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

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

The present work was largely supported by a grant from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (R01HL118305). The full list of acknowledgments appears in the Supplementary Notes 3 and 4.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Impacts of Migration on Socioeconomic Life: A Case Study of Hlaingkabar Village, Hpa-An Township, Kayin State

Migration is a crucial part of many people’s livelihood strategy, meaning the capabilities, assets and activities required for their means of living. The majority of the local people dwelling in Hlaingkabar village earn their living by depending on farming. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impacts of migration as an alternate livelihood strategy on socioeconomic life living in Hlaingkabar village, Hpa-An Township, Kayin State. This research applied ethnographic research methods, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Most of the people living in Hlaingkabar village, Hpa-An Township, Kayin State are Kayin nationals. Hlaingkabar villagers depend on paddy growing, migration work, shopkeeping and odd jobs. Since 1998, family’s social, health and education conditions cannot support by only farming income because of decreases in the rice price, leading to push factors for the villagers to seek to solve their problems through other livelihood strategies, like migration. When they get contacts through their social networks to get job opportunities outside that support a regular income, we can see many pull factors that motivate them to migrate to Thailand as migrant workers. Gradually, due to the contacts of friends and relatives in 2015, both married and single women get more job opportunities than men. Consequently, the child birth rate of the village has become as low as two children per family. Those children, however, get chances to become educated more than before. This research concludes that on the one side migration changes have positive impacts on the local people to develop education, but on the other side it affects family structure, labor shortage in farming