Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 100 genetic variants contributing to BMI, a measure of body size, or waist-to-hip ratio (adjusted for BMI, WHRadjBMI), a measure of body shape. Body size and shape change as people grow older and these changes differ substantially between men and women. To systematically screen for age- and/or sex-specific effects of genetic variants on BMI and WHRadjBMI, we performed meta-analyses of 114 studies (up to 320,485 individuals of European descent) with genome-wide chip and/or Metabochip data by the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium. Each study tested the association of up to ~2.8M SNPs with BMI and WHRadjBMI in four strata (men ≤50y, men >50y, women ≤50y, women >50y) and summary statistics were combined in stratum-specific meta-analyses. We then screened for variants that showed age-specific effects (G x AGE), sex-specific effects (G x SEX) or age-specific effects that differed between men and women (G x AGE x SEX). For BMI, we identified 15 loci (11 previously established for main effects, four novel) that showed significant (FDR<5%) age-specific effects, of which 11 had larger effects in younger (<50y) than in older adults (≥50y). No sex-dependent effects were identified for BMI. For WHRadjBMI, we identified 44 loci (27 previously established for main effects, 17 novel) with sex-specific effects, of which 28 showed larger effects in women than in men, five showed larger effects in men than in women, and 11 showed opposite effects between sexes. No age-dependent effects were identified for WHRadjBMI. This is the first genome-wide interaction meta-analysis to report convincing evidence of age-dependent genetic effects on BMI. In addition, we confirm the sex-specificity of genetic effects on WHRadjBMI. These results may provide further insights into the biology that underlies weight change with age or the sexually dimorphism of body shape.

Effect of crop residue incorporation on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in European agricultural soils / Lehtinen T.; Schlatter N.; Baumgarten A.; Bechini L.; Krüger J.; Grignani C.; Zavattaro L.; Costamagna C.; Spiegel H.;. -In: SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT. -ISSN 0266-0032. -STAMPA. -30(2014), pp. 524-538. Original Citation:Effect of crop residue incorporation on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in European agricultural soils Published version:DOI:10.1111/sum.12151 Terms of use:Open Access (Article begins on next page) Anyone can freely access the full text of works made available as "Open Access". Works made available under a Creative Commons license can be used according to the terms and conditions of said license. Use of all other works requires consent of the right holder (author or publisher) if not exempted from copyright protection by the applicable law. intensive cropping systems. Incorporation of crop residues (CR) may be a sustainable 32 management practice to maintain the SOC levels and to increase soil fertility. This study 33 quantifies the effects of CR incorporation on SOC and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CO2 and 34 N2O) in Europe using data from long-term experiments. Response ratios (RRs) for SOC and GHG 35 emissions were calculated between CR incorporation and removal. The influences of 36 environmental zones (ENZs), clay content and experiment duration on the RRs were 37 investigated. We also studied how RRs of SOC and crop yields were correlated. A total of 718 RRs 38 were derived from 39 publications. The SOC increased by 7 % following CR incorporation. In 39 contrast, in a subsample of cases, CO2 emissions were six times and N2O emissions 12 times 40 higher following CR incorporation. The ENZ had no significant influence on RRs. For SOC 41 concentration, soils with a clay content >35 % showed 8 % higher RRs compared to soils with 42 clay contents between 18 and 35 %. As the experiment progressed, RR for SOC concentration 43 and stock increased. For N2O emissions, RR was significantly higher in experiments with a 44 duration <5 years compared to 11-20 years. No significant correlations were found between RR 45 for SOC concentration and yields, but differences between sites and study durations were 46 detected. We suggest a win-win scenario to be crop residue incorporation for a long duration in 47 a continental climate, whereas the worst-case scenario involves crop residue incorporation over 48 the short term in the Mediterranean, especially with vegetative material. We conclude that CR 49 incorporation is important for maintaining SOC, but its influence on GHG emissions should be 50 taken into account as well. 51 52 Availability: This is the author's manuscript

BackgroundAmong health care personnel working regular hours or rotating shifts can affect parameters of general health and nutrition. We have investigated physical activity, sleep quality, metabolic activity and stress levels in health care workers from both groups.MethodsWe prospectively recruited 46 volunteer participants from the workforce of a University Medical Department of which 23 worked in rotating shifts (all nursing) and 21 non-shift regular hours (10 nursing, 13 clerical staff). All were investigated over 7 days by multisensory accelerometer (SenseWear Bodymedia® armband) and kept a detailed food diary. Physical activity and resting energy expenditure (REE) were measured in metabolic equivalents of task (METs). Quality of sleep was assessed as Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index and stress load using the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress questionnaire (TICS).ResultsNo significant differences were found for overall physical activity, steps per minute, time of exceeding the 3 METs level or sleep quality. A significant difference for physical activity during working hours was found between shift-workers vs. non-shift-workers (p<0.01) and for shift-working nurses (median = 2.1 METs SE = 0.1) vs. non-shift-working clerical personnel (median = 1.5 METs SE = 0.07, p<0.05). Non-shift-working nurses had a significantly lower REE than the other groups (p<0.05). The proportion of fat in the diet was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the office worker group (median = 42% SE = 1.2) whereas shift-working nurses consumed significantly more carbohydrates (median = 46% SE = 1.4) than clerical staff (median = 41% SE = 1.7). Stress assessment by TICS confirmed a significantly higher level of social overload in the shift working group (p<0.05).ConclusionIn this prospective cohort study shift-working had no influence on overall physical activity. Lower physical activity during working hours appears to be compensated for during off-hours. Differences in nutritional habits and stress load warrant larger scale trials to determine the effect on implicit health-associated conditions.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in both genders. More than 80% of patients suffer from significant weight loss at diagnosis and over time develop severe cachexia. Early nutritional support is therefore essential. Summary: This review evaluates the different nutritional therapies, such as enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition and special nutritional supplements, on nutritional status, quality of life and survival. Key Message: Due to the high prevalence of malnutrition and the rapid development of anorexia-cachexia-syndrome, early nutritional intervention is crucial and supported by clinical data. Practical Implications: Enteral nutrition should be preferred over parenteral nutrition. Omega-3 fatty acids and L-carnitine are promising substances for the prevention of severe cachexia, but further randomized controlled trials are needed to establish generally accepted guidelines on nutrition in pancreatic cancer.

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