El Nino and Health Risks from Landscape Fire Emissions in Southeast Asia

Emissions from landscape fires affect both climate and air quality. Here, we combine satellite-derived fire estimates and atmospheric modelling to quantify health effects from fire emissions in southeast Asia from 1997 to 2006. This region has large interannual variability in fire activity owing to coupling between El Nino-induced droughts and anthropogenic land-use change. We show that during strong El Nino years, fires contribute up to 200 micrograms per cubic meter and 50 ppb in annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone surface concentrations near fire sources, respectively. This corresponds to a fire contribution of 200 additional days per year that exceed the World Health Organization 50 micrograms per cubic metre 24-hr PM(sub 2.5) interim target and an estimated 10,800 (6,800-14,300)-person (approximately 2 percent) annual increase in regional adult cardiovascular mortality. Our results indicate that reducing regional deforestation and degradation fires would improve public health along with widely established benefits from reducing carbon emissions, preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem services

Analysis of human MDM4 variants in papillary thyroid carcinomas reveals new potential markers of cancer properties

A wild-type (wt) p53 gene characterizes thyroid tumors, except for the rare anaplastic histotype. Because p53 inactivation is a prerequisite for tumor development, alterations of p53 regulators represent an alternative way to impair p53 function. Indeed, murine double minute 2 (MDM2), the main p53 negative regulator, is overexpressed in many tumor histotypes including those of the thyroid. A new p53 regulator, MDM4 (a.k.a. MDMX or HDMX) an analog of MDM2, represents a new oncogene although its impact on tumor properties remains largely unexplored. We estimated levels of MDM2, MDM4, and its variants, MDM4-S (originally HDMX-S) and MDM4-211 (originally HDMX211), in a group of 57 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC), characterized by wt tumor protein 53, in comparison to matched contra-lateral lobe normal tissue. Further, we evaluated the association between expression levels of these genes and the histopathological features of tumors. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed a highly significant downregulation of MDM4 mRNA in tumor tissue compared to control tissue (P < 0.0001), a finding confirmed by western blot on a subset of 20 tissue pairs. Moreover, the tumor-to-normal ratio of MDM4 levels for each individual was significantly lower in late tumor stages, suggesting a specific downregulation of MDM4 expression with tumor progression. In comparison, MDM2 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels were frequently upregulated with no correlation with MDM4 levels. Lastly, we frequently detected overexpression of MDM4-S mRNA and presence of the aberrant form, MDM4-211 in this tumor group. These findings indicate that MDM4 alterations are a frequent event in PTC. It is worthy to note that the significant downregulation of full-length MDM4 in PTC reveals a novel status of this factor in human cancer that counsels careful evaluation of its role in human tumorigenesis and of its potential as therapeutic target

STRP Screening Sets for the human genome at 5 cM density

BACKGROUND: Short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs) are powerful tools for gene mapping and other applications. A STRP genome scan of 10 cM is usually adequate for mapping single gene disorders. However mapping studies involving genetically complex disorders and especially association (linkage disequilibrium) often require higher STRP density. RESULTS: We report the development of two separate 10 cM human STRP Screening Sets (Sets 12 and 52) which span all chromosomes. When combined, the two Sets contain a total of 782 STRPs, with average STRP spacing of 4.8 cM, average heterozygosity of 0.72, and total sex-average coverage of 3535 cM. The current Sets are comprised almost entirely of STRPs based on tri- and tetranucleotide repeats. We also report correction of primer sequences for many STRPs used in previous Screening Sets. Detailed information for the new Screening Sets is available from our web site: . CONCLUSION: Our new human STRP Screening Sets will improve the quality and cost effectiveness of genotyping for gene mapping and other applications

Fresh-blood-free diet for rearing malaria mosquito vectors

Mosquito breeding depends on the supply of fresh vertebrate blood, a major bottleneck for large-scale production of Anopheles spp. Feeding alternatives to fresh blood are thus a priority for research, outdoor large-cage trials and control interventions. Several artificial meal compositions were tested and Anopheles oogenesis, egg laying and development into the next generation of adult mosquitoes were followed. We identified blood-substitute-diets that supported ovarian development, egg maturation and fertility as well as, low progeny larval mortality, and normal development of offspring into adult mosquitoes. The formulated diet is an effective artificial meal, free of fresh blood that mimics a vertebrate blood meal and represents an important advance for the sustainability of Anopheles mosquito rearing in captivity.Agência financiadora / Número do subsídio Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation OPP1138841 Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia GHTM - UID/Multi/04413/201 CCMAR - UID/Multi/04326/2013 UID/Multi/04326/2013 RF SFRH/BPD/89811/2012 FAPEAM, Brazil 19716.UNI472.2459.20022014info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effective Rheology of Bubbles Moving in a Capillary Tube

