| 1. |
- Qu, Yanhua, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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The evolution of ancestral and species-specific adaptations in snowfinches at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
- 2021
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 10.1073/pnas.2012398118:13, s. e2012398118-e2012398118
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Species in a shared environment tend to evolve similar adaptations under the influence of their phylogenetic context. Using snowfinches, a monophyletic group of passerine birds (Passeridae), we study the relative roles of ancestral and species-specific adaptations to an extreme high-elevation environment, the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Our ancestral trait reconstruction shows that the ancestral snowfinch occupied high elevations and had a larger body mass than most nonsnowfinches in Passeridae. Subsequently, this phenotypic adaptation diversified in the descendant species. By comparing high-quality genomes from representatives of the three phylogenetic lineages, we find that about 95% of genes under positive selection in the descendant species are different from those in the ancestor. Consistently, the biological functions enriched for these species differ from those of their ancestor to various degrees (semantic similarity values ranging from 0.27 to 0.5), suggesting that the three descendant species have evolved divergently from the initial adaptation in their common ancestor. Using a functional assay to a highly selective gene, DTL, we demonstrate that the nonsynonymous substitutions in the ancestor and descendant species have improved the repair capacity of ultraviolet-induced DNA damage. The repair kinetics of the DTL gene shows a twofold to fourfold variation across the ancestor and the descendants. Collectively, this study reveals an exceptional case of adaptive evolution to high-elevation environments, an evolutionary process with an initial adaptation in the common ancestor followed by adaptive diversification of the descendant species.
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| 2. |
- Coviello, Andrea D, et al.
(author)
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A genome-wide association meta-analysis of circulating sex hormone-binding globulin reveals multiple Loci implicated in sex steroid hormone regulation.
- 2012
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In: PLoS genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7404 .- 1553-7390. ; 8:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is a glycoprotein responsible for the transport and biologic availability of sex steroid hormones, primarily testosterone and estradiol. SHBG has been associated with chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and with hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of 21,791 individuals from 10 epidemiologic studies and validated these findings in 7,046 individuals in an additional six studies. We identified twelve genomic regions (SNPs) associated with circulating SHBG concentrations. Loci near the identified SNPs included SHBG (rs12150660, 17p13.1, p=1.8×10(-106)), PRMT6 (rs17496332, 1p13.3, p=1.4×10(-11)), GCKR (rs780093, 2p23.3, p=2.2×10(-16)), ZBTB10 (rs440837, 8q21.13, p=3.4×10(-09)), JMJD1C (rs7910927, 10q21.3, p=6.1×10(-35)), SLCO1B1 (rs4149056, 12p12.1, p=1.9×10(-08)), NR2F2 (rs8023580, 15q26.2, p=8.3×10(-12)), ZNF652 (rs2411984, 17q21.32, p=3.5×10(-14)), TDGF3 (rs1573036, Xq22.3, p=4.1×10(-14)), LHCGR (rs10454142, 2p16.3, p=1.3×10(-07)), BAIAP2L1 (rs3779195, 7q21.3, p=2.7×10(-08)), and UGT2B15 (rs293428, 4q13.2, p=5.5×10(-06)). These genes encompass multiple biologic pathways, including hepatic function, lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and T2D, androgen and estrogen receptor function, epigenetic effects, and the biology of sex steroid hormone-responsive cancers including breast and prostate cancer. We found evidence of sex-differentiated genetic influences on SHBG. In a sex-specific GWAS, the loci 4q13.2-UGT2B15 was significant in men only (men p=2.5×10(-08), women p=0.66, heterogeneity p=0.003). Additionally, three loci showed strong sex-differentiated effects: 17p13.1-SHBG and Xq22.3-TDGF3 were stronger in men, whereas 8q21.12-ZBTB10 was stronger in women. Conditional analyses identified additional signals at the SHBG gene that together almost double the proportion of variance explained at the locus. Using an independent study of 1,129 individuals, all SNPs identified in the overall or sex-differentiated or conditional analyses explained ∼15.6% and ∼8.4% of the genetic variation of SHBG concentrations in men and women, respectively. The evidence for sex-differentiated effects and allelic heterogeneity highlight the importance of considering these features when estimating complex trait variance.
