Time-series analysis of satellite imagery for detecting vegetation cover changes in Indonesia.

Indonesia has one of the world's largest tropical forests; thus, its deforestation and environmental degradation are a global concern. This study is the first to perform comprehensive big data analyses with coherent vegetation criteria to measure the vegetation change at a high temporal resolution (every 16-day period) for 20 years and the high administrative resolution (regency or city) all over Indonesia. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer is analyzed through state space modeling. The findings reveal that the NDVI increases in almost all regencies, except in urban areas. A high correlation between the NDVI change and the time is observed in Sumatra, Papua, and Kalimantan. The gain of the NDVI values is obvious in the Central and Eastern Java Island. Human activities, such as the expansion of agriculture and forestry and forest conservation policies, are the key factors for the observed pattern.

Relationship between individual-level social capital and non-communicable diseases among adults in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

Objective: Solomon Islands is experiencing a change in disease burden, from communicable to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Urgent action is necessary to reduce the risk of high economic and personal costs associated with NCDs. Social capital refers to the trust, norms and networks that provide social benefits and it is related to health. Despite the strong social bonds among Solomon Islanders, research on the association between social capital and health is lacking. Therefore, this study examines the state of individual social capital and its connection to NCD-related factors in the capital of the Solomon Islands. Method: In 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional study on 200 adults aged 20-80 years in urban and periurban settlements of the capital. Anthropometric measurements, questionnaires and interview surveys were conducted. Results: This study identified higher prevalence of obesity, blood glucose levels and blood pressure compared with previous studies in both study areas. Multiple linear regression analysis reported that in the periurban area, cognitive social capital was negatively associated with body mass index (BMI) (p=0.005), whereas joining a group was positively associated with BMI (p=0.01). In the urban area, social support from individuals and cognitive social capital were negatively associated with blood glucose levels (p=0.03, p=0.007). Moreover, cognitive social capital was negatively associated with systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.03, p=0.006). However, joining citizenship activity was positively associated with glucose levels (p=0.04). Conclusion: This study observed that participants living with people of the same linguistic group had high trust in each other. Furthermore, higher cognitive social capital and social support may reduce the risk of NCD-related factors, unlike joining group activities. Public health implications: Findings suggest that health professionals should consider the influence of social capital on health promotion and interventions to be effective.

Self-construal and behavioral motivation systems among patients with depression in Indonesia: A hospital-based study.

Objective: To validate Indonesian versions of two social/cultural psychological scales: the Self-Construal Scale (SCS) that measures independent and interdependent cultural values, and the Behavioral Inhibition (Avoidance) System and Behavioral Approach System (BIS/BAS) that measures motivation focus. We also explored the cultural background for the rising prevalence of depression in Indonesia. Design: Case (hospital)-control (population) study. Setting: Hasanuddin University Hospital (cases) and Makassar city region (controls), Indonesia. Participants: Participants (N = 369) were 165 patients with depression recruited from a university hospital, and 204 healthy controls without a history of mental disorders recruited from locations within a 30-minute walk from the hospital. Outcome measures: Depression was diagnosed by psychiatrists with reference to Indonesian mental disorder guidelines (Pedoman Penggolongan dan Diagnosa Gangguan Jiwa edisi 3). Participants' independent and interdependent cultural values, and neural motivational systems were measured with the SCS and BIS/BAS. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that our revised 12-item SCS and the 13-item, three-factor BIS/BAS had a good model fit for the Indonesian population. MANCOVA showed that the SCS Independent subscale and the BAS subscales were significantly associated with depression after adjustment for age, sex, religion, education, and occupation. Conclusion: These findings may guide provision of appropriate treatment for patients based on their social and cultural environment. In addition, this study contributes to understanding underlying reasons for the increasing prevalence of depression in Indonesia, where society is changing from traditional collectivism to global individualism.

