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Individuals with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have historically been advised to avoid contact sports and isometric exercise for risk of increasing aortic dilation and valve disease. There is mounting evidence that current sports participation guidelines qualify children for a high rate of sports exclusion, and that this population is at increased risk of obesity. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate relationship between sports participation and aortic dilation in children with bicuspid aortic valve and secondarily the relationship between competitive sports participation and obesity. We performed a review of children between the ages of 8 and 17 years with isolated BAV followed at Oregon Health & Science University. We excluded those with other congenital heart diseases, genetic conditions, prior cardiac intervention, and inability to ambulate independently. Parents completed a phone survey detailing their child's level of daily activity and participation in competitive sports. Demographic information and most recent echo findings were collected from the electronic medical record. We found no difference between the aortic diameters of athletes vs non-athletes. We also found that sports participation and daily activity were both associated with a decreased likelihood of obesity (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.078–0.73 and OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.081–0.71 respectively). In summary, in our sample population, competitive sports participation was associated with a decreased risk of obesity. Competitive sports participation does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of aortic dilation in our population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a century, the evolution of animal play has sparked scientific curiosity. The prevalence of social play in juvenile mammals suggests that play is a beneficial behavior, potentially contributing to individual fitness. Yet evidence from wild animals supporting the long-hypothesized link between juvenile social play, adult behavior, and fitness remains limited. In Western Australia, adult male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) form multilevel alliances that are crucial for their reproductive success. A key adult mating behavior involves allied males using joint action to herd individual females. Juveniles of both sexes invest significant time in play that resembles adult herding--taking turns in mature male (actor) and female (receiver) roles. Using a 32-y dataset of individual-level association patterns, paternity success, and behavioral observations, we show that juvenile males with stronger social bonds are significantly more likely to engage in joint action when play-herding in actor roles. Juvenile males also monopolized the actor role and produced an adult male herding vocalization ("pops") when playing with females. Notably, males who spent more time playing in the actor role as juveniles achieved more paternities as adults. These findings not only reveal that play behavior provides male dolphins with mating skill practice years before they sexually mature but also demonstrate in a wild animal population that juvenile social play predicts adult reproductive success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menstrual management is recognized as a critical issue for young people internationally. Relatively little published research explores issues pertaining to menstruation in school education. This paper is based on the results of an Australian survey of 5007 young women aged 13–25, which examined their experiences of menstruation and dysmenorrhea. It focuses specifically on participant qualitative responses to the question, "What do you think schools could do to better support girls during their period?" Six key themes were identified across responses. These related to sanitation; pain management; removing stigma; adequate breaks; and being considerate. The findings reported herein highlight some of the challenges menstruating young people encounter at school and give voice to their needs; these have important implications for school improvement in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To assess the accuracy of maternal understanding of fetal cardiac defects following initial fetal counseling. Methods Pregnant women with a fetal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) were surveyed regarding understanding of their fetus’s heart defect. The survey asked: (1) for a description of the heart condition; (2) how confident they were in the diagnosis; (3) whether their fetus would require heart surgery. Two fetal cardiologists evaluated the maternal qualitative description. Partners were excluded from the study. Results Fifty-one participants consented and 39 completed the survey. Mean age was 31 years, 60% had some college level or post-graduate education, 48% had Medicaid insurance, and 81% were Caucasian. More than three-quarters of participants, stated they had either “quite a bit” or “very much” understanding of their fetus’s diagnosis. Maternal assessment matched the physician’s assessment of accuracy with 77% (N = 30) demonstrating either “quite a bit” or a “very accurate” description of the diagnosis. All women correctly understood if their fetus would require heart surgery. Highest level of maternal education positively correlated with the accuracy of diagnosis (regression coefficient 0.48, p < .002). However, confidence in the diagnosis was independent of both education (0.30, p = .167) and maternal age (−0.03, p = .234). Conclusions Fetal counseling is effective in conveying anatomy and the need for surgery; however, accuracy amongst women with lower levels of education and maternal confidence in understanding can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The GenTAC (Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Cardiovascular Conditions) Registry enrolled patients with genetic aortopathies between 2007 and 2016.