Molecular characterization of a human matrix attachment region epigenetic regulator.

Matrix attachment regions (MAR) generally act as epigenetic regulatory sequences that increase gene expression, and they were proposed to partition chromosomes into loop-forming domains. However, their molecular mode of action remains poorly understood. Here, we assessed the possible contribution of the AT-rich core and adjacent transcription factor binding motifs to the transcription augmenting and anti-silencing effects of human MAR 1-68. Either flanking sequences together with the AT-rich core were required to obtain the full MAR effects. Shortened MAR derivatives retaining full MAR activity were constructed from combinations of the AT-rich sequence and multimerized transcription factor binding motifs, implying that both transcription factors and the AT-rich microsatellite sequence are required to mediate the MAR effect. Genomic analysis indicated that MAR AT-rich cores may be depleted of histones and enriched in RNA polymerase II, providing a molecular interpretation of their chromatin domain insulator and transcriptional augmentation activities.

High prevalence of forgoing healthcare for economic reasons in Switzerland: a population-based study in a region with universal health insurance coverage.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the determinants and the 4-year evolution of the forgoing of healthcare for economic reasons in Switzerland. METHOD: Population-based survey (2007-2010) of a representative sample aged 35-74years in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. Healthcare forgone, socioeconomic and insurance status, marital status, and presence of dependent children were assessed using standardized methods. RESULTS: A total of 2601 subjects were included in the analyses. Of the subjects, 13.8% (358/2601) reported having forgone healthcare for economic reasons, with the percentage varying from 3.7% in the group with a monthly income ≥13,000CHF (1CHF≈1$) to 30.9% in the group with a monthly income <3000CHF. In subjects with a monthly income <3000CHF, the percentage who had forgone healthcare increased from 22.5% in 2007/8 to 34.7% in 2010 (P trend=0.2). Forgoing healthcare for economic reasons was associated with lower income, female gender, smoking status, lower job position, having dependent children, being divorced and single, paying a higher deductible, and receiving a premium subsidy. CONCLUSION: In a Swiss region with universal health insurance coverage, the reported prevalence of forgoing healthcare for economic reasons was high and greatly dependent on socioeconomic factors. Our data suggested an increasing trend among participants with the lowest income.

Jurassic and Early Cretaceous Radiolaria of the Lower Amurian Terrane: Khabarovsk region, far east of Russia

New data on biostratigraphy, sedimentology and tectonics of the Russian Far Eastern region (Lower Amurian terrane) are presented. This study shows that sedimentary sequence of the terrane consists of interbedded Radiolaria-bearing siliceous and volcaniclastic sediments spanning an interval of over 90 million years. It is shown that accumulation of radiolarian deposits on an oceanic plate was associated with alkaline (intraplate) volcanism in the Jurassic, while the plate was drifting, and with some are volcanism during the Early Cretaceous. The younger siliceous rocks contain volcaniclastic material and indicate that the studied sequence approached the trench in the Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Barremian) and became accreted in the late Albian-early Cenomanian. We describe and illustrate radiolarian species extracted fi om 21 samples. A taxonomic list of 194 taxa and nine plates of Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Radiolaria are presented.

Insights into the biogeographical history of the Lower Guinea Forest Domain: evidence for the role of refugia in the intraspecific differentiation of Aucoumea klaineana.

Determining the biogeographical histories of rainforests is central to our understanding of the present distribution of tropical biodiversity. Ice age fragmentation of central African rainforests strongly influenced species distributions. Elevated areas characterized by higher species richness and endemism have been postulated to be Pleistocene forest refugia. However, it is often difficult to separate the effects of history and of present-day ecological conditions on diversity patterns at the interspecific level. Intraspecific genetic variation could yield new insights into history, because refugia hypotheses predict patterns not expected on the basis of contemporary environmental dynamics. Here, we test geographically explicit hypotheses of vicariance associated with the presence of putative refugia and provide clues about their location. We intensively sampled populations of Aucoumea klaineana, a forest tree sensitive to forest fragmentation, throughout its geographical range. Characterizing variation at 10 nuclear microsatellite loci, we were able to obtain phylogeographic data of unprecedented detail for this region. Using Bayesian clustering approaches, we demonstrated the presence of four differentiated genetic units. Their distribution matched that of forest refugia postulated from patterns of species richness and endemism. Our data also show differences in diversity dynamics at leading and trailing edges of the species' shifting distribution. Our results confirm predictions based on refugia hypotheses and cannot be explained on the basis of present-day ecological conditions.

Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations between Body Mass Index and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Adolescents in a Country of the African Region.

We assessed the association between several cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) (blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, and glucose) in 390 young adults aged 19-20 years in Seychelles (Indian Ocean, Africa) and body mass index (BMI) measured either at the same time (cross-sectional analysis) or at the age of 12-15 years (longitudinal analysis). BMI tracked markedly between age of 12-15 and age of 19-20. BMI was strongly associated with all considered CRFs in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, with some exceptions. Comparing overweight participants with those having a BMI below the age-specific median, the odds ratios for high blood pressure were 5.4/4.7 (male/female) cross-sectionally and 2.5/3.9 longitudinally (P < 0.05). Significant associations were also found for most other CRFs, with some exceptions. In linear regression analysis including both BMI at age of 12-15 and BMI at age of 19-20, only BMI at age of 19-20 remained significantly associated with most CRFs. We conclude that CRFs are predicted strongly by either current or past BMI levels in adolescents and young adults in this population. The observation that only current BMI remained associated with CRFs when including past and current levels together suggests that weight control at a later age may be effective in reducing CRFs in overweight children irrespective of past weight status.

