bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socioeconomic status of indigenous peoples with active tuberculosis in Brazil: a principal components analysis
Authors: Freitas Laís P. , Souza-Santos Reinaldo , Kolte Ida V. , Malacarne Jocieli , Basta Paulo C.
Published: March 2018

Indigenous people usually live in precarious conditions and suffer a disproportionally burden of tuberculosis in Brazil. To characterize the socioeconomic status of indigenous peoples with active tuberculosis in Brazil, this cross-sectional study included all Amerindians that started tuberculosis treatment between March 2011 and December 2012 in four municipalities of Mato Grosso do Sul state (Central-Western region). We tested the approach using principal components analysis (PCA) to create three socioeconomic indexes (SEI) using groups of variables: household characteristics, ownership of durable goods, and both. Cases were then classified into tertiles, with the 1st tertile representing the most disadvantaged. A total of 166 indigenous cases of tuberculosis were included. 31.9% did not have durable goods. 25.9% had family bathroom, 9.0% piped water inside the house and 53.0% electricity, with higher proportions in Miranda and Aquidauana. Houses were predominantly made using natural materials in Amambai and Caarapó. Miranda and Aquidauana had more cases in the 3rd tertile (92.3%) and Amambai, in the 1st tertile (37.7%). The indexes showed similar results and consistency for socioeconomic characterization. The percentage of people in the 3rd tertile increased with years of schooling. The majority in the 3rd tertile received Bolsa Família, a social welfare programme. This study confirmed the applicability of the PCA using information on household characteristics and ownership of durable goods for socioeconomic characterization of indigenous groups and provided important evidence of the unfavorable living conditions of Amerindians with tuberculosis in Mato Grosso do Sul.
Opposing roles of endosomal innate immunity proteins IFITM3 and TLR7 in human metapneumovirus infection
Authors: McMichael Temet M. , Zhang Yu , Kenney Adam D. , Zhang Lizhi , Lu Mijia , Chemudupati Mahesh , Li Jianrong , Yount Jacob S.
Published: March 2018

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) utilizes a bifurcated cellular entry strategy, fusing either with the plasma membrane or, after endocytosis, with the endosome membrane. Whether cellular factors restrict or enhance either entry pathway is largely unknown. We found that the interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) inhibits hMPV infection to an extent similar to endocytosis-inhibiting drugs, and an IFITM3 variant that accumulates at the plasma membrane in addition to its endosome localization provided increased virus restriction. Mechanistically, IFITM3 blocks hMPV F protein-mediated membrane fusion, and inhibition of infection was reversed by the membrane destabilizing drug amphotericin B. Conversely, we unexpectedly found that infection by some hMPV strains is enhanced by Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), an endosomal protein, suggesting that cellular entry via endocytosis may be particularly advantageous for hMPV despite eventual restriction of this pathway upon induction of IFITM3. Overall, our results identify IFITM3 and TLR7 as endosomal factors differentially regulating hMPV infection.
Heavily and Fully Modified RNAs Guide Efficient SpyCas9-Mediated Genome Editing
Authors: Mir Aamir , Alterman Julia F. , Hassler Matthew R. , Debacker Alexandre J. , Hudgens Edward , Echeverria Dimas , Brodsky Michael H. , Khvorova Anastasia , Watts Jonathan K. , Sontheimer Erik J.
Published: March 2018

RNA-based drugs depend on chemical modifications to increase potency and nuclease stability, and to decrease immunogenicity in vivo. Chemical modification will likely improve the guide RNAs involved in CRISPR-Cas9-based therapeutics as well. Cas9 orthologs are RNA-guided microbial effectors that cleave DNA. No studies have yet explored chemical modification at all positions of the crRNA guide and tracrRNA cofactor. Here, we have identified several heavily-modified versions of crRNA and tracrRNA that are more potent than their unmodified counterparts. In addition, we describe fully chemically modified crRNAs and tracrRNAs (containing no 2’-OH groups) that are functional in human cells. These designs demonstrate a significant breakthrough for Cas9-based therapeutics since heavily modified RNAs tend to be more stable in vivo (thus increasing potency). We anticipate that our designs will improve the use of Cas9 via RNP and mRNA delivery for in vivo and ex vivo purposes.
A new approach to design artificial 3D micro-niches with combined chemical, topographical and rheological cues
Authors: Stoecklin Celine , Yue Zhang , Chen Wilhelm W. , de Mets Richard , Fong Eileen , Studer Vincent , Viasnoff Virgile
Published: March 2018

