| 1. |
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
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- 2019
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 4. |
- Klionsky, Daniel J., et al.
(author)
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Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
- 2012
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In: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
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Research review (peer-reviewed)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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| 5. |
- Ariyawansa, Hiran A., et al.
(author)
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Fungal diversity notes 111–252—taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal taxa
- 2015
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In: Fungal diversity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1560-2745 .- 1878-9129. ; 75, s. 27-274
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper is a compilation of notes on 142 fungal taxa, including five new families, 20 new genera, and 100 new species, representing a wide taxonomic and geographic range. The new families, Ascocylindricaceae, Caryosporaceae and Wicklowiaceae (Ascomycota) are introduced based on their distinct lineages and unique morphology. The new Dothideomycete genera Pseudomassariosphaeria (Amniculicolaceae), Heracleicola, Neodidymella and P s e u d o m i c ros p h a e r i o p s i s ( D id y m e l l a c e a e ) , P s e u d o p i t h o m y c e s ( D i d y m o s p h a e r i a c e a e ) , Brunneoclavispora, Neolophiostoma and Sulcosporium (Halotthiaceae), Lophiohelichrysum (Lophiostomataceae), G a l l i i c o l a , Popul o c re s c e n t i a a nd Va g i c o l a (Phaeosphaeriaceae), Ascocylindrica (Ascocylindricaceae), E l o n g a t o p e d i c e l l a t a ( R o u s s o e l l a c e a e ) , Pseudoasteromassaria (Latoruaceae) and Pseudomonodictys (Macrodiplodiopsidaceae) are introduced. The newly described species of Dothideomycetes (Ascomycota) are Pseudomassariosphaeria bromicola (Amniculicolaceae), Flammeascoma lignicola (Anteagloniaceae), Ascocylindrica marina (Ascocylindricaceae) , Lembosia xyliae (Asterinaceae), Diplodia crataegicola and Diplodia galiicola ( B o t r yosphae r i a cea e ) , Caryospor a aquat i c a (Caryosporaceae), Heracleicola premilcurensis and Neodi dymell a thai landi cum (Didymellaceae) , Pseudopithomyces palmicola (Didymosphaeriaceae), Floricola viticola (Floricolaceae), Brunneoclavispora bambusae, Neolophiostoma pigmentatum and Sulcosporium thailandica (Halotthiaceae), Pseudoasteromassaria fagi (Latoruaceae), Keissleriella dactylidicola (Lentitheciaceae), Lophiohelichrysum helichrysi (Lophiostomataceae), Aquasubmersa japonica (Lophiotremataceae) , Pseudomonodictys tectonae (Macrodiplodiopsidaceae), Microthyrium buxicola and Tumidispora shoreae (Microthyriaceae), Alloleptosphaeria clematidis, Allophaeosphaer i a c y t i s i , Allophaeosphae r i a subcylindrospora, Dematiopleospora luzulae, Entodesmium artemisiae, Galiicola pseudophaeosphaeria, Loratospora(Basidiomycota) are introduced together with a new genus Neoantrodiella (Neoantrodiellaceae), here based on both morphology coupled with molecular data. In the class Agaricomycetes, Agaricus pseudolangei, Agaricus haematinus, Agaricus atrodiscus and Agaricus exilissimus (Agaricaceae) , Amanita m e l l e i a l b a , Amanita pseudosychnopyramis and Amanita subparvipantherina (Amanitaceae), Entoloma calabrum, Cora barbulata, Dictyonema gomezianum and Inocybe granulosa (Inocybaceae), Xerocomellus sarnarii (Boletaceae), Cantharellus eucalyptorum, Cantharellus nigrescens, Cantharellus tricolor and Cantharellus variabilicolor (Cantharellaceae), Cortinarius alboamarescens, Cortinarius brunneoalbus, Cortinarius ochroamarus, Cortinarius putorius and Cortinarius seidlii (Cortinariaceae), Hymenochaete micropora and Hymenochaete subporioides (Hymenochaetaceae), Xylodon ramicida (Schizoporaceae), Colospora andalasii (Polyporaceae), Russula guangxiensis and Russula hakkae (Russulaceae), Tremella dirinariae, Tremella graphidis and Tremella pyrenulae (Tremellaceae) are introduced. Four new combinations Neoantrodiella gypsea, Neoantrodiella thujae (Neoantrodiellaceae), Punctulariopsis cremeoalbida, Punctulariopsis efibulata (Punctulariaceae) are also introduced here for the division Basidiomycota. Furthermore Absidia caatinguensis, Absidia koreana and Gongronella koreana (Cunninghamellaceae), Mortierella pisiformis and Mortierella formosana (Mortierellaceae) are newly introduced in the Zygomycota, while Neocallimastix cameroonii and Piromyces irregularis (Neocallimastigaceae) ar e i n t roduced i n the Neocallimastigomycota. Reference specimens or changes in classification and notes are provided for Alternaria ethzedia, Cucurbitaria ephedricola, Austropleospora, Austropleospora archidendri, Byssosphaeria rhodomphala, Lophiostoma caulium, Pseudopithomyces maydicus, Massariosphaeria, Neomassariosphaeria and Pestalotiopsis montellica.
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| 6. |
- Kristan, Matej, et al.
(author)
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The Ninth Visual Object Tracking VOT2021 Challenge Results
- 2021
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In: 2021 IEEE/CVF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER VISION WORKSHOPS (ICCVW 2021). - : IEEE COMPUTER SOC. - 9781665401913 ; , s. 2711-2738
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Visual Object Tracking challenge VOT2021 is the ninth annual tracker benchmarking activity organized by the VOT initiative. Results of 71 trackers are presented; many are state-of-the-art trackers published at major computer vision conferences or in journals in recent years. The VOT2021 challenge was composed of four sub-challenges focusing on different tracking domains: (i) VOT-ST2021 challenge focused on short-term tracking in RGB, (ii) VOT-RT2021 challenge focused on "real-time" short-term tracking in RGB, (iii) VOT-LT2021 focused on long-term tracking, namely coping with target disappearance and reappearance and (iv) VOT-RGBD2021 challenge focused on long-term tracking in RGB and depth imagery. The VOT-ST2021 dataset was refreshed, while VOT-RGBD2021 introduces a training dataset and sequestered dataset for winner identification. The source code for most of the trackers, the datasets, the evaluation kit and the results along with the source code for most trackers are publicly available at the challenge website(1).
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| 7. |
- Chen, Min-Wei, et al.
