Culture

Root canal work is not as bad as people think when compared to other dental procedures. Self-reporting of their dental health suggests that patients find the procedure no worse than other dental work which overturns the popular belief that root canal work is the most unpleasant dental treatment.

Dr Tallan Chew, postgraduate student, Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide co-authored the study.

"Information about 1096 randomly selected Australian people aged 30-61 was collected through questionnaires, dental records and treatment receipts in 2009. Their self-rated dental health score was checked when they had their dental work and two years later," she says.

"Patients who had root canal work reported similar oral health-related quality of life as people who had other types of dental work.

"The effect of root canal work on patients' oral health-related quality of life was compared to other kinds of dental work such as tooth extraction, restoration of teeth, repairs to the teeth or gum treatment, preventative treatment and cleaning."

Every year millions of root canal treatments are performed globally (more than 22 million in the USA alone), which may have a profound positive effect on the quality of life of patients. A root canal treatment repairs and saves a tooth that is badly decayed or is infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Most people associate having root canal work with a lot of pain and discomfort.

"There is growing interest in the dental profession to better understand the effect and impact oral diseases and their associated treatment, such as root canal work, have on patients' quality of life," says Professor Giampiero Rossi-Fedele, Head of Endodontics at Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide who co-authored the study.

"A biopsychosocial view of health is increasingly replacing a purely biomedical model.

"Treatment outcomes need to be re-examined from a patient-based perspective using self-reported measures as this more accurately reflects the patients' perception of treatment outcomes and the effect it has on their overall well-being.

"Patient-reported treatment outcomes are now the principle driving force behind treatment needs, as opposed to clinician-based treatment outcomes.

"With this change in emphasis, the perspectives of patients and their relatives are important factors in identifying need for treatment, treatment planning, and determining outcomes from any health care intervention as part of shared decision making," says Professor Rossi-Fedele.

People with the same lifespan do not necessarily have the same quality of life. As we live longer, extending quality of life -- "healthspan" -- is gaining importance. Scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have discovered a gene linked with healthy ageing in the roundworm C. elegans, shedding light on the genetics of healthspan.

The team has identified a gene called elpc-2 in C. elegans that plays an important role in maintaining healthspan as the worm ages. This gene is conserved in humans -- and worms with defects in this gene showed impaired movement as they aged. Movement at older ages is an indicator of healthspan in both humans and worms.

"As we age, some people keep full locomotor ability while others do not, and we want to understand the genetic reasons," says Dr. Kazuto Kawamura, first author of the study, published in G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. "This gene is one among many playing a role in healthy ageing."

"Our new experimental approach also allows us to test hundreds of worms simultaneously, which could be useful for other researchers."

C. "elegance"

C. elegans is a useful model for studying ageing -- it has a short lifespan and can be easily manipulated in the lab. Kawamura inserted random mutations into the genome of these worms. By studying the offspring of the mutated worms, he was able to test which mutations affected healthspan. He measured whether the organisms were able to maintain their ability to move toward a food source as they aged.

Worms were placed at the center of a dish with food at the edge. They naturally head towards food, providing that their movement is not impaired. Any worms that failed to reach the food on the first day were judged to have impaired movement in young age and were removed from the experiment -- Kawamura was only interested in how this ability declined with age.

The remaining mutants were retested as they got older using the same approach, dubbed the "edge assay" because worms migrate to the edge to reach food. In this later testing, several worms showing impaired movement were identified.

These were then sequenced and their DNA was compared with a normal "wild type" worm to pinpoint the mutations and identify the genes responsible.

"Creating hundreds of random mutants is not so difficult," says Kawamura, "but it is difficult to figure out which mutation is responsible for the impact on locomotor ability."

Understanding healthspan

In this way, the researchers identified elpc-2 and its role in healthspan. The gene encodes part of the elongator complex, which has many important functions including orchestrating the correct folding of proteins. Some of these proteins, in turn, may have roles in locomotion.

Mutants with a damaged elpc-2 gene lacked a working elongator complex, which explains why movement was impaired. To confirm this, Kawamura injected these worms with a working copy of the gene, and movement was restored. He also created worms that expressed a fluorescent copy of the elongator complex, illustrating its widespread expression throughout the body.

Interestingly, other genes were identified that had a strong impact on healthspan -- but not lifespan. In other words, the underlying mutations didn't much affect how long a worm lived, but did impact on how they moved. This demonstrates that while healthspan and lifespan overlap, the genetic basis is distinct.

The elongator complex is just one part of the healthspan puzzle. Next, Kawamura intends to explore other genes playing a role in healthy ageing.