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare age distribution and probability of elective surgery for proximal aortic aneurysm, any dissection surgery, and cardiovascular mortality among aortopathy etiologies.Methods: The GenTAC study had a retrospective/prospective design. Participants with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) with aneurysm (n = 879), Marfan syndrome (MFS) (n = 861), nonsyndromic heritable thoracic aortic disease (nsHTAD) (n = 378), Turner syndrome (TS) (n = 298), vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) (n = 149), and Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) (n = 121) were analyzed.Results: The 25% probability of elective proximal aortic aneurysm surgery was 30 years for LDS (95% CI: 18-37 years), followed by MFS (34 years; 95% CI: 32-36 years), nsHTAD (52 years; 95% CI: 48-56 years), and BAV (55 years; 95% CI: 53-58 years). Any dissection surgery 25% probability was highest in LDS (38 years; 95% CI: 33-53 years) followed by MFS (51 years; 95% CI: 46-57 years) and nsHTAD (54 years; 95% CI: 51-61 years). BAV experienced the largest relative frequency of elective surgery to any dissection surgery (254/33 = 7.7), compared with MFS (273/112 = 2.4), LDS (35/16 = 2.2), or nsHTAD (82/76 = 1.1). With MFS as the reference population, risk of any dissection surgery or cardiovascular mortality was lowest in BAV patients (HR: 0.13; 95% CI: 0.08-0.18; HR: 0.13; 95%: CI: 0.06-0.27, respectively). The greatest risk of mortality was seen in patients with vEDS.Conclusions: Marfan and LDS cohorts demonstrate age and event profiles congruent with the current understanding of syndromic aortopathies. BAV events weigh toward elective replacement with relatively few dissection surgeries. Nonsyndromic HTAD patients experience near equal probability of dissection vs prophylactic surgery, possibly because of failure of early diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial expressions are complex and subtle signals, central for communication and emotion in social mammals. Traditionally, facial expressions have been classified as a whole, disregarding small but relevant differences in displays. Even with the same morphological configuration different information can be conveyed depending on the species. Due to a hardwired processing of faces in the human brain, humans are quick to attribute emotion, but have difficulty in registering facial movement units. The well-known human FACS (Facial Action Coding System) is the gold standard for objectively measuring facial expressions, and can be adapted through anatomical investigation and functional homologies for cross-species systematic comparisons. Here we aimed at developing a FACS for Japanese macaques, following established FACS methodology: first, we considered the species' muscular facial plan; second, we ascertained functional homologies with other primate species; and finally, we categorised each independent facial movement into Action Units (AUs). Due to similarities in the rhesus and Japanese macaques' facial musculature, the MaqFACS (previously developed for rhesus macaques) was used as a basis to extend the FACS tool to Japanese macaques, while highlighting the morphological and appearance changes differences between the two species. We documented 19 AUs, 15 Action Descriptors (ADs) and 3 Ear Action Units (EAUs) in Japanese macaques, with all movements of MaqFACS found in Japanese macaques. New movements were also observed, indicating a slightly larger repertoire than in rhesus or Barbary macaques. Our work reported here of the MaqFACS extension for Japanese macaques, when used together with the MaqFACS, comprises a valuable objective tool for the systematic and standardised analysis of facial expressions in Japanese macaques. The MaqFACS extension for Japanese macaques will now allow the investigation of the evolution of communication and emotion in primates, as well as contribute to improving the welfare of individuals, particularly in captivity and laboratory settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the pandemic, the University of Toronto provided predominantly in-person experiences. The closure of physical libraries and shift to remote learning required library staff and users to adapt to new modes of supporting teaching, learning, and research. The authors conducted a survey about reference service delivery, staffing models, and resources and tools, which asked respondents to describe reference services at their libraries before and during the pandemic. The survey objectives were to capture the state of reference services at the University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) and to compare data about reference practices during the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, with the goal of identifying challenges and opportunities for the future of reference services at UTL. Seventy percent of libraries surveyed used reference desks for reference services pre-pandemic, and during the pandemic, 75% of libraries used virtual reference appointments by video conferencing. The survey results show that reference service staffing and service hours in most surveyed libraries were reduced during the pandemic. Many respondents reported that while they