(author)
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H3K9 histone methyltransferase G9a promotes lung cancer invasion and metastasis by silencing the cell adhesion molecule Ep-CAM
- 2010
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 70:20, s. 7830-7840
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- G9a is a mammalian histone methyltransferase that contributes to the epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes. Emerging evidence suggests that G9a is required to maintain the malignant phenotype, but the role of G9a function in mediating tumor metastasis has not been explored. Here, we show that G9a is expressed in aggressive lung cancer cells, and its elevated expression correlates with poor prognosis. RNAi-mediated knockdown of G9a in highly invasive lung cancer cells inhibited cell migration and invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Conversely, ectopic G9a expression in weakly invasive lung cancer cells increased motility and metastasis. Mechanistic investigations suggested that repression of the cell adhesion molecule Ep-CAM mediated the effects of G9a. First, RNAi-mediated knockdown of Ep-CAM partially relieved metastasis suppression imposed by G9a suppression. Second, an inverse correlation between G9a and Ep-CAM expression existed in primary lung cancer. Third, Ep-CAM repression was associated with promoter methylation and an enrichment for dimethylated histone H3K9. G9a knockdown reduced the levels of H3K9 dimethylation and decreased the recruitment of the transcriptional cofactors HP1, DNMT1, and HDAC1 to the Ep-CAM promoter. Our findings establish a functional contribution of G9a overexpression with concomitant dysregulation of epigenetic pathways in lung cancer progression.
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| 8. |
- Cheng, Ming, et al.
(author)
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A novel phenoxazine-based hole transport material for efficient perovskite solar cell
- 2015
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In: Journal of Energy Challenges and Mechanics. - : Elsevier. - 2056-9386. ; 24:6, s. 698-706
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Based on the previous research work in our laboratory, we have designed and synthesized a small-molecule, hole transport material (HTM) POZ6-2 using phenoxazine (POZ) as central unit and dicyanovinyl units as electron-withdrawing terminal groups. Through the introduction of a 2-ethyl-hexyl bulky chain into the POZ core unit, POZ6-2 exhibits good solubility in organic solvents. In addition, POZ6-2 possesses appropriate energy levels in combination with a high hole mobility and conductivity in its pristine form. Therefore, it can readily be used as a dopant-free HTM in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and a conversion efficiency of 10.3% was obtained. The conductivity of the POZ6-2 layer can be markedly enhanced via doping in combination with typical additives, such as 4-tert-butylpyridine (TBP) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI). Correspondingly, the efficiency of the PSCs was further improved to 12.3% using doping strategies. Under the same conditions, reference devices based on the well-known HTM Spiro-OMeTAD show an efficiency of 12.8%.
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| 9. |
- Cheng, Ming, et al.
(author)
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Acceptor Donor Acceptor type ionic molecule materials for efficient perovskite solar cells and organic solar cells
- 2016
-
In: Nano Energy. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-2855. ; 30, s. 387-397
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted significant interest and hole transporting materials (HTMs) play important roles in achieving high efficiency. Here, we report additive free ionic type HTMs that are based on 2-ethylhexyloxy substituted benzodithiophene (BDT) core unit. With the ionization of end-capping pyridine units, the hole mobility and conductivity of molecular materials are greatly improved. Applied in PSCs, ionic molecular material M7-TFSI exhibits the highest efficiency of 17.4% in the absence of additives [lithium bis(trifluor-omethanesulfonyl)imide and 4-tert-butylpyridine]. The high efficiency is attributed to a deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level, high hole mobility and high conductivity of M7-TFSI. Moreover, due to the higher hydrophobicity of M7-TFSI, the corresponding PSCs showed better stability than that of Spiro-OMeTAD based ones. In addition, the strong absorption and suitable energy levels of materials (M6, M7-13r and M7-TFSI) also qualify them as donor materials in organic solar cells (OSCs) and the devices containing M7-TFSI as donor material displayed an efficiency of 6.9%.
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| 10. |
- Cheng, Ming, et al.
(author)
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Highly Efficient Integrated Perovskite Solar Cells Containing a Small Molecule-PC70BM Bulk Heterojunction Layer with an Extended Photovoltaic Response Up to 900 nm
- 2016
-
In: Chemistry of Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0897-4756 .- 1520-5002. ; 28:23, s. 8631-8639
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We demonstrate a high efficiency perovskite solar cell (PSC) integrated with a bulk heterojunction layer, based on acceptor-donor-acceptor (A-D-A) type hole transport material (HTM) and PC70BM composite, yielding improved photoresponse. Two A-D-A-structured hole transporting materials termed M3 and M4 were designed and synthesized. Applied as HTMs in PSCs, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 14.8% and 12.3% were obtained with M3 and M4, respectively. The HTMs M3 and M4 show competitive absorption, but do not contribute to photocurrent, resulting in low current density. This issue was solved by mixing the HTMs with PC70BM to form a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) layer and integrating this layer into the PSC as hole transport layer (HTL). Through careful interface optimization, the (FAPbI(3))(0.85)(MAPbBr(3))(0.15)/HTM:PC70BM integrated devices showed improved efficiencies of 16.2% and 15.0%, respectively. More importantly, the incident-photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) spectrum shows that the photoresponse is extended to 900 nm by integrating the M4:PC70BM based BHJ and (FAPbI(3))(0.85)(MAPbBr(3))(0.15) layers.
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| 11. |
- Feitosa, Mary F., et al.
(author)
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Novel genetic associations for blood pressure identified via gene-alcohol interaction in up to 570K individuals across multiple ancestries
- 2018
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public library science. - 1932-6203. ; 13:6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Heavy alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for hypertension; the mechanism by which alcohol consumption impact blood pressure (BP) regulation remains unknown. We hypothesized that a genome-wide association study accounting for gene-alcohol consumption interaction for BP might identify additional BP loci and contribute to the understanding of alcohol-related BP regulation. We conducted a large two-stage investigation incorporating joint testing of main genetic effects and single nucleotide variant (SNV)-alcohol consumption interactions. In Stage 1, genome-wide discovery meta-analyses in approximate to 131 K individuals across several ancestry groups yielded 3,514 SNVs (245 loci) with suggestive evidence of association (P <1.0 x 10(-5)). In Stage 2, these SNVs were tested for independent external replication in individuals across multiple ancestries. We identified and replicated (at Bonferroni correction threshold) five novel BP loci (380 SNVs in 21 genes) and 49 previously reported BP loci (2,159 SNVs in 109 genes) in European ancestry, and in multi-ancestry meta-analyses (P < 5.0 x 10(-8)). For African ancestry samples, we detected 18 potentially novel BP loci (P< 5.0 x 10(-8)) in Stage 1 that warrant further replication. Additionally, correlated meta-analysis identified eight novel BP loci (11 genes). Several genes in these loci (e.g., PINX1, GATA4, BLK, FTO and GABBR2 have been previously reported to be associated with alcohol consumption. These findings provide insights into the role of alcohol consumption in the genetic architecture of hypertension.
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| 12. |
- Kanoni, Stavroula, et al.
(author)
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Implicating genes, pleiotropy, and sexual dimorphism at blood lipid loci through multi-ancestry meta-analysis.
