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Abstract—The study of immune response and inflammation gene polymorphisms in a genogeographic context is relevant in the study of human populations. Here, in the indigenous populations of Siberia the frequencies of polymorphic variants ‒174G/C (rs1800795) and ‒572C/G (rs1800796) of the IL6 gene encoding the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 were determined. For the first time, it was shown that the frequencies of the ‒174G and ‒572C alleles, which determine increased inflammatory response and are also associated with several diseases were statistically significantly higher in ethnic groups of Buryats, Teleuts, Yakuts, Dolgans and Tuvinians than in Russians living in Siberia. These values were in the intermediate position between those in the European and East-Asian groups. We hypothesize an adaptive role of these IL6 genetic variants in human settlement from Africa to the Eurasian continent. However, due to the departure from the traditional way of life and the increasing anthropogenic environmental pollution, the risk of diseases whose pathogenesis is based on inflammation in indigenous Siberian populations is likely increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the digital inclusion of major and minor ethnic groups in Russia by comparing three broad categories of digital resources, identified in this study as components of the index of inclusion: information and communications technology (ICT) access, skills, and extent of engagement with technologies. Based on these components/subindices, we constructed an index of digital inclusion for the Russian context and tested it on a representative national sample of 765 Internet users (596 Russians, 196 Yakuts). Our study showed that Russians use more platforms for online access (mobile phones, laptops, consoles, smart TV, etc.) than Yakuts and access the Internet through a bigger number of locations, not being limited to home and/or office only. They also have higher level of social, technical, and creative ICT skills, and demonstrate higher levels of digital engagement and overall digital inclusion. We argue that the explanation here lies first of all in the geographical domain, that is traditional location of ethnic minority (Yakuts) in a region that is less digitally advantaged in terms of Internet access, cost, speed, and other factors (Far Eastern federal district), and is not related to ethnicity itself. We think therefore that this study is a good illustration of how the first and the second levels of the digital divide interrelate and influence each other, leading to a situation when people with lower access to the Internet and ICTs have lower skills and competences to use them, therefore risking to become digitally and also socially excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Wroclawskie Studia Wschodnie is the property of Wroclaw University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Societas / Communitas is the property of University of Warsaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The global trend toward the reduction of human spermatogenic function observed in many countries, including Russia, raised the problem of extensive screening and monitoring of male fertility and elucidation of its genetic and ethnic mechanisms. Recently, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was developed as a powerful tool for genetic analysis of complex traits. We present here the first Russian WES study for identification of new genes associated with semen quality. The experimental 3 × 2 design of the WES study was based on the analysis of 157 samples including three ethnic groups—Slavs (59), Buryats (n = 49), and Yakuts (n = 49), and two different semen quality groups—pathozoospermia (n = 95) and normospermia (n = 62). Additionally, our WES study group was negative for complete AZF microdeletions of the Y-chromosome. The normospermia group included men with normal sperm parameters in accordance with the WHO-recommended reference limit. The pathozoospermia group included men with impaired semen quality, namely, with any combined parameters of sperm concentration <15 × 106/ml, and/or progressive motility <32%, and/or normal morphology <4%. The WES was performed for all 157 samples. Subsequent calling and filtering of variants were carried out according to the GATK Best Practices recommendations. On the genotyping stage, the samples were combined into four cohorts: three sets corresponded to three ethnic groups, and the fourth set contained all the 157 whole-exome samples. Association of the obtained polymorphisms with semen quality parameters was investigated using the χ2 test. To prioritize the obtained variants associated with pathozoospermia, their effects were determined using Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor. Moreover, polymorphisms located in genes expressed in the testis were revealed based on the genomic annotation. As a result, the nine potential SNP markers rs6971091, rs557806, rs610308, rs556052, rs1289658, rs278981, rs1129172, rs12268007, and rs17228441 were selected for subsequent verification on our previously collected population sample (about 1,500 males). The selected variants located in seven genes FAM71F1 , PPP1R15A , TRIM45 , PRAME , RBM47 , WDFY4 , and FSIP2 that are expressed in the testis and play an important role in cell proliferation, meiosis, and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Türkiyat Mecmuasi is the property of Istanbul University, Institute of Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of LUD is the property of Polish Ethnological Society / Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the issues of the methods and principles of the formation of two-component names of medicinal plants (phytonyms) with the component "ot" (grass) growing on the territory of the Extreme North of Russia - Yakutia as part of an interdisciplinary