Cross-scale analysis of the region effect on vascular plant species diversity in southern and northern European mountain ranges.

Background: The divergent glacial histories of southern and northern Europe affect present-day species diversity at coarse-grained scales in these two regions, but do these effects also penetrate to the more fine-grained scales of local communities?Methodology/Principal Findings: We carried out a cross-scale analysis to address this question for vascular plants in two mountain regions, the Alps in southern Europe and the Scandes in northern Europe, using environmentally paired vegetation plots in the two regions (n = 403 in each region) to quantify four diversity components: (i) total number of species occurring in a region (total gamma-diversity), (ii) number of species that could occur in a target plot after environmental filtering (habitat-specific gamma-diversity), (iii) pair-wise species compositional turnover between plots (plot-to-plot beta-diversity) and (iv) number of species present per plot (plot gamma-diversity). We found strong region effects on total gamma-diversity, habitat-specific gamma-diversity and plot-to-plot beta-diversity, with a greater diversity in the Alps even towards distances smaller than 50 m between plots. In contrast, there was a slightly greater plot alpha-diversity in the Scandes, but with a tendency towards contrasting region effects on high and low soil-acidity plots.Conclusions/Significance: We conclude that there are strong regional differences between coarse-grained (landscape- to regional-scale) diversity components of the flora in the Alps and the Scandes mountain ranges,but that these differences do not necessarily penetrate to the finest-grained (plot-scale) diversity component, at least not on acidic soils. Because different processes can lead to a similar pattern, we discuss the consistency of our results with Quaternary history and other divergent features between the two regions such as habitat connectivity, selection for vagility and environmental differences not accounted for in our analyses

Trends in cardiovascular risk factors (1984-1993) in a Swiss region: results of three population surveys.

BACKGROUND: This study attempted to assess the time trends in lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors in the Swiss region of Vaud-Fribourg (population 784,000). METHODS: Three surveys (1984/1985, 1988/1989, and 1992/1993), based on independent representative samples (n = 3,300) of the population ages 25 to 74, were conducted within the framework of the international WHO-MONICA Project. RESULTS: The most favorable changes were observed in reported behaviors: increased physical activity in leisure time, healthier dietary habits (switch from unskimmed milk, butter, and meat to skimmed milk, margarine, and fish, with no change for fruits and vegetables), and lower prevalence of regular smoking among men (from 32 to 28%). Body mass index did not vary significantly, apart from an increase in the prevalence of obesity among men (from 11 to 15%). Total cholesterol varied only slightly, while the HDL cholesterol levels decreased steadily (from 1.37 to 1.19 mmol/L among men; from 1.59 to 1.51 among women). Average systolic blood pressure regressed among women (from 127.2 to 124.4 mm Hg), while the prevalence of untreated hypertension increased among older men. CONCLUSION: The self-reported changes in lifestyle were only partially reflected by favorable trends in objective measurements. Physical activity, even at moderate intensity, and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fiber in general should be promoted.

Osteogenic sarcoma of the maxillary region in a Mexican mestizo population.

Background and Objectives: This study analyzed maxillary osteosarcoma in a mestizo population, with particular emphasis on the type of treatment and disease-free and overall survival. Methods: This is a retrospective study including all mestizo patients with osteosarcoma of the maxilla seen in a single cancer institution in Mexico during a 20-year period. Results: There were 21 patients. Age ranged from 16 to 76 years (mean, 37.5 y). Mean evolution time to diagnosis was 13 months, with a mean tumor size of 7 x 6 cm(2). Surgery was the initial treatment in 19 patients, 17 of whom received adjuvant treatment. Disease-free survival according to surgical margin and overall survival were not statistically significant. Disease-free survival was 29% at 5 years, and overall survival was 50% and 25% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Conclusions: Osteosarcomas of the maxilla are infrequent lesions that merit early diagnosis and proper treatment because of their rapid evolution. Treatment is currently based on a well-planned surgery with free surgical margins plus adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

Distribution and risk factors for Plasmodium and helminth co-infections: a cross-sectional survey among children in Bagamoyo district, coastal region of Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium and soil transmitted helminth infections (STH) are a major public health problem, particularly among children. There are conflicting findings on potential association between these two parasites. This study investigated the Plasmodium and helminth co-infections among children aged 2 months to 9 years living in Bagamoyo district, coastal region of Tanzania. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1033 children. Stool, urine and blood samples were examined using a broad set of quality controlled diagnostic methods for common STH (Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Strongyloides stercoralis, Enterobius vermicularis, Trichuris trichura), schistosoma species and Wuchereria bancrofti. Blood slides and malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) were utilized for Plasmodium diagnosis. RESULTS: Out of 992 children analyzed, the prevalence of Plasmodium infection was 13% (130/992), helminth 28.5% (283/992); 5% (50/992) had co-infection with Plasmodium and helminth. The prevalence rate of Plasmodium, specific STH and co-infections increased significantly with age (p < 0.001), with older children mostly affected except for S. stercoralis monoinfection and co-infections. Spatial variations of co-infection prevalence were observed between and within villages. There was a trend for STH infections to be associated with Plasmodium infection [OR adjusted for age group 1.4, 95% CI (1.0-2.1)], which was more marked for S. stercoralis (OR = 2.2, 95% CI (1.1-4.3). Age and not schooling were risk factors for Plasmodium and STH co-infection. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that STH and Plasmodium infections tend to occur in the same children, with increasing prevalence of co-infection with age. This calls for an integrated approach such as using mass chemotherapy with dual effect (e.g., ivermectin) coupled with improved housing, sanitation and hygiene for the control of both parasitic infections.