offered fewer reference service hours during the pandemic, they continued to provide assistance outside of scheduled hours. Online tools and platforms that were already familiar to librarians remained popular during the pandemic, allowing service providers to adapt quickly to the virtual environment and ensure seamless service continuity. While the rapid transition in services at the University of Toronto was not without its challenges, it has also offered many new opportunities for re-envisioning reference services at UTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people often are asked what they want to be when they grow up. How do their aspirations change as students move through childhood and adolescence? To investigate the formation of career aspirations, we analysed 6308 questionnaires from 4213 students aged 8 to 18 years arranged in an accelerated longitudinal design. Using a person-centred analytic approach, a latent class mixture model identified four discrete change trajectories in the prestige levels of career aspirations over ten schooling years. In line with Gottfredson's (J Counsel Psychol 28(6):545–579, 1981) theory, significant factors included student gender, education aspirations, prior achievement, knowledge of educational pathways to occupations, and the sex composition of occupations. High aspiring students with low education aspirations and poor achievement had more volatile trajectories than other students, regardless of socioeconomic status. The results demonstrate complexity in the formation of aspirations and challenge conventional notions about the 'types' of students who have 'high' and 'low' aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, China has observed increasing numbers of rural–urban migrant children seeking education in Chinese cities, resulting in pressure on urban schools to accommodate these children. Drawing on pre- and post-survey and interview data with 215 primary school teachers in a metropolitan city in East China, the objectives of this article are to describe teachers' perceptions of educational inclusion in both migrant and public schools, and to investigate changes in their beliefs from 2013 to 2016. Urban public school teachers indicated significant differences in perceptions compared with their first test, whereas no salient differences in perceptions was found among migrant school teachers. The qualitative analysis echoed the quantitative findings and provided further explanation for the complexity and particularity of these changes. Our study revealed that public schools have made great reforms in relation to educational inclusion for migrant students and that these initiatives in turn have produced changes on teachers' perceptions and practices with migrant children. It should be noted, however, that teachers attribute the changes in their perceptions to external factors rather than the internal ones. In the light of these findings, the article discusses implications for further professional development programs for teachers in Chinese migrant schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently China has been undergoing an unprecedented urbanisation process which has resulted in millions of rural families living in urban areas. As part of a study of Chinese migrant children's educational experiences, surveys and interviews were conducted with primary school teachers in a metropolitan city in East China. The objectives of this study were to describe teachers’ perceptions of migrant children's education in both migrant schools and in public schools, and to investigate differences in their beliefs between school types. Results found that urban teachers’ perceptions of educational inclusion of migrant students were slightly negative in general. However, teachers in public schools showed significantly more positive attitudes to inclusion of migrant students than migrant school teachers. In the light of these findings, the paper concludes with implications for practice and policy for education of migrant children in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In China, the education of increasing numbers of migrant children in urban settings is undertaken in integrated public or segregated migrant schools. This study compares the factors and predictors related to migrant children's mathematics achievement in public schools and migrant schools. Regression analyses were conducted to determine which independent variables (school type, sibling numbers, length of residence in urban areas, gender, preschool attendance, and parental socioeconomic status) were the predictors of migrant students’ mathematics achievement. With respect to the total sample, the overall model of five factors pertinent to student achievement outcomes in mathematics was significant (sibling numbers, length of residence in urban areas, preschool attendance, parental socioeconomic status and school type). While these factors figure prominently as significant academic predictors for the migrant school sample, the only significant predictor of mathematics achievement for the public school sample is parental socioeconomic status. In the light of these findings the paper concludes with suggestions for the intervention that inform and characterize the education of migrant children in urban schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent Australian government targets for higher education participation have produced a flurry of activity focused on raising the aspirations of students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. In this paper we test two key assumptions underpinning much of this activity: that students from low-SES backgrounds