research at the junction of linguistics and biology. Attention is paid to the study of semantic features of phytonyms of the Yakut medical plants. The results of linguistic analysis are presented, which are compared with the methods of using medicinal plants with herbal extracts and herbalists and collected during expeditionary work. Particular attention is paid to the definition of universal models of formation of medical phytonyms in the Yakut language and identifying some methods of the word-formation system of lexical units denoting names of medicinal plants based on the appearance and form of any of the parts, designating a characteristic place of growth, identifying a functional trait and determining the affiliation of a medicinal plant. The novelty of the research is seen in the fact that the study of the names of medicinal plants in the Yakut language is conducted for the first time. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the study of the vocabulary of the Yakut language in a comparative historical aspect will improve the existing results and open new directions in the study of the history of the Turkic languages. Universal models of the formation of phytonyms of medicinal plants in the Yakut language are proposed, which reveal a regional peculiarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to determine carrier frequencies of the polymorphic markers G1846A (CYP2D6*4) and C100T (CYP2D6*10) of the CYP2D6 gene in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients in Russian and Yakut ethnic groups. The association between the administration of higher doses of bisoprolol and metoprolol and the carriage of these polymorphic markers related to the decreased function of the haplotype of CYP2D6 was also studied. Methods: The study included 201 CHD patients (aged 66±8.7 years) receiving metoprolol in titrated dose (12.5–150 mg), bisoprolol (2.5–10 mg) or atenolol (50 mg). Ninety-three patients were Russian (30 men and 63 women), and 108 patients were Yakut (54 men and 54 women). Results: In genotyping CHD patients in the Russian and Yakut ethnic groups, there was no significant difference in the prevalence rate of the polymorphic markers G1846A (10.8 vs. 10.2; p=0.871) and C100T (16.1 vs. 16.2; p=1). In patients carrying the polymorphic marker G1846A, the dose of bisoprolol was established to be lower than that in the control group (p=0.0289). Conclusions: The carriage frequency of polymorphic markers, which theoretically should differ between Russians and Yakuts as representatives of two different races, in practice turned out to be the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SOPH syndrome (Short stature with Optic nerve atrophy and Pelger-Huët anomaly syndrome, OMIM#614800) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease characterized by the following main clinical symptoms: postnatal hypoplasia, proportionately short stature, facial dysmorphism, micromelia of feet and hands, limp and loose skin, optic nerve atrophy, and Pelger-Huët anomaly of neutrophils. For the first time, this disease was described in Yakuts. The molecular-genetic study showed that its cause in Yakuts is mutation G5741→A in gene NBAS. On the basis of disequilibrium analysis for linkage of ten microsatellite markers flanking the NBAS gene with the disease, the haplotype of the founder chromosome was determined. The age of the mutation in Yakutia was estimated to be about 804 ± 140 years. The frequency of heterozygous carriers of mutation G5741→A (R1914H) in gene NBAS was found, which averaged 13 per 1000 healthy Yakuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allele frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are variable among different populations; therefore the study of SNPs in ethnic groups is important for establishing the clinical significance of the screening of these polymorphisms. The main goal of the research is to study the polymorphisms of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, VKORC1, and SLCO1B1 in Yakuts. Genomic DNA from 229 Yakut subjects were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (SLCO1B1 +521T > C, VKORC1 -1639G>A, CYP2C19 +681G>A, +636G>A, CYP2C9 +430C>T, +1075A>C). Genotype frequencies of polymorphisms in the population of the Yakuts were more characteristic of the Asian population. The results have been included in the software application "Lekgen" that we developed for the interpretation of pharmacogenetic testing. The data of our study obtained on frequency carriers of polymorphisms of genes SLCO1B1, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, VKORC1 among the Yakuts may be useful in developing recommendations for a personalized therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a hereditary neuromuscular disease with autosomal dominant and rarely with autosomal recessive inheritance types. This study included 50 patients with a clinical diagnosis of OPMD, 23 asymptomatic carriers of the mutation from 45 unrelated families, and 56 healthy relatives, as well as population samples of four ethnic groups of Yakutia: Yakuts, Evens, Evenks, Yukaghirs. It was found that the cause of OPMD development in all investigated families is the same increase in GCN repeats to 14 copies in the PABPN1 gene. The molecular structure of the (GCN) mutant allele is (GCG)(GCA)GCG. The genetic variability of ten SNPs at the OPMD locus was studied in patient families and population samples. The haplotypes of OPMD were determined by a segregation analysis technique and using the EM algorithm in the groups of patients, mutation carriers, and population samples. Only one haplotype of four SNPs (ATCG) linked with the (GCN) mutant allele was found in Yakuts and Russian patients and OPMD mutation carriers. Probably, this indicates the accumulation of mutations as a result of the founder effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is part of an ongoing project aiming at determining the