1. |
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2. |
- 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
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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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3. |
- Ramdas, S., et al.
(author)
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A multi-layer functional genomic analysis to understand noncoding genetic variation in lipids
- 2022
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In: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297 .- 1537-6605. ; 109:8, s. 1366-1387
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A major challenge of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) is to translate phenotypic associations into biological insights. Here, we integrate a large GWAS on blood lipids involving 1.6 million individuals from five ancestries with a wide array of functional genomic datasets to discover regulatory mechanisms underlying lipid associations. We first prioritize lipid-associated genes with expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) colocalizations and then add chromatin interaction data to narrow the search for functional genes. Polygenic enrichment analysis across 697 annotations from a host of tissues and cell types confirms the central role of the liver in lipid levels and highlights the selective enrichment of adipose-specific chromatin marks in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Overlapping transcription factor (TF) binding sites with lipid-associated loci identifies TFs relevant in lipid biology. In addition, we present an integrative framework to prioritize causal variants at GWAS loci, producing a comprehensive list of candidate causal genes and variants with multiple layers of functional evidence. We highlight two of the prioritized genes, CREBRF and RRBP1, which show convergent evidence across functional datasets supporting their roles in lipid biology.
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4. |
- Zhang, Lingling, et al.
(author)
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Integrative analysis of γδT cells and dietary factors reveals predictive values for autism spectrum disorder in children
- 2023
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In: Brain, behavior, and immunity. - 0889-1591 .- 1090-2139. ; 111, s. 76-89
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a range of multifactorial neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized by a variable set of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Immunological abnormalities have been considered to play important roles in the pathogenesis of ASD, but it is still unknown which abnormalities are more prominent. Methods: A total of 105 children with ASD and 105 age and gender-matched typically developing (TD) children were recruited. An eating and mealtime behavior questionnaire, dietary habits, and the Bristol Stool Scale were investigated. The immune cell profiles in peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry, and cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, and TNF-α) in plasma were examined by Luminex assay. The obtained results were further validated using an external validation cohort including 82 children with ASD and 51 TD children. Results: Compared to TD children, children with ASD had significant eating and mealtime behavioral changes and gastrointestinal symptoms characterized by increased food fussiness and emotional eating, decreased fruit and vegetable consumption, and increased stool astriction. The proportion of γδT cells was significantly higher in children with ASD than TD children (β: 0.156; 95% CI: 0.888 ∼ 2.135, p < 0.001) even after adjusting for gender, eating and mealtime behaviors, and dietary habits. In addition, the increased γδT cells were evident in all age groups (age < 48 months: β: 0.288; 95% CI: 0.420 ∼ 4.899, p = 0.020; age ≥ 48 months: β: 0.458; 95% CI: 0.694 ∼ 9.352, p = 0.024), as well as in boys (β: 0.174; 95% CI: 0.834 ∼ 2.625, p < 0.001) but not in girls. These findings were also confirmed by an external validation cohort. Furthermore, IL-17, but not IFN-γ, secretion by the circulating γδT cells was increased in ASD children. Machine learning revealed that the area under the curve in nomogram plots for increased γδT cells combined with eating behavior/dietary factors was 0.905, which held true in both boys and girls and in all the age groups of ASD children. The decision curves showed that children can receive significantly higher diagnostic benefit within the threshold probability range from 0 to 1.0 in the nomogram model. Conclusions: Children with ASD present with divergent eating and mealtime behaviors and dietary habits as well as gastrointestinal symptoms. In peripheral blood, γδT cells but not αβT cells are associated with ASD. The increased γδT cells combined with eating and mealtime behavior/dietary factors have a high value for assisting in the diagnosis of ASD.
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5. |
- Abgrall, N., et al.
(author)
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The large enriched germanium experiment for neutrinoless double beta decay (LEGEND)
- 2017
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In: AIP Conference Proceedings. - : Author(s). - 1551-7616 .- 0094-243X. ; 1894
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) would show that lepton number is violated, reveal that neu-trinos are Majorana particles, and provide information on neutrino mass. A discovery-capable experiment covering the inverted ordering region, with effective Majorana neutrino masses of 15 - 50 meV, will require a tonne-scale experiment with excellent energy resolution and extremely low backgrounds, at the level of ∼0.1 count /(FWHM·t·yr) in the region of the signal. The current generation 76Ge experiments GERDA and the Majorana Demonstrator, utilizing high purity Germanium detectors with an intrinsic energy resolution of 0.12%, have achieved the lowest backgrounds by over an order of magnitude in the 0νββ signal region of all 0νββ experiments. Building on this success, the LEGEND collaboration has been formed to pursue a tonne-scale 76Ge experiment. The collaboration aims to develop a phased 0νββ experimental program with discovery potential at a half-life approaching or at 1028 years, using existing resources as appropriate to expedite physics results.
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6. |
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7. |
- Wang, Yangong, et al.
