The trans-ancestral genomic architecture of glycemic traits

Glycemic traits are used to diagnose and monitor type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic health. To date, most genetic studies of glycemic traits have focused on individuals of European ancestry. Here we aggregated genome-wide association studies comprising up to 281,416 individuals without diabetes (30% non-European ancestry) for whom fasting glucose, 2-h glucose after an oral glucose challenge, glycated hemoglobin and fasting insulin data were available. Trans-ancestry and single-ancestry meta-analyses identified 242 loci (99 novel; P < 5 x 10(-8)), 80% of which had no significant evidence of between-ancestry heterogeneity. Analyses restricted to individuals of European ancestry with equivalent sample size would have led to 24 fewer new loci. Compared with single-ancestry analyses, equivalent-sized trans-ancestry fine-mapping reduced the number of estimated variants in 99% credible sets by a median of 37.5%. Genomic-feature, gene-expression and gene-set analyses revealed distinct biological signatures for each trait, highlighting different underlying biological pathways. Our results increase our understanding of diabetes pathophysiology by using trans-ancestry studies for improved power and resolution.A trans-ancestry meta-analysis of GWAS of glycemic traits in up to 281,416 individuals identifies 99 novel loci, of which one quarter was found due to the multi-ancestry approach, which also improves fine-mapping of credible variant sets.Diabetes mellitus: pathophysiological changes and therap

Structure and Biological Dynamics of the Oligotrophic Ocean Photic Zone off the Hawaiian Islands

The base of the photic zone, as defined by the 1-percent light depth and discontinuance of photosynthetic carbon fixation, was determined to be at 130140 meters on stations off the Hawaiian Islands. Measurements, including radiant energy transmission, plant nutrients, and chlorophylls, were made in the depth interval 0-250 meters. The numerical vertical abundance, biomass, and the identity of phytoplankton, microzooplankton, bacteria, and fungi were determined. A discussion of the biological dynamics within this photic zone is based on these observations and on measurements of photosynthetic production, nitrogen fixation, and other microbial activities

Perceptions of Life Balance Among a Working Population in Sweden

A life in balance is commonly related to health and well-being. However, our knowledge regarding the perceptions of life balance among the general population is limited. Our aim was to explore the perception of life balance among working people without recent long-term sick leave. Individual interviews were conducted with 7 men and 12 women and analyzed according to grounded theory, aiming at achieving a description. The results showed that life balance includes four interrelated dimensions: activity balance, balance in body and mind, balance in relation to others, and time balance. Life balance was regarded by the participants as health related, promoted by a sense of security, and affected by context and individual strategies. Life balance was also seen as being individually defined and dynamic. The results indicate that the perceptions of life balance might be quite general because they show similarities with previous research on different populations

Exploring failures at the team level in offshore-outsourced software development projects

Offshore-outsourced software development (OOSD) projects involvemultifaceted risks throughout the project execution, as they are handed over tothird-party organizations and thus are exposed to more risks than in domesticoutsourcing or captive offshoring. We concentrate on failed OOSD projects inthis paper and analyze the unique aspects of such projects at the team level thatlead to failures. Using the grounded theory approach, we conducted semistructuredinterviews with 19 project managers involved in OOSD projectfailures from the vendor and client sides, who are based in India or Switzerland.We developed a set of propositions regarding multiple teams in the OOSDproject context to explain failures. Integration of inter-organizational offshoreand onshore teams from the vendor and client sides was found to beindispensable in avoiding project failures. Six categories of unique aspects thatlead to OOSD project failures were identified and discussed in this exploratorywork