Health and well-being in small island communities: a cross-sectional study in the Solomon Islands.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the health problems of inhabitants of small South Pacific Islands under the influence of climate change, focusing on three communities in the Solomon Islands. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of the Solomon Islands' populations. SETTING: A field survey was conducted in Taro Island, a small, urbanised island with a whole-community relocation plan; Manuopo community of Reef Islands, a small remote island on an atoll environment and Sasamungga, an intermediately urbanised community on a larger island. The Sasamungga community was used for comparison. PARTICIPANTS: Each community's participants were recruited through local health authorities, and 113, 155 and 116 adults (aged 18+ years) from Taro, Manuopo and Sasamungga, respectively, participated voluntarily. METHODS: Each participant's body height, weight and body mass index were measured. A drop of blood was sampled for malaria testing; glycated haemoglobin and C reactive protein levels, measured from another drop of blood, were markers for diabetes and inflammation, respectively. The Primary Care Screening Questionnaire for Depression measured depressive mental states. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Regarding health status, the dependent variables-communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and mental state-and independent variables-differences in communities and socioeconomic status-were measured through health check-ups and interviews of individual participants. RESULTS: Taro Island inhabitants had a higher risk of obesity (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.27, p=0.0189), and Manuopo inhabitants had a higher risk of depression (1.25, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.44, p=0.0026) than Sasamungga inhabitants. Manuopo inhabitants recognised more serious problems of food security, livelihood, place to live and other aspects of daily living than other communities' inhabitants. CONCLUSIONS: The three small island communities' observation identified different health problems: the urbanised community and remote community had a high risk of non-communicable diseases and mental disorders, respectively. These health problems should be monitored continuously during future climate-related changes.

Admixture with indigenous people helps local adaptation: admixture-enabled selection in Polynesians.

BACKGROUND: Homo sapiens have experienced admixture many times in the last few thousand years. To examine how admixture affects local adaptation, we investigated genomes of modern Polynesians, who are shaped through admixture between Austronesian-speaking people from Southeast Asia (Asian-related ancestors) and indigenous people in Near Oceania (Papuan-related ancestors). METHODS: In this study local ancestry was estimated across the genome in Polynesians (23 Tongan subjects) to find the candidate regions of admixture-enabled selection contributed by Papuan-related ancestors. RESULTS: The mean proportion of Papuan-related ancestry across the Polynesian genome was estimated as 24.6% (SD = 8.63%), and two genomic regions, the extended major histocompatibility complex (xMHC) region on chromosome 6 and the ATP-binding cassette transporter sub-family C member 11 (ABCC11) gene on chromosome 16, showed proportions of Papuan-related ancestry more than 5 SD greater than the mean (> 67.8%). The coalescent simulation under the assumption of selective neutrality suggested that such signals of Papuan-related ancestry enrichment were caused by positive selection after admixture (false discovery rate = 0.045). The ABCC11 harbors a nonsynonymous SNP, rs17822931, which affects apocrine secretory cell function. The approximate Bayesian computation indicated that, in Polynesian ancestors, a strong positive selection (s = 0.0217) acted on the ancestral allele of rs17822931 derived from Papuan-related ancestors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that admixture with Papuan-related ancestors contributed to the rapid local adaptation of Polynesian ancestors. Considering frequent admixture events in human evolution history, the acceleration of local adaptation through admixture should be a common event in humans.

Socioeconomic and Behavioral Factors Associated with Obesity Across Sex and Age in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The Solomon Islands is currently experiencing a change in disease burdens, from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Obesity is one of the leading non-communicable diseases causing death. Urgent action is needed to decrease the high economic and personal costs associated with obesity. This study proposes to determine behavioral and socioeconomic factors associated with obesity among different sex and age groups in an urban area of the Solomon Islands. In 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted among adults aged 20 to 80 in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. Anthropometric measurements and a survey of socioeconomic status (SES) and behavioral status were conducted among 176 participants using a questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the socioeconomic factors significantly associated with higher body mass index (BMI) by age group. The study found a high prevalence of overweight (34%) and obesity (48%) in both sexes. Multiple linear regression analysis found that having a high-income level and being married were positively associated with higher BMI among young adults. In the middle age groups, the highest income level was positively associated with higher BMI. Young and middle-aged adults with a high SES might consume higher calorie food, contributing to weight gain, but this needs confirmation. Moreover, getting married might lead to more consistent meals and weight gain among the young age group. These findings suggest that health professionals have to consider the influence of income level and marital status on lifestyle choices when planning interventions that promote healthy lifestyles.