"Once we have a more complete picture of the genes involved, we can begin to manipulate them to improve healthspan," says Kawamura. "First in C. elegans and perhaps, one day, humans."

Oxazolidinones are coveted in the field of medicine and pharmacology for their bioactive properties. There is hope that structurally different types of oxazolidinones can be building blocks for new drugs. With this research, Assistant Professor Yasunori Toda led a team of researchers at Shinshu University to use a neutral phosphonium salt catalyst for the oxazolidinone synthesis from glycidols and isocyanates. Although the conventional method by basic catalysis caused loss of enantiomeric excess in the reaction using optically pure glycidol, the neutral catalysis inhibited the undesired racemization to afford the product in high yields with high selectivities.

Assistant Professor Toda sat down with us for a brief interview about his research into oxazolidinones.

1) What is the aim of this study?

The development of neutral catalysts. Now, we are focusing on the catalytic ability of the molecule, which is one of the phosphonium salts, called?tetraarylphosphonium salts.

2) What is the most important message from the paper that you want readers to understand and remember?

The most important message to remember is that the iodide ion of the catalyst works as a hydrogen-bond acceptor.

3) What was the most challenging part and exciting aspect of the research?

Making a new and original molecule is a fun part of organic chemistry, but which is always very challenging, because nobody knows how the molecule works.

4) What's the next step?

We are curious of carbon dioxide fixation. The use of carbon dioxide instead of isocyanates can be interesting. We also need to understand the precise mechanism of the reaction by computational studies.

5) What is your ultimate goal?

My goal is the development of my name reaction like Toda reaction, which would be my pleasure as a chemist.

With the increase of drug resistant infections, new synthetic approaches to potential drug targets are very welcome. For further information please read the article on Chemical Communications.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women. It is also difficult to diagnose. Nearly one in 10 cancers is misdiagnosed as not cancerous, meaning that a patient can lose critical treatment time. On the other hand, the more mammograms a woman has, the more likely it is she will see a false positive result. After 10 years of annual mammograms, roughly two out of three patients who do not have cancer will be told that they do and be subjected to an invasive intervention, most likely a biopsy.

Breast ultrasound elastography is an emerging imaging technique that provides information about a potential breast lesion by evaluating its stiffness in a non-invasive way. Using more precise information about the characteristics of a cancerous versus non-cancerous breast lesion, this methodology has demonstrated more accuracy compared to traditional modes of imaging.

At the crux of this procedure, however, is a complex computational problem that can be time-consuming and cumbersome to solve. But what if instead we relied on the guidance of an algorithm?

Assad Oberai, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Hughes Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, asked this exact question in the research paper, "Circumventing the solution of inverse problems in mechanics through deep learning: application to elasticity imaging," published in Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. Along with a team of researchers, including USC Viterbi Ph.D student Dhruv Patel, Oberai specifically considered the following: Can you train a machine to interpret real-world images using synthetic data and streamline the steps to diagnosis? The answer, Oberai says, is most likely yes.

In the case of breast ultrasound elastography, once an image of the affected area is taken, the image is analyzed to determine displacements inside the tissue. Using this data and the physical laws of mechanics, the spatial distribution of mechanical properties--like its stiffness--is determined. After this, one has to identify and quantify the appropriate features from the distribution, ultimately leading to a classification of the tumor as malignant or benign. The problem is the final two steps are computationally complex and inherently challenging.

In the research, Oberai sought to determine if they could skip the most complicated steps of this workflow entirely.

Cancerous breast tissue has two key properties: heterogeneity, which means some areas are soft and some are firm, and non-linear elasticity, which means the fibers offer a lot of resistance when pulled instead of the initial give associated with benign tumors. Knowing this, Oberai created physics-based models that showed varying levels of these key properties. He then used thousands of data inputs derived from these models in order to train the machine learning algorithm.

Synthetic Versus Real-World Data

But why would you use synthetically-derived data to train the algorithm? Wouldn't real data be better?

"If you had enough data available, you wouldn't," said Oberai. "But in the case of medical imaging, you're lucky if you have 1,000 images. In situations like this where data is scarce, these kinds of techniques become important."

Oberai and his team used about 12,000 synthetic images to train their machine learning algorithm. This process is similar in many ways to how photo identification software works, learning through repeated inputs how to recognize a particular person in an image, or how our brain learns to classify a cat versus a dog. Through enough examples, the algorithm is able to glean different features inherent to a benign tumor versus a malignant tumor and make the correct determination.

Oberai and his team achieved nearly 100 percent classification accuracy on other synthetic images. Once the algorithm was trained, they tested it on real-world images to determine how accurate it could be in providing a diagnosis, measuring these results against biopsy-confirmed diagnoses associated with these images.

