Distinct pathway-based effects of blood pressure and body mass index on cardiovascular traits: comparison of novel Mendelian randomization approaches.

Background: Mendelian randomization (MR) leverages trait associated genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs) to determine causal relationships in epidemiology. However, genetic IVs for complex traits are typically highly heterogeneous and, at a molecular level, exert effects on different biological processes. Exploration of the biological underpinnings of such heterogeneity can enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms and inform therapeutic strategies.

From GWASs toward Mechanistic Understanding with Case Studies in Dermatogenetics.

Many human skin diseases result from the complex interplay of genetic and environmental mechanisms that are largely unknown. GWASs have yielded insight into the genetic aspect of complex disease by highlighting regions of the genome or specific genetic variants associated with disease. Leveraging this information to identify causal genes and cell types will provide insight into fundamental biology, inform diagnostics, and aid drug discovery.

Causal relationships between anthropometric traits, bone mineral density, osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis: A Mendelian randomisation investigation.

Objective: Spinal stenosis is a common condition among older individuals, with significant morbidity attached. Little is known about its risk factors but degenerative conditions, such as osteoarthritis (OA) have been identified for their mechanistic role. This study aims to explore causal relationships between anthropometric risk factors, OA, and spinal stenosis using Mendelian randomisation (MR) techniques.

European and multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of atopic dermatitis highlights importance of systemic immune regulation.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin condition and prior genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 71 associated loci. In the current study we conducted the largest AD GWAS to date (discovery N = 1,086,394, replication N = 3,604,027), combining previously reported cohorts with additional available data. We identified 81 loci (29 novel) in the European-only analysis (which all replicated in a separate European analysis) and 10 additional loci in the multi-ancestry analysis (3 novel).

Systematic comparison of Mendelian randomisation studies and randomised controlled trials using electronic databases.

Objective: To scope the potential for (semi)-automated triangulation of Mendelian randomisation (MR) and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evidence since the two methods have distinct assumptions that make comparisons between their results invaluable.

Methods: We mined ClinicalTrials.Gov, PubMed and EpigraphDB databases and carried out a series of 26 manual literature comparisons among 54 MR and 77 RCT publications.

Valorisation of Whey Permeate in Sequential Bioprocesses towards Value-Added Products-Optimisation of Biphasic and Classical Batch Cultures of .

Whey permeate is categorised as hazardous wastewater for aquatic environments, mainly due to its high lactose content. Therefore, it must be valorised before being released into the environment. One pathway for whey permeate management is its use in biotechnological processes.

Reply to Janssen et al. Comment on "Sobczyk, M.K.; Gaunt, T.R. The Effect of Circulating Zinc, Selenium, Copper and Vitamin K on COVID-19 Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization Study. 2022, , 233".

In their correspondence arising from our recent manuscript [...

The Effect of Circulating Zinc, Selenium, Copper and Vitamin K on COVID-19 Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

: Previous results from observational, interventional studies and in vitro experiments suggest that certain micronutrients possess anti-viral and immunomodulatory activities. In particular, it has been hypothesized that zinc, selenium, copper and vitamin K have strong potential for prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19. We aimed to test whether genetically predicted Zn, Se, Cu or vitamin K levels have a causal effect on COVID-19 related outcomes, including risk of infection, hospitalization and critical illness.

Comparative Analysis of Host-Associated Variation in .

is often described as a generalist pathogen, with isolates causing disease in a range of plant species. It is the causative agent of two diseases in the cultivated strawberry, crown rot (CR; causing whole plant collapse) and leather rot (LR; affecting the fruit). In the cultivated apple, causes girdling bark rots on the scion (collar rot) and rootstock (crown rot), as well as necrosis of the fine root system (root rot) and fruit rots.

Intraspecific Variation in Nickel Tolerance and Hyperaccumulation among Serpentine and Limestone Populations of (Brassicaceae: Alysseae) from the Iberian Peninsula.

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Triangulating Molecular Evidence to Prioritize Candidate Causal Genes at Established Atopic Dermatitis Loci.

GWASs for atopic dermatitis have identified 25 reproducible loci. We attempt to prioritize the candidate causal genes at these loci using extensive molecular resources compiled into a bioinformatics pipeline. We identified a list of 103 molecular resources for atopic dermatitis etiology, including expression, protein, and DNA methylation quantitative trait loci datasets in the skin or immune-relevant tissues, which were tested for overlap with GWAS signals.

Quantitative trait loci controlling resistance in the cultivated octoploid strawberry ( ).

The cultivated strawberry,   ( spp.) is the most economically important global soft fruit. , a water-borne oomycete causes economic losses in strawberry production globally.

Characterisation of pathogen-specific regions and novel effector candidates in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae.

A reference-quality assembly of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae (Foc), the causative agent of onion basal rot has been generated along with genomes of additional pathogenic and non-pathogenic isolates of onion.