- 2022
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In: Genome biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1474-760X .- 1465-6906 .- 1474-7596. ; 23:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic variants within nearly 1000 loci are known to contribute to modulation of blood lipid levels. However, the biological pathways underlying these associations are frequently unknown, limiting understanding of these findings and hindering downstream translational efforts such as drug target discovery.To expand our understanding of the underlying biological pathways and mechanisms controlling blood lipid levels, we leverage a large multi-ancestry meta-analysis (N=1,654,960) of blood lipids to prioritize putative causal genes for 2286 lipid associations using six gene prediction approaches. Using phenome-wide association (PheWAS) scans, we identify relationships of genetically predicted lipid levels to other diseases and conditions. We confirm known pleiotropic associations with cardiovascular phenotypes and determine novel associations, notably with cholelithiasis risk. We perform sex-stratified GWAS meta-analysis of lipid levels and show that 3-5% of autosomal lipid-associated loci demonstrate sex-biased effects. Finally, we report 21 novel lipid loci identified on the X chromosome. Many of the sex-biased autosomal and X chromosome lipid loci show pleiotropic associations with sex hormones, emphasizing the role of hormone regulation in lipid metabolism.Taken together, our findings provide insights into the biological mechanisms through which associated variants lead to altered lipid levels and potentially cardiovascular disease risk.
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| 13. |
- Lai, Kuei-Hung, et al.
(author)
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Antileukemic Scalarane Sesterterpenoids and Meroditerpenoid from Carteriospongia (Phyllospongia) sp., Induce Apoptosis via Dual Inhibitory Effects on Topoisomerase II and Hsp90
- 2016
-
In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 6
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Two new scalarane sesterterpenoids, 12 beta-(3'beta-hydroxybutanoyloxy)-20,24-dimethyl-24-oxo-scalara-16-en-25-al (1) and 12 beta-(3'beta-hydroxypentanoyloxy)-20,24-dimethyl-24-oxo-scalara-16-en-25-al (2), along with one known tetraprenyltoluquinol-related metabolite (3), were isolated from the sponge Carteriospongia sp. In leukemia Molt 4 cells, 1 at 0.0625 mu g/mL (125 nM) triggered mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) disruption and apoptosis showing more potent effect than 2 and 3. The isolates inhibited topoisomerase II alpha expression. The apoptotic-inducing effect of 3 was supported by the in vivo experiment through suppressing the volume of xenograft tumor growth (47.58%) compared with the control. Compound 1 apoptotic mechanism of action in Molt 4 cells was further elucidated through inducing ROS generation, calcium release and ER stress. Using the molecular docking analysis, 1 exhibited more binding affinity to N-terminal ATP-binding pocket of Hsp90 protein than 17-AAG, a standard Hsp90 inhibitor. The expression of Hsp90 client proteins, Akt, p70(S6k), NF kappa B, Raf-1, p-GSK3 beta, and XIAP, MDM 2 and Rb2, and CDK4 and Cyclin D3, HIF1 and HSF1 were suppressed by the use of 1. However, the expression of Hsp70, acetylated tubulin, and activated caspase 3 were induced after 1 treatment. Our results suggested that the proapoptotic effect of the isolates is mediated through the inhibition of Hsp90 and topoisomerase activities.
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| 14. |
- Schmit, Stephanie L, et al.
(author)
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Novel Common Genetic Susceptibility Loci for Colorectal Cancer.
- 2019
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In: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0027-8874 .- 1460-2105. ; 111:2, s. 146-157
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 42 loci (P < 5 × 10-8) associated with risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Expanded consortium efforts facilitating the discovery of additional susceptibility loci may capture unexplained familial risk.Methods: We conducted a GWAS in European descent CRC cases and control subjects using a discovery-replication design, followed by examination of novel findings in a multiethnic sample (cumulative n = 163 315). In the discovery stage (36 948 case subjects/30 864 control subjects), we identified genetic variants with a minor allele frequency of 1% or greater associated with risk of CRC using logistic regression followed by a fixed-effects inverse variance weighted meta-analysis. All novel independent variants reaching genome-wide statistical significance (two-sided P < 5 × 10-8) were tested for replication in separate European ancestry samples (12 952 case subjects/48 383 control subjects). Next, we examined the generalizability of discovered variants in East Asians, African Americans, and Hispanics (12 085 case subjects/22 083 control subjects). Finally, we examined the contributions of novel risk variants to familial relative risk and examined the prediction capabilities of a polygenic risk score. All statistical tests were two-sided.Results: The discovery GWAS identified 11 variants associated with CRC at P < 5 × 10-8, of which nine (at 4q22.2/5p15.33/5p13.1/6p21.31/6p12.1/10q11.23/12q24.21/16q24.1/20q13.13) independently replicated at a P value of less than .05. Multiethnic follow-up supported the generalizability of discovery findings. These results demonstrated a 14.7% increase in familial relative risk explained by common risk alleles from 10.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.9% to 13.7%; known variants) to 11.9% (95% CI = 9.2% to 15.5%; known and novel variants). A polygenic risk score identified 4.3% of the population at an odds ratio for developing CRC of at least 2.0.Conclusions: This study provides insight into the architecture of common genetic variation contributing to CRC etiology and improves risk prediction for individualized screening.
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| 15. |
- Sung, Yun Ju, et al.
(author)
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A multi-ancestry genome-wide study incorporating gene-smoking interactions identifies multiple new loci for pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure
- 2019
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In: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press. - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 28:15, s. 2615-2633
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Elevated blood pressure (BP), a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, is influenced by both genetic and lifestyle factors. Cigarette smoking is one such lifestyle factor. Across five ancestries, we performed a genome-wide gene–smoking interaction study of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) in 129 913 individuals in stage 1 and follow-up analysis in 480 178 additional individuals in stage 2. We report here 136 loci significantly associated with MAP and/or PP. Of these, 61 were previously published through main-effect analysis of BP traits, 37 were recently reported by us for systolic BP and/or diastolic BP through gene–smoking interaction analysis and 38 were newly identified (P < 5 × 10−8, false discovery rate < 0.05). We also identified nine new signals near known loci. Of the 136 loci, 8 showed significant interaction with smoking status. They include CSMD1 previously reported for insulin resistance and BP in the spontaneously hypertensive rats. Many of the 38 new loci show biologic plausibility for a role in BP regulation. SLC26A7 encodes a chloride/bicarbonate exchanger expressed in the renal outer medullary collecting duct. AVPR1A is widely expressed, including in vascular smooth muscle cells, kidney, myocardium and brain. FHAD1 is a long non-coding RNA overexpressed in heart failure. TMEM51 was associated with contractile function in cardiomyocytes. CASP9 plays a central role in cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Identified only in African ancestry were 30 novel loci. Our findings highlight the value of multi-ancestry investigations, particularly in studies of interaction with lifestyle factors, where genomic and lifestyle differences may contribute to novel findings.
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| 16. |
- Tong, Yang, et al.
