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- The marine algal flora of the Azores: island isolation or Atlantic stepping-stones?Publication . Tittley, Ian; Neto, Ana I.Ordination analyses was performed on the Chlorophyta, Chromophyta (Phaeophyceae) and Rhodophyta floras of 37 regions of the east and west North Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic to southern Europe, the Azores, Madeira, the Canary and Salvage Islands, and North and South Carolina. Results showed close affinities of the Azores green, brown and red marine algal floras with those of Madeira aand the Canary Islands. Analyses also indicated, particularly for the red algae, trans-Atlantic affinities between the algal floras of Macaronesia and the Carolinas. Low endemicity suggests that the Azores algal flora is not an isolated one. The islands may serve as trans-Atlantic stepping stones in the dispersal distribution of some species but the various elements in the flora suggest the islands to be an Atlantic crossroad.
- Polymorphism of the APOE locus in the Azores Islands (Portugal)Publication . Bettencourt, Conceição; Montiel, Rafael; Santos, Cristina; Pavão, Maria Leonor; Viegas-Crespo, Ana Maria; Lopes, Paula Alexandra; Lima, ManuelaOur aim in this study is to report on the polymorphism of the APOE gene in the Azores Islands (Portugal) to obtain a population baseline of the existing variation in this locus, known to be one of the genetic determinants of plasma lipid levels. One hundred twenty-six Azorean individuals were typed for the APOE polymorphism using standard PCR-RFLP. Allele frequencies obtained for APOE*2, APOE*3, and APOE*4 were 6.75%, 83.73%, and 9.52%, respectively. The APOE*3/*3 genotype presented the highest frequency (69.84%), and the APOE*4/*4 genotype had the lowest frequency (0.79%). Genotype frequencies were in conformity with Hardy-Weinberg expectations. The observed genotype and allele frequencies were similar to those reported for other Iberian samples. Furthermore, Nei's gene diversity ((H) over cap = 0.2864 +/- 0.0351) was similar to that reported for samples from mainland Portugal. The data generated from this study will be of importance in the context of ongoing studies concerning the factors that influence lipid levels in the Azorean population.
- Chronic exposure to volcanic environments and cancer incidence in the Azores, PortugalPublication . Amaral, André; Rodrigues, Victor; Oliveira, Jorge; Pinto, Carlos; Carneiro, Vitor; Sanbento, Rui; Cunha, Regina Tristão da; Rodrigues, ArmindoWhether volcanic environments pose a risk in cancer incidence is unknown. We investigated this question in two populations, one from an area with active manifestations of volcanism (Furnas) and another from an area without volcanic activity since 3 million years ago (Santa Maria), both in Azores. Incidence data on cancer among the populations of Furnas and Santa Maria during 1991–2001 were obtained from medical records of local health centers. Age-standardized rates and relative risks were estimated. Overall incidence rates were higher in the volcanically active area when observing all cancers and both sexes combined. However, the non-volcanically active area presented higher rates of cancer of digestive, respiratory and intrathoracic organs, mainly in males, while the area with volcanic manifestations showed higher rates of cancer of lip, oral cavity and pharynx, in both sexes, and female breast. Relative risk estimates between both populations suggest a higher risk for cancer in some groups of organs in Furnas, especially of lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer, and breast, that may be partially explained by the chronic exposure to environmental factors resulting from volcanic activity, such as hazardous gases and aerosols, much of them associated to trace metals.