Cancer of the testis and month of birth.

It has recently been reported that a series of testis cancers shows a temporal cycle in birth dates with a peak in certain months. This observation has been tested by an examination of a larger series covering all testis cancers diagnosed in the years 1971-84 in England and Wales, in men born in 1940 or later. Limited evidence was found of a 4-monthly cycle, but this was due to a 2-monthly cycle shown by teratomas in men born in the years 1945-49. No evidence was found for such a cycle outside this period, nor for a peak in any particular month

Health status in Lowland Medieval Scotland: a regional analysis of four skeletal populations

This research examines the health of those living within the lowland, east coast region of Scotland from 500-1500 AD utilizing historical, archaeological, and skeletal material. Although the study area was a central part of medieval Scotland, it has not been the focus of any larger scale research into health, including any previous statistical analyses. This study presents the osteological analysis of skeletal remains of four medieval populations (385 individuals) from eastern, lowland Scotland: Ballumbie (N=197 individuals), Isle of May (N=58), St Andrews Library (N=72), and Whitefriars (N=58). Additionally, this research provides a contextualized discussion of the similarities and differences in health of these four lowland populations, focusing on the broad themes of location (rural/urban) and status (high/low). The four study populations are compared statistically through prevalence rates of disease. A compilation of disease prevalence rates for twenty-three other medieval Scottish populations was created to provide further contextualized comparisons of health. The discussion of health from the perspectives of location is framed within the context of access to health care, population density/pathogen load, diet, and sub-adult mortality. Discussions of status focus on differences in housing and diet between the upper and lower status individuals living in medieval society. The role of pilgrimage is explored for the Isle of May with respect to health, illness, and the treatment of the sick. The analysis of four medieval populations in the lowland, east coast region of Scotland illustrate that although they were close geographically, each population had unique aspects to their skeletal health due to differences in their location and status

Structure of the Mg-Chelatase Cofactor GUN4 Reveals a Novel Hand-Shaped Fold for Porphyrin Binding

In plants, the accumulation of the chlorophyll precursor Mg-protoporphyrin IX (Mg-Proto) in the plastid regulates the expression of a number of nuclear genes with functions related to photosynthesis. Analysis of the plastid-to-nucleus signaling activity of Mg-Proto in Arabidopsis thaliana led to the discovery of GUN4, a novel porphyrin-binding protein that also dramatically enhances the activity of Mg-chelatase, the enzyme that synthesizes Mg-Proto. GUN4 may also play a role in both photoprotection and the cellular shuttling of tetrapyrroles. Here we report a 1.78-Å resolution crystal structure of Synechocystis GUN4, in which the porphyrin-binding domain adopts a unique three dimensional fold with a “cupped hand” shape. Biophysical and biochemical analyses revealed the specific site of interaction between GUN4 and Mg-Proto and the energetic determinants for the GUN4 • Mg-Proto interaction. Our data support a novel protective function for GUN4 in tetrapyrrole trafficking. The combined structural and energetic analyses presented herein form the physical-chemical basis for understanding GUN4 biological activity, including its role in the stimulation of Mg-chelatase activity, as well as in Mg-Proto retrograde signaling

Metabarcoding of zooplankton to derive indicators of pelagic ecosystem status

Zooplankton play a key role in marine food webs and carbon cycling and are useful indicators of climate-related changes and ocean health in pelagic ecosystems. Zooplankton are traditionally identified to species through microscopy, but new molecular techniques have enabled the identification of individual specimens (DNA barcoding) or multiple species in the same sample (DNA metabarcoding). Metabarcoding has been tested and refined using zooplankton collected in South African waters for the first time. Challenges to the implementation of DNA-based methods to measure zooplankton biodiversity easily and routinely include an incomplete DNA barcode reference library, logistical complexity and uptake of the new technology by environmental management agencies. These challenges call for a national effort to intensify zooplankton barcoding initiatives and to effectively engage stakeholders in developing a roadmap towards application of DNA-based methods in marine environmental management. Significance: Metabarcoding has been successfully applied to marine zooplankton for the first time in South Africa, demonstrating its potential as a tool to generate ecosystem indicators during routine ocean observations. National barcoding efforts must be intensified to provide a comprehensive reference library of zooplankton DNA. Effective engagement with stakeholders is required to overcome logistical and policy challenges, and to provide a roadmap towards application of DNA-based methods in marine environmental management

