11 research outputs found
UNREPLICATED SPATIAL DESIGNS COMPARED USING OPTIMALITY CRITERIA
In field trials including large numbers of varieties, it is often impossible or impractical to replicate each variety. In these situations, the researcher may choose to use only one replicate of each test variety and to include a check variety every so often so that the spatial variability of the field may be determined. Five different check patterns were purposefully designed, each possessing distinct characteristics. The purpose of this study is to determine which spatial patterns for the check variety are better able to identify the spatial structure in a field and to rank the experimental varieties accurately. The problem was approached in two ways. First, the check patterns were compared using optimality criteria. Then, the patterns were applied to an actual field experiment, and the data collected was used to identify the spatial structure of variation in the field and to test for experimental variety differences. It is shown that the results from the optimality criteria were not necessarily comparable to what was actually observed in the field
Protein Kinase C-Independent Inhibition of Organic Cation Transporter 1 Activity by the Bisindolylmaleimide Ro 31-8220
Complex patterns of global spread in invasive insects: eco-evolutionary and management consequences
The advent of simple and affordable tools
for molecular identification of novel insect invaders
and assessment of population diversity has changed
the face of invasion biology in recent years. The
widespread application of these tools has brought with
it an emerging understanding that patterns in biogeography,
introduction history and subsequent movement
and spread of many invasive alien insects are far more
complex than previously thought. We reviewed the
literature and found that for a number of invasive
insects, there is strong and growing evidence that
multiple introductions, complex global movement,
and population admixture in the invaded range are
commonplace. Additionally, historical paradigms
related to species and strain identities and origins of
common invaders are in many cases being challenged.
This has major consequences for our understanding of
basic biology and ecology of invasive insects and
impacts quarantine, management and biocontrol programs.
In addition, we found that founder effects
rarely limit fitness in invasive insects and may benefit
populations (by purging harmful alleles or increasing
additive genetic variance). Also, while phenotypic
plasticity appears important post-establishment,
genetic diversity in invasive insects is often higher than expected and increases over time via multiple
introductions. Further, connectivity among disjunct
regions of global invasive ranges is generally far
higher than expected and is often asymmetric, with
some populations contributing disproportionately to
global spread. We argue that the role of connectivity in
driving the ecology and evolution of introduced
species with multiple invasive ranges has been historically
underestimated and that such species are often
best understood in a global context
Complex patterns of global spread in invasive insects: eco-evolutionary and management consequences
A genome-wide approach accounting for body mass index identifies genetic variants influencing fasting glycemic traits and insulin resistance
Recent genome-wide association studies have described many loci implicated in type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathophysiology and β-cell dysfunction but have contributed little to the understanding of the genetic basis of insulin resistance. We hypothesized that genes implicated in insulin resistance pathways might be uncovered by accounting for differences in body mass index (BMI) and potential interactions between BMI and genetic variants. We applied a joint meta-analysis approach to test associations with fasting insulin and glucose on a genome-wide scale. We present six previously unknown loci associated with fasting insulin at P < 5 × 10(-8) in combined discovery and follow-up analyses of 52 studies comprising up to 96,496 non-diabetic individuals. Risk variants were associated with higher triglyceride and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, suggesting a role for these loci in insulin resistance pathways. The discovery of these loci will aid further characterization of the role of insulin resistance in T2D pathophysiology
Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology
Based on fieldwork in Trento, Italy, this paper investigates the process of playlisting in three commercial radio stations, illustrating the implicit and explicit norms that define this process. I call special attention to DJs and their activity of mediation between music makers and their audience – an activity that includes the choice and the manipulation of musical material for precise communicative goals. It is my aim to show how the definition of what is appropriate for the playlist, which I define as “playlist value”, is subject to different kinds of constraints. Among these, on the one hand we find more pressing structural restrictions from advertisers, music labels and functional features of the radio; on the other hand, we find less urgent, and yet just as effective cultural constraints, that push DJs to adjust their playlists to those of national network
Defining the role of common variation in the genomic and biological architecture of adult human height.
Defining the role of common variation in the genomic and biological architecture of adult human height
Using genome-wide data from 253,288 individuals, we identified 697 variants at genome-wide significance that together explained one-fifth of the heritability for adult height. By testing different numbers of variants in independent studies, we show that the most strongly associated ∼2,000, ∼3,700 and ∼9,500 SNPs explained ∼21%, ∼24% and ∼29% of phenotypic variance. Furthermore, all common variants together captured 60% of heritability. The 697 variants clustered in 423 loci were enriched for genes, pathways and tissue types known to be involved in growth and together implicated genes and pathways not highlighted in earlier efforts, such as signaling by fibroblast growth factors, WNT/β-catenin and chondroitin sulfate-related genes. We identified several genes and pathways not previously connected with human skeletal growth, including mTOR, osteoglycin and binding of hyaluronic acid. Our results indicate a genetic architecture for human height that is characterized by a very large but finite number (thousands) of causal variants
Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology
Note: A full list of authors and affiliations appears at the end of the article.
Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P 20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.</p