The in vitro methods to recapitulate environmental cues around cells are usually optimized to test a specific property of the environment (biochemical nature or the stiffness of the extra cellular matrix (ECM), or nanotopography) for its capability to induce defined cell behaviors (lineage commitment, migration). Approaches that combine different environmental cues in 3D to assess the biological response of cells to the spatial organization of different biophysical and biochemical cues are growingly being developed. We demonstrate how the lamination of through-hole polymeric bio-functionalized membranes can be implemented to create complex bona fide micro-niches with differential 3D environmental properties using photoactive materials. Our approach enables to create micro-niches ranging in size from single cells to cell aggregates. They are bio-functionalized in 3D simultaneously with topographical featured, protein patterns and structured ECM surrogate with 1 micrometer resolution. We demonstrate how these niches extend in 3D the ability to pattern cells. We exemplify how they can be used to standardize cells shapes in 3D and to trigger the apico-basal polarization of single epithelial cells.
Role of noise and parametric variation in the dynamics of gene regulatory circuits
Authors: Kohar Vivek , Lu Mingyang
Published: March 2018

Stochasticity in gene expression impacts the dynamics and functions of gene regulatory circuits. Intrinsic noises, including those that are caused by low copy number of molecules and transcriptional bursting, are usually studied by stochastic analysis methods, such as Gillespie algorithm and Langevin simulation. However, the role of extrinsic factors, such as cell-to-cell variability and heterogeneity in microenvironment, is still elusive. To evaluate the effects of both intrinsic and extrinsic noises, we develop a new method, named sRACIPE, by integrating stochastic analysis with random circuit perturbation (RACIPE) method. Unlike traditional methods, RACIPE generates and analyzes an ensemble of mathematical models with random kinetic parameters. Previously, we have shown that the gene expression from random models form robust and functionally related clusters. Under the framework of this randomization-based approach, here we develop two stochastic simulation schemes, aiming to reduce the computational cost without sacrificing the convergence of statistics. One scheme uses constant noise to capture the basins of attraction, and the other one uses simulated annealing to detect the stability of states. By testing the methods on several gene regulatory circuits, we found that high noise, but not large parameter variation, merges clusters together. Our approach quantifies the robustness of a gene circuit in the presence of noise and sheds light on a new mechanism of noise induced hybrid states. We have implemented sRACIPE into a freely available R package.
Natural killer cells inhibit Plasmodium falciparum growth in red blood cells via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity
Authors: Arora Gunjan , Hart Geoffrey T. , Manzella-Lapeira Javier , Doritchamou Justin Y.A. , Narum David L. , Thomas L. Michael , Brzostowski Joseph , Rajagopalan Sumati , Doumbo Ogobara K. , Traore Boubacar , Miller Louis H. , Pierce Susan K. , Duffy Patrick E. , Crompton Peter D. , Desai Sanjay A. , Long Eric O.
Published: March 2018

Antibodies acquired naturally through repeated exposure to Plasmodium falciparum are essential in the control of blood-stage malaria. Antibody-dependent functions may include neutralization of parasite–host interactions, complement activation, and activation of Fc receptor functions. A role of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by natural killer (NK) cells in protection from malaria has not been established. Here we show that IgG isolated from adults living in a malaria-endemic region activated ADCC by primary human NK cells, which lysed infected red blood cells (RBCs) and inhibited parasite growth in an in vitro assay for ADCC-dependent growth inhibition. RBC lysis by NK cells was highly selective for infected RBCs in a mixed culture with uninfected RBCs. Human antibodies to P. falciparum antigens PfEMP1 and RIFIN were sufficient to promote NK-dependent growth inhibition. As these results implicate acquired immunity through NK-mediated ADCC, antibody-based vaccines that target bloodstream parasites should consider this new mechanism of action.
X Chromosome Dosage Modulates Multiple Molecular and Cellular Properties of Mouse Pluripotent Stem Cells Independently of Global DNA Methylation Levels
Authors: Song Juan , Janiszewski Adrian , Geest Natalie De , Vanheer Lotte , Talon Irene , Bakkali Mouna El , Oh Taeho , Pasque Vincent
Published: March 2018

During early mammalian development, the two X-chromosomes in female cells are active. Dosage compensation between XX female and XY male cells is then achieved by X-chromosome inactivation in female cells. Reprogramming female mouse somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) leads to X-chromosome reactivation. The extent to which increased X-chromosome dosage (X-dosage) in female iPSCs leads to differences in the molecular and cellular properties of XX and XY iPSCs is still unclear. We show that chromatin accessibility in mouse iPSCs is modulated by X-dosage. Specific sets of transcriptional regulator motifs are enriched in chromatin with increased accessibility in XX or XY iPSCs. We show that the transcriptome, growth and pluripotency exit are also modulated by X-dosage in iPSCs. To understand the mechanisms by which increased X-dosage modulates the molecular and cellular properties of mouse pluripotent stem cells, we used heterozygous deletions of the X-linked gene Dusp9 in XX embryonic stem cells. We show that X-dosage regulates the transcriptome, open chromatin landscape, growth and pluripotency exit largely independently of global DNA methylation. Our results uncover new insights into X-dosage in pluripotent stem cells, providing principles of how gene dosage modulates the epigenetic and genetic mechanisms regulating cell identity.
A Quantitative Tractography Study into the Connectivity, Segmentation and Laterality of the Human Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus
Authors: Panesar Sandip S , Fang-Cheng Yeh , Jacquesson Timothée , Hula William , Juan C Fernandez-Miranda
Published: March 2018

