Impact of Age and HIV Status on Immune Activation, Senescence and Apoptosis

Introduction: Residual immune dysfunctions, resembling those that occur during normal aging, may persist even in well-treated people with HIV (PWH), and accelerated aging has been proposed. We aimed to determine if HIV infection is an independent risk factor for T-cell immune dysfunctions including increased immune activation, senescence and apoptosis. Moreover, in PWH we aimed to identify the associations between age and immune activation, senescence and apoptosis. Materials and Methods: We included 780 PWH with suppressed viral replication (<50 copies/mL) and absence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C co-infection and 65 uninfected controls from the Copenhagen Co-morbidity in HIV Infection (COCOMO) Study. Flow cytometry was used to determine T-cell activation (CD38+HLA-DR+), senescence (CD28-CD57+), and apoptosis (CD28-CD95+). T-cell subsets are reported as proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. We defined an elevated proportion of a given T-cell subset as above the 75th percentile. Regression models were used to determine the association between HIV status and T-cell subset and in PWH to determine the association between age or HIV-specific risk factors and T-cell subsets. Furthermore, an interaction between HIV status and age on T-cell subsets was investigated with an interaction term in models including both PWH and controls. Models were adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and smoking status. Results: In adjusted models a positive HIV status was associated with elevated proportions of CD8+ activated (p = 0.009), CD4+ senescent (p = 0.004), CD4+ apoptotic (p = 0.002), and CD8+ apoptotic (p = 0.003) T-cells. In PWH a 10-year increase in age was associated with higher proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ senescent (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001) and CD4+ and CD8+ apoptotic T-cells (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). However, no interaction between HIV status and age was found. Furthermore, in PWH a CD4+/CD8+ ratio < 1 was associated with elevated proportions of T-cell activation, senescence, and apoptosis. Discussion: We found evidence of residual T-cell immune dysfunction in well-treated PWH without HBV or HCV co-infection, and age was associated with T-cell senescence and apoptosis. Our data supports that HIV infection has similar effects as aging on T-cell subsets. However, since no interaction between HIV status and age was found on these parameters, we found no evidence to support accelerated immunological aging in PWH

Growth and Yield of a Tropical Rain Forest in the Brazilian Amazon 13 Years After Logging

Successive inventories of a silvicultural experiment in terra firme rain forest within the Tapajos National Forest in the Brazilian Amazon are examined to provide guidelines for operational forest management on a sustainable basis. The experiment was logged in 1979 without additional silvicultural treatment, but included protection from further logging and encroachment ("log and leave"). Thirty-six permanent plots established in 1981, were remeasured in 1987 and 1992. Logging changed the canopy structure and altered the composition of the stand, reducing the number of shade tolerant species and stimulating light demanding species. There was a nett increase in stem number and stand basal area during the 11 year observation period, and this trend also holds for most of the individual species. The stand basal area 13 years after logging was about 75% of that in a comparable unlogged forest. Logging stimulated growth, but this effect was short-lived, lasting only about 3 years, and current growth rates are similar to those in the unlogged forest. Between the first and second remeasures, average diameter increment decreased from 0.4 to 0.2 cm/yr, mortality remained relatively constant at 2.5% per year, while recruitment (at 5 cm dbh) decreased from 5% to 2%. Total volume production declined from approx. 6 to 4 cu m/ha/yr, while commercial production remained about 0.8 cu m/ha/yr. New commercial species increased the commercial volume in 1992 from 18 to 54 cu m/ha, and the increment to 1.8 cu m/ha/yr. Results from this experiment provide the first quantitative information for management planning in the Tapajos Forest, and may guide the choice of cutting cycle and annual allowable cut. Silvicultural treatment to stimulate growth rates in forest areas zoned for timber production should be considered as a viable management option. Extrapolations of these results to an anticipated 30-35 year cutting cycle must be interpreted with caution. On-going remeasurement and analysis of these and other plots over the next 30 years or more are necessary to provide a stronger basis for management inferences

Impact Factor: outdated artefact or stepping-stone to journal certification?

A review of Garfield's journal impact factor and its specific implementation as the Thomson Reuters Impact Factor reveals several weaknesses in this commonly-used indicator of journal standing. Key limitations include the mismatch between citing and cited documents, the deceptive display of three decimals that belies the real precision, and the absence of confidence intervals. These are minor issues that are easily amended and should be corrected, but more substantive improvements are needed. There are indications that the scientific community seeks and needs better certification of journal procedures to improve the quality of published science. Comprehensive certification of editorial and review procedures could help ensure adequate procedures to detect duplicate and fraudulent submissions.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures, 6 table

Pelaksanaan Perjanjian Dana Pensiun Lembaga Keuangan Berdasarkan Undang-undang Nomor 11 Tahun 1992 Tentang Dana Pensiun

PT. Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. One is the founder and Pension Fund. The problems discussed in this research is how the implementation of the agreement, PT Pension Fund. Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) in the main branches of Surakarta and legal consequences in case of breach of contract committed by one of the parties in the implementation of the agreement, PT Pension Fund. Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. The goal is to determine the implementation of the agreement, PT Pension Fund. Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk in the main branches of Surakarta and legal consequences in case of breach of contract committed by one of the parties in the implementation of the agreement, PT Pension Fund. Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero).mplementation of the agreement, PT Pension Fund. Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) started since reaching an agreement between the parties known of the existence of participant\u27s signature on the membership application form and ending at the time of payment of pension benefits, either died or moved to another Pension Fund. In the event of default of the parties, the legal consequences for the Pension Fund is responsible for the harm done, whereas for participants who violate the agreement in the agreement then the agreement is declared null and void. In addition to the settlement of defaults can be settled amicably or through the Indonesian National Board of Arbitration (BANI)