Space and Interaction in Civil Society Organizations: An Exploratory Study in a US City

Civil society organizations (CSOs) are sites for creating and strengthening social ties among participants. Ties are developed when participants in CSO convenings (meetings, events, activities) interact, but convenings vary in the amount of interaction they generate. Theory and research suggest that the physical spaces where convenings occur may impact participant interaction. However, previous methods lack sufficient scale to formally test related hypotheses. We introduce a method for collecting data at scale to examine how CSO convening spaces influence social interaction. The method—systematic social observation (SSO)—assembles comparable, quantitative data from many CSO convenings. As part of an exploratory study, we collected data from 99 CSO convenings from three organizations in Indianapolis, Indiana. For illustrative purposes, building on theories of spatial propinquity and configuration, we highlight two dimensions of spatial variation in CSO convenings—footprint and permeability—and examine how they relate to three indicators of participant interaction. Our findings suggest that controlling for the number of participants and other convening characteristics, medium‐sized spaces foster more interaction than small or large ones. More broadly, this study demonstrates the viability of the SSO method for collecting data at scale and provides a model for future work on space, interaction, and networks

Physical performance and clinical outcomes in dialysis patients: a secondary analysis of the EXCITE trial.

Background/Aims: Scarce physical activity predicts shorter survival in dialysis patients. However, the relationship between physical (motor) fitness and clinical outcomes has never been tested in these patients. Methods: We tested the predictive power of an established metric of motor fitness, the Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT), for death, cardiovascular events and hospitalization in 296 dialysis patients who took part in the trial EXCITE (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01255969). Results: During follow up 69 patients died, 90 had fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, 159 were hospitalized and 182 patients had the composite outcome. In multivariate Cox models - including the study allocation arm and classical and non-classical risk factors - an increase of 20 walked metres during the 6MWT was associated to a 6% reduction of the risk for the composite end-point (P=0.001) and a similar relationship existed between the 6MWT, mortality (P<0.001) and hospitalizations (P=0.03). A similar trend was observed for cardiovascular events but this relationship did not reach statistical significance (P=0.09). Conclusions: Poor physical performance predicts a high risk of mortality, cardiovascular events and hospitalizations in dialysis patients. Future studies, including phase-2 EXCITE, will assess whether improving motor fitness may translate into better clinical outcomes in this high risk populatio

The Intracellular DNA Sensor IFI16 Gene Acts as Restriction Factor for Human Cytomegalovirus Replication

Human interferon (IFN)-inducible IFI16 protein, an innate immune sensor of intracellular DNA, modulates various cell functions, however, its role in regulating virus growth remains unresolved. Here, we adopt two approaches to investigate whether IFI16 exerts pro- and/or anti-viral actions. First, the IFI16 gene was silenced using specific small interfering RNAs (siRNA) in human embryo lung fibroblasts (HELF) and replication of DNA and RNA viruses evaluated. IFI16-knockdown resulted in enhanced replication of Herpesviruses, in particular, Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Consistent with this, HELF transduction with a dominant negative form of IFI16 lacking the PYRIN domain (PYD) enhanced the replication of HCMV. Second, HCMV replication was compared between HELFs overexpressing either the IFI16 gene or the LacZ gene. IFI16 overexpression decreased both virus yield and viral DNA copy number. Early and late, but not immediate-early, mRNAs and proteins were strongly down-regulated, thus IFI16 may exert its antiviral effect by impairing viral DNA synthesis. Constructs with the luciferase reporter gene driven by deleted or site-specific mutated forms of the HCMV DNA polymerase (UL54) promoter demonstrated that the inverted repeat element 1 (IR-1), located between −54 and −43 relative to the transcription start site, is the target of IFI16 suppression. Indeed, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that suppression of the UL54 promoter is mediated by IFI16-induced blocking of Sp1-like factors. Consistent with these results, deletion of the putative Sp1 responsive element from the HCMV UL44 promoter also relieved IFI16 suppression. Together, these data implicate IFI16 as a novel restriction factor against HCMV replication and provide new insight into the physiological functions of the IFN-inducible gene IFI16 as a viral restriction factor

Effect of a home based, low intensity, physical exercise program in older adults dialysis patients: A secondary analysis of the EXCITE trial