Socio-economic-demographic determinants of depression in Indonesia: A hospital-based study.

The association of socio-economic-demographic (SED; e.g., income-related) factors with depression is widely confirmed in the literature. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study of 160 patients with psychiatrist-diagnosed clinical depression. The control group comprised 160 participants recruited from local communities. We used a questionnaire to collect SED data from all participants. We replaced missing values using multiple imputation analyses and further analyzed the pooled data of five imputations. We also recorded the results from the original analysis and each imputation. Univariate analyses showed income was associated with depression. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that, among all SED variables, high income (odds ratio = 2.088 [95% confidence interval = 1.178-3.700]; p = 0.012), middle-level (completed junior or senior high school) education (1.688 [1.042-2.734]; p = 0.033) and cohabitating with four or more family members (1.632 [1.025-2.597]; p = 0.039) were significant predictors for the case group. We conclude that cash income is a determinant of depression in hospital outpatients in Indonesia. This study suggests health policy implications toward better hospital access and service for people with depression in middle- or low-income households, and recommends considering high income as correlated with a high risk of depression, owing to socio-cultural changes.

Sociocultural factors affecting drive for muscularity among male college students in Malaysia.

Compared with females, little research on muscularity and the sociocultural influences on this domain has been conducted with males in non-Western societies. The current study explored these sociocultural predictors of drive for muscularity among Malaysian male college students, specifically in terms of ethnicity and exposure to media (i.e., Internet and social media). In total, 166 male college students from two universities in Kuala Lumpur were asked to rate the questionnaires as to muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviours. Multivariable general linear model analyses revealed that being Chinese was a strong predictor of muscularity-oriented attitudes and behaviours. In addition, modern media, particularly, Internet use and the number of followers on Instagram, was found to significantly predict males' drive for muscularity. Overall findings suggest that males of particular ethnic groups may be at higher risk for negative body image compared to the other ethnic populations and modern media use may accelerate drive for muscularity, which may also in turn place males at higher risk for excess muscularity-oriented thoughts and behaviours.

Admixture and natural selection shaped genomes of an Austronesian-speaking population in the Solomon Islands.

People in the Solomon Islands today are considered to have derived from Asian- and Papuan-related ancestors. Papuan-related ancestors colonized Near Oceania about 47,000 years ago, and Asian-related ancestors were Austronesian (AN)-speaking population, called Lapita, who migrated from Southeast Asia about 3,500 years ago. These two ancestral populations admixed in Near Oceania before the expansion of Lapita people into Remote Oceania. To understand the impact of the admixture on the adaptation of AN-speaking Melanesians in Near Oceania, we performed the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of 21 individuals from Munda, the main town of the New Georgia Islands in the western Solomon Islands. Population samples from Munda were genetically similar to other Solomon Island population samples. The analysis of genetic contribution from the two different ancestries to the Munda genome revealed significantly higher proportions of Asian- and Papuan-related ancestries in the region containing the annexin A1 (ANXA1) gene (Asian component > 82.6%) and in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II region (Papuan component > 85.4%), respectively. These regions were suspected to have undergone natural selection since the time of admixture. Our results suggest that admixture had affected adaptation of AN-speaking Melanesians in the Solomon Islands.

Factors associated with children's health facility visits for primaquine treatment in rural Papua New Guinea.