hold lower career aspirations; and that outreach activities appropriately target secondary school students, given that younger students' aspirations are relatively under-developed. Drawing on a sample of 3,504 students, we map the intersection of the career aspirations of students in Years 4, 6, 8, and 10 with SES and other demographic variables in order to contribute to the evidence base for academic, educational, and political work on access to higher education and the policies, practices, and outcomes that might ensue. Aspirations are assessed in terms of occupational certainty, occupational choice, occupational prestige, and occupational justification. We found fewer differences by year level and by SES than expected. Our analyses demonstrate both the complexity of students' career aspirations and some of the challenges associated with undertaking this kind of research, thus signalling the need for caution in the development of policy and interventions in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prenatal diagnosis of ductal-dependent, complex congenital heart disease was made in a fetus with trisomy 18. The parents requested that the genetic diagnosis be excluded from all medical and surgical decision-making and that all life-prolonging therapies be made available to their infant. There was conflict among the medical team about what threshold of neonatal benefit could outweigh maternal and neonatal treatment burdens. A prenatal ethics consultation was requested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leadership of educational change in schools is a complex task, particularly at a time when schools are being granted greater autonomy but are also under greater scrutiny through the publication of high stakes test results. This paper examines the complexity of the task of changing a school culture and the challenges faced by leaders engaged in this task. It is informed by case studies of two principals involved in a project designed to bring long-term change. The study provides insight into the qualities which make change leaders effective, and the different ways that leaders manage the task. The paper concludes with implications for the management and sustainability of change in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although downed wood is a significant structural component of riparian ecotones, most studies of downed wood dynamics are conducted only within the stream bankfull channel or on the riparian forest floor. We examined downed wood structural characteristics (e.g., length, volume, and decay class) across the entire riparian ecotone of seven headwater streams in mature deciduous forests of northeastern Ohio to understand the structural relationships between downed wood and riparian ecotones. Sampling was stratified by hydrogeomorphic zones that were defined by lateral position within the riparian ecotone and correspond to differing fluvial geomorphology. Most downed wood pieces sampled were small (<1 m) and with a high decay class. Downed wood pieces within the baseflow zone (within the wetted channel) were smaller and more abundant than those within the transitional zone (within the bankfull channel excluding the wetted channel). Surface contact was inversely related to aquatic influence across the riparian ecotone, with downed wood in Zone 3 (riparian area beyond the bankfull channel) having significantly higher contact than wood within the other zones. The ecotonal approach and the incorporation of hydrogeomorphic influences is an alternative approach that moves beyond traditional approaches to more holistic management of riparian forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A Geographic Information System (GIS) simulation is used here to test postulated early hominin expansions into Eurasia. To understand fully Plio–Pleistocene hominin dispersals, that is the increasing geographic range of hominins, a number of interacting factors must be examined. The most important variables affecting the first hominin dispersals would have been environmental, and it is thus imperative that appropriate climatic and geographical factors are included in analyses of possible Plio–Pleistocene hominin expansions. As the Late Pliocene climate was substantially different from that of today the present model utilises the Pliocene Research Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping Middle Pliocene Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction: PRISM2 [Dowsett, H.J., Barron, J.A., Poore, R.Z., Thompson, R.S., Cronin, T.M., Ishman, S.E., Willard, D.A., 1999. Middle Pliocene Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction: PRISM2. U.S. Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/of99-535/ (Accessed 3/02/00)]. The combination of data from palaeoclimate reconstructions and existing archaeological and palaeontological sites sheds light on the ‘Out of Africa 1’ problem, suggesting that expansion of hominins out of Africa would have been most feasible from a palaeoclimatic perspective at and around the Plio–Pleistocene boundary. The model predicts that the most likely dispersal route out of Africa would have been through the Levantine region, but a lack of research in the region of the Bab el Mandeb Straits means that this alternative pathway should not be ignored. There is also a small possibility of dispersals across the Mediterranean Sea, but with expansion limited to the northern coastline. Further easterly expansion of the hominin range is likely to have occurred through the more northerly countries of central Asia: specifically Georgia, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. A hominin dispersal route thus existed