Is the Scottish population living dangerously? Prevalence of multiple risk factors: the Scottish Health Survey 2003

<b>Background:</b> Risk factors are often considered individually, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of combinations of multiple behavioural risk factors and their association with socioeconomic determinants.<p></p> <b>Methods:</b> Multinomial logistic regression was used to model the associations between socioeconomic factors and multiple risk factors from data in the Scottish Health Survey 2003. Prevalence of five main behavioural risk factors - smoking alcohol, diet, overweight/obesity, and physical inactivity, and the odds in relation to demographic, individual and area socioeconomic factors.<p></p> <b>Results:</b> Full data were available on 6,574 subjects (80.7% of the survey sample). Nearly the whole adult population (97.5%) reported to have at least one behavioural risk factor; while 55% have three or more risk factors; and nearly 20% have four or all five risk factors. The most important determinants for having four or five multiple risk factors were low educational attainment which conferred around a 3-fold increased odds compared to high education; and residence in the most deprived communities (relative to least deprived) which had greater than 3-fold increased odds.<p></p> <b>Conclusions:</b> The prevalence of multiple behavioural risk factors was high and the prevalence of absence of all risk factors very low. These behavioural patterns were socioeconomically determined. Policy to address factors needs to be joined up and better consider underlying socioeconomic circumstances.<p></p&gt

Genome-wide association study of kidney function decline in individuals of European descent.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified multiple loci associated with cross-sectional eGFR, but a systematic genetic analysis of kidney function decline over time is missing. Here we conducted a GWAS meta-analysis among 63,558 participants of European descent, initially from 16 cohorts with serial kidney function measurements within the CKDGen Consortium, followed by independent replication among additional participants from 13 cohorts. In stage 1 GWAS meta-analysis, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at MEOX2, GALNT11, IL1RAP, NPPA, HPCAL1, and CDH23 showed the strongest associations for at least one trait, in addition to the known UMOD locus, which showed genome-wide significance with an annual change in eGFR. In stage 2 meta-analysis, the significant association at UMOD was replicated. Associations at GALNT11 with Rapid Decline (annual eGFR decline of 3 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) or more), and CDH23 with eGFR change among those with CKD showed significant suggestive evidence of replication. Combined stage 1 and 2 meta-analyses showed significance for UMOD, GALNT11, and CDH23. Morpholino knockdowns of galnt11 and cdh23 in zebrafish embryos each had signs of severe edema 72 h after gentamicin treatment compared with controls, but no gross morphological renal abnormalities before gentamicin administration. Thus, our results suggest a role in the deterioration of kidney function for the loci GALNT11 and CDH23, and show that the UMOD locus is significantly associated with kidney function decline.Kidney International advance online publication, 10 December 2014; doi:10.1038/ki.2014.361

Factors influencing grapevine vigour and the potential for control with partial rootzone drying

Maintaining the most cost-effective balance between vegetative and reproductive growth is one of the most testing problems in modern viticulture. Grapevines which exhibit excessive vegetative vigour are likely to produce less fruit of reduced quality, and vines with inadequate vigour may be compromised in terms of their yield potential. The requirement for techniques to better manage excess vigour has become more acute in recent years with the increased use of irrigation, adoption of vigour-imparting rootstocks and the expansion of vineyards into cooler geographic regions. A number of strategies may be used to control vine vigour. Chemical growth regulators, although capable of reducing shoot vigour, have never received acceptance due to undesirable side effects and concerns over chemical residues. Devigorating rootstocks, likewise, may have the potential to control vigour but none are in wide commercial use. Restriction of the effective root volume, achieved through manipulation of planting densities, competition by cover crops, regulation of the soil volume wetted by drip irrigation or regulation of water availability can all achieve a degree of devigoration but often at the expense of fruit yield. Manipulation of vines through pruning and trellis design are probably the most commonly used methods for the control of shoot vigour. A high number of nodes retained at pruning combined with trellises which allow open canopies have proved successful. Advances in the understanding of the physiological factors influencing shoot growth and transpiration have allowed the development of novel irrigation methods for the control of vine vigour. These techniques exploit the fact that chemical signals originating in the roots are primarily responsible for the control of shoot growth and transpiration. Stimulation of the production of these signals through partial drying of the root system results in a significant reduction in shoot growth and water-use while maintaining crop yield and improving fruit quality. These new techniques, in combination with appropriate pruning and trellising methods, are providing new viticultural tools for controlling vine vigour and water-use efficiency

Genome-wide association study of kidney function decline in individuals of European descent

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified multiple loci associated with cross-sectional eGFR, but a systematic genetic analysis of kidney function decline over time is missing. Here we conducted a GWAS meta-analysis among 63,558 participants of European descent, initially from 16 cohorts with serial kidney function measurements within the CKDGen Consortium, followed by independent replication among additional participants from 13 cohorts. In stage 1 GWAS meta-analysis, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at MEOX2, GALNT11, IL1RAP, NPPA, HPCAL1, and CDH23 showed the strongest associations for at least one trait, in addition to the known UMOD locus, which showed genome-wide significance with an annual change in eGFR. In stage 2 meta-analysis, the significant association at UMOD was replicated. Associations at GALNT11 with Rapid Decline (annual eGFR decline of 3 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 or more), and CDH23 with eGFR change among those with CKD showed significant suggestive evidence of replication. Combined stage 1 and 2 meta-analyses showed significance for UMOD, GALNT11, and CDH23. Morpholino knockdowns of galnt11 and cdh23 in zebrafish embryos each had signs of severe edema 72 h after gentamicin treatment compared with controls, but no gross morphological renal abnormalities before gentamicin administration. Thus, our results suggest a role in the deterioration of kidney function for the loci GALNT11 and CDH23, and show that the UMOD locus is significantly associated with kidney function decline

Genetic mapping in the Triticeae

Genetic maps are the fundamental tools to identify features of phenotypes that are linked to specific genetic loci and eventually DNA sequences or genes. The major use of genetic linkage maps has, therefore, been to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL). Genetic maps are also essential for marker assisted selection, comparative mapping, high-resolution mapping and map based cloning. To date, over 40 maps with at least 300 markers have been published for different Triticeae populations. The quality of genetic maps can be affected by a number of factors and map curation ensures that map quality issues are identified and, where possible, resolved. We report on the issues involved in the production of quality genetic linkage maps by inspection of marker genotype data after map construction