"We had about an 80 percent accuracy rate. Next, we continue to refine the algorithm by using more real-world images as inputs," Oberai said.

Changing How Diagnoses are Made

There are two prevailing points that make machine learning an important tool in advancing the landscape for cancer detection and diagnosis. First, machine learning algorithms can detect patterns that might be opaque to humans. Through manipulation of many such patterns, the algorithm can produce an accurate diagnosis. Secondly, machine learning offers a chance to reduce operator-to-operator error.

So then, would this replace a radiologist's role in determining diagnosis? Definitely not. Oberai does not foresee an algorithm that serves as a sole arbiter of cancer diagnosis, but instead, a tool that helps guide radiologists to more accurate conclusions. "The general consensus is these types of algorithms have a significant role to play, including from imaging professionals whom it will impact the most. However, these algorithms will be most useful when they do not serve as black boxes," said Oberai. "What did it see that led it to the final conclusion? The algorithm must be explainable for it to work as intended."

Adapting the Algorithm for Other Cancers

Because cancer causes different types of changes in the tissue it impacts, the presence of cancer in a tissue can ultimately lead to a change in its physical properties, for example a change in density or porosity. These changes are can be discerned as a signal in medical images. The role of the machine learning algorithm is to pick out this signal and use it to determine whether a given tissue that is being imaged is cancerous.

Using these ideas, Oberai and his team are working with Vinay Duddalwar, professor of clinical radiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, to better diagnose renal cancer through contrast enhanced CT images. Using the principles identified in training the machine learning algorithm for breast cancer diagnosis, they are looking to train the algorithm on other features that might be prominently displayed in renal cancer cases, such as changes in tissue that reflect cancer-specific changes in a patient's microvasculature, the network of microvessels that help distribute blood within tissues.

The temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, commonly referred to as Q10, is a key parameter in the terrestrial carbon cycle. It quantifies the increase in the rate of decomposition corresponding to a 10oC rise in temperature and can determine the sign and magnitude of terrestrial carbon-climate feedback.

The regulatory mechanisms involved in the temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition has been a topic of great interest among the global change research community over the last 20 years. However, comprehensive analyses involving the roles of substrate, environment and microbial properties in regulating Q10 have been limited.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. YANG Yuanhe from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences elucidated the mechanisms underlying vertical variations in Q10. Based on the natural gradient of soil profile in Tibetan alpine grasslands, the team collected soil samples at two soil depths and then conducted long-term incubation, SOM decomposition modeling and manipulative experiments.

The team found that lower microbial abundance and stronger aggregate protection were coexisting mechanisms underlying lower Q10 in subsoil. Substrate quality and mineral protection were less responsible for Q10 variations.

Further analysis revealed that regulatory mechanisms differed between various carbon components. Microbial communities were the main determinant of depth-associated variations in Q10 in the active carbon pool, whereas aggregate protection exerted more important control in the slow carbon pool.

These results revealed the crucial role of soil carbon stabilization mechanisms in regulating the temperature response of SOM decomposition, and provided important insights for accurately understanding the feedback between the terrestrial carbon cycle and climate warming.

For some phenomena in quantum many-body physics several competing theories exist. But which of them describes a quantum phenomenon best? A team of researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Harvard University in the United States has now successfully deployed artificial neural networks for image analysis of quantum systems.

Is that a dog or a cat? Such a classification is a prime example of machine learning: artificial neural networks can be trained to analyze images by looking for patterns that are characteristic of specific objects. Provided the system has learned such patterns, it is able to recognize dogs or cats on any picture.

Using the same principle, neural networks can detect changes in tissue on radiological images. Physicists are now using the method to analyze images - so-called snapshots - of quantum many-body systems and find out which theory describes the observed phenomena best.

The quantum world of probabilities

Several phenomena in condensed matter physics, which studies solids and liquids, remain shrouded in mystery. For example, so far it remains elusive why the electrical resistance of high-temperature superconductors drops to zero at temperatures of about -200 degrees Celsius.

Understanding such extraordinary states of matter is challenging: quantum simulators based on ultracold Lithium atoms have been developed to study the physics of high-temperature superconductors. They take snapshots of the quantum system, which exists simultaneously in different configurations - physicists speak of a superposition. Each snapshot of the quantum system gives one specific configuration according to its quantum mechanical probability.

In order to understand such quantum systems, various theoretical models have been developed. But how well do they reflect reality? The question can be answered by analyzing the image data.

Neural networks investigate the quantum world

To this end, a research team at the Technical University of Munich and at Harvard University has successfully employed machine learning: The researchers trained an artificial neural network to distinguish between two competing theories.