from Africa, through central Asia, to China during the Plio–Pleistocene period following the grassland vegetation belt that was present in this region at the time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs) are predisposed to ascending aortic (AA) dilation, stenosis, and dissection, the development of aortic disease in children with BAVs is poorly described. The purposes of this study were to determine the rate of change of AA diameter in children with BAVs and to identify risk factors for the development of aortic dilation. The echocardiograms of 276 children aged <19 years (mean 8.5 ± 5.3) with isolated BAVs were reviewed. Aortic measurements were normalized to z scores on the basis of body surface area. In a subset of 112 patients with serial examinations, aortic growth rates were calculated and risk factors for more rapid aortic growth determined. At presentation, 33 patients (12%) demonstrated marked AA dilation (z >4), and 70 (25%) were moderately abnormal (z between 2 and 4). The mean ± SD AA diameter increased more than expected, at a rate of 0.18 ± 0.30 z score per year (p <0.0001). In 61 patients with normal AA diameters on initial study, 22 (36%) had abnormal diameters, with z scores >2, at follow-up. Univariate analysis demonstrated right-noncoronary commissural fusion (p <0.02) and aortic valve gradient on initial examination (p <0.02) as significant predictors of AA growth. In multivariate analysis, however, the significance of gradient and valve morphology was diminished (p = 0.06 for both). In conclusion, the progression of AA diameter in patients with normal z scores on initial examination suggests that serial echocardiograms are required to screen for the development of significant aortic dilation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Having previously shown that there is a statistically significant relationship between areas of low collagen degradation and the location of archaeological sites in Africa [K.M. Holmes, K.A. Robson Brown, W.P. Oates, M.J. Collins, Assessing the distribution of African Palaeolithic sites: a predictive model of collagen degradation, Journal of Archaeological Science 32 (2005) 157–166], we here test the applicability of the same model on Palaeolithic archaeological remains from Asia. Our results show a more complex relationship between the distribution of archaeological sites and areas of low collagen degradation than was previously identified for Africa. Several factors appear to overshadow the link between collagen degradation and site location over Asia including the size of the continent, environmental extremes, taphonomy and excavation bias. However, in southern Asia a relationship does exist between collagen loss and site location, with archaeological sites found in areas of relatively low collagen degradation. In this region the model may represent a profitable way of highlighting areas suitable for further archaeological research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective. The present study was designed to evaluate the lipid-altering efficacy, safety, and tolerability of lovastatin treatment in adolescent girls with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Methods. A total of 54 postmenarchal girls, aged 10 to 17 years, were enrolled in a 24-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. After a 4-week diet/placebo run-in period, patients were randomized to 1 of 2 groups: (1) treatment with diet plus lovastatin 20 mg/ day for 4 weeks, followed by diet plus lovastatin 40 mg/day for 20 weeks, or (2) diet plus placebo for 24 weeks. Results. Baseline values of lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins (apo) were comparable between treatment groups. Lovastatin treatment was efficacious at reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 23% to 27%, total cholesterol by 17% to 22%, and apo B by 20% to 23% at weeks 4 and 24, respectively. Between-treatment group differences were not statistically significant for triglycerides, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or apo A-I. Lovastatin was generally safe and well tolerated. There were no clinically significant alterations in vital signs (blood pressure and pulse rate), anthropomorphic measurements (height, weight, and BMI), hormone levels (luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, estradiol, and cortisol), menstrual cycle length, or tests of liver and muscle function. Conclusions. Lovastatin offers an efficacious and well-tolerated treatment option for improving lipid profiles in adolescent girls with familial hypercholesterolemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to assess the distribution of African Palaeolithic sites and hominin remains, we need an understanding of the factors that may affect the preservation of archaeological material in the fossil record. One of the main factors that is thought to affect seriously the global distribution of fossil remains is taphonomy, but it would seem that taphonomic processes may themselves be overprinted by collagen degradation. The rate of collagen loss is highly temperature dependent, and it has been shown that bone is more likely to be preserved in areas of lower temperature and so lower collagen loss. Hence, it would be expected that fossil fauna remains would be distributed in areas of low collagen loss, i.e. low temperature. Conversely, lithics will not be subject to a temperature bias in their preservation. We have tested this hypothesis through the use of archaeological material. Our results show that the distributions of both lithic and faunal assemblages are non-random across the African continent, with all archaeological