The human inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) is a ventral, temporo-occipital association tract. Though described in early neuroanatomical works, its existence was later questioned. Application of in vivo tractography to the neuroanatomical study of the ILF has generally confirmed its existence, however consensus is lacking regarding its subdivision, laterality and connectivity. Further, there is a paucity of detailed neuroanatomic data pertaining to the exact anatomy of the ILF. Generalized Q-Sampling imaging (GQI) is a non-tensor tractographic modality permitting high resolution imaging of white-matter structures. As it is a non-tensor modality, it permits visualization of crossing fibers and accurate delineation of close-proximity fiber-systems. We applied deterministic GQI tractography to data from 30 healthy subjects and a large-volume diffusion atlas, to delineate ILF anatomy. Post-mortem white matter dissection was also carried out in a cadaveric specimen for further validation. The ILF was found in all 60 hemispheres. At its occipital extremity, it demonstrated a trifurcated termination pattern which was used to separate the ILF into 3 distinct sub-fascicles: Dorsolateral, ventrolateral and ventromedial. These divisions were consistent across the subject set and within the atlas. We applied quantitative techniques to study connectivity strength of the ILF at its anterior and posterior extremities. Overall, the 3 sub-fascicles, and the whole ILF, demonstrated strong leftward-lateralized connectivity patterns. Leftward-lateralization was also found for ILF volumes across the subject set. Due to connective and volumetric leftward-dominance and ventral location, we postulate the ILFs role in the semantic system. Further, our results are in agreement with functional and lesion-based postulations pertaining to the ILFs role in facial recognition.
Monkeys are Curious about Counterfactual Outcomes
Authors: Wang Maya Zhe , Hayden Benjamin Y.
Published: March 2018

While many non-human animals show basic exploratory behaviors, it remains unclear whether any animals possess human-like curiosity. We propose that human-like curiosity satisfies three formal criteria: (1) willingness to pay (or to sacrifice reward) to obtain information, (2) that the information provides no instrumental or strategic benefit (and the subject understands this), and (3) the amount the subject is willing to pay scales with the amount of information available. Although previous work, including our own, demonstrates that some animals will sacrifice juice rewards for information, that information normally predicts upcoming rewards and their ostensible curiosity may therefore be a byproduct of reinforcement processes. Here we get around this potential confound by showing that macaques sacrifice juice to obtain information about counterfactual outcomes (outcomes that could have occurred had the subject chosen differently). Moreover, willingness-to-pay scales with the information (Shannon entropy) offered by the counterfactual option. These results demonstrate human-like curiosity in non-human animals according to our strict criteria, which circumvent several confounds associated with less stringent criteria.
What influences the willingness of Vietnamese accountants to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by 2025?
Authors: Phan Duc , Joshi Mahesh , Mascitelli Bruno
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of perceived implications of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on the willingness to adopt IFRS.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analysed the causal relationships between perceptions and the willingness of the accountants to adopt IFRS.

Findings

The findings revealed that perceived benefits drove the willingness to adopt IFRS whereas the perceived disadvantages and challenges diminished the willingness. Knowledge of IFRS enhanced the willingness towards IFRS adoption. Also, legitimacy desire enhanced the association between the perceived implications and the willingness to adopt IFRS.

Originality/value

The study contributes significantly to theory and practice as Vietnamese policy makers recently announced their strategic planning to full IFRS adoption by 2025.
On the news today: challenging homelessness through participatory action research
Authors: De Oliveira Bruno
Published: March 2018

Purpose

How can people with lived experience of homelessness actively participate in contesting their marginalisation? The purpose of this paper is to suggest that involving people who are homeless in participatory action research (PAR) is one such strategy. This paper shows that such an approach can have a significant impact on empowering people with direct of experience of homelessness to challenge prevailing social discourses, particularly in terms of the way in which the local media presents homelessness as a social issue.

Design/methodology/approach

A PAR approach informed the design, development and dissemination of the study on which this paper is based. Analytically, it is underpinned by Foucauldian discourse analysis (FDA). FDA, with its focus on power relations in society, is noted to be particularly useful for analysing local media representations of homeless people.

Findings

The research reported here found that academic practitioners and homeless people can work together to challenge media discourses, which serve to marginalise people affected by homelessness.

Research limitations/implications

The research reported here served to challenge some of the ways in homeless people are victimized and stigmatized.

Practical implications

The research reported here has the potential to inform future research concerned with understanding media presentations of homeless people. It can be seen as a model for how people affected by a particularly pernicious social issue can contribute to research in ways that go beyond researching for the sake of research.

