on economic forecasts from the IMF, which are subject to change in the coming years. In addition, the analysis uses subjective budget system indicators, which present measurement challenges that often influence this area of research. Better comparative data in the future, for example, large administrative datasets, will enable researchers to explore these issues with less estimation bias.Practical implicationsThe findings are relevant for policymakers and budget officials in developing countries in Africa who are engaged in plans to improve national budget systems and enhance resilience to crises, such as the COVID-19-induced economic crisis. The findings also have implications for developing countries beyond Africa with similar economic and fiscal conditions.Social implicationsThe findings have implications for economic and budgetary planning for the social sector as well as the efficient delivery of public services in developing countries. Public managers have a critical role to play in adapting national budget systems and financial management reforms within complex and evolving economic circumstances even after the coronavirus pandemic.Originality/valueThe authors use novel and latest data on country responses to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as medium-term economic forecasts to examine the relationship between national budget systems and post-pandemic economic recovery and resilience in the African context. Previous research has only addressed these issues in the context of industrialized countries, and a limited number of empirical studies examine these relationships. The findings also have significant value for policymakers outside Africa who are facing similar challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Modeling the volatilities of globally listed private equity markets
Authors: Tegtmeier Lars 
Published: March 2022

Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of stochastic volatility processes in globally listed private equity (LPE) markets, which are represented by nine global, regional and style indices, and reveals transmissions in the conditional variances between the different markets, based on weekly data covering the period January 2011 to December 2020.

Design/methodology/approach
The study uses the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity [GARCH(p, q)] model and its exponential GARCH (EGARCH) and GARCH-in-mean extensions.

Findings
The estimates of the volatility models GARCH, EGARCH and GARCH-in-mean GARCH-M for testing the stylized properties persistence, asymmetry, mean reversion and risk premium lead to very different results, depending on the respective LPE index.

Practical implications
The knowledge of conditional volatilities of LPE returns as well as the detection of volatility transmissions between the different LPE markets under investigation serve to support asset allocation decisions with respect to risk management or portfolio allocation. Hence, the findings are important for all kinds of investors and asset managers who consider investments in LPE.

Originality/value
The authors present a novel study that examines the conditional variance for globally LPE markets by using LPX indices, offering valuable insight into this growing asset class.