Associations between diet, physical activity and body fat distribution: a cross sectional study in an Indian population.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a growing health problem in India and worldwide, due to changes in lifestyle. This study aimed to explore the independent associations between dietary and physical activity exposure variables and total body fat and distribution in an Indian setting. METHODS: Individuals who had participated in the Indian Migration Study (IMS) or the Andhra Pradesh Children And Parents' Study (APCAPS), were invited to participate in the Hyderabad DXA Study. Total and abdominal body fat of study participants was measured using DXA scans. Diet and physical activity (PA) levels were measured using questionnaires. RESULTS: Data on 2208 participants was available for analysis; mean age was 49 yrs in IMS, 21 yrs in APCAPS. Total energy intake was positively associated with total body fat in the APCAPS sample: a 100 kcal higher energy intake was associated with 45 g higher body fat (95% CI 22, 68). In the IMS sample no association was found with total energy intake, but there was a positive association with percent protein intake (1% higher proportion of energy from protein associated with 509 g (95% CI 138,880) higher total body fat). Broadly the same pattern of associations was found with proportion of fat in the abdominal region as the outcome. PA was inversely associated with total body fat in both populations (in APCAPS, one MET-hour higher activity was associated with 46 g (95% CI 12, 81) less body fat; in the IMS it was associated with 145 g less body fat (95% CI 73, 218)). An inverse association was observed between PA and percentage abdominal fat in the IMS but no association was seen in the APCAPS population. CONCLUSIONS: In this Indian population, there was an inverse association between PA and body fat. Associations between body fat and dietary variables differed between the younger APCAPS population and older IMS population. Further longitudinal research is needed to elucidate causality and directions of these associations across the life course

Wild to domestic and back again: the dynamics of fallow deer management in medieval England (c.11th-16th century AD)

This paper presents the results of the first comprehensive scientific study of the fallow deer, a non-native species whose medieval-period introduction to Britain transformed the cultural landscape. It brings together data from traditional zooarchaeological analyses with those derived from new ageing techniques as well as the results of a programme of radiocarbon dating, multi-element isotope studies and genetic analyses. These new data are here integrated with historical and landscape evidence to examine changing patterns of fallow deer translocation and management in medieval England between the 11th and 16th century AD

Experimento de sondeo vertical de la atmósfera en el Valle de Cumbayá, Ecuador protocolo de lanzamiento de sondas meteorológicas y resultados preliminares

There is no information available about the upper atmosphere in the city of Quito. Therefore, in order to collect information, 5 flights are launched from the EMA-USFQ meteorology station. Radiosondes and ozonesondes are used to collect information, which reach an altitude of approximately 31 km. A detailed description of the protocol that needs to be followed is given. It is based on the protocol of the NOAA organization, and adapted to local conditions. Additionally, a preliminary study of two of the flights is carried out (flight 1 and 4). These are selected for examples of calculations, and as a sample of the vertical profiles of ozone and physical variables measured. Tentatively, it was determined that the height of the tropopause in Quito is around the 16.5 – 17 km. The adiabatic lapse rate of the troposphere at the time and date of the launches is of 6.8 and 7 K/km.Frente a la escasa información existente sobre la atmósfera superior de la ciudad de Quito, se ejecuta un sondeo meteorológico realizando el lanzamiento de 5 globos meteorológicos con radiosondas y ozonosondas a bordo, alcanzando una altitud de aproximadamente 31 km. Asimismo, se realiza un estudio preliminar de los vuelos 1 y 4 como muestra de cálculo y de los perfiles verticales del ozono y de variables físicas. Se determina tentativamente que, la altura de la tropopausa está a 16.5 – 17 km de altitud. La tasa de enfriamiento adiabática de la tropósfera a la hora y fechas de los lanzamientos es de 6.8 y 7 K/km

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Spatial Organization and Molecular Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Using Deep Learning on Pathology Images

Beyond sample curation and basic pathologic characterization, the digitized H&E-stained images of TCGA samples remain underutilized. To highlight this resource, we present mappings of tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) based on H&E images from 13 TCGA tumor types. These TIL maps are derived through computational staining using a convolutional neural network trained to classify patches of images. Affinity propagation revealed local spatial structure in TIL patterns and correlation with overall survival. TIL map structural patterns were grouped using standard histopathological parameters. These patterns are enriched in particular T cell subpopulations derived from molecular measures. TIL densities and spatial structure were differentially enriched among tumor types, immune subtypes, and tumor molecular subtypes, implying that spatial infiltrate state could reflect particular tumor cell aberration states. Obtaining spatial lymphocytic patterns linked to the rich genomic characterization of TCGA samples demonstrates one use for the TCGA image archives with insights into the tumor-immune microenvironment

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

On the organization of DNA in isolated bacterial chromosomes : (bacterial DNA, folded chromosomes, EM, RNA)

We review physical studies and electron microscopy of membrane-free folded chromosomes from E. coli [Kavenoff and Bowen, Chromosoma 59, 89 (1977)], and we consider the apparent relation between the organization of the DNA and the association of nascent RNA.RUTH KAVENOFF AND BRIAN C. BOWEN, Department of Chemistry, University of California , San Diego, La Jolla , California

Ligand Binding and Circular Permutation Modify Residue Interaction Network in DHFR

Residue interaction networks and loop motions are important for catalysis in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Here, we investigate the effects of ligand binding and chain connectivity on network communication in DHFR. We carry out systematic network analysis and molecular dynamics simulations of the native DHFR and 19 of its circularly permuted variants by breaking the chain connections in ten folding element regions and in nine nonfolding element regions as observed by experiment. Our studies suggest that chain cleavage in folding element areas may deactivate DHFR due to large perturbations in the network properties near the active site. The protein active site is near or coincides with residues through which the shortest paths in the residue interaction network tend to go. Further, our network analysis reveals that ligand binding has “network-bridging effects” on the DHFR structure. Our results suggest that ligand binding leads to a modification, with most of the interaction networks now passing through the cofactor, shortening the average shortest path. Ligand binding at the active site has profound effects on the network centrality, especially the closeness