(author)
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Progress of the key materials for organic solar cells
- 2020
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In: Science in China Series B. - Beijing, China : SCIENCE PRESS. - 1674-7291 .- 1869-1870. ; 63:6, s. 758-765
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organic solar cells have attracted academic and industrial interests due to the advantages like lightweight, flexibility and roll-to-roll fabrication. Nowadays, 18% power conversion efficiency has been achieved in the state-of-the-art organic solar cells. The recent rapid progress in organic solar cells relies on the continuously emerging new materials and device fabrication technologies, and the deep understanding on film morphology, molecular packing and device physics. Donor and acceptor materials are the key materials for organic solar cells since they determine the device performance. The past 25 years have witnessed an odyssey in developing high-performance donors and acceptors. In this review, we focus on those star materials and milestone work, and introduce the molecular structure evolution of key materials. These key materials include homopolymer donors, D-A copolymer donors, A-D-A small molecular donors, fullerene acceptors and nonfullerene acceptors. At last, we outlook the challenges and very important directions in key materials development.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Benedet, Patricia O., et al.
(author)
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CD248 promotes insulin resistance by binding to the insulin receptor and dampening its insulin-induced autophosphorylation
- 2024
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In: EBioMedicine. - : Elsevier. - 2352-3964. ; 99
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundIn spite of new treatments, the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its morbidities continue to rise. The key feature of T2D is resistance of adipose tissue and other organs to insulin. Approaches to overcome insulin resistance are limited due to a poor understanding of the mechanisms and inaccessibility of drugs to relevant intracellular targets. We previously showed in mice and humans that CD248, a pre/adipocyte cell surface glycoprotein, acts as an adipose tissue sensor that mediates the transition from healthy to unhealthy adipose, thus promoting insulin resistance.MethodsMolecular mechanisms by which CD248 regulates insulin signaling were explored using in vivo insulin clamp studies and biochemical analyses of cells/tissues from CD248 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice with diet-induced insulin resistance. Findings were validated with human adipose tissue specimens.FindingsGenetic deletion of CD248 in mice, overcame diet-induced insulin resistance with improvements in glucose uptake and lipolysis in white adipose tissue depots, effects paralleled by increased adipose/adipocyte GLUT4, phosphorylated AKT and GSK3β, and reduced ATGL. The insulin resistance of the WT mice could be attributed to direct interaction of the extracellular domains of CD248 and the insulin receptor (IR), with CD248 acting to block insulin binding to the IR. This resulted in dampened insulin-mediated autophosphorylation of the IR, with reduced downstream signaling/activation of intracellular events necessary for glucose and lipid homeostasis.InterpretationOur discovery of a cell-surface CD248-IR complex that is accessible to pharmacologic intervention, opens research avenues toward development of new agents to prevent/reverse insulin resistance.
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| 19. |
- Birney, Ewan, et al.
(author)
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Identification and analysis of functional elements in 1% of the human genome by the ENCODE pilot project
- 2007
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 447:7146, s. 799-816
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the generation and analysis of functional data from multiple, diverse experiments performed on a targeted 1% of the human genome as part of the pilot phase of the ENCODE Project. These data have been further integrated and augmented by a number of evolutionary and computational analyses. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge about human genome function in several major areas. First, our studies provide convincing evidence that the genome is pervasively transcribed, such that the majority of its bases can be found in primary transcripts, including non-protein-coding transcripts, and those that extensively overlap one another. Second, systematic examination of transcriptional regulation has yielded new understanding about transcription start sites, including their relationship to specific regulatory sequences and features of chromatin accessibility and histone modification. Third, a more sophisticated view of chromatin structure has emerged, including its inter-relationship with DNA replication and transcriptional regulation. Finally, integration of these new sources of information, in particular with respect to mammalian evolution based on inter- and intra-species sequence comparisons, has yielded new mechanistic and evolutionary insights concerning the functional landscape of the human genome. Together, these studies are defining a path for pursuit of a more comprehensive characterization of human genome function.
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| 20. |
- Bronk Ramsey, Christopher, et al.
(author)
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Development of the Intcal Database
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In: Radiocarbon. - 0033-8222.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The IntCal family of radiocarbon (14C) calibration curves is based on research spanning more than three decades. The IntCal group have collated the 14C and calendar age data (mostly derived from primary publications with other types of data and meta-data) and, since 2010, made them available for other sorts of analysis through an open-access database. This has ensured transparency in terms of the data used in the construction of the ratified calibration curves. As the IntCal database expands, work is underway to facilitate best practice for new data submissions, make more of the associated metadata available in a structured form, and help those wishing to process the data with programming languages such as R, Python, and MATLAB. The data and metadata are complex because of the range of different types of archives. A restructured interface, based on the "IntChron"open-access data model, includes tools which allow the data to be plotted and compared without the need for export. The intention is to include complementary information which can be used alongside the main 14C series to provide new insights into the global carbon cycle, as well as facilitating access to the data for other research applications. Overall, this work aims to streamline the generation of new calibration curves.
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| 21. |
- Chen, I-Hua, et al.
(author)
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Adapting the Motors of Influenza Vaccination Acceptance Scale into the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale : Psychometric evaluation among mainland Chinese university students
- 2021
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In: Vaccine. - : Elsevier. - 0264-410X .- 1873-2518. ; 39:32, s. 4510-4515
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: COVID-19 continues to ravage the world with economies and life significantly and negatively affected. Fortunately, there has been significant progress in the production of vaccines to stem the infection. However, with controversies and myths surrounding vaccinations, it is timely to examine individuals’ willingness to vaccinate. The present study adapted the Motors of Influenza Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-Flu Scale) into the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) for validation and assessed the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination utilizing the cognitive model of empowerment (CME).Methods: A total of 3145 university students (mean age = 20.80 years; SD = 2.09) were recruited for the present study between January 5 and 16, 2021. Two MoVac-COVID19S scales (9-item and 12-item) were adapted from the MoVac-Flu Scale, an instrument developed using CME. Psychometric tests were conducted to ascertain reliability and validity properties.Results: The findings indicated that the MoVac-COVID19S had high internal consistency in both the 9-item version (ω = 0.921) and 12-item version (ω = 0.898). The factor structure of the MoVac-COVID19S (9-item and 12-item versions) corresponded well with CME theory. All the fit indices were satisfactory (comparative fit index = 0.984, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.971, root mean square error of approximation = 0.088, standardized root mean square residual = 0.058) but the 9-item MoVac-COVID had better fit indices than the 12-item MoVac-COVID due to the negative wording effects existing in the 12-item MoVac-COVID19S. The scale had satisfactory known-group validity in both 9-item and 12-item versions.Conclusions: The MoVac-COVID19S has promising psychometric properties based on internal consistency, factor structure, and known-group validity.
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| 22. |
- Chen, I-Hua, et al.