"Similar to the detection of cats or dogs in pictures, images of configurations from every quantum theory are fed into the neural network," says Annabelle Bohrdt, a doctoral student at TUM. "The network parameters are then optimized to give each image the right label - in this case, they are just theory A or theory B instead of cat or dog."

After the training phase with theoretical data, the neural network had to apply what it had learned and assign snapshots from the quantum simulators to theory A or B. The network thus selected the theory which is more predictive.

In the future the researchers plan to use this new method to assess the accuracy of several theoretical descriptions. The aim is to understand the main physical effects of high-temperature superconductivity, which has many important applications, with lossless electric power transmission and efficient magnetic resonance imaging being just two examples.

The number of syphilis cases has been consistently going up across Europe since 2010, mostly affecting men who have sex with men living in urban areas. In 2017, notification rates reached an all-time high in the EU/EEA countries with more than 33 000 reported cases. An in-depth ECDC study describes the factors behind this increase and outlines the evidence-based options for public health control of syphilis, including case finding and management as well as educational activities.

Overall, more than 260 000 confirmed syphilis cases were reported from 30 EU/EEA countries between 2007 and 2017. While annual notifications decreased slightly between 2007 and 2010 (from almost 20 000 to a low of some 19 000 cases), they continuously rose to more than 33 000 cases in 2017. An all-time high since the start of ECDC surveillance recording.

This trend results from notification data of the 23 countries with comprehensive surveillance systems reporting consistently between 2007 and 2017. The rate dropped to a low of 4.2 per 100 000 persons in 2010, before reaching an EU/EEA peak of 7.1 per 100 000 population in 2017 - an increase of 70% compared with the notification rate in 2010. This means that for the first time since the early 2000s, the EU/EEA countries report more syphilis than HIV cases.

Striking country variations in Europe

Between 2010 and 2017, 15 countries reported an increase in the notification rate of more than 15%. However, this varied greatly among countries with rates more than doubling in five countries: Iceland (876%), Ireland (224%), the United Kingdom (153%), Germany (144%) and Malta (123%). On the other hand, Estonia and Romania reported a drop of 50% or more over the same period.

During this period, syphilis diagnoses were consistently higher among men, with rates doubling from 6.1 per 100 000 in 2010 to 12.1 in 2017. Between 2007 and 2017, close to two-thirds (62%, 94 015 of the 152 233 cases where sexual orientation was known) were reported among men who have sex with men. Heterosexual men contributed 23% of cases and women 15%. The proportion of cases diagnosed among men who have sex with men ranged from below 20% in Latvia, Lithuania and Romania to more than 80% in France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The ECDC study looked at more than 60 studies reporting on rising syphilis trends in high-income countries since the early 2000s.

"There is a clear relationship between sexual risk behaviour and the risk of syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases", states Andrew Amato-Gauci, Head of the ECDC programme on HIV, STI and viral hepatitis. "The increases in syphilis infections that we see across Europe, as well as other countries around the world, are a result of several factors such as people having sex without condoms and multiple sexual partners combined with a reduced fear of acquiring HIV", Amato continues. "To reverse this trend, we need to encourage people to use condoms consistently with new and casual partners. Regular tests for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections should also be part of the parcel, especially if there has been a risk of infection."

In addition, response measures should be informed by sound epidemiological data and targeted towards affected population groups taking into account the main determinants of transmission.

The response to syphilis outbreaks or programmatic control should include a combination of:

case finding, including screening of at-risk groups, partner notification and surveillance activities,

case management with appropriate treatment following diagnosis,

educational activities directed at the general population, those at-risk of syphilis infection, and at healthcare providers.

Decrease among women and congenital syphilis

Congenital syphilis rates in the EU/EEA have been decreasing since 2005. During this time, rates of syphilis among women have decreased consistently in the EU/EEA, particularly in eastern Europe. This contributed to the reduction of the risk of mother-to-child transmission of syphilis in Europe that is in contrast to increasing congenital syphilis rates in many other parts of the western world. Despite this, underreporting of congenital syphilis is likely in several Member States of the EU/EEA and there is some concern regarding increasing syphilis rates among women in some western EU/EEA countries. Effective national antenatal screening programmes together with interventions to control syphilis transmission among heterosexual populations are key in order to sustain the low rates of congenital syphilis.

The diagnosis and treatment of syphilis are both accessible and cost effective. Left untreated, syphilis infection can lead to severe complications and also facilitates transmission of HIV infection. Untreated syphilis during pregnancy can severely compromise pregnancy outcomes, leading to foetal loss, stillbirth or congenital syphilis in the newborn.

