Genome-wide meta-analysis of 241,258 adults accounting for smoking behaviour identifies novel loci for obesity traits

Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) account for environmental exposures, like smoking, potentially impacting the overall trait variance when investigating the genetic contribution to obesity-related traits. Here, we use GWAS data from 51,080 current smokers and 190,178 nonsmokers (87% European descent) to identify loci influencing BMI and central adiposity, measured as waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio both adjusted for BMI. We identify 23 novel genetic loci, and 9 loci with convincing evidence of gene-smoking interaction (GxSMK) on obesity-related traits. We show consistent direction of effect for all identified loci and significance for 18 novel and for 5 interaction loci in an independent study sample. These loci highlight novel biological functions, including response to oxidative stress, addictive behaviour, and regulatory functions emphasizing the importance of accounting for environment in genetic analyses. Our results suggest that tobacco smoking may alter the genetic susceptibility to overall adiposity and body fat distribution.Peer reviewe

Формирование эмоциональной культуры как компонента инновационной культуры студентов

Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders1 and Darwin was one of the first to recognise that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness2. However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity, ROH), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power3,4. Here we use ROH to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity (SROH) and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in 1 second (FEV1), general cognitive ability (g) and educational attainment (nominal p<1 × 10−300, 2.1 × 10−6, 2.5 × 10−10, 1.8 × 10−10). In each case increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing convincing evidence for the first time that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples5,6, no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection7, this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Situation des petits pélagiques en Méditerranée et communication de l'Ifremer avec les professionnels

Les objectifs sont de : – Suivre l’évolution des stocks des principales espèces de petits pélagiques dans le golfe du Lion (série 1995-2009) – Compléter les évaluations acoustiques des stocks avec une analyse des captures professionnelles aux débarquements et un suivi des caractéristiques biologiques de l ’anchois et la sardine – Émettre des avis auprès des administrations et de la profession sur l’état des stocks en vue d ’une exploitation durabl

Etat de l'art des connaissances sur les distributions spatiales des oiseaux marins et des petits poissons pélagiques dans le golfe du Lion

Cette étude présente les espèces et les peuplements de petits poissons pélagiques rencontrés au sein du golfe du Lion, ainsi que les espèces d’oiseaux marins qui y sont associées. Les données ont été collectées durant les campagnes à la mer PELMED (été) et JUVALION (hiver) de 1994 à 2010. Tout au long des différents chapitres, les analyses suivent un plan montrant successivement, pour les petits poissons pélagiques comme pour les oiseaux marins, les proportions relatives des différents groupes d’espèces composant chacun des peuplements étudiés puis, au sein de chacun de ces groupes, les distributions relatives de chacune des espèces observées. La cartographie et l’analyse des données présentées dans le présent rapport englobent d’une part toute la zone s’étendant de Cap Béar à Marseille (secteur camarguais compris), et replacent d’autre part les observations sur cette zone dans leurs contextes régionaux extérieurs. L’ensemble des cartes de distributions obtenues, établies à l’échelle de la totalité des campagnes annuelles, constituent les éléments écologiques indispensables à l’usage des scientifiques, gestionnaires et décideurs.

Associations céréale-légumineuse multi-services

Depuis plusieurs décennies, l’évolution de l’agriculture en France est, dans un certain nombre de régions de grande culture et d’élevage marquée fortement par la simplification des assolements accompagnée d’un usage accru des intrants et la standardisation des itinéraires techniques. Le challenge est maintenant de concevoir des agroécosystèmes plus diversifiés dans l’objectif d’une gestion écologique des parcelles cultivées devant se traduire par une amélioration de la productivité et la stabilité des systèmes face à divers aléas et la fourniture de différents services éco-systémiques. Ce projet a exploré l’augmentation de la diversité cultivée au sein de la parcelle via des associations céréale-légumineuse. Il a montré la diversité des services que l’on peut en attendre en agriculture biologique et en agriculture conventionnelle, en système céréalier et en système d’élevage. Ces associations permettent de répondre à la fois à des enjeux de production, de réduction des intrants, de réduction des impacts environnementaux des cultures, de stabilité face à des aléas biotiques et abiotiques. Le coeur du projet a consisté a testé différents leviers d’actions pour aider à l’orientation des performances de ces associations pour différents objectifs. Les atouts et contraintes ’adoption à l’échelle des filières (notamment pour les collecteurs) ont été aussi mis en évidence et quantifiés

The French navy and war entrepreneurs: Identity, business relations, conflicts, and cooperation in the eighteenth century

International audienceThe aim of this article is to provide comprehensive insight into the identity and role of war entrepreneurs in the service of the French navy. The markets that link the state to economic actors can be complex, from simple commercial agreements to deliver hardware or provide a service to a richer relationship leading to a partnership where entrepreneurs participate in the overall improvement of the armed forces (infrastructure financing, integration of the economic and technical standards of the navy, etc.)