BACKGROUND: To control and eventually eliminate vivax malaria, radical treatment with primaquine (PQ) is essential after completion of blood-stage treatment. Although in many malaria-endemic countries, village health volunteers (VHVs) are engaged in diagnostic treatment of malaria in remote communities, they principally provide blood-stage treatment. In such a situation, access to PQ following blood-stage treatment can be a barrier to complete treatment. However, studies on access to PQ treatment have been scarce and limited in health facility-based settings. This study aimed to identify factors associated with access to PQ treatment in rural Papua New Guinea (PNG) from the community case management perspective. METHODS: A community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect sociodemographic information on children under 15 years of age, their households, and their caretakers in East Sepik Province, PNG. Data collection lasted from February to March, 2015. Information on the diagnoses of potential non-falciparum malaria and prescription of PQ in preceding year (January to December 2014) were obtained from child health-record books. Then, multilevel logistic regression model was used to determine the factors associated with formal health facility visits for PQ treatment among children with potential non-falciparum malaria. RESULTS: Of 420 episodes diagnosed as potential non-falciparum malaria, 46 (11%) were immediately given PQ. The rest were instructed to visit formal health facilities (HFs) for PQ, and the patients obtained PQ during the second visit to HFs was 44%. Consequently, the overall proportion of PQ prescription was 50%. Logistic regression analysis suggested that among the patients who were instructed to visit HFs for PQ treatment, the initial visit to VHV and higher transportation costs to HF were inversely associated with PQ prescription during the second visit to an HF. CONCLUSIONS: Few children received PQ treatment during the second visit to HFs following diagnosis of potential non-falciparum malaria. These findings suggest a need to establish a policy to reduce structural and economic barriers and improve rural inhabitant access to PQ treatment.

Association study of CREBRF missense variant (rs373863828:G > A; p.Arg457Gln) with levels of serum lipid profile in the Pacific populations.

BACKGROUND: A missense variant (rs373863828:G > A; p.Arg457Gln) of the CREBRF gene is strongly associated with a higher body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) in Polynesian populations. This variant has also been reported to be associated with lower total cholesterol in Samoans. AIM: The aim of this study is to examine the association of rs373863828:G > A with levels of serum lipids in four Pacific populations. METHODS: A total of 613 adult subjects were recruited from Tonga (Polynesians) and the Solomon Islands (Melanesians and Micronesians). Multiple regression analyses adjusted for age and sex were performed to examine the association of rs373863828 with levels of serum lipids in each population. RESULTS: A significant association of rs373863828:G > A with lower level of HDL-cholesterol was detected in the Tonga population (ß = -3.32 and p-value = 0.030). The expected change in HDL-cholesterol with respect to a single copy of the rs373863828-A allele was 3.32 mg/dL. However, the association between rs373863828-A and lower levels of HDL-cholesterol was not significant after further adjustment for BMI in the Tonga population (ß = -2.32 and p-value = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: The rs373863828-A allele may not directly affect the level of serum HDL-cholesterol independent of BMI. To confirm the present findings, association studies with large sample sizes and functional analyses are required.

Comparison of Health Service Utilization for Febrile Children Before and After Introduction of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy in Rural Papua New Guinea.

BACKGROUND: In Papua New Guinea (PNG), a malaria treatment policy using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) plus artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) was widely introduced to rural communities in 2012. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of this RDT/ACT introduction to a rural PNG population on health service utilization and to compare factors associated with health service utilization before and after the RDT/ACT introduction. METHODS: Household surveys with structured questionnaires were conducted before and after the introduction of RDT/ACT in a catchment area of a health center in East Sepik Province, PNG. We interviewed caregivers with children less than 15 years of age and collected data on fever episodes in the preceding 2 weeks. Using propensity score matching, febrile children before the introduction of RDT/ACT were matched to febrile children after the introduction. Then, the adjusted difference in the proportion of health service utilization [i.e., the average treatment effect (ATE) of the introduction of RDT/ACT on health service utilization] was estimated. We also employed a multilevel Poisson regression model to investigate factors influencing the use of health services. RESULTS: Of 4,690 children, 911 (19%) were reported to have a fever episode. The unadjusted proportion of health service utilization was 51.7 and 57.2% before and after the RDT/ACT introduction, respectively. After matching, no significant difference in the health service utilization was observed before and after the introduction of RDT/ACT (ATE: 0.063, 95% confidence interval -0.024 to 0.150). Multilevel regression analysis showed that the consistent factors associated with a higher utilization of health services were severe illness and being female. CONCLUSION: The utilization of health services was not significantly different before and after the introduction of RDT/ACT. Villagers may have neither sufficient informations on the new protocol nor high acceptance of RDT/ACT. The observed gender bias in health service utilization could be due to female caregivers' preferences toward girls.