What The Study Did: This study (called a systematic review and meta-analysis) combined the results of 21 studies to summarize the overall association between being born preterm or low birth weight and later social outcomes as adults, such as ever having a romantic partnership, having sex or becoming a parent, as well as the quality of romantic partnerships and friendships.

Is there something universal about the sounds we make that allows vocal learners--like songbirds--to figure out how we're feeling? Sounds like it, according to new research by University of Alberta scientists.

The researchers examined the elements within vocalizations that indicate a level of arousal such as fear or excitement. They found that both humans and black-capped chickadees can detect arousal levels in other species.

"The idea is that some species can understand other species' vocalizations," explained Jenna Congdon, PhD student in the Department of Psychology. "For instance, a songbird is able to understand the call of distress of a different type of songbird when they are in the presence of a predator, like an owl or a hawk. Or, for example, if your friend scared you and you screamed. Both of these are high-arousal vocalizations, and being able to understand what that sounds like in a different species can be very useful."

Sounds like it

Under the supervision of Professor Chris Sturdy, Congdon conducted two experiments, one examining chickadees and another examining humans. In the experiments, participants distinguished between high- and low-arousal vocalizations produced by other species, including alligators, chickadees, elephants, humans, pandas, piglets, ravens, macaques, and tree frogs. Human subjects were able to identify high arousal in different species.

"Black-capped chickadees were also able to identify high arousal in other chickadees, humans, and giant pandas," said Congdon. "This is fascinating, because a chickadee that has never come across a giant panda before is able to categorize high--and low--arousal vocalizations."

The scientists suspect that other vocal learners, or species that learn their vocalizations from parents and models in order to survive, have this ability as well. "It is only a small group of species who do this in the world--humans, songbirds, hummingbirds, parrots, bats, whales and dolphins, and elephants," said Congdon. "If humans and songbirds show an innate ability to understand the vocalizations of other species, would other vocal learners show this same propensity?"

PHILADELPHIA (July 12, 2019) - Nurses play a pivotal role in caring for hospitalized patients with social risk factors and preparing them for discharge. Now, a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) illustrates how certain health system constraints present barriers to effective care and impact outcomes for patients with high social risks.

"Few studies have explored whether acute care nurses are adequately supported in their practice environments to address the unique needs of socially at risk patients as they transition back into community settings," explained J. Margo Brooks Carthon, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Professor of Nursing, a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and lead investigator of the study. "Our findings suggest that prioritization of medical needs during acute care hospitalization and lack of organizational supports may deter nurses from fully addressing social concerns."

The outcomes of the qualitative study appear in an article titled "You Only Have Time For So Much in 12 Hours - Unmet Social Needs of Hospitalized Patients: A Qualitative Study of Acute Care Nurses," published online in the Journal of Clinical Nursing. The article suggests that while the development of new initiatives to address social risk is of value, care must be taken not to increase the burden placed on nurses or the health team.

"Nurses routinely include evaluations of the social risk factors as part of patient assessments; however, tailoring care to meet these additional needs may require changes to nursing workflow and traditional clinical roles," said Brooks Carthon. The study concludes with recommendations for hospital-based initiatives that aim to address the needs of socially at?risk patients to "incorporate the perspectives of patients and health care providers as collaborators in intervention design."

Efforts to shift away from fossil fuels and replace oil and coal with renewable energy sources can help reduce carbon emissions but do so at the expense of increased inequality, according to a new Portland State University study.

Julius McGee, assistant professor of sociology in PSU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and his co-author, Patrick Greiner, an assistant professor of sociology at Vanderbilt University, found in a study of 175 nations from 1990 to 2014 that renewable energy consumption reduces carbon emissions more effectively when it occurs in a context of increasing inequality. Conversely, it reduces emissions to a lesser degree when occurring in a context of decreasing inequality.

Their findings, published recently in the journal Energy Research & Social Science, support previous claims by researchers who argue that renewable energy consumption may be indirectly driving energy poverty. Energy poverty is when a household has no or inadequate access to energy services such as heating, cooling, lighting, and use of appliances due to a combination of factors: low income, increasing utility rates, and inefficient buildings and appliances.

McGee said that in nations like the United States where fossil fuel energy is substituted for renewable energy as a way to reduce carbon emissions, it comes at the cost of increased inequality. That's because the shift to renewable energy is done through incentives such as tax subsidies. This reduces energy costs for homeowners who can afford to install solar panels or energy-efficient appliances, but it also serves to drive up the prices of fossil fuel energy as utility companies seek to recapture losses. That means increased utility bills for the rest of the customers, and for many low-income families, increased financial pressure, which creates energy poverty.