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| 3. |
- Deng, Min, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide association analyses in Han Chinese identify two new susceptibility loci for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- 2013
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 45:6, s. 697-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To identify susceptibility genes for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 506 individuals with sporadic ALS and 1,859 controls of Han Chinese ancestry. Ninety top SNPs suggested by the current GWAS and 6 SNPs identified by previous GWAS were analyzed in an independent cohort of 706 individuals with ALS and 1,777 controls of Han Chinese ancestry. We discovered two new susceptibility loci for ALS at 1q32 (CAMK1G, rs6703183, P-combined = 2.92 x 10(-8), odds ratio (OR) = 1.31) and 22p11 (CABIN1 and SUSD2, rs8141797, P-combined = 2.35 x 10(-9), OR = 1.52). These two loci explain 12.48% of the overall variance in disease risk in the Han Chinese population. We found no association evidence for the previously reported loci in the Han Chinese population, suggesting genetic heterogeneity of disease susceptibility for ALS between ancestry groups. Our study identifies two new susceptibility loci and suggests new pathogenic mechanisms of ALS.
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| 4. |
- Huang, Shoushuang, et al.
(author)
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Synergistically modulating electronic structure of NiS2 hierarchical architectures by phosphorus doping and sulfur-vacancies defect engineering enables efficient electrocatalytic water splitting
- 2021
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In: Chemical Engineering Journal. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 1385-8947 .- 1873-3212. ; 420
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The synergistic achievement of heteroatom doping, defect engineering and appropriate structural design is efficient to adjust and boost the catalytic performance of catalysts yet challenging. Herein, phosphorus (P)-doped NiS2 hierarchical architectures with sulfur vacancies are synthesized via a Prussian-blue-analogue-sacrificed strategy followed by a phosphidation process. By modulation of P doping and sulfur vacancies, the optimal catalyst manifests outstanding electrocatalytic activities, affording low overpotentials of 73 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and 255 mV at 20 mA cm-2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. Density functional theory calculations certify that the P dopant not only serves as the new active sites, but also activates the electrochemical activity of neighboring Ni and S sites. Moreover, the synergistic effect of P-doping and sulfur vacancies further improve electrochemical activities of HER and OER by optimizing the adsorption free energy of hydrogen (Delta GH*) and oxygen-containing intermediates (OH*, O* and OOH*), respectively. This finding provides a directive strategy to achieve efficient non-noble metal catalysts for energy conversion and storage.
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| 5. |
- Cardoso-Moreira, Margarida, et al.
(author)
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Gene expression across mammalian organ development
- 2019
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In: Nature. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 571:7766, s. 505-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The evolution of gene expression in mammalian organ development remains largely uncharacterized. Here we report the transcriptomes of seven organs (cerebrum, cerebellum, heart, kidney, liver, ovary and testis) across developmental time points from early organogenesis to adulthood for human, rhesus macaque, mouse, rat, rabbit, opossum and chicken. Comparisons of gene expression patterns identified correspondences of developmental stages across species, and differences in the timing of key events during the development of the gonads. We found that the breadth of gene expression and the extent of purifying selection gradually decrease during development, whereas the amount of positive selection and expression of new genes increase. We identified differences in the temporal trajectories of expression of individual genes across species, with brain tissues showing the smallest percentage of trajectory changes, and the liver and testis showing the largest. Our work provides a resource of developmental transcriptomes of seven organs across seven species, and comparative analyses that characterize the development and evolution of mammalian organs.
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| 6. |
- Chen, Jingjing, et al.
(author)
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Mechanism Study of Waste Heat Recovery from Slurry by Surface Scraped Heat Exchanger
- 2017
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In: Energy Procedia. - : Elsevier. - 1876-6102. ; 105, s. 1109-1115
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Waste-heat recovery from discharged slurries can improve the net raw biogas production in bio-methane process in order to meet the demand of a new generation of anaerobic digestion. In order to achieve a high efficient waste-heat recovery, in this work, a mathematical model of waste-heat recovery process with surface scraped heat exchanger (SSHE) was proposed with the consideration of the shear rate and temperature-dependent rheological behaviour. The convective heat transfer performance of SSHE was calculated numerically where slurry was considered. The contribution of waste heat recovery from the slurry to biogas production by SSHE and general shell-and-tube heat exchanger (STHE) were firstly calculated quantitatively, and the increase of net raw biogas production could be over 13.5% by SSHE with need of heat exchange area less than a quarter of STHE's, which showed a great potential to increase the net raw biogas production in bio-methane process with low equipment investments and more compactible structure.
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| 7. |
- Chen, Yifeng, et al.