Originality/value

The research reported here provides evidence of the emancipatory value of research that seeks to bring academic practitioners and homeless people together in a partnership to challenge vital social issues such as the power of the local media to frame understandings of homelessness.
Selfie appropriation by young British South Asian adults
Authors: Dey Bidit Lal , Balmer John M.T. , Pandit Ameet , Saren Mike
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how young British South Asian adults’ dual cultural identity is exhibited and reaffirmed through the appropriation of selfies.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a qualitative perspective and utilises a combination of in-depth interviews and netnographic data.

Findings

The appropriation of the selfie phenomenon by young British South Asian adults reifies, endorses and reinforces their dual cultural identity. As such, their dual cultural identity is influenced by four factors: consonance between host and ancestral cultures, situational constraints, contextual requirements and convenience.

Research limitations/implications

In terms of the selfie phenomenon, the study makes two major contributions: first, it analyses young British South Asian adults’ cultural dualism. Second, it explicates how their acculturation and their dual cultural identity are expressed through the appropriation of the selfie phenomenon.

Practical implications

Since young British South Asians represent a significant, and distinct, market, organisations serving this market can marshal insights from this research. As such, managers who apprise themselves of the selfie phenomenon of this group are better placed to meet their consumer needs. Account, therefore, should be taken of their twofold cultural identity and dual British/Asian identification. In particular, consideration should be given to their distinct and demonstrable traits apropos religiosity and social, communal, and familial bonding. The characteristics were clearly evident via their interactions within social media. Consequently, senior marketing managers can utilise the aforementioned in positioning their organisations, their brands and their products and services.

Originality/value

The study details a new quadripartite framework for analysing young British South Asian adults’ acculturation that leads to the formation of their dual cultural identity and presents a dynamic model that explicates how cultural identity is expressed through the use and appropriation of technology.
The control-ownership wedge and the survival of French IPOs
Authors: Derouiche Imen , Sassi Syrine , Toumi Narjess
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the control-ownership wedge of controlling shareholders (excess control) on the survival of French initial public offerings (IPOs).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper studies a large sample of 434 French IPOs. The empirical analysis uses the Cox proportional hazard and accelerated-failure-time models. Data are manually gathered from IPO prospectuses.

Findings

The findings support a positive relation between the control-ownership wedge and IPO survival time, indicating that survival is more likely in firms with high excess control levels. This result is consistent with the view that controlling shareholders with a large control-ownership wedge have incentives to preserve their private benefits of control by increasing firm survival chances. The findings also show that older IPOs are more likely to survive, while riskier and underpriced IPOs are more likely to delist.

Practical implications

The results provide a better understanding of the role of excess control in IPO survival. They also enrich the debate on the efficiency of the one-share-one-vote rule.

Originality/value

The research provides new insights into the role of agency conflicts in IPO survivability. In particular, it explores the effect of dominant shareholders with a control-ownership wedge on survival time.
Investigating the associations between executive compensation and firm performance
Authors: Elsayed Nader , Elbardan Hany
Published: March 2018

Purpose

While there have been extensive empirical investigations of pay-performance sensitivity, the perspective of performance-pay has received less attention to date. While executive compensation is sensitive to firm performance, firm performance is also likely to be affected by executive compensation. Adopting multiple theoretical perspectives, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether executive compensation has a greater influence on firm performance or whether the latter has a greater influence on compensation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from a five-year period (2010-2014) for Financial Times and Stock Exchange 350 companies, the authors employ a set of simultaneous equation modelling to jointly investigate, after accounting for endogeneity problem, the mutual association of executive compensation and firm performance by employing four control variables (board size, non-executive directors, leverage and boardroom ownership).

Findings

The authors find strong evidence for the greater influence of executive compensation on firm performance than the pay-performance framework. This finding supports the tournament theory compared with the agency perspective.

Research limitations/implications

Inevitably, there are limitations in a wide-ranging study of this nature that could be addressed in future research. As any empirical study utilising company data, there may be concerns to the effect of survivorship bias and the manner in which companies have reorganised, if there is any, themselves during the period under examination. There are also issues as to missing data, some measures relating to both executive compensation and corporate governance are not provided by the BoardEx database.

Practical implications

The study results provide evidence that using the tournament perspective by remuneration committees as a guide for determining executive compensation helps in achieving better performance. This helps in developing appropriate mechanisms for setting executive remuneration.

Originality/value

This paper combines an empirical investigation of the frameworks of pay-performance and performance-pay and develops a system of six simultaneous equations to examine the associations between executive compensation and firm performance.
The role of state ownership on earnings quality: evidence across public and private European firms
Authors: Gaio Cristina , Pinto Inês
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of state ownership on financial reporting quality regarding the characteristics of conservatism and earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a large sample of public and private European firms during the period 2003-2010, the authors test the hypotheses following Ball and Shivakumar’s (2005) model for conservatism and the modified Jones (1991) model proposed by Dechow and Sloan (1995) for earnings management. To ensure that the results are robust, the authors conduct sensitivity analysis with regard to potential endogeneity and selection bias.

