Multi-ancestry study of blood lipid levels identifies four loci interacting with physical activity

Many genetic loci affect circulating lipid levels, but it remains unknown whether lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, modify these genetic effects. To identify lipid loci interacting with physical activity, we performed genome-wide analyses of circulating HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in up to 120,979 individuals of European, African, Asian, Hispanic, and Brazilian ancestry, with follow-up of suggestive associations in an additional 131,012 individuals. We find four loci, in/near CLASP1, LHX1, SNTA1, and CNTNAP2, that are associated with circulating lipid levels through interaction with physical activity; higher levels of physical activity enhance the HDL cholesterol-increasing effects of the CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 loci and attenuate the LDL cholesterol- increasing effect of the CNTNAP2 locus. The CLASP1, LHX1, and SNTA1 regions harbor genes linked to muscle function and lipid metabolism. Our results elucidate the role of physical activity interactions in the genetic contribution to blood lipid levels

Fast semi-supervised segmentation of in-situ tree color images

International audienceIn this paper we present an original semi-supervised method for the segmentation of in situ tree color images which combines color quantization, adaptive fragmentation of learning areas defined by the human operator and labeling propagation. A mathematical morphology post-processing is introduced to emphasize the narrow and thin structures which characterize branches. Applied in the L*a*b* color system, this method is well adapted to easily adjust the learning set so that the resultant labeling corresponds to the accuracy achieved by the human operator. The method has been embarked and evaluated on a tablet to help tree professionals in their expertise or diagnosis. The images, acquired and processed with a mobile device, present more or less complex background both in terms of content and lightness, more or less dense foliage and more or less thick branches. Results are good on images with soft lightness without direct sunlight

Is Psychology Really `the Study of Behavior'?

In this paper, we examine the concept `behavior' within the context of the development of American psychology. After explicating the term's meaning within ordinary usage, we argue that `behavior' is a theoretical construct within behavior analysis, and that its privileged status in psychology outside behavior analysis is really just a residuum from the days of the hegemony of behaviorism. The claim `psychology is the study of behavior' falters within psychology more generally on the grounds that `behavior' is simply too confused and ambiguous a construct on which to found psychology. On the other hand, within behaviorism itself, it is still possible to vindicate the claim that psychology is the study of behavior, since `behavior' has a technical sense within behavior analysis. However, to establish that psychology is the study of behavior in this technical sense would require that behaviorism succeed in explaining all of the phenomena of interest to psychologists, since otherwise some psychological phenomena would be left outside this domain.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68888/2/10.1177_0959354394044006.pd