sites being found in areas of relatively low collagen degradation. This implies that bone collagen degradation is not the only factor affecting the distribution of African Palaeolithic sites and hominin remains. We suggest that the site distribution is not a reflection of bias in excavation history, but is a real phenomenon reflecting hominin habitat choice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Campylobacter jejuni is a zoonotic pathogen and the most common cause of bacterial foodborne diarrhoeal illness worldwide. To establish intestinal colonization prior to either a commensal or pathogenic interaction with the host, C. jejuni will encounter iron-limited niches where there is likely to be intense competition from the host and normal microbiota for iron. To gain a better understanding of iron homeostasis and the role of ferric uptake regulator (Fur) in iron acquisition in C. jejuni, a proteomic and transcriptome analysis of wild-type and fur mutant strains in iron-rich and iron-limited growth conditions was carried out. All of the proposed iron-transport systems for haemin, ferric iron and enterochelin, as well as the putative iron-transport genes p19, Cj1658, Cj0177, Cj0178 and cfrA, were expressed at higher levels in the wild-type strain under iron limitation and in the fur mutant in iron-rich conditions, suggesting that they were regulated by Fur. Genes encoding a previously uncharacterized ABC transport system (Cj1660-Cj1663) also appeared to be Fur regulated, supporting a role for these genes in iron uptake. Several promoters containing consensus Fur boxes that were identified in a previous bioinformatics search appeared not to be regulated by iron or Fur, indicating that the Fur box consensus needs experimental refinement. Binding of purified Fur to the promoters upstream of the p19, CfrA and CeuB operons was verified using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). These results also implicated Fur as having a role in the regulation of several genes, including fumarate hydratase, that showed decreased expression in response to iron limitation. The known PerR promoters were also derepressed in the C. jejuni Fur mutant, suggesting that they might be co-regulated in response to iron and peroxide stress. These results provide new insights into the effects of iron on metabolism and oxidative stress response as well as the regulatory role of Fur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The murine coronavirus [murine hepatitis virus (MHV)] is limited to infection of susceptible mice and murine cell lines by the specificity of the spike glycoprotein (S) for its receptor, murine carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 1a (mCEACAM1a). We have recently shown that 21 aa substitutions and a 7-aa insert in the N-terminal region of S are associated with the extended host range of a virus variant derived from murine cells persistently infected with the A59 strain of MHV (MHV-A59). We used targeted RNA recombination (TRR) to generate isogenic viruses that differ from MHV-A59 by the 21 aa substitutions or the 7-aa insert in S. Only viruses with both the 21 aa substitutions and the 7-aa insert in S infected hamster, feline, and monkey cells. These viruses also infected murine cells in the presence of blocking anti-mCEACAM1a antibodies. Thus, relatively few changes in the N-terminal region of S1 are sufficient to permit MHV-A59 to interact with alternative receptors on murine and non-murine cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents information on challenges to the prevention and therapy of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (Co-V). Lessons from the pathophysiology and epidemiology of known coronavirus diseases of humans and animals; Appearance of SARS-associatedCo-V in humans; Features of SARS-CoV and its replication which are potential targets for development of new antiviral drugs and vaccines.

Treatment of the thio-ether crown [9-ane]S[sub 3] (1) with 1 equiv of O-mesitylsulfonylhydroxylamine (MSH) yields the water-soluble protonated sulfimide {[9-ane]S[sub 2] S(NH[sub 2] )}[sup +] (2). Two equiv of MSH leads to the formation of {[9-ane]SS(NH[sub 2] )S(NH[sub 2] )}[sup 2+] (3), while excess MSH generates the {[9-ane]S(NH[sub 2] )S[sub 2] (µ-N)}[sup 2+] cation (4) (2–4 form as salts of the [Me[sub 3] C[sub 6] H[sub 2] SO[sub 3] ][sup –] anion); the X-ray crystal structure of 2 and 3 confirms that one and two of the ring sulfurs, respectively, have been converted to terminal protonated sulfimides, while that of 4 reveals the presence of both terminal and bridging nitrogens.Key words: sulfur-nitrides, macrocycles, sulfimides, amination.Le traitement du thioéther couronne [9-ane]S[sub 3] (1) avec un équivalent de O-mésitylsulfonylhydroxylamine (MSH) fournit le sulfimide protoné soluble dans l'eau {[9-ane]S[sub 2] S(NH[sub 2] )}[sup +] (2). Deux équivalents de MSH conduisent à la formation du {[9-ane]SS(NH[sub 2] )S(NH[sub 2] )}[sup 2+] (3) alors qu'un excès de MSH génère le cation {[9-ane]S(NH[sub 2] )S[sub 2] (µ-N)}[sup 2+] (4) (les cations 2–4 ont été isolés sous la forme de sels avec l'anion [Me[sub 3] C[sub 6] H[sub 2] SO[sub 3] ][sup –] ). Les structures des composés 2, 3 et 4 ont été déterminées par diffraction des rayons X; les deux premières confirment que respectivement un et deux des cycles contenant du soufre ont été transformés en sulfimides terminales protonées alors que la structure de la dernière révèle la présence d'atomes d'azote agissant comme ponts alors que d'autres sont en positions terminales.Mots clés : soufre-nitrures, macrocycles, sulfimides, amination.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]