Mitochondrial DNA variations in Austronesian-speaking populations living in the New Georgia Islands, the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.

Modern Austronesian (AN)-speaking Melanesians are considered to be derived from the admixture of indigenous non-Austronesian (NAN)-speaking people and AN-speaking people from Southeast Asia. In this study, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations in the D-loop region for two AN-speaking Melanesian populations (Munda and Kusaghe) and an AN-speaking Micronesian population (Rawaki) in the New Georgia Islands, the Western Province of the Solomon Islands to examine their genetic similarities to AN-speaking Polynesians in Tonga and NAN-speaking Melanesians, Gidra, in Papua New Guinea. The 'Polynesian motif', which is well-characterized mtDNA marker for Polynesians, was frequently observed in Munda and Kusaghe. Of particular interest, haplogroup E1a2 + 16261, which has been rarely observed in the Solomon Islands, accounted for 12.8% in Kusaghe. It has been reported that the haplogroup E1a2 arose in Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) 9400 ± 2850 years ago. Phylogenetic and principle component analyses for 24 Oceanian populations revealed that Munda and Kusaghe populations were genetically close to Tongan population, but not to Gidra. Rawaki population showed no apparent genetic similarities to populations of Tonga and Gidra. Our results suggest that considerable gene flow from AN-speaking populations originated from Southeast Asia to indigenous Melanesians occurred in the New Georgia Islands.

A missense variant, rs373863828-A (p.Arg457Gln), of CREBRF and body mass index in Oceanic populations.

It has been suggested that a 'thrifty' genotype hypothesis can account for high prevalence of obesity in the island populations of Oceania. A recent genome-wide association study revealed that a missense variant, rs373863828-A (p.Arg457Gln), of the CREBRF gene (encoding CREB3 regulatory factor) was associated with an excessive increase in body mass index (BMI) in Samoans. In the present study, the association of rs373863828-A with an increase in BMI was examined in four Austronesian (AN)-speaking populations in Oceania. We found that rs373863828-A was frequently observed (frequency of 0.15) in Tongans (Polynesians), and was strongly associated with higher BMI (P=6.1 × 10-4). A single copy of the rs373863828-A allele increased BMI by 3.09 kg m-2 after adjustment of age and sex. No significant association was detected in the other three AN-speaking populations (Melanesians and Micronesians) living in Solomon Islands. This was probably due to the low allele frequency (0.02-0.06) of rs373863828-A as well as small sample size. The rs373863828-A allele was not found in both AN-speaking and non-AN-speaking Melanesians living in Papua New Guinea. Our results suggest that rs373863828-A of CREBRF, a promising thrifty variant, arose in recent ancestors of AN-speaking Polynesians.

Polymorphisms associated with a tropical climate and root crop diet induce susceptibility to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in Solomon Islands.

The people of the Solomon Islands represent an Austronesian (AN)-speaking population's adaptation to a humid tropical environment and subsistence of tuberous crops. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of other populations (e.g. the Human Genome Diversity Project [HGDP]) have suggested the existence of genotypes adaptive to ecoregion, diet, and subsistence, and that those genotypes are also associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, the incidence of non-communicable diseases has been increasing in the Solomon Islands. In the present study, we explored the association of genotypes adaptive to a tropical environment and tuberous crop diet with metabolic and cardiovascular conditions in rural and urban AN-speaking Melanesian and Micronesian populations of the Solomon Islands. A total of 561 participants were genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) potentially associated with a tropical environment (rs174570 and rs2237892) and a tuberous crop diet (rs162036, rs185819, and rs2722425). The results showed that the allele frequencies of the Solomon Islands populations adopted patterns similar to those in populations from other hot, tropical areas with a tuberous crop diet in previous studies. Furthermore, rs162036, rs185819, rs2237892, and rs2722425 were all strongly associated with one or more metabolic and cardiovascular conditions. The derived allele of rs2722425 (i.e. rs2722425-G) was significantly associated with an elevated LDL level (P = 0.000264) even after the significance level was adjusted for multiple testing (i.e., α = 0.0005). Our results suggest that the inhabitants of the Solomon Islands exhibit the effects of the tropical environment and tuberous crop diet on their allele frequencies, and that their susceptibility to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases is therefore considered to be associated with their environment and diet.

