An update of the unceasingly growing and diverse AraC/XylS family of transcriptional activators.

Transcriptional factors play an important role in gene regulation in all organisms, especially in Bacteria. Here special emphasis is placed in the AraC/XylS family of transcriptional regulators. This is one of the most abundant as many predicted members have been identified and more members are added because more bacterial genomes are sequenced. Given the way more experimental evidence has mounded in the past decades, we decided to update the information about this captivating family of proteins. Using bioinformatics tools on all the data available for experimentally characterized members of this family, we found that many members that display a similar functional classification can be clustered together and in some cases they have a similar regulatory scheme. A proposal for grouping these proteins is also discussed. Additionally, an analysis of surveyed proteins in bacterial genomes is presented. Altogether, the current review presents a panoramic view into this family and we hope it helps to stimulate future research in the field.

Alzheimer's disease: Estimating its prevalence rate in a French geographical unit using the National Alzheimer Data Bank and national health insurance information systems.

BACKGROUND: Reliable epidemiological data on Alzheimer's disease are scarce. However, these are necessary to adapt healthcare policy in terms of prevention, care and social needs related to this condition. To estimate the prevalence rate in the Alpes-Maritimes on the French Riviera, with a population of one million, we present a capture-recapture procedure applied to cases of Alzheimer's disease, based on two epidemiological surveillance systems. METHODS: To estimate the total number of patients affected by Alzheimer's disease, a capture-recapture study included a cohort of patients with Alzheimer's disease or receiving medications only eligible for use for this condition, recorded by a specific health insurance information system (Health Insurance Cohort, HIC), and those registered in the French National Alzheimer's Data Bank ("Banque Nationale Alzheimer", BNA) in 2010 and 2011. We applied Bayesian estimation of the Mt ecological model, taking into account age and gender as covariates, i.e. factors of inhomogeneous catchability. RESULTS: Overall, 5,562 patients with Alzheimer's disease were recorded, of whom only 856 were common to both information systems. Mean age and F/M sex ratio differed between BNA and HIC surveillance systems, 81 vs 84 years and 2.7 vs 3.2, respectively. A Bayesian estimation, with age and gender as covariates, yields an estimate of 15,060 cases of Alzheimer's disease [95%HPDI: 14,490-15,630] in the Alpes-Maritimes. The completeness of the HIC and BNA databases were respectively of 25.4% and 17.2%. The estimated prevalence rate among the population over 65 years old was 6.3% in 2010-2011. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that it is possible to determine the number of subjects affected by Alzheimer's disease in a geographical unit, using available data from two existing surveillance systems in France, i.e. 15,060 cases in the Alpes-Maritimes. This is the first stage of a population-based approach in view of adapting available resources to the population's needs.

"As du Coeur" study: a randomized controlled trial on quality of life impact and cost effectiveness of a physical activity program in patients with cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity programs (PAP) in patients with cardiovascular disease require evidence of cost-utility. To assess improvement in health-related quality of life (QoL) and reduction of health care consumption of patients following PAP, a randomized trial was used. METHODS: Patients from a health insurance company who had experienced coronary artery disease or moderate heart failure were invited to participate (N = 1891). Positive responders (N = 50) were randomly assigned to a progressively autonomous physical activity (PAPA) program or to a standard supervised physical activity (SPA) program. The SPA group had two supervised sessions per week over 5 months. PAPA group had one session per week and support to aid habit formation (written tips, exercise program, phone call). To measure health-related quality of life EQ-5D utility score were used, before intervention, 6 months (T6) and 1 year later. Health care costs were provided from reimbursement databases. RESULTS: Mobility, usual activities and discomfort improved significantly in both group (T6). One year later, EQ-5D utility score was improved in the PAPA group only. Total health care consumption in the intervention group decreased, from a mean of 4097 euros per year before intervention to 2877 euros per year after (p = 0.05), compared to a health care consumption of 4087 euros and 4180 euros per year, in the total population of patients (N = 1891) from the health insurance company. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio was 10,928 euros per QALYs. CONCLUSION: A physical activity program is cost-effective in providing a better quality of life and reducing health care consumption in cardiovascular patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN77313697 , retrospectively registered on 20 November 2015.