"People who are just making ends meet and can barely afford their energy bills will make a choice between food and their energy," McGee said. "We don't think of energy as a human right when it actually is. The things that consume the most energy in your household -- heating, cooling, refrigeration -- are the things you absolutely need."

Alternatively, in poorer nations, renewable sources of electricity have been used to alleviate energy poverty. In rural areas in southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, a solar farm can give an agrarian community access to electricity that historically never had access to energy, McGee said.

"That's not having any impact on carbon dioxide emissions because those rural communities never used fossil fuels in the first place," he said.

The study recommends that policymakers consider implementing policy tools that are aimed at both reducing inequality and reducing emissions. McGee and Greiner said such policies would both incentivize the implementation of renewable energy resources, while also protecting the populations that are most vulnerable to energy poverty.

"We really need to think more holistically about how we address renewable energy," McGee said. "We need to be focusing on addressing concerns around housing and energy poverty before we actually think about addressing climate change within the confines of a consumer sovereignty model."

Cells from the rare individuals who naturally control HIV infection have been the focus of investigation for nearly 15 years with the aim of elucidating their specific features. Following research on the ANRS CO21 CODEX and CO6 PRIMO cohorts, scientists from the Institut Pasteur have described the characteristics of CD8 immune cells in these "HIV controller" subjects. The unique antiviral power of these immune cells can be attributed to an optimal metabolic program that confers persistence and the ability to react effectively against infected cells. Working ex vivo, the scientists successfully reprogrammed cells from infected non-controller individuals to give them the same antiviral potency as controllers' cells. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Metabolism on July 12, 2019.

Some people have the ability to control HIV naturally, without treatment. In these very rare individuals (less than 1% of people living with HIV), no multiplication of the virus in the blood can be detected after more than 10 years of infection without treatment. In 2007, scientists from the Institut Pasteur described the extraordinary antiviral activity of these patients' CD8 lymphocytes. Unlike in non-controllers, the CD8 cells of HIV controllers are able to rapidly destroy infected CD4 cells.

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur's HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit continued their research with the aim of identifying the specific characteristics of these cells so that they could confer the same characteristics on the cells of non-controller subjects.

The CD8 cells (or "memory cells") of controllers outwardly appear to be identical to those of non-controllers. But the scientists demonstrated that they have a different molecular program. Their research shows that anti-HIV CD8 cells in controllers not only have huge antiviral potential; they are also programmed to survive, whereas in non-controllers, the cell program predisposes them to exhaustion and cell death.

The CD8 cells of controllers use a variety of metabolic resources, drawing in particular on the energy supplied by their mitochondria, which enables the cells to survive in conditions of stress. Conversely, the cells of non-controllers depend on a single energy source (glucose) and they have limited mitochondrial activity. "We identified that the antiviral activity of CD8 cells in controllers is associated with an optimal program that gives them plasticity in using the cell's energy resources," explains Asier Saez-Cirion, a scientist in the Institut Pasteur's HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit and coordinator of the study.

In the laboratory, the scientists then managed to stimulate mitochondrial activity in the anti-HIV cells of non-controllers. They used a substance secreted by the immune system known as interleukin 15 (IL-15) to boost the mitochondrial activity of non-controllers' cells and increase their anti-HIV potential. The reprogrammed CD8 cells of non-controllers are able to destroy infected CD4 cells, much like controllers' cells.

"Our research shows that even if the anti-HIV CD8 cells of non-controllers are relatively ineffective compared with those of controllers, the differences can be overcome," concludes Asier Saez-Cirion.

Metabolic reprogramming of immune cells is a strategy that is already being tested in clinical trials for cancer treatment. The scientists hope to be able to test the anti-HIV capabilities of the strategy in vivo in the near future.

Also known as blue-green algae, cyanobacteria are a special class of bacteria that are able to perform photosynthesis. In evolutionary terms, they are ancient. Their predecessors - which first emerged on earth some 2.5 billion years ago - paved the way for higher forms of life thanks to their ability to produce oxygen by photosynthesis.

Some cyanobacterial species are filamentous, multicellular organisms that have developed differentiated cell functions. Some cells perform photosynthesis, while others absorb atmospheric nitrogen. The cyanobacteria obtain energy in the form of glucose through photosynthesis; they use the nitrogen to produce amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

For the cyanobacteria, this poses the problem of how the individual cells can communicate and exchange substances. The photosynthetic cells have to keep their nitrogen-fixing sister cells supplied with glucose; by the same token, amino acids need to be transported in the opposite direction. To this end, cyanobacteria have developed special cell junctions that permit the exchange of nutrients and messengers across cell boundaries, without the cells being fused together.