(author)
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Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) : Evidence of Measurement Invariance Across Five Countries
- 2022
-
In: Risk Management and Healthcare Policy. - : DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD. - 1179-1594. ; 15, s. 435-445
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: The percentage of individuals who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 was 53% worldwide, 62% in Asia, and 11% in Africa at the time of writing (February 9, 2022). In addition to administrative issues, vaccine hesitancy is an important factor contributing to the relatively low rate of vaccination. The Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) was developed to assess COVID-19 vaccination acceptance levels. However, it has only been tested among Taiwanese, mainland Chinese, and Ghanaian populations (Chen et al, 2021; Fan et al, 2021; Yeh et al, 2021). Therefore, the present study examined the construct validity and measurement invariance of the MoVac-COVID19S among individuals from five countries (ie, Taiwan, mainland China, India, Ghana, and Afghanistan). Participants and Methods: A cross-sectional survey study recruited 6053 participants across five countries who completed the survey between January and March 2021. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) fit indices were used to examine factor structure and measurement invariance across the five countries. Results: The fit indices of the CFA were relatively good across the countries except for the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Moreover, the four-factor structure (either nine or 12 items) had a better fit than the one-factor structure. However, the four-factor model using nine MoVac-COVID19S items was the only model that had measurement invariance support for both factor loadings and item intercepts across the five countries. Conclusion: The present study confirmed that the MoVac-COVID19S has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to assess an individual's willingness to get COVID-19 vaccination.
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| 23. |
- Chen, I-Hua, et al.
(author)
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Psychometric properties of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) among different Chinese populations : A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis
- 2023
-
In: Acta Psychologica. - : Elsevier. - 0001-6918 .- 1873-6297. ; 240
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Given that there is limited evidence concerning the psychometric properties of DASS-21 when applied to primary school students, the present study undertook a comprehensive exploration of the psychometric evidence supporting the use of the DASS-21 within this demographic. The research comprised three studies. In Study 1, the basic psychometric properties of internal consistency and construct validity were examined. A total of 3138 primary school students from three provinces in mainland China participated. The internal reliability of the overall scale was 0.93, and for all the subscales, it was higher than 0.80. Construct validity was partially supported. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses upheld the factorial validity of the original three-factor structure. While convergent validity was established, the results showed unsatisfactory discriminant validity. The bifactor model showed that DASS-21 raw scores predominantly indicated the general factor, evidenced by the high explained common variance and omega-hierarchical values. However, the contributions from the three specific factors were minimal, with their omega hierarchical values all below 0.15. In Study 2, a longitudinal design was adopted, tracking 1366 primary school students from Southwest China over a three-month interval. The results further confirmed that the DASS-21 exhibited scalar time-invariance. The latent mean analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the latent means of depression, anxiety, and stress between Time 1 and Time 2. In Study 3, which included 364 college students and 483 enterprise workers, the results demonstrated that the DASS-21 had measurement invariance across different populations. The latent mean analysis further confirmed that, in terms of the latent mean of all three subscales, both college students and enterprise workers had significantly higher scores than primary school students. Overall, the findings indicated that the DASS-21 is a suitable tool for screening schoolchildren for general psychological distress, but it is not suitable for discerning distinct negative mood state disorders.
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| 24. |
- Chen, Lu, et al.
(author)
-
Fourteen complete mitochondrial genomes of butterflies from the genus Lethe (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) with mitogenome-based phylogenetic analysis
- 2020
-
In: Genomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0888-7543. ; 112:6, s. 4435-4441
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) can help us understand the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Lethe and the subfamily Satyrinae. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitogenomes of 14 Lethe species, which range in size from 15,225 to 15,271 bp, with both 37 genes (13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs) and a noncoding A + T-rich region. The gene arrangement and orientation is similar to typical mitogenomes of Lepidoptera. The Ka/Ks ratio shows that cox1 has the slowest evolutionary rate. The secondary structure of trnN lacks the Pseudouracil loop (TψC loop) in most Lethe species. The inferred phylogenetic analyses show that Lethe is a well-supported monophyletic group, and reveal 2 major clades within the genus Lethe, which is consistent with previous morphological classifications.
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| 25. |
- Cheng, Hua, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of Colloid Transport Experiments in a Quarried Block
- 2009
-
In: SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT XXXII. - 9781605110967 ; , s. 519-524
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Colloid tracer experiments were performed in a single, heterogeneous fracture contained in a quarried block (QB) under the configuration of dipole tracer tests. The experiments were first performed using bentonite and 100 nm latex colloids, as well as conservative tracer iodide and bromide, under conditions of different flow rates in order to identify the flow rates that favour colloid transport. The tracer experiments were later expanded to include experiments with different colloid sizes and longer transport distances. The aims of the present study are to identify the processes that affect colloid transport in the QB fracture and to estimate the retention parameters for the different sized colloids. We model the measured breakthrough curves (BTCs) using an advection-retention approach. The key feature of the advection-retention model is that advective transport and retention processes are related in a dynamic manner through the flow equation. Two Lagrangian random variables, tau and beta, that depend solely on flow conditions, control the retention processes. Here tau is the nonreactive travel time and beta is related to tau but also depends on the local aperture value. We assume the water residence time distribution g(tau) to be inverse-gaussian. The first two moments of g(tau) were obtained by calibrating the measured BTCs of conservative tracers. We then model the colloid BTCs using g(tau) and take into account the retention processes. The modelling results indicate that dominating retention processes include first-order linear kinetic attachment/detachment on the fracture surface, and mass loss (removal) by filtration/sedimentation. Diffusion into the rock matrix is of a much lesser importance.
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| 26. |
- Cheng, Hong, et al.
(author)
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Home environment exposure and sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms among adults in southern China : Health associations in 2010 and 2019
- 2024
-
In: Building and Environment. - : Elsevier. - 0360-1323 .- 1873-684X. ; 248
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We studied time trends in home environment and sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms in a repeat study in five cities in southern China. Moreover, we studied associations between home environment exposure and SBS symptoms. Parents from randomly selected day care centers were invited. One parent per family answered a questionnaire on the home environment and their own SBS symptoms. Data collection was performed in two surveys in 2010 and 2019 (27,292 participants in 2010 and 32,073 in 2019). We used two-level logistic regression to analyze health associations. Asthma decreased from 1.7% to 1.5% (P < 0.05) but allergic rhinitis increased from 6.5% to 16.4% (P < 0.001). All SBS symptoms decreased from 2010 to 2019 (all P < 0.001). Most aspects of the home environment improved from 2010 to 2019 but there were less cleaning, more cats, dogs, and urbanization in 2019. Redecoration, new furniture, and pests were associated with most types of SBS symptoms, similarly in 2010 and 2019. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) was associated with SBS symptoms in 2019 only. In conclusion, prevalence of SBS symptoms among young parents in southern China decreased from 2010 to 2019 but allergic rhinitis increased. Cockroaches, rats, mice, mosquitoes or flies can be consistent biological risk factors for SBS symptoms. Redecoration, buying new furniture and traffic air pollution are other risk factors for SBS symptoms. Daily cleaning, frequently putting bedding to sunshine, and having a fan in the bathroom can be protective factors. ETS is an emerging risk factor for SBS symptoms.