Hunger among Inuit children in Canada

Background and objectives. Inuit populations may be at increased risk for experiencing poor nutrition or hunger due to limited access and availability to food. The prevalence and correlates of parental perceptions of hunger among a nationally representative sample of Inuit children in Canada have not yet been reported. Design. Data are from the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Survey (ACS). Sociodemographic information, dietary behaviours and hunger status were parent-reported via a household interview for Inuit children aged 2–5 years (n=1,234). Prevalence of hunger was calculated among Inuit children by sociodemographic factors and by dietary behaviours. In addition, a multivariate logistic regression model was conducted to determine factors associated with parental perception of ever experiencing hunger. Results. The prevalence of Inuit children in Canada aged 2–5 years ever experiencing hunger was 24.4%. Children who were reported to have experienced hunger consumed milk and milk products (p<0.001); fish, eggs and meat (p<0.05); fruits (p<0.001); and vegetables (p<0.001) significantly less often than never-hungry children. Fast food and processed foods, soft drinks and juice, and salty snacks, sweets and desserts were consumed as often as never-hungry children (all p>0.05). The majority (81%) of Inuit parents/guardians of ever-hungry children sought help from family or friends. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing hunger include sociodemographic characteristics (such as income and household size), living in an Inuit region and living in a community with cultural activities. Conclusion. About 1 in 4 Inuit children were reported by their parents to have experienced hunger, and hunger was associated with region, sociodemographic and community factors. Future research could further examine the impact of ever experiencing hunger on the health status of Inuit children and their families in Canada

Structural and functional consequences of removing the N-terminal domain from the magnesium chelatase ChlH subunit of Thermosynechococcus elongatus

Magnesium chelatase (MgCH) initiates chlorophyll biosynthesis by catalysing the ATP-dependent insertion of Mg2+ into protoporphyrin. This large enzyme complex comprises ChlH, I and D subunits, with I and D involved in ATP hydrolysis, and H the protein that handles the substrate and product. The 148 kDa ChlH subunit has a globular N-terminal domain attached by a narrow linker to a hollow cage-like structure. Following deletion of this ~18 kDa domain from the Thermosynechoccus elongatus ChlH, we used single particle reconstruction to show that the apo- and porphyrin-bound forms of the mutant subunit consist of a hollow globular protein with three connected lobes; superposition of the mutant and native ChlH structures shows that, despite the clear absence of the N-terminal ‘head’ region, the rest of the protein appears to be correctly folded. Analyses of dissociation constants shows that the ΔN159ChlH mutant retains the ability to bind protoporphyrin and the Gun4 enhancer protein, although the addition of I and D subunits yields an extremely impaired active enzyme complex. Addition of the Gun4 enhancer protein, which stimulates MgCH activity significantly especially at low Mg2+ concentrations, partially reactivates the ΔN159ChlH–I–D mutant enzyme complex, suggesting that the binding site or sites for Gun4 on H do not wholly depend on the N-terminal domain

The \u3cem\u3eChlamydomonas\u3c/em\u3e Genome Reveals the Evolution of Key Animal and Plant Functions

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular green alga whose lineage diverged from land plants over 1 billion years ago. It is a model system for studying chloroplast-based photosynthesis, as well as the structure, assembly, and function of eukaryotic flagella (cilia), which were inherited from the common ancestor of plants and animals, but lost in land plants. We sequenced the ∼120-megabase nuclear genome of Chlamydomonas and performed comparative phylogenomic analyses, identifying genes encoding uncharacterized proteins that are likely associated with the function and biogenesis of chloroplasts or eukaryotic flagella. Analyses of the Chlamydomonas genome advance our understanding of the ancestral eukaryotic cell, reveal previously unknown genes associated with photosynthetic and flagellar functions, and establish links between ciliopathy and the composition and function of flagella

Preliminary analysis of immune activation in early onset type 2 diabetes

Introduction. First Nations and other Aboriginal children are disproportionately affected by cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D). In T2D, the disruption of insulin signalling can be driven by pro-inflammatory immunity. Pro-inflammatory responses can be fueled by toll-like receptors (TLR) on immune cells such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC, a white blood cell population). TLR4 can bind to lipids from bacteria and food sources activating PBMC to produce cytokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β. These cytokines can interfere with insulin signalling. Here, we seek to understand how TLR4 activation may be involved in early onset T2D. We hypothesized that immune cells from youth with T2D (n=8) would be more reactive upon TLR4 stimulation relative to cells from age and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls without T2D (n=8). Methods. Serum samples were assayed for adipokines (adiponectin and leptin), as well as cytokines. Freshly isolated PBMC were examined for immune reactivity upon culture with TLR4 ligands bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2 and 0.2 ng/ml) and the fatty acid palmitate (200 µM). Culture supernatants were evaluated for the amount of TNF-α and IL-1β produced by PBMC. Results. Youth with T2D displayed lower median serum adiponectin levels compared to controls (395 vs. 904 ng/ml, p<0.05). PBMC isolated from youth with and without T2D produced similar levels of TNF-α and IL-1β after exposure to the higher LPS concentration. However, at the low LPS dose the T2D cohort exhibited enhanced IL-1β synthesis relative to the control cohort. Additionally, exposure to palmitate resulted in greater IL-1β synthesis in PBMCs isolated from youth with T2D versus controls (p<0.05). These differences in cytokine production corresponded to greater monocyte activation in the T2D cohort. Conclusion. These preliminary results suggest that cellular immune responses are exaggerated in T2D, particularly with respect to IL-1β activity. These studies aim to improve the understanding of the biology behind early onset T2D and its vascular complications that burden First Nations people