Findings

The authors find that state-owned firms are less conservative than non-state-owned firms, which is consistent with the idea that there is less need for accounting conservatism due to government protection. The authors also show that capital markets play an important role in shaping the relation between state ownership and earnings management. Among public firms, the authors find that state-owned firms have higher abnormal accruals and worse accruals quality than non-state-owned firms, which suggests that state-owned firms are not immune to capital market pressures.

Research limitations/implications

The study has two limitations. First, as state-owned and non-state-owned firms face quite different incentive structures, management behavior might be determined by factors that have yet to be identified. Second, prior research results suggest an inverted U-shape relation between ownership concentration and earnings management (Ding et al., 2007). It would be interesting to investigate the impact of different levels of state ownership on earnings quality.

Practical implications

As the paper investigates the role of state ownership on earnings quality using a sample of European firms, it brings new insights regarding the role of state ownership in accounting quality and firm performance. In addition, it considers the role of capital markets in the relation between the quality of financial reporting and ownership by considering a sample with both public and private firms.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the debate about state intervention in the corporate sector, by extending the knowledge of the effects of government ownership on earnings quality by using a large sample of European firms. Furthermore, the authors also introduce the effect of capital market forces on managers’ behavior in state-owned and non-state-owned companies by analyzing private and publicly listed firms.
Do bondholders receive benefits from bank interventions?
Authors: Lian Yili
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of bank interventions on bond performance in relation to loan covenant violations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper tests the following questions: do bondholders receive benefits from bank interventions? Is bond performance related to the probability of bank interventions? Is the turnover of a chief executive officer (CEO) associated with bank interventions and bond performance? Abnormal bond returns, the difference between bond returns and matched bond index returns are used to measure bond performance. An estimated outstanding loan balance is used to measure the probability of bank interventions. CEO turnover is identified from proxy statements and categorized into forced and voluntary CEO turnovers. Event studies and regression analysis were used to answer the above research questions.

Findings

This paper finds that both short-term and long-term bond returns increase after covenant violations, bond performance is positively related to the probability of bank interventions, forced CEO turnovers are positively associated with the probability of bank interventions and firms with forced CEO turnovers tend to have superior bond performance.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to explore the relation between bank interventions and bond performance.
The utility of peer-support in enhancing the treatment of incarcerated sexual offenders
Authors: Perrin Christian , Frost Andrew , Ware Jayson Barry
Published: March 2018

Purpose

In the quest to maximize treatment gains, recent research has shifted focus from treatment itself to the context in which treatment takes place. Such investigations have alluded to rehabilitative climate, therapeutic alliance, prison social climate, and the efficacy of group process. The purpose of this paper is to review peer-support as a mechanism via which these goals might be reached.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the literature on peer-support in carceral settings was undertaken in February 2017.

Findings

While there is very little research exploring peer-support in the context of offender rehabilitation, there are some promising signs from many qualitative investigations that peer-led roles can bridge many gaps in support within the therapeutic context.

Research limitations/implications

More research on the potential negative impact of peer-support in carceral setting is needed.

Practical implications

This paper proposes that the implementation of peer-support programs that operate alongside treatment interventions represent an encouraging direction for the future. It is argued that prisoner-led peer-support initiatives that are characterized by shared problem solving and reciprocal emotional support can greatly reduce the anxiety prisoners face surrounding treatment. It is suggested that, through peer-support, treatment gains may be enhanced and better assimilated into program-completers’ lives.

Social implications

Peer-support may assist current treatment approaches with sexual offenders and could therefore potentially contribute to reductions in recidivism.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to review peer-support in the context of imprisonment and offender therapy. It therefore provides an important status update for future researchers wishing to investigate this topic, and outlines several priorities that such research might interrogate further.
Effect of Different Core Exercises Applied During the Season on Strength and Technical Skills of Young Footballers
Authors: Bavlı Özhan , Koç Caner Batuhan
Published: March 2018

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of two different types of core training applied during the season on the strength performance and football technical skills of young footballers. A total of 18 footballers average age was 15±0.8years voluntarily participated in the study. Two different core trainings were applied in addition to football technical skills. Before and after the study, the sit-up, standing long jump, push-up, dribbling, passing and shooting performances of players were observed. Data were assessed with the SPSS. In the dynamic group there were statistically significant improvements in all variables apart from shooting and passing, while the static group had statistically significant development of all variables apart from shooting. The control group only had statistically significant development for sit-up performance. While development sufficient to form significant differences between the variables observed in the experimental groups was not observed, there were significant differences for all variables when compared with the control group apart from shooting performance. In conclusion, footballers with eight-week dynamic and static core training added to in-season football training had similar levels of development in terms of strength and football technical skills, with significant development of strength, dribbling and passing skills when compared to a group without core training. In light of this data, eight-week dynamic and static strength training applied to footballers in the development period may be said to be an effective method to develop abdominal muscle strength and explosive strength performance and to develop dribbling and passing skills unique to football.
Being a Parent of a Child With Autism From Diagnosis to the University Years
Authors: Girli Alev
Published: March 2018