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| 27. |
- Cheng, Hua, 1962-
(author)
-
Hydrodynamic control of retention in heterogeneous aquifers and fractured rock
- 2005
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this thesis, fluid flow and solute transport in heterogeneous aquifers and particularly in frac-tured rock have been investigated using Lagrangian Stochastic Advective-Reaction (LaSAR) framework. The heterogeneity of the aquifer structure or fracture configuration, as well as the various reaction/retention processes have been considered in the modelling approach. Advection and retention processes are considered to be the dominant transport processes. Monte-Carlo simulation results for transport of nonreactive tracers in 2D generic heterogeneous aquifers indicate that the travel time τ can be well approximated by a lognormal distribution up to a relative high degree of heterogeneity of the aquifers. Comparison between the Monte-Carlo simulation results and the results of first-order approximation reveals that the analytical solutions of the statistical moments of τ are valid only when the variability of the aquifer properties is small. For reactive tracers, Monte-Carlo simulations have been conducted by accounting for spatial variability of both hydraulic conductivity and one sorption parameter simultaneously. The simulation results indicate that the reaction flow path μ is a nonlinear function of distance for shorter distance, linear function for longer distance, and also that μ and τ are well correlated over the considered parameter range. The parameter β, which is purely determined by the flow condi-tions, quantifies the hydrodynamic control of retention processes for transport of tracers in frac-tures. Numerical simulations have been performed to study the statistical properties of the pa-rameter β, travel time τ and flow rate Q in a single heterogeneous fracture and in a sequence of fractures. The results of Monte-Carlo simulations indicate that the parameter β and τ are corre-lated with a power-law relationship β ∼ τm. The correlation between β and the flow rate Q have also been studied and an inverse power-law relationship β ∼ Q-m is proposed. The establishment of these relationships provides a link between the parameter β and measurable parameters τ (or Q). The LaSAR approach has been applied for prediction, evaluation and interpretation of the results of a number of tracer tests (TRUE-1, TRUE Block Scale and TRUE Block Scale Continuation) conducted by SKB at the Äspö site for tracer transport in fractures. The breakthrough curves may be predicted reasonably well, provided that the retention parameters, boundary conditions and hydraulic properties of the domain are given. The evaluation of TRUE tests indicates that the retention occurs mainly in the rim zone on site characterization time scales, while on the per-formance assessment time scale, diffusion and sorption in the unaltered rock matrix are likely to become dominant retention mechanisms.
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| 28. |
- Cheng, Hua, et al.
(author)
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Hydrodynamic control of tracer retention in heterogeneous rock fractures
- 2003
-
In: Water resources research. - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 39:5, s. 1130-1139
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We investigate the statistical properties of a Lagrangian random variable beta[T/L], which has been shown to quantify hydrodynamic impact on retention [Cvetkovic et al., 1999], using Monte Carlo simulations of flow and transport in a single fracture. The "local cubic law'' of water flow is generalized to a power law Qsimilar tob(n), where Q is the flow rate, b is the half aperture, and nless than or equal to3. Simulations of flow and particle transport are carried out assuming "local cubic law'' (n=3) and "local quadratic law'' (n=2), and for two typical flow configurations: uniform flow and radially converging flow. We find that beta is related to tau as betasimilar totau(m), where m is dependent on the power n and the configuration of flow and transport. Simulation results for uniform flow indicate that betasimilar totau(n/n-1) for a small source section; as the source section increases, we have the convergence to betasimilar totau. For radially converging flow, we find betasimilar totau for a small source section and a convergence to beta=const for an increasing source section. Simulation results for both flow configurations are consistent with the results for a homogeneous fracture. The results for a homogeneous fracture provide reasonable bounds for simulated beta. The correlation between beta and Q is relatively weak for all cases studied.
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| 29. |
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| 30. |
- Cheng, Hua, et al.
(author)
-
Impact of temperature increase on nuclide transport in crystalline rock on the near field scale
- 2004. - 2
-
In: Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes in Geo-Systems. - : Elsevier. ; , s. 413-418
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The TRUE (“Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments”) programme at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (Winberg et al., 2000, 2002) has since 1995 generated a unique database for quantifying retention of radionuclides in crystalline rock on the 5-30m scales. Temperature conditions in the TRUE analysis were about 15°C. In this study, we consider the effect of temperature increase to ca 60°C consistent with conditions after say 1000 years in the rock volume surrounding a KBS-3 type of repository, anticipated to persist over a relatively long time. Temperature elevation will decrease the mean aperture of a conducting fracture by approximately 30%, which in turn will enhance retention. Furthermore, diffusion in the rock matrix will increase at elevated temperatures by approximately factor 4, further enhancing retention. Sorption coefficients are assumed to be unchanged since there is still considerable uncertainty regarding sorption and its change with increasing temperature. We show that elevated temperature on the near field scale enhances nuclide retention, thereby providing an additional safety margin.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Cheng, Shi-Ping, et al.
(author)
-
Haplotype-resolved genome assembly and allele-specific gene expression in cultivated ginger
- 2021
-
In: Horticulture Research. - : Springer Nature. - 2052-7276. ; 8:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the most valued spice plants worldwide; it is prized for its culinary and folk medicinal applications and is therefore of high economic and cultural importance. Here, we present a haplotype-resolved, chromosome-scale assembly for diploid ginger anchored to 11 pseudochromosome pairs with a total length of 3.1 Gb. Remarkable structural variation was identified between haplotypes, and two inversions larger than 15 Mb on chromosome 4 may be associated with ginger infertility. We performed a comprehensive, spatiotemporal, genome-wide analysis of allelic expression patterns, revealing that most alleles are coordinately expressed. The alleles that exhibited the largest differences in expression showed closer proximity to transposable elements, greater coding sequence divergence, more relaxed selection pressure, and more transcription factor binding site differences. We also predicted the transcription factors potentially regulating 6-gingerol biosynthesis. Our allele-aware assembly provides a powerful platform for future functional genomics, molecular breeding, and genome editing in ginger.
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Cheng, Xiao, et al.
