Molecular phylogeny reveals Varroa mites are not a separate family but a subfamily of Laelapidae.

Varroa mites, notorious for parasitizing honeybees, are generally classified as Varroidae. Their extremely modified morphologies and behaviors have led to debates regarding their phylogenetic position and classification as an independent family. In this study, two different datasets were employed to reconstruct the phylogenies of Varroa mites and related Laelapidae species: (1) 9257 bp from the whole 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes of 24 taxa, (2) 3158 bp from 113 taxa using Sanger sequencing of four nuclear loci. Both mitochondrial and nuclear analyses consistently place Varroa mites within the Laelapidae. Here we propose to place Varroa mites in the subfamily Varroinae stat. nov., which represents a highly morphologically adapted group within the Laelapidae. Ancestral state reconstructions reveal that bee-associated lifestyles evolved independently at least three times within Laelapidae, with most phoretic traits originating from free-living ancestors. Our revised classification and evolutionary analyses will provide new insight into understanding the Varroa mites.

The association between shift work and hyperuricemia in steelmaking male workers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the association between shift work and hyperuricemia among steel company workers. METHODS: We examined 1,029 male workers at a Korean steel company between June 6 and June 28, 2013. We conducted anthropometric measurements, questionnaire surveys, and blood tests. Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid concentration of ≥7.0 mg/dL. Logistic regression analyses were performed. In the full model, analysis was adjusted for covariates including age, body mass index, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for all models. RESULTS: The participants included 276 daytime workers and 753 shift workers. Among daytime workers, 72 (26.1%) individuals had hyperuricemia, as did 282 (37.5%) individuals among shift workers (p <0.001). There was a statistically significant association between shift work and hyperuricemia. In the unadjusted model, the OR of shift work was 1.70 (95% CI 1.25-2.31) for hyperuricemia. In the full model, the OR of shift work was also statistically significant after adjustment for covariates (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02-1.96). CONCLUSIONS: Among male steel workers, a significant association between shift work and hyperuricemia was observed.

The relevance of hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome and the effect of blood lead level on uric Acid concentration in steelmaking workers.

OBJECTIVES: Uric acid concentration is known to increase the prevalence of metabolic syndrome by affecting its components, resulting in increased risk of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, and long-term lead exposure is known to affect this serum uric acid level. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between the causes of hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome, and to determine whether an increased blood lead level affects hyperuricemia. METHOD: Anthropometric measurements, surveys, and blood tests were conducted between May and June 2012 in 759 men working in the steelmaking process at a domestic steel company. Workers were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of hyperuricemia, and an analysis was performed to examine its association with metabolic syndrome. In addition, the workers were divided into 3 groups according to the blood lead level to analyze the association between blood lead and hyperuricemia. RESULTS: The geometric mean (standard deviation) of the blood lead levels in the hyperuricemia group was significantly higher than that of the healthy group (3.8 [1.8] vs. 3.3 [1.8] µg/dL). The adjusted odds ratio for metabolic syndrome of the hyperuricemia group increased significantly to 1.787 (1.125-2.839) compared with the healthy group. In addition, the adjusted odds ratios for the occurrence of hyperuricemia in the tertile 2 (2.61-4.50 µg/dL) and tertile 3 groups (>4.50 µg/dL) according to blood lead level significantly increased to 1.763 (1.116-2.784) and 1.982 (1.254-3.132), respectively, compared with the tertile 1 group (< 2.61 µg/dL). CONCLUSION: Hyperuricemia is believed to function as an independent risk factor for metabolic syndrome, while lead seems to increase the serum uric acid level even at a considerably low blood level. Therefore, attention should be given to patients with hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome who are prone to lead exposure, and a prospective study should be conducted to identify their causal relationship.