This study takes stock of empirical research examining the relationship between gang membership and offending by subjecting this large body of work to a meta-analysis. Multilevel modeling is used to determine the overall mean effect size of this relationship based on 1,649 effect size estimates drawn from 179 empirical studies and 107 independent data sets. The findings indicate that there is a fairly strong relationship between gang membership and offending (Mz = .227, confidence interval [CI] = [.198, .253]). Bivariate and multivariate moderator analyses not only reveal that this relationship is robust across the vast majority of methodological variations but also show that the gang membership–offending link is stronger when studying active gang members, and weaker in prospective research designs, non-U.S. samples, and when controlling for theoretical confounders and mediators. These results affirm the efforts of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to understand and respond to gang behaviors, and are used to identify aspects of this literature that are most worthy of continued attention.

Asprosin is a white adipose tissue-derived hormone that increases abnormally in mammals with insulin resistance. However, the role of asprosin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a disease partly characterized by insulin resistance, and its potential connection with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and PCOS has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. To investigate the association of asprosin with metabolic profiles, sex-related hormones, or inflammation in females with T2DM or PCOS, plasma asprosin and metabolic indicators were measured in 66 healthy females, 53 female patients with T2DM, and 41 patients with PCOS. Spearman's correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis models were used. Plasma asprosin was significantly higher in T2DM females than in healthy subjects (P < 0.001) and was positively correlated with fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and HOMA-IR (P < 0.05). Asprosin in PCOS subjects was also higher than in healthy subjects (P < 0.001) but lower than in T2DM subjects (P < 0.05), and it was positively correlated with FBG, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, LDL-c, APOB, APOE, and testosterone (P < 0.05). The BMI-categorized subgroups of PCOS subjects also showed correlations of asprosin with metabolic profiles and sex-related hormones. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that plasma asprosin level acted as an independent risk factor for T2DM or PCOS. These findings suggest the correlation of plasma asprosin level with glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, sex-related hormones, and inflammation in females, supporting asprosin as a potential predictive factor for females with metabolic-related diseases. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-ROC-17010719.

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We previously demonstrated that γδ T cells played an important role in tumor immune surveillance by providing an early source of IFN-γ. The precise role of different subsets of γδ T cells in the antitumor immune response, however, is unknown. Vγ1 and Vγ4 γδ T cells are the principal subsets of peripheral lymphoid γδ T cells and they might play distinct roles in tumor immunity. In support of this, we observed that reconstitution of TCRδ−/− mice with Vγ4, but not Vγ1, γδ T cells restored the antitumor response. We also found that these effects were exerted by the activated (CD44high) portion of Vγ4 γδ T cells. We further determined that IFN-γ and perforin are critical elements in the Vγ4-mediated antitumor immune response. Indeed, CD44high Vγ4 γδ T cells produced significantly more IFN-γ and perforin on activation, and showed greater cytolytic activity than did CD44high Vγ1 γδ T cells, apparently due to the high level of eomesodermin (Eomes) in these activated Vγ4 γδ T cells. Consistently, transfection of dominant-negative Eomes in Vγ4 γδ T cells diminished the level of IFN-γ secretion, indicating a critical role of Eomes in the effector function of these γδ T cells. Our results thus reveal distinct functions of Vγ4 and Vγ1 γδ T cells in antitumor immune response, and identify a protective role of activated Vγ4 γδ T cells, with possible implications for tumor immune therapy.