(author)
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Vibrationally-Resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectra of Six Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from First-Principles Simulations
- 2022
-
In: Journal of Physical Chemistry A. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1089-5639 .- 1520-5215. ; 126:33, s. 5582-5593
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vibrationally resolved C 1s X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of a series of six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; phenanthrene, coronene, naphthalene, anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene) were computed by combining the full core hole density functional theory and the Franck–Condon simulations with the inclusion of the Duschinsky rotation effect. Simulated spectra of phenanthrene, coronene, and naphthalene agree well with experiments both in core binding energies (BEs) and profiles, which validate the accuracy of our predictions for the rest molecules with no high-resolution experiments. We found that three types of carbons i (inner C), p (peripheral C bonded to three C atoms), and h (peripheral C bonded to an H atom) show decreasing BEs. In linear PAHs (the latter four), h-type carbons further split into h1 or h2 (on inner or edge benzene ring) subtypes with chemical shifts of ca. 0.2–0.4 eV. All major Franck–Condon-active modes are characterized to be in-plane vibrations: low-frequency (<800 cm–1) C–C ring deformation modes play an essential role in determining the peak asymmetries; and for each h-type carbon a high-frequency (ca. 3600 cm–1) C*–H stretching mode is responsible for the high-energy tail. We found that core ionization leads to reduction of all C*–C and C*–H bond lengths and ring deformation with a definite direction. Based on theoretical spectra of four linear PAHs, we found asymptotic relations and anticipated possible spectral features for even larger linear PAHs. Our calculations provide accurate reference spectra for XPS characterizations of PAHs, which are useful in understanding the vibronic coupling effects in this family.
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| 37. |
- Cvetkovic, Vladimir, et al.
(author)
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Analysis of nonlinear effects on tracer migration in heterogeneous aquifers using Lagrangian travel time approach
- 1996
-
In: Water resources research. - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 32:6, s. 1671-1680
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Advective transport in a heterogeneous two-dimensional aquifer is simulated and quantified by the statistical moments of tracer travel time and transverse displacement. These moments depend on the statistics of the Lagrangian velocity given as a function of space rather than time. A comparison is made with first-order results that appear to be robust for log transmissivity variance at least up to 1. Lagrangian statistics for travel time clearly expose a few essential features of nonlinear transport: nonstationary distribution and the increasing integral scale of the Lagrangian velocity. These reflect the tendency of streamlines to concentrate into relatively few flow paths ('preferential flow') for increasing log transmissivity variance. Two simple empirical relationships are identified that in combination with first-order results for the flow capture the main features of nonlinear transport. The proposed methodology can readily be generalized for analyzing advective transport under more complex flow conditions and for establishing relatively simple analytical models for estimating solute mass flux in heterogeneous aquifers.
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
- Cvetkovic, Vladimir, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of single-well injection-withdrawal tests in Swedish crystalline rock using the Lagrangian travel time approach
- 2011
-
In: Water resources research. - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 47, s. W02527-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A series of 10 single-well injection-withdrawal (SWIW) tests are evaluated with two tracers each: uranine and cesium (Cs). An evaluation tool for SWIW tests in crystalline rock is presented on the basis of the Lagrangian travel time approach, whereby probabilities of tracer particle residence times are computed for key stages of the test cycle. Calibration results for three transport parameters and each breakthrough curve are presented. We show that estimates of the controlling retention parameter group psi [1/root T] are robust for Cs but highly uncertain for uranine. The estimated retention for Cs is larger for the Laxemar-Simpevarp site compared to the Forsmark site. Deviations from the -3/2 asymptotic breakthrough curve slope observed in a few of the tests at Forsmark are possibly due to a thin fracture coating that has been identified in mineralogical studies at some locations of the site.
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| 40. |
- Cvetkovic, Vladimir, et al.
(author)
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Sorbing tracer experiments in a crystalline rock fracture at Aspo (Sweden) : 2. Transport model and effective parameter estimation
- 2007
-
In: Water resources research. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 43:11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- [1] Transport and retention of sorbing tracers in a single, altered crystalline rock fracture on a 5 m scale is investigated. We evaluate the results of a comprehensive field study ( referred to as Tracer Retention Understanding Experiments, first phase ( TRUE- 1)), at a 400 m depth of the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory ( Sweden). A total of 16 breakthrough curves are analyzed, from three test configurations using six radioactive tracers with a broad range of sorption properties. A transport- retention model is proposed, and its applicability is assessed based on available data. We find that the conventional model with an asymptotic power law slope of - 3/ 2 ( one- dimensional diffusion into an unlimited rock matrix) is a reasonable approximation for the conditions of the TRUE- 1 tests. Retention in the altered rock of the rim zone appears to be significantly stronger than implied by retention properties inferred from generic ( unaltered) rock samples. The effective physical parameters which control retention ( matrix porosity and retention aperture) are comparable for all three test configurations. The most plausible in situ ( rim zone) porosity is in the range 1% - 2%, which constrains the effective retention aperture to the range 0.2 - 0.7 mm. For all sorbing tracers the estimated in situ sorption coefficient appears to be larger by at least a factor of 10, compared to the value inferred from through- diffusion tests using unaltered rock samples.
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| 41. |
- Cvetkovic, Vladimir, et al.
(author)
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Sorbing tracer experiments in a crystalline rock fracture at Aspo (Sweden) : 3. Effect of microscale heterogeneity
- 2008
-
In: Water resources research. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 44:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study the impact of microscale (10(-3) -10(-2) m) heterogeneity in material and structural properties on sorbing tracer transport in a single crystalline fracture of the TRUE-1 tests (mesoscale, 5 m) at Aspo (Sweden). The analysis is based on the microscale characterization results as presented in part 1 of this series. Our main objective in this last part of the series is to provide an independent interpretation (or "prediction'') of the effective parameters as estimated from calibration in part 2 by combining the data presented in part 1 with analytical and numerical transport modeling. We show here that the independent information from microscopic characterization can be used for "predicting'' the effective diffusion time t(d) reasonably well; a discrepancy is to be expected given the uncertainties of microscale retention properties, in particular of the sorption coefficient.
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| 42. |
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| 43. |
- de Vries, Paul S., et al.
(author)
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Multiancestry Genome-Wide Association Study of Lipid Levels Incorporating Gene-Alcohol Interactions
- 2019
-
In: American Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press. - 0002-9262 .- 1476-6256. ; 188:6, s. 1033-1054
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A person's lipid profile is influenced by genetic variants and alcohol consumption, but the contribution of interactions between these exposures has not been studied. We therefore incorporated gene-alcohol interactions into a multiancestry genome-wide association study of levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. We included 45 studies in stage 1 (genome-wide discovery) and 66 studies in stage 2 (focused follow-up), for a total of 394,584 individuals from 5 ancestry groups. Analyses covered the period July 2014-November 2017. Genetic main effects and interaction effects were jointly assessed by means of a 2-degrees-of-freedom (df) test, and a 1-df test was used to assess the interaction effects alone. Variants at 495 loci were at least suggestively associated (P < 1 x 10(-6)) with lipid levels in stage 1 and were evaluated in stage 2, followed by combined analyses of stage 1 and stage 2. In the combined analysis of stages 1 and 2, a total of 147 independent loci were associated with lipid levels at P < 5 x 10(-8) using 2-df tests, of which 18 were novel. No genome-wide-significant associations were found testing the interaction effect alone. The novel loci included several genes (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 5 (PCSK5), vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB), and apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide 1 (APOBEC1) complementation factor (A1CF)) that have a putative role in lipid metabolism on the basis of existing evidence from cellular and experimental models.