When literature is examined, it is seen that generally there are descriptive studies examining the effects of young children with autism in a certain age or age range on their parents’ marital and family relationships as well as psychological conditions such as mourning, stress, anxiety, and depression. Longitudinal studies on the social experiences of parents of children with autism are scarce. It was observed that there was not a longitudinal study in Turkey, evaluating the emotional processes parents live through from the years when their children are diagnosed with autism until the university education, the changes they experience in family relations, the problems they encounter in their children’s education process, and the emotional-social support services they receive/do not receive. This study is a qualitative study that examines the 15–16 years of experience of autistic children’s parents by analyzing video interview records that were carried out using a semi-structured interview form. The results were examined under seven themes and five sub-themes, and the results that were obtained were in accordance with the literature.
X-ray ‘ghost images’ could cut radiation doses
Authors: Chen Sophia
Published: March 2018

Technique points to safer medical imaging done with cheap, single-pixel cameras.
Self-heating–induced healing of lithium dendrites
Authors: Li Lu , Basu Swastik , Wang Yiping , Chen Zhizhong , Hundekar Prateek , Wang Baiwei , Shi Jian , Shi Yunfeng , Narayanan Shankar , Koratkar Nikhil
Published: March 2018

Healing away the dendrites

The formation of lithium dendrites during charge-discharge cycles limits the development of lithium metal batteries, because the dendrites can cause electrical shorting of the cells. A number of tricks have been used to try to prevent dendrite formation. Li
et al.
took the opposite approach (see the Perspective by Mukhopadhyay and Jangid). They operated their cells at higher current densities, under which one would expect dendrites to form owing to the higher nucleation rates. However, under these conditions, the dendrites that started to form heated up and annealed, leading to their disappearance.

Science
, this issue p.
1513
; see also p.
1463
Activation of olefins via asymmetric Brønsted acid catalysis
Authors: Tsuji Nobuya , Kennemur Jennifer L. , Buyck Thomas , Lee Sunggi , Prévost Sébastien , Kaib Philip S. J. , Bykov Dmytro , Farès Christophe , List Benjamin
Published: March 2018

Attacking olefins with chiral acids

A little acid can accelerate a wide range of chemical reactions. The advent of chiral phosphoric acid derivatives has been useful for biasing these reactions toward just one of two mirror-image products. For the most part, though, these chiral catalysts have interacted with basic sites such as carbonyl groups. Tsuji
et al.
now extend asymmetric acid catalysis to simple carbon-carbon double bonds. Their custom imidodiphosphate forms a pocket that orients olefins to achieve mainly intramolecular alkoxylation on just one face after protonation.

Science
, this issue p.
1501
Pharmacokinetics of Daptomycin in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients
Authors: Antachopoulos Charalampos , Ilia Stavroula , Kadiltzoglou Paschalis , Baira Eirini , Dokoumetzidis Aristides , Gikas Evangelos , Volakli Eleni , Sdougka Maria , Briassoulis George , Roilides Emmanuel
Published: March 2018

The pharmacokinetics of daptomycin (10 mg/kg once daily) was studied in 4 critically ill pediatric patients aged 8 to 14 yrs. The area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC
0–∞
) of plasma concentrations on day 1 ranged between 123.8 to 663.9 μg · h/ml, with lower values observed in septic and burn patients; clearance ranged from 15.1 to 80.7 ml/h/kg. Higher-than-recommended doses of daptomycin may be needed in septic children to ensure optimal drug exposure. Interpatient variability may suggest a role for therapeutic drug monitoring.
Effect of Short-Term Antiretroviral Therapy Interruption on Levels of Integrated HIV DNA
Authors: Strongin Zachary , Sharaf Radwa , VanBelzen D. Jake , Jacobson Jeffrey M. , Connick Elizabeth , Volberding Paul , Skiest Daniel J. , Gandhi Rajesh T. , Kuritzkes Daniel R. , O'Doherty Una , Li Jonathan Z.
Published: March 2018

Analytic treatment interruption (ATI) studies are required to evaluate strategies aimed at achieving ART-free HIV remission, but the impact of ATI on the viral reservoir remains unclear. We validated a DNA size selection-based assay for measuring levels of integrated HIV DNA and applied it to assess the effects of short-term ATI on the HIV reservoir. Samples from participants from four AIDS Clinical Trials Group ATI studies were assayed for integrated HIV DNA levels. Cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained for 12 participants with available samples pre-ATI and approximately 6 months after ART resumption. Four participants also had samples available during the ATI. The median duration of ATI was 12 weeks. Validation of the HIV integrated DNA size-exclusion (HIDE) assay was performed using samples spiked with unintegrated HIV DNA, HIV-infected cell lines, and participant PBMCs. The HIDE assay eliminated 99% of unintegrated HIV DNA species and strongly correlated with the established Alu-
gag
assay. For the majority of individuals, integrated DNA levels increased during ATI and subsequently declined upon ART resumption. There was no significant difference in the levels of integrated HIV DNA between the pre- and post-ATI time points, with a median ratio of post- to pre-ATI HIV DNA levels of 0.95. Using a new integrated HIV DNA assay, we found minimal change in the levels of integrated HIV DNA in participants who underwent an ATI, followed by 6 months of ART. This suggests that short-term ATI can be conducted without a significant impact on the levels of integrated proviral DNA in the peripheral blood.