Elucidating the structure in cellular context

To date, very little was known about the detailed structure and precise functioning of the cell junctions in multicellular, filamentous cyanobacteria. In the latest issue of the scientific journal Cell, a group of researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Tübingen presents an unprecedented degree of detail on the structure and function of the cell-to-cell connections, referred to as septal junctions, in the Anabaena genus.

The researchers reveal that the connecting channels are composed of a protein tube that is sealed with a plug at both ends. Moreover, this tube is covered with five-armed protein elements, which are arranged much like a camera aperture.

The channels connect the cytoplasms of two neighbouring cells by passing through the different membranes and cell walls. The cells are separated by an ultra-thin gap, just a few nanometres wide.

"Researchers have so far failed to clarify these details with conventional electron microscopy. By extending cryo-electron microscopy, we were able to gain a degree of precision never before achieved," says Professor Martin Pilhofer from the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics at ETH Zurich.

Gregor Weiss, Pilhofer's doctoral student, developed a process of preparing the cyanobacteria in such a way that the channels could be visualised via cryo-electron microscopy. Using frozen cyanobacteria, Weiss "milled" the junction between two cells, layer by layer, until his sample was thin enough. Without this pre-processing, the spherical cells would have been too thick for cryo-electron microscopy.

Mechanism to prevent leaking

"Due to the complex structure of the connecting channels, we suspected there was a mechanism to open and close them," said Karl Forchhammer, Professor for Microbiology at the University of Tübingen. He and his team were in fact able to show how the cells of the complex communicate with each other under different stress conditions. They stained cyanobacteria chains with a fluorescent dye and then bleached individual cells with a laser. The researchers then measured the influx of the dye from neighbouring cells.

Using this method, they were able to show that the channels actually close when treated with chemicals or in the dark. The filigree cap structure of a channel closes like an iris and interrupts the exchange of substances between the cells; the researchers recognised this phenomenon through the varying degree of fluorescence they observed.

"This closing mechanism protects the entire multicellular organism," Forchhammer says. For example, it can prevent a cell from passing on harmful substances to its neighbouring cells, which could destroy the whole organism. The cyanobacteria can also use the channels to prevent the cell contents of the entire network from leaking out if individual cells are mechanically damaged.

Conserved structures

With their study, the researchers are able to show that in the course of evolution, multicellular organisms of different lineages repeatedly and independently "invented" cell junctions. "It emphasises just how important it is for a multicellular organism to be able to monitor the transport of substances between its individual cells," Pilhofer says. By elucidating the channel structure and function in cyanobacteria, the ETH researchers are adding another piece to the puzzle. "As far as we are concerned, this is fundamental biological research, without focusing on any potential application. The new data rather gives us a greater understanding of the evolution of complex life forms," the ETH professor explains.

UV detection stickers trialled by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers at the November 2017 Ashes Test at the Gabba have scored with cricket fans.

The stickers, some of which were tagged with Cricket Australia's official 2017 campaign hashtag #BeatEngland, contained UV-sensitive ink which changes colour to warn people when the effect of their sunscreen is wearing off and it needs to be reapplied.

Among study participants who received the stickers, 80 per cent were prompted to reapply protective sunscreen and 86 per cent said they'd like to see stickers included with tickets to outdoor events.

QUT public health researcher Dr Elke Hacker, from the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, led the research

428 people who attended different days of the Ashes Test completed the study

369 of the participants received UV stickers to wear for one day plus sunscreen, the other 59 were in a control group and were only given sunscreen

Dr Hacker said most of the study participants had very fair or fair skin (63 per cent) and the majority were men (72 per cent).

"Adherence was high among those given the UV detection stickers, with 95 per cent of people using them," Dr Hacker said.

"And 80 per cent of this group reported that they had reapplied sunscreen during the day. That compares to 68 per cent in the control group who didn't have the stickers.

"So the results tell us that the stickers are effective reminders to reapply sunscreen throughout the day when people are outside for long periods of time in Queensland, where we have one of world's highest incidences of melanoma.

"The high rate of use of the stickers indicates this type of technology resonated with people. The stickers are small, simple to use and provide personalised information."

Dr Hacker said while the stickers were effective as a reminder, 41 of all study participants did report a mild sunburn mostly on their face and neck. Most of these people said they had applied and reapplied their sunscreen.

"This suggests that perhaps people may not have applied enough sunscreen or did not apply it in a way that gave them full protection from sunburn," she said.

"Previous studies have shown that people sometimes apply only half the recommended thickness to cover the skin.

"This is something to look at in future studies. Perhaps more public information campaigns on sunscreen amount and application technique are needed."

High school physical education teacher Shaun Griggs, 53, was among the cricket fans who participated in the study.

