Optimizing oral immune tolerance to Type II collagen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: The importance of dose, Interfering medication and Genetics.

OBJECTIVES: Oral immune tolerance (OT) is a complex process with unknown genetic regulation. Our aim is to explore possible genetic control of OT in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: RA patients with increased interferon γ production invitro when their isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured with type II bovine collagen α1 chain [α1 (II)] were enrolled in this study and were randomly assigned to the "Low dose" type II collagen (CII) group (30 µg/day for 10 weeks, followed by 50 µg/day for 10 weeks, followed by 70 µg/day for 10 weeks) or "High dose" CII group (90 µg/day for 10 weeks, followed by 110 µg/day for 10 weeks, followed by 130 µg/day for 10 weeks). Heparinized blood was obtained at baseline and after each of the 10 weeks treatment for analysis of the invitro production of IFNγ by their PBMC stimulated by α1(II) . Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of the responders and non-responders to oral CII was conducted using GeneChip Mapping 10 K 2.0 Array. RESULTS: The SNP A-15,737 was found to associate with the ability of CII to suppress IFNγ production by α1(CII)-stimulated RA PBMC. The potential for SNP A-15,737 to associate with the OT response for patients with another autoimmune disease [OT induced by oral type I bovine collagen (CI) in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclersodid (dsSSc)] was also explored. CONCLUSIONS: The ROT1 region plays a role in the control of IFNγ production after oral dosing of auto-antigens, thereby determining if oral tolerance to that antigen will develop.

A meta-analysis of sex differences in physical ability: revised estimates and strategies for reducing differences in selection contexts.

Despite the wide use of physical ability tests for selection and placement decisions in physically demanding occupations, research has suggested that there are substantial male-female differences on the scores of such tests, contributing to adverse impact. In this study, we present updated, revised meta-analytic estimates of sex differences in physical abilities and test 3 moderators of these differences-selection system design, specificity of measurement, and training-in order to provide insight into possible methods of reducing sex differences on physical ability test scores. Findings revealed that males score substantially better on muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance tests but that there are no meaningful sex differences on movement quality tests. These estimates differ in several ways from past estimates. Results showed that sex differences are similar across selection systems that emphasize basic ability tests versus job simulations. Results also showed that sex differences are smaller for narrow dimensions of muscular strength and that there is substantial variance in the sex differences in muscular strength across different body regions. Finally, we found that training led to greater increases in performance for women than for men on both muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance tests. However, training reduced the male-female differences on muscular strengths tests only modestly and actually increased male-female differences on cardiovascular endurance. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on physical ability testing and adverse impact, as well as the practical implications of the results.

Ready to rumble: how team personality composition and task conflict interact to improve performance.

Although prior work has proposed a number of conditions under which task conflict in teams may improve performance, composition variables have been left unexplored. Given the effects of personality traits on team processes and outcomes demonstrated in prior work, investigating whether specific personality compositions influence the effect of task conflict on team performance is critical to researchers' understanding of conflict in teams. Our results indicate that team-level averages of both openness to experience and emotional stability function as moderators of the relationship between task conflict and team performance. Specifically, task conflict had a positive impact on performance in teams with high levels of openness or emotional stability; in contrast, task conflict had a negative impact on performance in teams with low levels of openness or emotional stability. Thus, when task conflict emerges, teams composed of members who are open minded or emotionally stable are best able to leverage conflict to improve performance. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Reaping the benefits of task conflict in teams: the critical role of team psychological safety climate.

Past research suggests that task conflict may improve team performance under certain conditions; however, we know little about these specific conditions. On the basis of prior theory and research on conflict in teams, we argue that a climate of psychological safety is one specific context under which task conflict will improve team performance. Using evidence from 117 project teams, the present research found that psychological safety climate moderates the relationship between task conflict and performance. Specifically, task conflict and team performance were positively associated under conditions of high psychological safety. The results support the conclusion that psychological safety facilitates the performance benefits of task conflict in teams. Theoretical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.