ethnogenesis of an eastern Siberian ethnic group, the Yakuts, on the basis of archaeological excavations carried out over a period of 10 years in three regions of Yakutia: Central Yakutia, the Vilyuy River basin and the Verkhoyansk area. In this study, genetic analyses were carried out on skeletal remains from 130 individuals of unknown ancestry dated mainly from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century AD. Kinship studies were conducted using sets of commercially available autosomal and Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) along with hypervariable region I sequences of the mitochondrial DNA. An unexpected and intriguing finding of this work was that the uniparental marker systems did not always corroborate results from autosomal DNA analyses; in some cases, false-positive relationships were observed. These discrepancies revealed that 15 autosomal STR loci are not sufficient to discriminate between first degree relatives and more distantly related individuals in our ancient Yakut sample. The Y-STR analyses led to similar conclusions, because the current Y-STR panels provided the limited resolution of the paternal lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Black Sea / Karadeniz is the property of Black Sea / Karadeniz and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A DNA polymorphism is one of the most important factors determining individual variations in patients' responses to the same medicinal preparations. This work deals with assessment of associations between polymorphisms of 106 genes involved in key processes of cellular activity (xenobiotic metabolism, DNA repair, the cell cycle, and the regulation of apoptosis) and the outcomes of a cisplatin-based chemotherapy in a cohort of ovarian-cancer patients from Yakutia. The CDKN1B gene polymorphism (rs34330) has been found to be associated with the frequency of complete remissions. The allelic status of this locus was also shown to be significant for progression-free survival. The allelic status at the EPXH1 gene loci (rs2234922 and rs2260863) correlated with impairments in hearing, while the NBN gene polymorphism (rs1063045) was associated with severe emesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Black Sea / Karadeniz is the property of Black Sea / Karadeniz and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Black Sea / Karadeniz is the property of Black Sea / Karadeniz and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Black Sea / Karadeniz is the property of Black Sea / Karadeniz and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Viliuisk encephalomyelitis (VE) is a rare endemic neurodegenerative disease occurring in the Yakut population of Northeastern Siberia. The main clinical features of VE are spasticity, dysarthria, dementia, central paresis and paralysis, and cortical atrophy observed via MRI. Many hypotheses have been proposed regarding its etiology, including infectious agents, genetics, environmental factors, and immunopathology. Each of these hypotheses has been supported to some extent by epidemiological and experimental data. Nevertheless, none of them has been decisively proven. Gut microbiome is one of the factors that might be involved in VE pathogenesis.Results: Here we performed a pilot survey of the stool microbiomes of Yakut subjects with VE (n = 6) and without VE (n = 11). 16S rRNA sequencing showed that in comparison with the control group, the Yakuts with VE had increased proportions of Methanobrevibacter and Christensenella, which are reported to be linked to body mass index, metabolism, dietary habits and potentially to neurodegenerative disorders. The identified associations suggest that the microbiome may be involved in VE. Overall, the Yakut microbiome was quite specific in comparison with other populations, such as metropolitan Russians and native inhabitants of the Canadian Arctic.Conclusions: Describing the gut microbiome of indigenous human populations will help to elucidate the impact of dietary and environmental factors on microbial community structure and identify risks linked to the lifestyles of such groups as well as endemic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hereditary short stature syndromes are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders and the cause have not been fully identified. Yakuts are a population isolated in Asia; they live in the far east of the Russian Federation and have a high prevalence of hereditary short stature syndrome including 3-M syndrome. A novel short stature syndrome in Yakuts is reported here, which is characterised by autosomal recessive inheritance, severe postnatal growth retardation, facial dysmorphism with senile face, small hands and feet, normal intelligence, Pelger-Huët anomaly of leucocytes, and optic atrophy with loss of visual acuity and colour vision. This new syndrome is designated as short stature with optic atrophy and Pelger-Huët anomaly (SOPH) syndrome. Aims To identify a causative gene for SOPH syndrome. Methods Genomewide homozygosity mapping was conducted in 33 patients in 30 families. Results The disease locus was mapped to the 1.1 Mb region on chromosome 2p24.3, including the neuroblastoma amplified sequence (NBAS) gene. Subsequently, 33 of 34 patients were identified with SOPH syndrome and had a 5741G/A nucleotide substitution (resulting in the amino acid substitution R1914H) in the NBAS gene in the homozygous state. None of the 203 normal Yakuts individuals had this substitution in the homozygous state. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the NBAS protein is well expressed in retinal ganglion cells, epidermal skin cells, and leucocyte cytoplasm in controls as well as a patient with SOPH syndrome. Conclusion These findings suggest that function of NBAS may associate with the pathogenesis of short stature syndrome as well as optic atrophy and Pelger-Huët anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]