"I am your typical red hair equals fair skin, and I think anything that makes people more aware of sun safety, especially when you are outside all day, is a great idea," he said.

"I had prepared for the cricket. I had a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen and had chosen to sit under cover. I had the UV detection sticker on the back of my hand and when it changed colour it reminded me to put on more sunscreen.

"I teach sun safety to my students, so I am keen to share the results of this study with them."

CEO of Cricket Australia Kevin Roberts said safety is a "key priority" for cricketers at all levels of the game.

"Exposure to the sun for long periods of time is a reality for players and fans," he said.

"To have partnered with QUT to understand how we can enable better guidance on sunscreen use is an important and innovative public health advancement."

The study, UV detection stickers can assist people to reapply sunscreen, is published in Preventive Medicine.

The SPOTMYUV stickers used in the trial were a prototype provided by the maker. The stickers are now commercially available.

A little self-doubt at work can be a good thing, but like anything else--too much can be a bad thing.

When employees, usually high performers, start to doubt their abilities too much it can turn into imposter phenomenon, causing fatigue, dissatisfaction, and the inability to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Employees experiencing imposter phenomenon have trouble recognizing and believing their own success and tend to overcompensate, which takes an emotional toll.

Lisa Sublett, assistant professor of industrial-organizational psychology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, felt a personal connection to this question. She and her colleagues, Lisa Penney, associate professor with the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, and Holly Hutchins, professor at the University of Houston, wanted to expand current research about imposter phenomenon and look at how it is related to family and home satisfaction.

Managing imposter phenomenon can be draining for employees, and they frequently tend to be stressed and deplete emotional resources from feelings of incompetence. The researchers wanted to know if that is related to work-family conflict for them and, in turn, how that affected job satisfaction. They theorized that that "feeling like a fake" at work would have a negative impact on their home life and that dissatisfaction at home would be related to lower job satisfaction.

What they found was that employees experiencing imposter phenomenon are more likely to have conflict with work and family roles because they are emotionally exhausted, and they tend to be less satisfied with family life because of it. They were surprised that employees did not seem have lower job satisfaction because of work-family conflict, although emotional exhaustion did contribute to less satisfaction at work.

"The most important point of our study is showing employees who experience persistent thoughts of feeling like a fake are not only experiencing detrimental effects at work but also at home," Sublett said. "These accomplished employees are emotionally drained and struggle maintaining family and work demands. Our study also adds legitimacy to discussing imposter phenomenon as an important talent development issue, especially for high-potential employees."

Because managers need to keep those high performers, it is important to recognize the signs of imposter phenomenon early and help mitigate those feelings. This research resulted in some practical recommendations for managers that included policy changes as well as individual support to employees.

"We recommend that supervisors become aware of indicators that signal a subordinate is struggling with imposter phenomenon," Sublett said. "As our study shows, these employees are at a greater risk of experiencing high levels of burnout, job dissatisfaction, and work-family conflict. In addition to providing emotional support for these individuals, supervisors can help alleviate imposter cognitions by providing individual coaching on perfectionism and frequent performance feedback."

Indicators of imposter phenomenon include maladaptive perfectionist tendencies like overpreparing and overestimation of mistakes. Employees experiencing imposter phenomenon may use expressions such as "I was lucky," "I was in the right place at the right time," and "If I can do it, anyone can" in describing their work rather than recognizing their own achievements.

The researchers are also working on additional solutions to assist managers in recognizing and addressing the signs of imposter phenomenon.

"One of the co-authors, Dr. Hutchins, has developed a skills-based workshop that helps participants recognize and interrupt the distorted cognitions that fuel imposter thoughts," Sublett explained. "She is piloting this now with faculty at the University of Houston. Preliminary results are promising in lowering imposter cognitions and increasing core self-evaluation."

Work-life balance continues to be an important topic in the workplace and remains as one of the Top 10 Workplace Trends for SIOP. The team of researchers presented their work in April at this year's SIOP Annual Conference.

"My coauthors and I were all drawn to studying imposter phenomenon because it is something all of us have personally experienced at various points in our careers," Sublett said. "Constantly feeling like a fake, ruminating on errors, and perfectionism at work are very challenging and draining, so it is an important topic to study to understand the negative implications for employees' work and personal life."

For this study they surveyed 463 employees in the southern United States over the age of 18 who worked at least 20 hours per week and had been in the same job for at least 6 months.
The researchers believe that the findings of this research lend themselves to exploring a number of other avenues when it comes to the long-term impact of imposter phenomenon on home and family life.

"My coauthors and I are planning to study imposter phenomenon in other contexts as well," Sublett said. "We are currently planning to conduct more research on imposter phenomenon across career stages as well as the effectiveness of different types of intervention strategies."