Effects of Lifetime Exposure to Shiftwork on Fitness for Duty in Police Officers

Aging and demographic changes in Europe and other global economies have led to a discussion about postponing the legal retirement age; however, health and safety consequences for the workforce have not yet been examined. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lifetime exposure to shiftwork on health impairments and fitness for duty. Two samples of the police force from one of the states of the Federal Republic of Germany were used. One sample was collected in 2008–2009 with a self-administered Internet questionnaire (n?=?705); the other sample was derived from employment records provided by the police force of the same federal state for the years 2002–2009 (n?=?2460). Both samples contained information about the number of years worked in shiftwork across the entire working life and impairments to fitness for duty assessed by occupational physicians. Thus, the number of years of shiftwork until the diagnosis of the first reduction in fitness for duty could be calculated. Survival analyses were performed to estimate the risk (hazard rate) for experiencing a reduction in fitness for duty across lifetime exposure to shiftwork in years, controlling for age, sex, work type, and police district. Hazard estimates were compared across both samples to cross-validate the results. The findings indicated an increase in the risk of reduced fitness for duty with increasing number of years in shiftwork during the working life in both samples. The hazard rates followed an exponential trend, indicating a rapid increase in health impairments in particular beyond 20 yrs of shiftwork. These findings were consistent in both samples, collected with different methods and over different time periods, thus indicating high validity. Therefore, occupational stress factors, such as exposure to shiftwork, need to be taken into account when discussing the postponement of the legal retirement age. (Author correspondence: anna.wirtz@gawo-ev.de)     

Multilocus genetic diversity and historical biogeography of the endemic wall lizard from Ibiza and Formentera,Podarcis pityusensis (Squamata: Lacertidae)

Two monophyletic sister species of wall lizards inhabit the two main groups of Balearic Islands: Podarcis lilfordi from islets and small islands around Mallorca and Menorca and Podarcis pityusensis from Ibiza, Formentera and associated islets. Genetic diversity within the endangered P. lilfordi has been well characterized, but P. pityusensis has not been studied in depth. Here, 2430 bp of mtDNA and 15 microsatellite loci were analysed from P. pityusensis populations from across its natural range. Two main genetic groupings were identified, although geographical structuring differed slightly between the mtDNA and the nuclear loci. In general, individuals from islets/islands adjacent to the main island of Ibiza were genetically distinct from those from Formentera and the associated Freus islands for both mtDNA and the nuclear loci. However, most individuals from the island of Ibiza were grouped with neighbouring islets/islands for nuclear loci, but with Formentera and Freus islands for the mitochondrial locus. A time‐calibrated Bayesian tree was constructed for the principal mitochondrial lineages within the Balearics, using the multispecies coalescent model, and provided statistical support for divergence of the two main P. pityusensis lineages 0.111–0.295 Ma. This suggests a mid‐late Pleistocene intraspecific divergence, compared with an early Pleistocene divergence in P. lilfordi, and postdates some major increases in sea level between 0.4 and 0.6 Ma, which may have flooded Formentera. The program IMa2 provided a posterior divergence time of 0.089–0.221 Ma, which was similar to the multispecies coalescent tree estimate. More significantly, it indicated low but asymmetric effective gene copy migration rates, with higher migration from Formentera to Ibiza populations. Our findings suggest that much of the present‐day diversity may have originated from a late Pleistocene colonization of one island group from the other, followed by allopatric divergence of these populations. Subsequent gene flow between these insular groups seems likely to be explained by recent human introductions. Two evolutionary significant units can be defined for P. pityusensis but these units would need to exclude the populations that have been the subjects of recent admixture.     

斑点叉尾和杂交鲟幼鱼昼夜摄食节律和胃肠排空时间的研究

采用一次饱食投喂(将一昼夜分为8个时间段,每个时间段作为一个处理组,每天每个处理组饱食投喂一次)和分段式连续投喂(将一昼夜分为8个时间段,每天每个实验缸连续投喂8次)两种方法研究斑点叉尾和杂交鲟幼鱼的昼夜摄食节律,同时研究它们在摄食后24h内胃和全肠的排空时间。结果显示,在两种投喂方式下,斑点叉尾均表现出24h 一周期的摄食节律,两个日摄食率高峰值均出现在06：00和18：00(P<0.05)。杂交鲟在一次饱食投喂下表现出24h一周期的摄食节律,高峰值分别出现在11：00、17：00和05：00,在分段式连续投喂时表现出48h 一周期的摄食节律,高峰值分别出现在11：00、17：00和36：00。在摄食后1-9h 内,斑点叉尾的胃内含物比率急剧降低(P<0.05),并在24h 时出现极低值(P<0.05),而1-9h 内全肠内含物比率迅速升高(P<0.05),在9h时达到最大(P<0.05),在24h出现极低值(P<0.05)。在摄食后1-7h内,杂交鲟的胃内含物比率迅速下降(P<0.05),在24h 时出现极低值(P<0.05),1-7h 内肠内含物比率迅速升高(P<0.05),24h 时呈现极低值(P<0.05)。结果表明,两种实验鱼表现出不同的昼夜摄食节律,该节律受各自胃肠排空时间的影响,也受投喂时间的影响。研究建议,在斑点叉尾和杂交鲟幼鱼的养殖中宜在光线较弱的清晨(05：00-06：00)和黄昏(17：00-18：00)进行投喂。     