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| 44. |
- Ding, Bao-Jian, et al.
(author)
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Terminal fatty-acyl-CoA desaturase involved in sex pheromone biosynthesis in the Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata)
- 2011
-
In: Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-0240 .- 0965-1748. ; 41, s. 715-722
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata L., Lepidoptera: Geometridae) utilizes a single hydrocarbon, 1,Z3,Z6,Z9-nonadecatetraene, as its sex pheromone. We tested the hypothesis that a fatty acid precursor, Z11,Z14,Z17,19-nonadecanoic acid, is biosynthesized from α-linolenic acid, through chain elongation by one 2-carbon unit, and subsequent methyl-terminus desaturation. Our results show that labeled α-linolenic acid is indeed incorporated into the pheromone component in vivo. A fatty-acyl-CoA desaturase gene that we found to be expressed in the abdominal epidermal tissue, the presumed site of biosynthesis for type II pheromones, was characterized and expressed heterologously in a yeast system. The transgenic yeast expressing this insect derived gene could convert Z11,Z14,Z17-eicosatrienoic acid into Z11,Z14,Z17,19-eicosatetraenoic acid. These results provide evidence that a terminal desaturation step is involved in the winter moth pheromone biosynthesis, prior to the decarboxylation.
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| 45. |
- Elsayed, Mohamed Hammad, et al.
(author)
-
Visible-light-driven hydrogen evolution using nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dot-implanted polymer dots as metal-free photocatalysts
- 2021
-
In: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental. - : Elsevier BV. - 0926-3373. ; 283
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Given the photocatalytic properties of semiconducting polymers and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), we report a new structure for a metal-free photocatalytic system with a promising efficiency for hydrogen production through the combination of an organic semiconducting polymer (PFTBTA) and N-doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) covered by PS-PEGCOOH to produce heterostructured photocatalysts in the form of polymer dots (Pdots). This design could provide strong interactions between the two materials owing to the space confinement effect in nanometer-sized Pdots. Small particle size NCQDs are easy to insert inside the Pdot, which leads to an increase in the stability of the Pdot structure and enhances the hydrogen evolution rate by approximately 5-fold over that of pure PFTBTA Pdots. The photophysics and the mechanism behind the catalytic activity of our design are investigated by transient absorption measurement, demonstrating the role of NCQDs to enhance the charge separation and the photocatalytic efficiency of the PFTBTA Pdot.
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| 46. |
- Fan, Chia-Wei, et al.
(author)
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Extended theory of planned behavior in explaining the intention to COVID-19 vaccination uptake among mainland Chinese university students : an online survey study
- 2021
-
In: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2164-5515 .- 2164-554X. ; 17:10, s. 3413-3420
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is one of the most robust models in explaining health-related behavior. In this study, we tested the extended TPB to predict university students’ intentions to uptake COVID-19 vaccination.Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was developed to investigate students’ intention to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine based on the components of the TPB (i.e., attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) and extended components (i.e., knowledge about COVID-19, risk perception of COVID-19, and past influenza vaccination behavior). Non-probability sampling was used to collect data from 3145 students from 43 universities in mainland China in January 2021. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the proposed model. Enrolled students were relatively young (mean age = 20.80 years; SD = 2.09), half of them are female (50.2%), and most of them were studying in undergraduate programs (n = 3026; 96.2%).Results: The results showed that students’ knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine and risk perception of COVID-19 positively influenced their attitude toward the uptake of a COVID-19 vaccine. Also, students’ attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination uptake and their past influenza vaccination uptake behaviors were positively associated with the intention to uptake COVID-19 vaccination. Subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were not significant predictors for the intention to uptake COVID-19 vaccination (R2 = 0.49).Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that the extended TPB appears to be an efficient model with the focus on attitude, knowledge, risk perception, and past influenza vaccination uptake behaviors in explaining students’ intention for COVID-19 vaccination.
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| 47. |
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| 48. |
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| 49. |
- Horng, Ray-Hua, et al.
(author)
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Growth and Characterization of Sputtered InAlN Nanorods on Sapphire Substrates for Acetone Gas Sensing
- 2024
-
In: Nanomaterials. - : MDPI. - 2079-4991. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The demand for highly sensitive and selective gas sensors has been steadily increasing, driven by applications in various fields such as environmental monitoring, healthcare, and industrial safety. In this context, ternary alloy indium aluminum nitride (InAlN) semiconductors have emerged as a promising material for gas sensing due to their unique properties and tunable material characteristics. This work focuses on the fabrication and characterization of InAlN nanorods grown on sapphire substrates using an ultra-high vacuum magnetron sputter epitaxy with precise control over indium composition and explores their potential for acetone-gas-sensing applications. Various characterization techniques, including XRD, SEM, and TEM, demonstrate the structural and morphological insights of InAlN nanorods, making them suitable for gas-sensing applications. To evaluate the gas-sensing performance of the InAlN nanorods, acetone was chosen as a target analyte due to its relevance in medical diagnostics and industrial processes. The results reveal that the InAlN nanorods exhibit a remarkable sensor response of 2.33% at 600 ppm acetone gas concentration at an operating temperature of 350 degrees C, with a rapid response time of 18 s. Their high sensor response and rapid response make InAlN a viable candidate for use in medical diagnostics, industrial safety, and environmental monitoring.
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- Horng, Ray-Hua, et al.
(author)
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Structure Effect on the Response of ZnGa2O4 Gas Sensor for Nitric Oxide Applications
- 2022
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In: Nanomaterials. - : MDPI. - 2079-4991. ; 12:21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We fabricated a gas sensor with a wide-bandgap ZnGa2O4 (ZGO) epilayer grown on a sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The ZGO presented (111), (222) and (333) phases demonstrated by an X-ray diffraction system. The related material characteristics were also measured by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This ZGO gas sensor was used to detect nitric oxide (NO) in the parts-per-billion range. In this study, the structure effect on the response of the NO gas sensor was studied by altering the sensor dimensions. Two approaches were adopted to prove the dimension effect on the sensing mechanism. In the first approach, the sensing area of the sensors was kept constant while both channel length (L) and width (W) were varied with designed dimensions (L x W) of 60 x 200, 80 x 150, and 120 x100 mu m(2). In the second, the dimensions of the sensing area were altered (60, 40, and 20 mu m) with W kept constant. The performance of the sensors was studied with varying gas concentrations in the range of 500 ppb similar to 10 ppm. The sensor with dimensions of 20 x 200 mu m(2) exhibited a high response of 11.647 in 10 ppm, and 1.05 in 10 ppb for NO gas. The sensor with a longer width and shorter channel length exhibited the best response. The sensing mechanism was provided to explain the above phenomena. Furthermore, the reaction between NO and the sensor surface was simulated by O exposure of the ZGO surface in air and calculated by first principles.
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