We calculate the average volumetric flux versus pressure drop of bubbles moving in a single capillary tube with varying diameter, finding a square-root relation from mapping the flow equations onto that of a driven overdamped pendulum. The calculation is based on a derivation of the equation of motion of a bubble train from considering the capillary forces and the entropy production associated with the viscous flow. We also calculate the configurational probability of the positions of the bubbles.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Religious affiliation modulates weekly cycles of cropland burning in Sub-Saharan Africa

Research ArticleVegetation burning is a common land management practice in Africa, where fire is used for hunting, livestock husbandry, pest control, food gathering, cropland fertilization, and wildfire prevention. Given such strong anthropogenic control of fire, we tested the hypotheses that fire activity displays weekly cycles, and that the week day with the fewest fires depends on regionally predominant religious affiliation.We also analyzed the effect of land use (anthrome) on weekly fire cycle significance. Fire density (fire counts.km-2) observed per week day in each region was modeled using a negative binomial regression model, with fire counts as response variable, region area as offset and a structured random effect to account for spatial dependence. Anthrome (settled, cropland, natural, rangeland), religion (Christian, Muslim, mixed) week day, and their 2-way and 3-way interactions were used as independent variables. Models were also built separately for each anthrome, relating regional fire density with week day and religious affiliation. Analysis revealed a significant interaction between religion and week day, i.e. regions with different religious affiliation (Christian, Muslim) display distinct weekly cycles of burning. However, the religion vs. week day interaction only is significant for croplands, i.e. fire activity in African croplands is significantly lower on Sunday in Christian regions and on Friday in Muslim regions. Magnitude of fire activity does not differ significantly among week days in rangelands and in natural areas, where fire use is under less strict control than in croplands. These findings can contribute towards improved specification of ignition patterns in regional/global vegetation fire models, and may lead to more accurate meteorological and chemical weather forecastinginfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Distal Xq duplication and functional Xq disomy

Distal Xq duplications refer to chromosomal disorders resulting from involvement of the long arm of the X chromosome (Xq). Clinical manifestations widely vary depending on the gender of the patient and on the gene content of the duplicated segment. Prevalence of Xq duplications remains unknown. About 40 cases of Xq28 functional disomy due to cytogenetically visible rearrangements, and about 50 cases of cryptic duplications encompassing the MECP2 gene have been reported. The most frequently reported distal duplications involve the Xq28 segment and yield a recognisable phenotype including distinctive facial features (premature closure of the fontanels or ridged metopic suture, broad face with full cheeks, epicanthal folds, large ears, small and open mouth, ear anomalies, pointed nose, abnormal palate and facial hypotonia), major axial hypotonia, severe developmental delay, severe feeding difficulties, abnormal genitalia and proneness to infections. Xq duplications may be caused either by an intrachromosomal duplication or an unbalanced X/Y or X/autosome translocation. In XY males, structural X disomy always results in functional disomy. In females, failure of X chromosome dosage compensation could result from a variety of mechanisms, including an unfavourable pattern of inactivation, a breakpoint separating an X segment from the X-inactivation centre in cis, or a small ring chromosome. The MECP2 gene in Xq28 is the most important dosage-sensitive gene responsible for the abnormal phenotype in duplications of distal Xq. Diagnosis is based on clinical features and is confirmed by CGH array techniques. Differential diagnoses include Prader-Willi syndrome and Alpha thalassaemia-mental retardation, X linked (ATR-X). The recurrence risk is significant if a structural rearrangement is present in one of the parent, the most frequent situation being that of an intrachromosomal duplication inherited from the mother. Prenatal diagnosis is performed by cytogenetic testing including FISH and/or DNA quantification methods. Management is multi-specialist and only symptomatic, with special attention to prevention of malnutrition and recurrent infections. Educational and rehabilitation support should be offered to all patients