BackgroundThe risk of sexual HIV transmission in serodiscordant couples when the HIV-positive partner has full virologic suppression on combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is debated. This study aims to systematically review observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs), evaluating rates of sexual HIV transmission between heterosexual serodiscordant couples when the HIV-positive partner has full suppression on cART.Methods and FindingsWe searched major bibliographic databases to November 2012 for relevant observational studies and RCTs without language restrictions. Conference proceedings, key journals and bibliographies were also searched. Studies reporting HIV transmission rates, cART histories and viral loads of the HIV-positive partners were included. Two reviewers extracted methodologic characteristics and outcomes. Of 20,252 citations, 3 studies met all eligibility criteria with confirmed full virologic suppression in the HIV-positive partner. We included 3 additional studies (2 cohort studies, 1 RCT) that did not confirm viral suppression in the HIV-positive partner at transmission in a secondary meta-analysis. Methodologic quality was reasonable. The rate of transmission in the 3 studies confirming virologic suppression was 0 per 100 person-years (95% CI = 0–0.05), with low heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). When we included the 3 studies that did not confirm virologic suppression, the rate of transmission was 0.14 per 100 person-years (95%CI = 0.04–0.31) (I2 = 0%). In a sensitivity analysis including all 6 studies, the rate of transmission was 0 per 100 person-years (95%CI = 0–0.01) after omitting all transmissions with known detectable or unconfirmed viral loads, as full suppression in these cases was unlikely. Limitations included lack of data on same-sex couples, type of sexual intercourse (vaginal vs. anal), direction of HIV transmission, exact viral load at the time of transmission, sexually transmitted infections (STI) rates, and extent of condom use.ConclusionsOur findings suggest minimal risk of sexual HIV transmission for heterosexual serodiscordant couples when the HIV-positive partner has full viral suppression on cART with caveats regarding information on sexual intercourse type, STIs, and condom use. These findings have implications when counseling heterosexual serodiscordant couples on sexual and reproductive health. More research is needed to explore HIV transmission risk between same-sex couples.

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine), a pure compound of Cordyceps sinensis, has been illustrated with anti-tumor effects. In the present study, the apoptotic effect of cordycepin on OEC-M1, a human oral squamous cancer cell line, was investigated by morphological observations, cell viability assay, annexin V-FITC analysis and flow cytometry methods. Results demonstrated that the number of rounded-up cell increased as treatment duration of cordycepin (100 microM) increased from 3 to 48 h, and the plasma membrane blebbing could be observed after 12 h treatment. In cell viability assay, cell surviving rate significantly decreased as the dosage and duration of cordycepin treatment increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, phosphatidylserine flipping on cell membrane could be detected with 3, 6 and 12 h cordycepin treatment, which indicated an early apoptotic phenomenon. Furthermore, cell cycle studies illustrated that the percentage of G1 phase cell declined as the dosages of cordycepin increased (10 microM to 5 mM), while the percentages of G2M and subG1 phase cell increased (P < 0.05) in 12, 24 and 48 h cordycepin treatment. These results further confirmed the apoptotic event. In conclusion, cordycepin significantly induced cell apoptotsis in OEC-M1 human oral squamous cancer cells.

This article reports a secondary analysis comparing media role perceptions among journalists in China, Taiwan, and the United States, based on three recent nationwide surveys in these societies. By comparing the goodness-of-fit of a series of loglinear models, we have found that the societal factor has the strongest impact on journalists' views about media roles, the organizational factor has a significant but weak impact, and the individual factor has virtually no impact. Within the societal factor, we have further contrasted two competing models: political determinism versus cultural determinism. The study provides clear-cut evidence in favor of the former.The importance of comparative research in communication has long been recognized. 1 Among other merits, the most important strength of comparative communication research is its ability to test the impact of society on individual or organizational behaviors. This is especially true in the study of journalistic professionalism. As pointed out by Shoemaker, societal factors (e.g., the dominant ideology in a society) are often more influential than individual characteristics (e.g., formal education) or organizational characteristics (e.g., media ownership) on media professionalism. 2 While this proposition is shared by many other media scholars, it is more difficult to study societal-level influences than any lower-level influences. 3 One obvious reason is that societal influences are a constant in a single-society study (i.e., taking the same value for everyone in the society), and thus cannot be observed within a single society. "Yet one can only understand a given system by comparing it with others," as McLeod and Blumler note. 4

This study investigated the third-person effect of pornography on the Internet. The study was conducted in Singapore, a conservative nation that looks askance at sexuality in media. Congruent with the third-person effect, respondents judged pornographic material on the Internet to have a greater impact on others than on themselves. This “perceptual bias” predicted support for censorship. In addition to general tests of the third-person effects of perceptual and behavioral components, the study also examined factors that may enhance or mitigate the third-person effect. Findings revealed evidence for a perceived social distance corollary with children to be more influenced by pornography. The perceived greater effect on children, however, did not increase the likelihood of support for censorship on children. This finding supports McLeod, Eveland, and Nathanson's assertion that perceived likelihood of exposure to content may affect third-person perception.