Evaluation of glutathione S-transferase genetic variants affecting type 2 diabetes susceptibility: A meta-analysis

Genetic polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk have been widely studied, however, the results were somewhat conflicting. To evaluate the association of GSTs (GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1) gene polymorphisms with T2DM, a meta-analysis was performed before October, 2012. ORs were pooled according to random-effects model. There were a total of 1354/1666 (n = 9) cases/controls (studies) for GSTM1, 1271/1470 (n = 8) for GSTT1, and 1205/1250 (n = 7) for GSTM1. There were significant associations between GSTM1 polymorphism, GSTT1 polymorphism and T2DM in the contrast of present genotype vs. null genotype, with pooled OR = 1.99 (95%CI = 1.46–2.71) and OR = 1.61 (95%CI = 1.19–2.17), respectively. Yet no significant association of GSTP1 polymorphism and T2DM was showed. When stratified by ethnicity, the significant associations were also existed in Asians for GSTM1 and GSTT1, but not GSTP1. No publication bias but some extent of heterogeneity was observed. Finally, the accumulated evidence proved the obvious associations of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms with an increased risk of T2DM.     

The neuroprotective effect of acute moderate alcohol consumption on caspase-3 mediated neuroapoptosis in traumatic brain injury: The role of lysosomal cathepsin L and nitric oxide

Our aim in this study was to investigate the effect of moderate acute alcohol administration on cysteine protease mediated neuronal apoptosis and nitric oxide production in the traumatic brain injury. A total of 29 adult Sprague–Dawley male rats weighing 250–300 g were used. The rats were allocated into four groups. The first group was the control (sham-operated) group in which only a craniotomy was performed, the others were alcohol, trauma and trauma + alcohol groups. Caspase-3 enzyme activity in the trauma group increased significantly in comparison with the control group. The alcohol given group showed a decreased caspase-3 enzyme activity compared to the trauma group. The level of caspase-3 enzyme activity in the alcohol + trauma group decreased in comparison to the trauma group. SF/FEL ratio of cathepsin-L enzyme activity in the trauma group was significantly higher than in the control group. Our results indicate that moderate alcohol consumption may have protective effects on apoptotic cell death after traumatic brain injury. Protective effects of moderate ethanol consumption might be related to inhibition of lysosomal protease release and nitric oxide production.     

Major vault protein (MVP) gene polymorphisms and drug resistance in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis

The human major vault protein (MVP) has been implicated in the development of drug resistance in cancer cells. Over expression of MVP has also been reported in brain tissue samples from antiepileptic drug (AED)-resistant human focal epilepsies. To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involving the MVP gene and AED-resistance, we compared the distribution of three SNPs in the MVP gene, rs4788187, rs3815824 and rs3815823, among 220 patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE-HS) (prototype of AED-resistant epilepsy syndrome), 201 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) (prototype of AED-responsive epilepsy syndrome) and 213 ethnically matched non-epilepsy controls. All the patients and controls were residents of the South Indian state of Kerala for more than three generations. We did not find any significant difference in allele and genotypic frequencies of the studied SNPs between AED-resistant and AED-responsive cohorts, and between AED-resistant and AED-responsive cohorts independently and pooled together when compared with the controls. We conclude that rs4788187, rs3815824, rs3815823 variants of the MVP gene are associated neither with predisposition for epilepsy nor with AED-resistance in the population that we have studied. Our results suggest the need for further research into the link between MVP and AED-resistance.     

A Japanese child with geleophysic dysplasia caused by a novel mutation of FBN1

Geleophysic dysplasia (GD) is a rare disorder characterized by severe short stature, short hands and feet, limited joint mobility, skin thickening, characteristic facial features (e.g., a “happy” face), and cardiac valvular disorders that often result in an early death. The genes ADAMTSL2 (a disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif-like 2) and FBN1 (fibrillin 1) were recently identified as causative genes for GD. Here, we describe a 10-year-old Japanese female with GD who was born to non-consanguineous parents. At the age of 11 months, she was referred to our hospital because of very short stature for her age (− 4.4 standard deviations of the age-matched value) and a “happy” face with full cheeks, a shortened nose, hypertelorism, and a long and flat philtrum, characteristic of GD. Her hands and feet were small, her skin was thickened, and her joint mobility was generally limited. She had cardiac valvular disorders and history of recurrent respiratory failure. Mutation analysis revealed no abnormalities in ADAMTSL2. However, analysis of FBN1 revealed a novel heterozygous mutation (c.5161T > T/G) in exon 41, which encodes transforming growth factor-β-binding protein-like domain 5 (TB5). GD is an extremely rare disorder and, to our knowledge, only one case of GD with an FBN1 mutation has been reported in Japan. Similar to the previously reported cases of GD, the mutation in the current patient was located in the TB5 domain, which suggests that abnormalities in this domain of FBN1 are responsible for GD.