Background: Older adults dialysis patients represent the frailest subgroup of the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) population and physical exercise program may mitigate the age-related decline in muscle mass and function. Methods: Dialysis patients of the EXCITE trial aged > 65 years (n = 115, active arm, n = 53; control arm, n = 62) were submitted in random order to a home based, low intensity physical exercise program. At baseline and 6 months after exercise training 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and 5-time sit-to-stand test (5STS) were performed, and quality of life (QoL) was tested. Results: The training program improved both the 6MWD (6-months: 327 \ub1 86 m versus baseline: 294 \ub1 74 m; P < 0.001) and the 5STS time (6-months: 19.8 \ub1 5.6 s versus baseline: 22.5 \ub1 5.1 s; P < 0.001) in the exercise group whereas they did not change in the control group (P = 0.98 and 0.25, respectively). The between-arms differences (6 months-baseline) in the 6MWD (+ 34.0 m, 95% CI: 14.4 to 53.5 m) and in the 5STS time changes (- 1.9 s, 95% CI: -3.6 to - 0.3 s) were both statistically significant (P = 0.001 and P = 0.024, respectively). The cognitive function dimension of QoL significantly reduced in the control arm (P = 0.04) while it remained unchanged in the active arm (P = 0.78) (between groups difference P = 0.05). No patient died during the trial and the training program was well tolerated. Conclusions: This secondary analysis of the EXCITE trial shows that a home-based, exercise program improves physical performance and is well tolerated in elderly ESRD patients. Trial registration: The trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01255969) on December 8, 2010

Risk reclassification ability of uric acid for cardiovascular outcomes in essential hypertension

.Background: Hyperuricemia is associatedwith incident cardiovascular events in different settings of patients.We testedwhether the inclusion of uric acid (UA) in Cox models including standard risk factors allows to better stratify cardiovascular risk in a cohort of 1522 naïve hypertensives with preserved renal function. Methods: We used multiple Cox regressionmodels to assess the independent effect of UA on cardiovascular outcomes, andHarrell'C index, Net Reclassification Index (NRI), and Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI) as indicators of the additional prognostic value of UA beyond and above that provided by standard risk factors and estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR). Study outcomes were fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events and fatal and nonfatal coronary outcomes/death due to other cardiovascular events. Results: UA resulted strongly related to both outcomes in unadjusted Cox regression analyses (P b 0.001). Inclusion of UA into multiple Cox regression models including Framingham risk factors and e-GFR did not affect the association between UA and outcomes (fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.36– 1.55, P b 0.001; fatal and nonfatal coronary outcomes/death due to other cardiovascular events, HR = 1.48, 95% CI=1.36–1.61, P b 0.001). Inclusion of UA into basic Cox models provided an increase in all indexes of prognostic accuracy for both outcomes: Harrell'C index: +5%; NRI: +24.9%; IDI: +7.6%, all P b 0.001; and Harrell'C index: +5%; NRI: +25%; IDI: +6.3%, all P b 0.001, respectively. Conclusions: UA is an independent predictor of cardiovascular outcomes and increases prognostic accuracy of Cox models, including Framingham risk factors and e-GFR, in hypertensives with normal renal function, allowing a risk reclassification

Supplementary Material for: Effects of Vitamin E-Coated versus Conventional Membranes in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

<strong><em>Introduction:</em></strong> Accruing evidence suggests that vitamin E-coated membranes (ViE-m) might improve the clinical management of chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs comparing ViE-m to conventional HD. Endpoints of interest were a series of biomarkers pertaining to anemia status, inflammation, oxidative stress and dialysis efficacy/status. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Sixty studies were included. ViE-m significantly improved the Erythropoietin Resistance Index but had no impact on other anemia parameters. As for oxidative stress and inflammation, ViE-m produced a significant decrease in interleukin-6 levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, plasma and red blood cell (RBC) malonylaldehyde and a significant increase in blood and RBC vitamin E. Conversely, ViE-m use had no impact on lipid profile, dialysis adequacy, blood pressure, albumin and uric acid. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> ViE-m might ameliorate anemia management by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Benefits of these bio-membranes on harder clinical outcomes are uncertain and need to be investigated by future, targeted trials