MAGIC - the Meta-Analyses of Glucose and Insulin-related traits Consortium

The final human genetics consortium (for now) is MAGIC - the Meta-Analyses of Glucose and Insulin-related traits Consortium, another co-author of the DIAGRAM consortium. This is probably the most contrived of the lot, in that it failed to use all its words but did include “Consortium”. At the same time, being part of MAGIC has a certain appeal above CHARGE, DIAGRAM or GIANT.

“MAGIC (the Meta-Analyses of Glucose and Insulin-related traits Consortium) represents a collaborative effort to combine data from multiple GWAS to identify additional loci that impact on glycemic and metabolic traits.

MAGIC investigators have initially studied fasting glucose, fasting insulin, 2h glucose and HBA1c, as well as performed meta-analysis of more sophisticated measures of insulin secretion and sensitivity. Through these efforts, dozens of loci influencing these traits have been idenified, a subset of which also influence risk of type 2 diabetes.”

There is a certain degree of magic involved in a good genome-wide association study (GWAS) but I still rate this one ad hoc.

If contrived consortium acronyms are your thing, you can probably do a lot worse than sign up to the Table of Contents alerts for the journal Nature Genetics.

DIAGRAM - DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis

The DIAGRAM - DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis - consortium is the second ORCA entry this month for human genetics consortia, which seem to be almost as productive a source of contrived acronyms as bioinformatics.

“The DIAGRAM (DIAbetes Genetics Replication And Meta-analysis) consortium is a grouping of researchers with shared interests in performing large-scale studies to characterise the genetic basis of type 2 diabetes, and a principal focus on samples of European descent.”

You can read more on their website, which features an array of additional acronyms (including some future ORCA entries).

CHARGE - Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology

The CHARGE - Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology - consortium is the first of four human genetics consortia to hit ORCA this month.

I’m not really sure what tigers have to do with hearts or aging, or even charging for that matter, but it’s a nice logo. Coordinating research with that many participants must be challenging enough - I am not sure how you contrive an acronym and logo that everyone agrees with!

According to the CHARGE consortium website:

"The Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium was formed to facilitate genome-wide association study meta-analyses and replication opportunities among multiple large and well-phenotyped longitudinal cohort studies."

• Psaty BM, O’Donnell CJ, Gudnason V, Lunetta KL, Folsom AR, Rotter JI, Uitterlinden AG, Harris TB, Witteman JCM, Boerwinkle E, on behalf of the CHARGE Consortium (2009) Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium: Design of prospective meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies from five cohorts. Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2:73-80.

CICADA - Cochlear Implant Club and ADvisory Association

The cicadas in Sydney are loud this year. Fitting, then, that CICADA is the chosen acronym for the Cochlear Implant Club and Advisory Association.

CICADA Australia Inc. began in 1984 as a support organization in NSW to help new cochlear implantees. At the time there were only 12 implantees. Implant surgeon Prof. Bill Gibson came up with the name intending that it should stand for “Cochlear Implant Club and Deafness Association”. However none of the newly implanted people felt they were still deaf, so a compromise was reached. The title later came to stand for “Cochlear Implant Club and ADvisory Association”.

As cochlear implants make things louder (in a very crude sense) and cicadas are among the noisiest insects in the world, I think there is a definite case to be made for a post hoc connection.

CLARITY - Clear, Lipid-exchanged, Anatomically Rigid, Imaging/immunostaining compatible, Tissue hYdrogel

Another one that popped up in a journal Table of Contents (this time Science), CLARITY is the spectacularly contrived Clear, Lipid-exchanged, Anatomically Rigid, Imaging/immunostaining compatible, Tissue hYdrogel. As an acronym, it falls down at the end, so this one is being classed as an “intranym” but as CLARITY is a brain-imaging technique, I think it deserves pre hoc status. CLARITY was runner-up for Science journal’s Breakthrough of the Year.

WOMBAT - Work Observation Method By Activity Timing

Coming back closer to home geographically, WOMBAT - Work Observation Method By Activity Timing is another UNSW research project, this time round out of the Faculty of Medicine:

“The WOMBAT technique was developed to undertake direct observational studies of health professionals using a handheld computer tool, allowing observers to capture multi-dimensional aspects of work and communication patterns. WOMBAT automatically captures all time data related to tasks, as well as detailing interruptions to work and multi-tasking.”

The link between WOMBAT and its underlying meaning is clearly just the Australian connection, so I think that it only merits a post hoc classification. It probably has the cutest acronym logo to date, though!

ACHOO - Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst

ACHOO - Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst - syndrome is another name for Photic sneeze reflex. This is the condition that affects around a fifth to a third of the population in which stimuli such as bright lights trigger uncontrolled sneezing. (Also known as “sun sneezing”.)

According to the source from which I discovered ACHOO, the ABC Science Weekly Update, it is “a funny acronym invented by doctors to help them remember the essentials of the photic sneeze reflex!” Personally, I think that “Photic sneeze reflex” is clearer than “Autosomal dominant Compelling Helio-Ophthalmic Outburst”! I suspect they were just having a bit of fun but, either way, it gets the coveted pre hoc status for such a well-aligned (if somewhat over contrived) acronym. (It’s just a shame about the “dominant” bit, which, ironically is probably the most likely bit to be forgotten!)