Performance prediction models based on anthropometric, genetic and psychological traits of Croatian sprinters.

Elite athletes differ from each other in their characteristics according to their discipline. This study aimed to identify performance predictors in elite Croatian sprinters taking into consideration their anthropometric, psychological and genetic characteristics. One hundred and four elite Croatian sprinters (68 males and 36 females) participated in this study. Of them, 38 are currently competing in the 100-metre dash. The others are former sprinters. The participants underwent direct anthropometric assessment. Participants were also tested by means of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 and for ACE and ACTN3 polymorphisms. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to identify the best model for performance prediction. Different models were developed for males and females. Anthropometric traits accounted for 44% of the variance in performance for males, 62% for females. Once other traits (psychological for females) were entered into the model, no additional contribution to the variance was observed. The most significant predictors of higher running velocity were bicristal diameter and foot dimensions in males, and leg length and clean one-repetition maximum in females. The findings suggest that performance in sprinters is associated with anthropometric characteristics, with biomechanical implications that may be used to provide a more complete evaluation of sprinters' performance.

Origin and spread of human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup U7.

Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup U is among the initial maternal founders in Southwest Asia and Europe and one that best indicates matrilineal genetic continuity between late Pleistocene hunter-gatherer groups and present-day populations of Europe. While most haplogroup U subclades are older than 30 thousand years, the comparatively recent coalescence time of the extant variation of haplogroup U7 (~16-19 thousand years ago) suggests that its current distribution is the consequence of more recent dispersal events, despite its wide geographical range across Europe, the Near East and South Asia. Here we report 267 new U7 mitogenomes that - analysed alongside 100 published ones - enable us to discern at least two distinct temporal phases of dispersal, both of which most likely emanated from the Near East. The earlier one began prior to the Holocene (~11.5 thousand years ago) towards South Asia, while the later dispersal took place more recently towards Mediterranean Europe during the Neolithic (~8 thousand years ago). These findings imply that the carriers of haplogroup U7 spread to South Asia and Europe before the suggested Bronze Age expansion of Indo-European languages from the Pontic-Caspian Steppe region.

Genetic heritage of Croatians in the Southeastern European gene pool-Y chromosome analysis of the Croatian continental and Island population.

OBJECTIVES: The research objective of this study is to enlarge and deepen the Y chromosome research on the Croatian population and enable additional insights into the population diversity and historic events that shaped the current genetic landscape of Croatia and Southeastern Europe (SEE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A high-resolution phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis of 66 biallelic (SNPs) and 17 microsatellite (STRs) markers of the Y chromosome was performed using 720 Croatian samples. The obtained results were placed in a wider European context by comparison with ∼4450 samples from a number of other European populations. RESULTS: A high diversity of haplogroups was observed in the overall Croatian sample, and all typical European Y chromosome haplogroups with corresponding clinal patterns were observed. Three distinct genetic signals were identifiable in the Croatian paternal gene pool - I2a1b-M423, R1a1a1b1a*-M558, and E1b1b1a1b1a-V13 haplogroups. DISCUSSION: The analyses of the dominant and autochthonous I2a1b-M423 lineage (>30%) suggest that SEE had a significant role in the Upper Paleolithic, the R1a1a1b1a*-M558 lineage (19%) represents a signal from present day Slavic populations of Central Europe in the Croatian population, and the phylogeography of the E1b1b1a1b1a-V13 clade (around 9%) implies cultural diffusion of agriculture into Europe via the Balkan Peninsula. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:837-845, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fish and Shellfish Intake and Diabetes in a Costal Population of the Adriatic.

The objective of the study was to examine the association between fish and shellfish intake and diabetes in an island population, and the design of the study was Cross-sectional. Two independent population-based field surveys were conducted in Hvar Island of the eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia in May 2007 and May 2008, with a total of 1,379 adult participants. In multivariable logistic regression models, total fish intake was positively associated with diabetes prevalence in the total population (OR(Q4 vs. Q1) = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.01-2.66; p-trend = 0.09). Oily fish intake also exhibited a positive association with diabetes prevalence in the total population (OR(Q4 vs. Q1) = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.35-3.64; p-trend = 0.01) and in analyses stratified by body mass index, males and those with a high waist circumference. The study suggests an association between oily fish intake and diabetes in the population of the Hvar Island in Croatia. Longitudinal studies incorporating measures of persistent organic pollutants and local cooking practices are warranted to identify factors in fatty fish that may influence the development or persistence of diabetes.

The phylogenetic and geographic structure of Y-chromosome haplogroup R1a.

R1a-M420 is one of the most widely spread Y-chromosome haplogroups; however, its substructure within Europe and Asia has remained poorly characterized. Using a panel of 16 244 male subjects from 126 populations sampled across Eurasia, we identified 2923 R1a-M420 Y-chromosomes and analyzed them to a highly granular phylogeographic resolution. Whole Y-chromosome sequence analysis of eight R1a and five R1b individuals suggests a divergence time of ∼25,000 (95% CI: 21,300-29,000) years ago and a coalescence time within R1a-M417 of ∼5800 (95% CI: 4800-6800) years. The spatial frequency distributions of R1a sub-haplogroups conclusively indicate two major groups, one found primarily in Europe and the other confined to Central and South Asia. Beyond the major European versus Asian dichotomy, we describe several younger sub-haplogroups. Based on spatial distributions and diversity patterns within the R1a-M420 clade, particularly rare basal branches detected primarily within Iran and eastern Turkey, we conclude that the initial episodes of haplogroup R1a diversification likely occurred in the vicinity of present-day Iran.