Reduced morning cortisol concentration in saliva was associated with obesity: Evidence from community-dwelling adults in papua new guinea.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated morning salivary cortisol concentration in relation to total body fat composition among community-dwelling Papua New Guinean adults. METHODS: In addition to demographic and anthropometric measurements, saliva was collected in a single morning from 478 residents in Eastern Highlands Province and Madang Province. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, region, and occupation, the morning salivary cortisol concentration was significantly negatively correlated with body mass index among men (B = -0.01, P < 0.05) and women (B = -0.013, P < 0.05), and waist circumference (B = -0.007, P < 0.05), waist-to-hip-ratio (B = -1.214, P < 0.05), and subscapular-to-triceps skinfold-thickness ratio (B = -0.045, P < 0.05) among men. Men with total or abdominal body fat mass known for elevated risk of non-communicable diseases displayed lower cortisol compared to men without such risk. CONCLUSIONS: Papua New Guinean adults with increased accumulation of body fat showed reduced cortisol concentration in morning saliva. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:587-590, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Choice of Healthcare Providers for Febrile Children after Introducing Non-professional Health Workers in a Malaria Endemic Area in Papua New Guinea.

BACKGROUND: Disease burden of malaria in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is the highest in Asia and the Pacific, and prompt access to effective drugs is the key strategy for controlling malaria. Despite the rapid economic growth, primary healthcare services have deteriorated in rural areas; the introduction of non-professional health workers [village health volunteers (VHVs)] is expected to improve antimalarial drug deliveries. Previous studies on PNG suggested that distance from households negatively affected the utilization of health services; however, price effect on healthcare demand decisions has not been explored. Empirical studies on household's affordability as well as accessibility of healthcare services contribute to policy implications, such as efficient introduction of out-of-pocket costs and effective allocation of health facilities. Therefore, we investigate price responsiveness and other determinants of healthcare provider choice for febrile children in a malaria endemic rural area wherein VHVs were introduced. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted using a structured questionnaire distributed in a health center's catchment area of East Sepik Province in the 2011/2012 rainy seasons. Caretakers were interviewed and data on fever episodes of their children in the preceding 2 weeks were collected. Mixed logit model was employed to estimate the determinants of healthcare provider choice. RESULTS: Among 257 fever episodes reported, the main choices of healthcare providers were limited to self-care, VHV, and a health center. Direct cost and walking distance negatively affected the choice of a VHV and the health center. An increase of VHV's direct cost or walking distance did not much affect predicted probability of the health center, but rather that of self-care, while drug availability and illness severity increased the choice probability of a VHV and the health center. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the net healthcare demand increases with the introduction of a VHV. Allocations from the government's budget are required to sustain VHV activities because the introduction of a small user fee could impede the utilization of a VHV. A large travel cost related to the choice of the health center suggests that resource allocation is required for the expansion of formal healthcare providers to adequately operate a referral system.

Interaction between forest biodiversity and people's use of forest resources in Roviana, Solomon Islands: implications for biocultural conservation under socioeconomic changes.