IMPORTANCE
Interventions aimed at achieving sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free HIV remission require treatment interruption trials to assess their efficacy. However, these trials are accompanied by safety concerns related to the expansion of the viral reservoir. We validated an assay that uses an automated DNA size-selection platform for quantifying levels of integrated HIV DNA and is less sample- and labor-intensive than current assays. Using stored samples from AIDS Clinical Trials Group studies, we found that short-term ART discontinuation had minimal impact on integrated HIV DNA levels after ART resumption, providing reassurance about the reservoir effects of short-term treatment interruption trials.
Mosquito Saliva Reshapes Alphavirus Infection and Immunopathogenesis
Authors: Fong Siew-Wai , Kini R. Manjunatha , Ng Lisa F. P.
Published: March 2018

Alphaviruses are transmitted to humans via bites of infected mosquitoes. Although alphaviruses have caused a wide range of outbreaks and crippling disease, the availability of licensed vaccines or antiviral therapies remains limited. Mosquito vectors such as
Aedes
and
Culex
are the main culprits in the transmission of alphaviruses. This review explores how mosquito saliva may promote alphavirus infection. Identifying the roles of mosquito-derived factors in alphavirus pathogenesis will generate novel tools to circumvent and control mosquito-borne alphavirus infections in humans.
Interleukin-27R Signaling Mediates Early Viral Containment and Impacts Innate and Adaptive Immunity after Chronic Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection
Authors: Harker James A. , Wong Kurt A. , Dallari Simone , Bao Phuc , Dolgoter Aleksandr , Jo Yeara , Wehrens Ellen J. , Macal Monica , Zuniga Elina I.
Published: March 2018

Chronic viral infections represent a major challenge to the host immune response, and a unique network of immunological elements, including cytokines, are required for their containment. By using a model persistent infection with the natural murine pathogen lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus clone 13 (LCMV Cl13) we investigated the role of one such cytokine, interleukin-27 (IL-27), in the control of chronic infection. We found that IL-27 receptor (IL-27R) signaling promoted control of LCMV Cl13 as early as days 1 and 5 after infection and that
il27p28
transcripts were rapidly elevated in multiple subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) and myeloid cells. In particular, plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), the most potent type 1 interferon (IFN-I)-producing cells, significantly increased
il27p28
in a Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7)-dependent fashion. Notably, mice deficient in an IL-27-specific receptor, WSX-1, exhibited a pleiotropy of innate and adaptive immune alterations after chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, including compromised NK cell cytotoxicity and antibody responses. While, the majority of these immune alterations appeared to be cell extrinsic, cell-intrinsic IL-27R was necessary to maintain early pDC numbers, which, alongside lower IFN-I transcription in CD11b
+
DCs and myeloid cells, may explain the compromised IFN-I elevation that we observed early after LCMV Cl13 infection in IL-27R-deficient mice. Together, these data highlight the critical role of IL-27 in enabling optimal antiviral immunity early and late after infection with a systemic persistent virus and suggest that a previously unrecognized positive-feedback loop mediated by IL-27 in pDCs might be involved in this process.

IMPORTANCE
Persistently replicating pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus, represent major health problems worldwide. These infections impose a long-term challenge on the host immune system, which must be heavily and continuously regulated to keep pathogen replication in check without causing fatal immunopathology. Using a persistently replicating rodent pathogen, LCMV, in its natural host, we identified the cellular sources and effects of one important regulatory pathway, interleukin-27 receptor WSX-1 signaling, that is required for both very early and late restriction of chronic (but not acute) infection. We found that WSX-1 was necessary to promote innate immunity and the development of aberrant adaptive immune responses. This not only highlights the role of IL-27 receptor signaling in regulating distinct host responses that are known to be necessary to control chronic infections, but also positions IL-27 as a potential therapeutic target for their modulation.
‘What’s my risk of sustaining an ACL injury while playing football (soccer)?’ A systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Montalvo Alicia M , Schneider Daniel K , Silva Paula L , Yut Laura , Webster Kate E , Riley Michael A , Kiefer Adam W , Doherty-Restrepo Jennifer L , Myer Gregory D
Published: March 2018

Objective

To estimate the incidence proportion (IP) and incidence rate (IR) of ACL injury in football players.

Design

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

Data sources

PubMed, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus electronic databases were searched from inception to 20 January 2017.

