University of Exeter

About: University of Exeter is a education organization based out in Exeter, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 15820 authors who have published 50650 publications receiving 1793046 citations. The organization is also known as: Exeter University & University of the South West of England.

Puberty timing associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and also diverse health outcomes in men and women: the UK Biobank study

Abstract: Early puberty timing is associated with higher risks for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease in women and therefore represents a potential target for early preventive interventions. We characterised the range of diseases and other adverse health outcomes associated with early or late puberty timing in men and women in the very large UK Biobank study. Recalled puberty timing and past/current diseases were self-reported by questionnaire. We limited analyses to individuals of White ethnicity (250,037 women; 197,714 men) and to disease outcomes with at least 500 cases (~ 0.2% prevalence) and we applied stringent correction for multiple testing (corrected threshold P < 7.48 × 10(-5)). In models adjusted for socioeconomic position and adiposity/body composition variables, both in women and men separately, earlier puberty timing was associated with higher risks for angina, hypertension and T2D. Furthermore, compared to the median/average group, earlier or later puberty timing in women or men was associated with higher risks for 48 adverse outcomes, across a range of cancers, cardio-metabolic, gynaecological/obstetric, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and neuro-cognitive categories. Notably, both early and late menarche were associated with higher risks for early natural menopause in women. Puberty timing in both men and women appears to have a profound impact on later health.

Biomarkers for type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose using a nontargeted metabolomics approach

Abstract: Using a nontargeted metabolomics approach of 447 fasting plasma metabolites, we searched for novel molecular markers that arise before and after hyperglycemia in a large population-based cohort of 2,204 females (115 type 2 diabetic [T2D] case subjects, 192 individuals with impaired fasting glucose [IFG], and 1,897 control subjects) from TwinsUK. Forty-two metabolites from three major fuel sources (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins) were found to significantly correlate with T2D after adjusting for multiple testing; of these, 22 were previously reported as associated with T2D or insulin resistance. Fourteen metabolites were found to be associated with IFG. Among the metabolites identified, the branched-chain keto-acid metabolite 3-methyl-2-oxovalerate was the strongest predictive biomarker for IFG after glucose (odds ratio [OR] 1.65 [95% CI 1.39–1.95], P = 8.46 × 10−9) and was moderately heritable (h2 = 0.20). The association was replicated in an independent population (n = 720, OR 1.68 [ 1.34–2.11], P = 6.52 × 10−6) and validated in 189 twins with urine metabolomics taken at the same time as plasma (OR 1.87 [1.27–2.75], P = 1 × 10−3). Results confirm an important role for catabolism of branched-chain amino acids in T2D and IFG. In conclusion, this T2D-IFG biomarker study has surveyed the broadest panel of nontargeted metabolites to date, revealing both novel and known associated metabolites and providing potential novel targets for clinical prediction and a deeper understanding of causal mechanisms.

Persistent effects of a severe drought on Amazonian forest canopy

Abstract: Recent Amazonian droughts have drawn attention to the vulnerability of tropical forests to climate perturbations Satellite and in situ observations have shown an increase in fire occurrence during drought years and tree mortality following severe droughts, but to date there has been no assessment of long-term impacts of these droughts across landscapes in Amazonia Here, we use satellite microwave observations of rainfall and canopy backscatter to show that more than 70 million hectares of forest in western Amazonia experienced a strong water deficit during the dry season of 2005 and a closely corresponding decline in canopy structure and moisture Remarkably, and despite the gradual recovery in total rainfall in subsequent years, the decrease in canopy backscatter persisted until the next major drought, in 2010 The decline in backscatter is attributed to changes in structure and water content associated with the forest upper canopy The persistence of low backscatter supports the slow recovery (>4 y) of forest canopy structure after the severe drought in 2005 The result suggests that the occurrence of droughts in Amazonia at 5-10 y frequency may lead to persistent alteration of the forest canopy

The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Abstract: If you, like me, have ever puzzled over the Feldenkrais method, or wondered what is Qi gong then help is at hand. What the authors have done here is to bring together into a desk-top manual, with an accompanying CD-ROM, an account of the commoner types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) together with their own and others work, derived from systematic reviews, to examine its evidence base. By doing so they have provided a quick, accessible, guide for the practising clinician which should make it easier to discuss the issues with individuals seeking their advice or help in spotting when there might be, say, an interaction between a prescribed medicine and something obtained from a nonconventional source. With so many people resorting to nonprescribed preparations, if nothing else, their table of interactions between herbal remedies and anticoagulants is worth the price of the book. The section on herbal remedies will provide a quick answer to many of the commoner questions posed to pharmacologists and pharmacists. There are references throughout not only to the data backing up their conclusions but also giving entry points to references on most of the commoner forms of CAM. Whether it would be possible to quickly access some of these papers is debatable as a goodly number are in journals not stocked by most conventional medical libraries. What this book also does is to indicate where there is acceptable evidence for CAM, other areas where there remains doubt, and some where it can be rejected outright. The authors are not alone in this approach but they have made their conclusions readily accessible in the book and provided a CD where this information can be referred to rapidly. Plainly it is not possible to detail every modality of CAM in a book of this sort but the authors have been successful in producing a comprehensive and worthwhile guide that can be recommended to all clinicians, and to anybody else, who may want a readily accessible guide to the pitfalls and benefits of using complementary medicine – and medicines.

Leadership Competencies: Time to Change the Tune?

Abstract: This article indicates how the competency approach to leadership could be conceived of as a repeating refrain that continues to offer an illusory promise to rationalize and simplify the processes of selecting, measuring and developing leaders, yet only reflects a fragment of the complexity that is leadership. To make this argument we draw on two sets of data: a review of leadership competency frameworks and an analysis of participant reports from a reflective leadership development programme. A lexical analysis comparing the two data sets highlights a substantial difference with regards to the relative importance placed on the moral, emotional and relationship dimensions of leadership. The implications of these differences are considered, as are ways in which the competency approach could be aligned more closely with the current and future needs of leaders and organizations. In particular, we argue that a more discursive approach that helps to reveal and challenge underlying organizational assumptions is ...