| 1. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(författare)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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Ingår i: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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| 4. |
- Lango Allen, Hana, et al.
(författare)
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Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 467:7317, s. 832-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most common human traits and diseases have a polygenic pattern of inheritance: DNA sequence variants at many genetic loci influence the phenotype. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified more than 600 variants associated with human traits, but these typically explain small fractions of phenotypic variation, raising questions about the use of further studies. Here, using 183,727 individuals, we show that hundreds of genetic variants, in at least 180 loci, influence adult height, a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. The large number of loci reveals patterns with important implications for genetic studies of common human diseases and traits. First, the 180 loci are not random, but instead are enriched for genes that are connected in biological pathways (P = 0.016) and that underlie skeletal growth defects (P<0.001). Second, the likely causal gene is often located near the most strongly associated variant: in 13 of 21 loci containing a known skeletal growth gene, that gene was closest to the associated variant. Third, at least 19 loci have multiple independently associated variants, suggesting that allelic heterogeneity is a frequent feature of polygenic traits, that comprehensive explorations of already-discovered loci should discover additional variants and that an appreciable fraction of associated loci may have been identified. Fourth, associated variants are enriched for likely functional effects on genes, being over-represented among variants that alter amino-acid structure of proteins and expression levels of nearby genes. Our data explain approximately 10% of the phenotypic variation in height, and we estimate that unidentified common variants of similar effect sizes would increase this figure to approximately 16% of phenotypic variation (approximately 20% of heritable variation). Although additional approaches are needed to dissect the genetic architecture of polygenic human traits fully, our findings indicate that GWA studies can identify large numbers of loci that implicate biologically relevant genes and pathways.
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| 5. |
- Awais, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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Fabrication of Efficient NiO Photocathodes Prepared via RDS with Novel Routes of Substrate Processing for p-Type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
- 2014
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Ingår i: ChemElectroChem. - : Wiley. - 2196-0216. ; 1:2, s. 384-391
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- p-type dye sensitized solar cells (p-DSCs) derived from nickel oxide (NiO) photocathodes have been obtained via rapid discharge sintering (RDS) of parent metal oxide nanoparticles deposited onto differently treated substrates utilizing a plasma atmosphere with microwave radiation as heat source. This method produces NiO thin films (0.6 < l < 6 mu m) with mesoporous features and large surface areas as required for efficient dye-loading and high photocurrents. Erythrosine B (ERY) was used to sensitize the oxide in the visible spectrum. We have analyzed and compared the photoelectrochemical performances of the p-DSCs assembled with the various types of NiO samples prepared by RDS techniques with different treatments of the supporting substrate prior to, or during, spray deposition of the NiO nanoparticles. The best photovoltaic performances were obtained when the transparent conducting substrate (TCS) was heated during spraying. We believe that this is because the charge transfer through the NiO film and the charge collection at the TCS/NiO film interface were the most efficient with this sample. To our knowledge, the photovoltaic performances reported here are the best achieved with the commercial dye ERY as sensitizer.
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| 6. |
- Benazzi, Elisabetta, et al.
(författare)
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Acid-triggering of light-induced charge-separation in hybrid organic/inorganic molecular photoactive dyads for harnessing solar energy
- 2021
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Ingår i: Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2052-1553. ; 8:6, s. 1610-1618
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- H+ modulated charge-transfer in photoexcited covalent polyoxometalate-bodipy conjugates is described. The hybrid organic/inorganic molecular photoactive dyads are based on Keggin-type polyoxometalates (POMs, where KM = [PM11O39] and M = Mo or W) covalently grafted via an organotin linker to a bodipy (BOD) photosensitizer. The relative potentials of the photosensitizer and POM are aligned such that light-induced electron transfer from BOD to POM is permitted for the polyoxomolybdate KMoSn[BOD] but not effective for the polyoxotungstate analogue KWSn[BOD]. In both cases, the addition of acid shifts the redox potential of the POM only, to increase the driving force for electron transfer. This leads to charge-separation being switched on for KWSn[BOD] in the presence of acid. The addition of acid to KMoSn[BOD] accelerates charge-separation by an order of magnitude (from 2 ns to 200 ps) and is accompanied by a deceleration of charge recombination, leading to a charge-separated state lifetime of up to 1.3 μs. This behaviour is consistent with proton coupled electron transfer, which has previously been observed electrochemically for POMs, but this study shows, for the first time, the impact of protonation on photoinduced electron transfer. This journal is
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| 7. |
- Boschloo, Gerrit, et al.
(författare)
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Photomodulated Voltammetry of Iodide/Triiodide Redox Electrolytes and Its Relevance to Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
- 2011
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 2:24, s. 3016-3020
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Photomodulated voltammetry was used to determine the redox potentials of the diiodide radical (I(2)(-center dot)) in water, acetonitrile, and 3-methoxypropionitrile. Iodide/triiodide redox electrolytes were exposed to modulated blue light, resulting in I(2)(-center dot) generation. Using transparent fluorine-doped tinoxide (FTO) electrodes, two modulated photocurrent waves could be discerned in the voltammogram, from which the formal potentials for oxidation and reduction reactions of the diiodide radical were determined. E(0)'(I(2)(-center dot)/I(-)) was found to be +0.79 and +1.04 V versus NHE in acetonitrile and water, respectively. These values give guidelines for E(0)'(D(+)/D) required for efficient regeneration of dyes used in dye-sensitized solar cells.
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| 8. |
- Clark, Andrew G., et al.
(författare)
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Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny
- 2007
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 450:7167, s. 203-218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Comparative analysis of multiple genomes in a phylogenetic framework dramatically improves the precision and sensitivity of evolutionary inference, producing more robust results than single-genome analyses can provide. The genomes of 12 Drosophila species, ten of which are presented here for the first time (sechellia, simulans, yakuba, erecta, ananassae, persimilis, willistoni, mojavensis, virilis and grimshawi), illustrate how rates and patterns of sequence divergence across taxa can illuminate evolutionary processes on a genomic scale. These genome sequences augment the formidable genetic tools that have made Drosophila melanogaster a pre-eminent model for animal genetics, and will further catalyse fundamental research on mechanisms of development, cell biology, genetics, disease, neurobiology, behaviour, physiology and evolution. Despite remarkable similarities among these Drosophila species, we identified many putatively non-neutral changes in protein-coding genes, non-coding RNA genes, and cis-regulatory regions. These may prove to underlie differences in the ecology and behaviour of these diverse species.
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| 9. |
- D'Amario, Luca, et al.
(författare)
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Chemical and Physical Reduction of High Valence Ni States in Mesoporous NiO Film for Solar Cell Application
- 2017
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 9:39, s. 33470-33477
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The most common material for dye-sensitized photocathodes is mesoporous NiO. We transformed the usual brownish NiO to be more transparent by reducing high valence Ni impurities. Two pretreatment methods have been used: chemical reduction by NaBH4 and thermal reduction by heating. The power conversion efficiency of the cell was increased by 33% through chemical treatment, and an increase in open-circuit voltage from 105 to 225 mV was obtained upon heat treatment. By optical spectroelectrochemistry, we could identify two species with characteristically different spectra assigned to Ni3+ and Ni4+. We suggest that the reduction of surface Ni3+ and Ni (4+) to Ni (2+) decreases the recombination reaction between holes on the NiO surface with the electrolyte. It also keeps the dye firmly on the surface, building a barrier for electrolyte recombination. This causes an increase in open-circuit photovoltage for the treated film.
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