Eligibility criteria for selecting study

Studies that reported the total number of participants/population by sex, total number of ACL injuries by sex and total person-time by sex were included.

Results

Twenty-eight studies were included. The IP and IR of ACL injury in female football players were 2.0% (95% CI 1.2% to 3.1%) and 2.0/10 000 athlete exposures (AEs) (95% CI 1.6 to 2.6; I2=91%) over a period of one season to 4 years. The IP and IR of ACL injury in male players were 3.5% (95% CI 0.7% to 8.2%) and 0.9/10 000 AEs (95% CI 0.7 to 1.1; I2=94%). Studies that evaluated matched cohorts of female and male players showed no difference in IP (relative risk=1.2; 95% CI 0.9 to 1.6; P=0.47) over a period of one season to 4 years. Women were at greater risk than men (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=2.2; 95% CI 1.6 to 3.1; I2=83%; P<0.001). When accounting for participation level, the difference in IR between women and men was greatest for intermediate players (IRR=2.9; 95% CI 2.4 to 3.6) compared with amateur (IRR=2.6; 95% CI 1.4 to 4.8) and elite (IRR=2.0; 95% CI 1.1 to 3.4) players.

Summary/conclusion

Overall, more men sustained ACL injury in football. There was no difference in the relative risk of ACL injury between female and male football players in a window that spanned one season to 4 years. The IR of ACL injury among women was 2.2 times higher than the IR of ACL injury among men. The reported sex disparity in ACL injury was independent of participation level.
Effects of supplemental oxygen therapy in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials
Authors: Sepehrvand Nariman , James Stefan K , Stub Dion , Khoshnood Ardavan , Ezekowitz Justin A , Hofmann Robin
Published: March 2018

Background

Although oxygen therapy has been used for over a century in the management of patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI), recent studies have raised concerns around the efficacy and safety of supplemental oxygen in normoxaemic patients.

Objective

To synthesise the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the effects of supplemental oxygen therapy compared with room air in patients with suspected or confirmed AMI.

Methods

For this aggregate data meta-analysis, multiple databases were searched from inception to 30 September 2017. RCTs with any length of follow-up and any outcome measure were included if they studied the use of supplemental O2 therapy administered by any device at normal pressure compared with room air. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, an investigator assessed all the included studies and extracted the data. Outcomes of interests included mortality, troponin levels, infarct size, pain and hypoxaemia.

Results

Eight RCTs with a total of 7998 participants (3982 and 4002 patients in O2 and air groups, respectively) were identified and pooled. In-hospital and 30-day death occurred in 135 and 149 patients, respectively. Oxygen therapy did not reduce the risk of in-hospital (OR, 1.11 (95% CI 0.69 to 1.77)) or 30-day mortality (OR, 1.09 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.50)) in patients with suspected AMI, and the results remained similar in the subgroup of patients with confirmed AMI. The infarct size (based on cardiac MRI) in a subgroup of patients was not different between groups with and without O2 therapy. O2 therapy reduced the risk of hypoxaemia (OR, 0.29 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.47)).

Conclusion

Although supplemental O2 therapy is commonly used, it was not associated with important clinical benefits. These findings from eight RCTs support departing from the usual practice of administering oxygen in normoxaemic patients.
Association between psychological distress and mortality: the case of Israel
Authors: Ponizovsky Alexander Michael , Haklai Ziona , Goldberger Nehama
Published: March 2018

Background

Previous studies have demonstrated the association between psychological distress (measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12) and risks of all-cause mortality and deaths from cardiovascular, cancer and other causes. We hypothesised that in the Israeli population permanently exposed to war/terror stressors, this relationship is absent.

Methods

We performed an analysis of data from participants in the Israel National Health Survey conducted in 2003–2004, who died during the follow-up decade. Subjects were assigned to groups based on GHQ-12 score: 0–10 (asymptomatic), 11–14 (subclinically symptomatic), 15–19 (symptomatic) and 20–36 (highly symptomatic). Data were weighted to the total population.

Results

We analysed data from 4843 individuals, median age 40.5 (IQR 28–54); 473 participants died during the follow-up. We found a significant increase in total mortality, cardiovascular and other causes of mortality (but not cancer deaths) with increase in GHQ-12 score (P for linear trend of ungrouped GHQ scores <0.0001, 0.0015 and <0.0001, respectively). The age–sex-adjusted HR for the highest GHQ-12 compared with the lowest asymptomatic category was 2.1 (95% CI 1.6 to 2.7) for all-cause deaths, 2.3 (95% CI 1.3 to 4.1) for cardiovascular disease deaths and 2.7 (95% CI 1.9 to 3.9) for other deaths. The HR remained significant after adjustment for education, smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes. The HR even increased after excluding participants with baseline cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Conclusion

Contrary to our hypothesis, psychological distress was associated with all-cause and cardiovascular but not cancer mortality. The absence of reverse causality provides evidence for the direct deleterious effects of psychological distress on mortality outcomes.