Background & Aims: Holo-Transcobalamin (holo-TC) is the biologically active form of vitamin B12, a vitamin essential in human metabolism. The association between vitamin B12 (total cobalamin) and mortality risk has been controversially reported, whereas the relation between holo-TC and survival is unknown. In a population-based sample (n = 862, female share 42.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Higher dietary intake or higher circulating levels of the trace element boron have been associated with beneficial effects on human health. However, the relationship between plasma boron levels and survival in the general population is not known. Therefore, we aimed to assess the association between plasma boron concentrations and all-cause mortality in a population-based cohort from northern Germany (n = 863 individuals; median age 62.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Dietary pattern scores reflecting a high intake of beneficial food groups were associated with reduced mortality risk. Data on associations of such dietary pattern scores in population-based samples from northern Germany are lacking. Therefore, we examined the association of three dietary pattern scores with all-cause mortality in a moderate-sized prospective sample from northern Germany.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a central laboratory model system in almost all biological disciplines, yet its natural life history and population biology are largely unexplored. Such information is essential for in-depth understanding of the nematode's biology because its natural ecology provides the context, in which its traits and the underlying molecular mechanisms evolved. We characterized natural phenotypic and genetic variation among North German C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a major model organism in diverse biological areas and well studied under laboratory conditions, little is known about its ecology. Therefore, characterization of the species' natural habitats should provide a new perspective on its otherwise well-studied biology. The currently best characterized populations are in France, demonstrating that C.
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