Ressenya bibliogràfica: Gregorio del Olmo Lete. Origen y persistencia del judaísmo. Estella (Navarra): Verbo Divino, 2010.

Aquest llibre és l'obra d'un especialista que vol difondre els seus coneixements de manera metòdica i seriosa. L'autor del volum, Gregorio del Olmo Lete, catedràtic emèrit de la Unviersitat de Barcelona, es proposa resseguir les petges del judaisme, des dels seus inicis cananeus fins a l'actualitat, bo i analitzant-ne, sobretot, els orígens, per tal d'oferir una nova perspectiva a aquesta temàtica -els estudis sistemàtics d'aquesta religió normalment se centren en l'estudi i anàlisis dels elements normalitzats al llarg dels segles-. En definitiva, i a grans trets, el que pretén el Prof. del Olmo amb aquest volum és col·laborar en la comprensió del judaisme, entès com a realitat històrica, social i cultural que fou i que és.

No interactions between previously associated 2-hour glucose gene variants and physical activity or BMI on 2-hour glucose levels.

Gene-lifestyle interactions have been suggested to contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. Glucose levels 2 h after a standard 75-g glucose challenge are used to diagnose diabetes and are associated with both genetic and lifestyle factors. However, whether these factors interact to determine 2-h glucose levels is unknown. We meta-analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) × BMI and SNP × physical activity (PA) interaction regression models for five SNPs previously associated with 2-h glucose levels from up to 22 studies comprising 54,884 individuals without diabetes. PA levels were dichotomized, with individuals below the first quintile classified as inactive (20%) and the remainder as active (80%). BMI was considered a continuous trait. Inactive individuals had higher 2-h glucose levels than active individuals (β = 0.22 mmol/L [95% CI 0.13-0.31], P = 1.63 × 10(-6)). All SNPs were associated with 2-h glucose (β = 0.06-0.12 mmol/allele, P ≤ 1.53 × 10(-7)), but no significant interactions were found with PA (P > 0.18) or BMI (P ≥ 0.04). In this large study of gene-lifestyle interaction, we observed no interactions between genetic and lifestyle factors, both of which were associated with 2-h glucose. It is perhaps unlikely that top loci from genome-wide association studies will exhibit strong subgroup-specific effects, and may not, therefore, make the best candidates for the study of interactions.

Vacances i estrès urbanita

És bo que aprofitem el lleure i les vacances per gaudir d"espais oberts i natura, cal que tinguem cura que també ho facin els nostres fills.

Vacances i estrès urbanita

És bo que aprofitem el lleure i les vacances per gaudir d"espais oberts i natura, cal que tinguem cura que també ho facin els nostres fills.

A mixed ecologic-cohort comparison of physical activity & weight among young adults from five populations of African origin.

BACKGROUND: Examination of patterns and intensity of physical activity (PA) across cultures where obesity prevalence varies widely provides insight into one aspect of the ongoing epidemiologic transition. The primary hypothesis being addressed is whether low levels of PA are associated with excess weight and adiposity. METHODS: We recruited young adults from five countries (500 per country, 2500 total, ages 25-45 years), spanning the range of obesity prevalence. Men and women were recruited from a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, USA; urban Jamaica; rural Ghana; peri-urban South Africa; and the Seychelles. PA was measured using accelerometry and expressed as minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous activity or sedentary behavior. RESULTS: Obesity (BMI ≥ 30) prevalence ranged from 1.4% (Ghanaian men) to 63.8% (US women). South African men were the most active, followed by Ghanaian men. Relatively small differences were observed across sites among women; however, women in Ghana accumulated the most activity. Within site-gender sub-groups, the correlation of activity with BMI and other measures of adiposity was inconsistent; the combined correlation across sites was -0.17 for men and -0.11 for women. In the ecological analysis time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity was inversely associated with BMI (r = -0.71). CONCLUSION: These analyses suggest that persons with greater adiposity tend to engage in less PA, although the associations are weak and the direction of causality cannot be inferred because measurements are cross-sectional. Longitudinal data will be required to elucidate direction of association.

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Lectio praecursoria Åbo Akademi 1.2.2006