(author)
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Thermodynamic study on aqueous polyethylene glycol 200 solution and performance assessment for CO2 separation
- 2020
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In: Fluid Phase Equilibria. - : Elsevier. - 0378-3812 .- 1879-0224. ; 504
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To develop polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200) and aqueous PEG200 solutions (PEG200/H2O) as solvents for CO2 separation, in this study, the available thermo-physical properties of PEG200 and PEG200/H2O measured experimentally were surveyed, evaluated, and correlated with empirical equations. The solubility of CO2 in PEG200 was also surveyed, evaluated and described with the Henry's law with the Poynting correction, while the solubilities of CH4 and N2 in PEG200 were determined experimentally and then described with the Henry's law. The CO2, CH4 and N2 solubilities in PEG200/H2O were measured and described with the Redlich–Kwong Nonrandom-Two-Liquid (RK-NRTL) model. In addition, the performances of PEG200, PEG200/H2O and other commercialized physical solvents for CO2 separation were discussed based on the properties, and the biogas upgrading was chosen as the example to quantitatively evaluate the performances of PEG200 and PEG200/H2O with process simulation and compared with the high pressure water scrubbing (HPWS). It shows that the total energy usage and the amount of recirculated solvent for biogas upgrading can decrease by 9.1% and 26.5%, respectively, when H2O is replaced by PEG200 completely.
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| 8. |
- Chen, Zhiwen, et al.
(author)
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Interface engineering of NiS@MoS2 core-shell microspheres as an efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in both acidic and alkaline medium
- 2021
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In: Journal of Alloys and Compounds. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA. - 0925-8388 .- 1873-4669. ; 853
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Electrochemical splitting of water is one of the most reliable and effective ways for the sustainable production of pure hydrogen on a large scale, while the core of this technology lies in the development of highly active non-noble-metal-based electrocatalysts to lower the large dynamic overpotentials of electrode materials. Here, an interface engineering strategy is demonstrated to construct an efficient and stable catalyst based on NiS@MoS2 core-shell hierarchical microspheres for the hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). The ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets in-situ grow on the surface of NiS hierarchical micro-sized spheres constructed by porous nanoplates, endowing the composites with rich interfaces, well-exposed electroactive edges, high structural porosity and fast transport channels. These advantages are favorable for the improvement of catalytic sites and the transport of catalysis-relevant species. More importantly, the intimate contact between MoS2 nanosheets and NiS nanoplates synergistically favors the chemical sorption of hydrogen intermediates, thereby reducing the reaction barrier and accelerating the HER catalytic process. As a result, the optimized NiS@MoS2 catalyst manifests impressive HER activity and durability, with a low overpotential of 208 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4 and 146 mV in 1.0 M KOH at 10 mA cm(-2), respectively. This work not only provides an effective way to construct core-shell hierarchical microspheres but also a multiscale strategy to regulate the electronic structure of heterostructured materials for energy-related applications. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Chen, Zhiwen, et al.
(author)
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Well-defined CoSe2@MoSe2 hollow heterostructured nanocubes with enhanced dissociation kinetics for overall water splitting
- 2020
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In: Nanoscale. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 12:1, s. 326-335
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hollow heterostructures have tremendous advantages in electrochemical energy storage and conversion areas due to their unique structure and composition characteristics. Here, we report the controlled synthesis of hollow CoSe2 nanocubes decorated with ultrathin MoSe2 nanosheets (CoSe2@MoSe2) as an efficient and robust bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting in a wide pH range. It is found that integrating ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets with hollow CoSe2 nanocubes can provide abundant active sites, promote electron/mass transfer and bubble release and facilitate the migration of charge carriers. Additionally, the surface electron coupling in the heterostructures enables it to serve as a source of sites for H+ and/or OH- adsorption, thus reducing the activation barrier for water molecules adsorption and dissociation. As a result, the title compound, CoSe2@MoSe2 hollow heterostructures, exhibits an overpotential of 183 mV and 309 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) toward hydrogen evolution reactions and oxygen evolution reactions in 1.0 M KOH, respectively. When applied as both cathode and anode for overall water splitting, a low battery voltage of 1.524 V is achieved along with excellent stability for at least 12 h. This work provides a new idea for the design and synthesis of high-performance catalysts for electrochemical energy storage and conversion.
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| 10. |
- Elks, Cathy E, et al.
(author)
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Thirty new loci for age at menarche identified by a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies
- 2010
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 42:12, s. 1077-85
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To identify loci for age at menarche, we performed a meta-analysis of 32 genome-wide association studies in 87,802 women of European descent, with replication in up to 14,731 women. In addition to the known loci at LIN28B (P = 5.4 × 10⁻⁶⁰) and 9q31.2 (P = 2.2 × 10⁻³³), we identified 30 new menarche loci (all P < 5 × 10⁻⁸) and found suggestive evidence for a further 10 loci (P < 1.9 × 10⁻⁶). The new loci included four previously associated with body mass index (in or near FTO, SEC16B, TRA2B and TMEM18), three in or near other genes implicated in energy homeostasis (BSX, CRTC1 and MCHR2) and three in or near genes implicated in hormonal regulation (INHBA, PCSK2 and RXRG). Ingenuity and gene-set enrichment pathway analyses identified coenzyme A and fatty acid biosynthesis as biological processes related to menarche timing.
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