BACKGROUND: In Solomon Islands, forests have provided people with ecological services while being affected by human use and protection. This study used a quantitative ethnobotanical analysis to explore the society-forest interaction and its transformation in Roviana, Solomon Islands. We compared local plant and land uses between a rural village and urbanized village. Special attention was paid to how local people depend on biodiversity and how traditional human modifications of forest contribute to biodiversity conservation. METHODS: After defining locally recognized land-use classes, vegetation surveys were conducted in seven forest classes. For detailed observations of daily plant uses, 15 and 17 households were randomly selected in the rural and urban villages, respectively. We quantitatively documented the plant species that were used as food, medicine, building materials, and tools. RESULTS: The vegetation survey revealed that each local forest class represented a different vegetative community with relatively low similarity between communities. Although commercial logging operations and agriculture were both prohibited in the customary nature reserve, local people were allowed to cut down trees for their personal use and to take several types of non-timber forest products. Useful trees were found at high frequencies in the barrier island's primary forest (68.4%) and the main island's reserve (68.3%). Various useful tree species were found only in the reserve forest and seldom available in the urban village. In the rural village, customary governance and control over the use of forest resources by the local people still functioned. CONCLUSIONS: Human modifications of the forest created unique vegetation communities, thus increasing biodiversity overall. Each type of forest had different species that varied in their levels of importance to the local subsistence lifestyle, and the villagers' behaviors, such as respect for forest reserves and the semidomestication of some species, contributed to conserving diversity. Urbanization threatened this human-forest interaction. Although the status of biodiversity in human-modified landscapes is not fully understood, this study suggested that traditional human modifications can positively affect biodiversity and that conservation programs should incorporate traditional uses of landscapes to be successful.

Hypertension-susceptibility gene prevalence in the Pacific Islands and associations with hypertension in Melanesia.

Human essential hypertension is partly caused by genetic factors. Angiotensinogen (AGT), G-protein ß3-subunit (GNB3) and cytochrome P450 3A5 (CYP3A5) are candidate hypertension susceptibility genes and risk alleles at these loci have been thought to arise owing to human adaptation to climatic changes following the migration out-of-Africa. This study aimed to reveal the frequencies of hypertension-susceptibility genotypes in Pacific Island populations and associations of these single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to hypertension. Genotyping was conducted for 804 individuals from Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian populations at SNPs in the genes encoding AGT (rs699, rs5049 and rs5051), GNB3 (rs5443) and CYP3A5*1/*3 (rs776746). Associations between these SNPs and hypertension were tested for 383 Melanesian Solomon Islanders. We found that the A/A genotype at rs5049 was a risk factor for hypertension (P=0.025) in the Melanesian Solomon Islanders; three SNPs for AGT were in linkage disequilibrium. The ancestral alleles of rs699, rs5051 and rs776746, and the derived allele of rs5443 were as frequent in the populations surveyed here as in other equatorial populations. Although other polymorphisms associated with hypertension and additional populations remain to be studied, these findings suggest that the Pacific Islanders' susceptibility to hypertension arose because of human migration and adaptation.

Communicable and non-communicable diseases in the Solomon Islands villages during recovery from a massive earthquake in April 2007.

AIM: The major causes of mortality and morbidity have changed from infectious diseases and malnutrition conditions to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Melanesian societies. However, a massive earthquake and its related changes might have disturbed the patterns. This study aimed to explore which health problems were likely to be prevalent during the recovery process from the 2 April 2007 earthquake in the Solomon Islands. METHODS: Participants were recruited in Titiana, a severely damaged village located near a town; Tapurai, a severely damaged remote village; Mondo, a severely damaged, medium urban village; and Olive, a control village. Health indicators measured were classified into communicable and nutritional conditions (malaria, malnutrition, infection status and child growth) and NCDs (overweight/obesity, hypertension and diabetes). RESULTS: Titiana residents were more at risk of infectious conditions (C-reactive protein greater than and equal to 1 mg/dL) and obesity (BMI greater than and equal to 30 kg/m²). Tapurai and Mondo residents were at risks of infectious conditions and becoming overweight (BMI greater than and equal to 25 kg/m²), respectively. Titiana and Mondo residents complained about insufficient subsistence production. CONCLUSION: The urban communities were found to be at risks of both communicable and NCDs. Controlling the urbanisation as well as providing continuous support against infectious conditions during the recovery process would be beneficial.