Maternal genetic heritage of Southeastern Europe reveals a new Croatian isolate and a novel, local sub-branching in the x2 haplogroup.

High mtDNA variation in Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a reflection of the turbulent and complex demographic history of this area, influenced by gene flow from various parts of Eurasia and a long history of intermixing. Our results of 1035 samples (488 from Croatia, 239 from Bosnia and 130 from Herzegovina, reported earlier, and 97 Slovenians and 81 individuals from Zumberak, reported here for the first time) show that the SEE maternal genetic diversity fits within a broader European maternal genetic landscape. The study also shows that the population of Zumberak, located in the continental part of Croatia, developed some unique mtDNA haplotypes and elevated haplogroup frequencies due to distinctive demographic history and can be considered a moderate genetic isolate. We also report seven samples from the Bosnian population and one Herzegovinian sample designated as X2* individuals that could not be assigned to any of its sublineages (X2a'o) according to the existing X2 phylogeny. In an attempt to clarify the phylogeny of our X2 samples, their mitochondrial DNA has been completely sequenced. We suppose that these lineages are signs of local microdifferentiation processes that occurred in the recent demographic past in this area and could possibly be marked as SEE-specific X2 sublineages.

Metabolic syndrome among the inhabitants of the Island of Cres.

Metabolic syndrome presents a significant public health problem today, in Croatia as well as the rest of the world, considering the fact that the World Health Organization classifies its diagnostic criteria, such as high blood pressure and obesity, among ten major risk factors for health. The research of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among the inhabitants of the island of Cres included a total of 385 adult subjects, 249 women and 136 men. The incidence of metabolic syndrome in two subpopulations of the inhabitants: the inhabitants of the town of Cres (urban population) and the inhabitants of other settlements (rural population), was analysed. The incidence of metabolic syndrome among the inhabitants of the island of Cres was determined according to definitions of the WHO (World Health Organization) and the NCEP-ATP III program (National Cholesterol Education Program-Third Adult Treatment Panel III). It was established that the overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome on the island of Cres was 14% according to the WHO definition (20.6% in men and 10.4% in women) and 24.9% according to the NCEP-ATP III definition (33.1% in men and 20.5% in women). The study also showed that the prevalence of risk factors for developing metabolic syndrome and complex diseases was much higher among the subjects from other settlements than among the subjects from the town of Cres, a consequence of age and a lifestyle with lack of physical activity.

Maternal genetic legacy of the eastern Adriatic island of Krk--an interplay of evolutionary forces and island's historical events in shaping the genetic structure of contemporary island population.

This study presents genetic diversity and structure of contemporary Krk islanders revealed by high-resolution mitochondrial DNA analysis on a sample of 132 unrelated autochthonous adults from seven different settlements and regions of the island. Relatively high level of haplogroup and haplotype diversity in the overall island sample is an indicator of numerous migrations and gene flows throughout the history. Expectedly, the results show the highest frequency of haplogroup H (33.3%), yet this value is much lower compared to different Croatian and other European mainland populations. An interesting finding refers to highly elevated frequencies of some haplogroups, otherwise rare in Croatia and most of the Europe, such as I (11.3%) and W (7.6%) in Krk population, especially pronounced in some settlements. At the level of settlements, many of the major European haplogroups were found to be absent from their mtDNA gene pools, whereas several others show a pronounced deviation from an average. Overall, our results suggest a tangled interplay of different evolutionary forces, such as founder effects and a few strong bottlenecks, presumably due to epidemics, which have occurred in various periods of the island's history. Cultural customs, such as frequent endogamy in some regions of the island during past centuries, have additionally shaped its genetic structure into the observed present-day diversity patterns.

Influence of evolutionary forces and demographic processes on the genetic structure of three Croatian populations: a maternal perspective.

BACKGROUND: Many Croatian islands are examples of genetic isolates, with low level of heterozygosity and high level of inbreeding, due to practice of endogamy. AIM: The aim was to study the genetic structure of two insular and one mainland population through high-resolution phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: MtDNA polymorphisms were explored in 300 unrelated individuals from Mljet, Lastovo and the coastal city of Dubrovnik, based on SNP polymorphisms. RESULTS: All mtDNA haplogroups found in the sample were of typical European origin. However, the frequency distribution of their subclades differed significantly from other Croatian and European populations. MtDNA haplotype analysis revealed only two possible founder lineages on Mljet and six on Lastovo, accounting for almost half of the sample on both islands. The island of Mljet also has the lowest reported haplotype and nucleotide diversity among Croatian isolates and the island of Lastovo, a new sublineage of a usually quite rare U1b clade. CONCLUSION: The results can be explained by the effect evolutionary forces have on genetic structure, which is in line with the specific demographic histories of the islands. An additional research value of these two island isolates is the appearance of certain Mendelian disorders, highlighting their importance in epidemiological studies.