(author)
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Exome sequencing reveals genetic heterogeneity and clinically actionable findings in children with cerebral palsy
- 2024
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In: NATURE MEDICINE. - 1078-8956 .- 1546-170X. ; 30, s. 1395-1405
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in children. To ascertain the role of major genetic variants in the etiology of CP, we conducted exome sequencing on a large-scale cohort with clinical manifestations of CP. The study cohort comprised 505 girls and 1,073 boys. Utilizing the current gold standard in genetic diagnostics, 387 of these 1,578 children (24.5%) received genetic diagnoses. We identified 412 pathogenic and likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants across 219 genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, and 59 P/LP copy number variants. The genetic diagnostic rate of children with CP labeled at birth with perinatal asphyxia was higher than the rate in children without asphyxia (P = 0.0033). Also, 33 children with CP manifestations (8.5%, 33 of 387) had findings that were clinically actionable. These results highlight the need for early genetic testing in children with CP, especially those with risk factors like perinatal asphyxia, to enable evidence-based medical decision-making. Using exome sequencing data from one of the largest cohorts of children with cerebral palsy, the genetic diagnostic rates of single-nucleotide and copy number variants were assessed and a sizeable fraction found to be clinically actionable.
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8. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(author)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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In: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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9. |
- Lu, Yingchang, et al.
(author)
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New loci for body fat percentage reveal link between adiposity and cardiometabolic disease risk
- 2016
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of adiposity and its links to cardiometabolic disease risk, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of body fat percentage (BF%) in up to 100,716 individuals. Twelve loci reached genome-wide significance (P<5 × 10(-8)), of which eight were previously associated with increased overall adiposity (BMI, BF%) and four (in or near COBLL1/GRB14, IGF2BP1, PLA2G6, CRTC1) were novel associations with BF%. Seven loci showed a larger effect on BF% than on BMI, suggestive of a primary association with adiposity, while five loci showed larger effects on BMI than on BF%, suggesting association with both fat and lean mass. In particular, the loci more strongly associated with BF% showed distinct cross-phenotype association signatures with a range of cardiometabolic traits revealing new insights in the link between adiposity and disease risk.
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10. |
- Estrada, Karol, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 56 bone mineral density loci and reveals 14 loci associated with risk of fracture.
- 2012
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In: Nature genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1546-1718 .- 1061-4036. ; 44:5, s. 491-501
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bone mineral density (BMD) is the most widely used predictor of fracture risk. We performed the largest meta-analysis to date on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD, including 17 genome-wide association studies and 32,961 individuals of European and east Asian ancestry. We tested the top BMD-associated markers for replication in 50,933 independent subjects and for association with risk of low-trauma fracture in 31,016 individuals with a history of fracture (cases) and 102,444 controls. We identified 56 loci (32 new) associated with BMD at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10(-8)). Several of these factors cluster within the RANK-RANKL-OPG, mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, endochondral ossification and Wnt signaling pathways. However, we also discovered loci that were localized to genes not known to have a role in bone biology. Fourteen BMD-associated loci were also associated with fracture risk (P < 5 × 10(-4), Bonferroni corrected), of which six reached P < 5 × 10(-8), including at 18p11.21 (FAM210A), 7q21.3 (SLC25A13), 11q13.2 (LRP5), 4q22.1 (MEPE), 2p16.2 (SPTBN1) and 10q21.1 (DKK1). These findings shed light on the genetic architecture and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying BMD variation and fracture susceptibility.
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11. |
- Fahlquist, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Human animal machine interaction : Animal behavior awareness and digital experience
- 2010
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In: Proceedings of ACM Multimedia 2010 - Brave New Ideas, 25-29 October 2010, Firenze, Italy.. - New York, NY, USA : ACM. - 9781605589336 ; , s. 1269-1274
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper proposes an intuitive wireless sensor/actuator based communication network for human animal interaction for a digital zoo. In order to enhance effective observation and control over wild life, we have built a wireless sensor network. 25 video transmitting nodes are installed for animal behavior observation and experimental vibrotactile collars have been designed for effective control in an animal park. The goal of our research is two-folded. Firstly, to provide an interaction between digital users and animals, and monitor the animal behavior for safety purposes. Secondly, we investigate how animals can be controlled or trained based on vibrotactile stimuli instead of electric stimuli. We have designed a multimedia sensor network for human animal machine interaction. We have evaluated the effect of human animal machine state communication model in field experiments.
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12. |
- Li, Fei, et al.
(author)
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A quantum search based signal detection for MIMO-OFDM systems
- 2011
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In: 18th International Conference on Telecommunications, ICT 2011. - : IEEE. - 9781457700248 - 9781457700255 ; , s. 276-281
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Multiple input multiple output-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) is considered as candidates for future broadband wireless services. In this paper a novel signal detection scheme based on Grover's quantum search algorithm is proposed for MIMO-OFDM systems. Grover's quantum search algorithm is based on the concept and principles of quantum computing, such as quantum bit, quantum register and quantum parallelism. An analysis is given to the theoretical basis of Grover's algorithm and the performance of Grover's algorithm is evaluated. A novel signal detector based on Grover's algorithm (GD) for MIMO-OFDM system is proposed. The simulation results show that the proposed detector has more powerful properties in bit error rate than MMSE detector and VBLAST-MMSE detector. The performance of the proposed GD detector is close to optimal when the failure probability is 0.001. When the failure probability is 0.00001, the performance of GD detector declines. In this case, our proposed improved Grover's algorithm based detector is still close to the optimal ML detector. The complexity of GD and IGD is O(√N). It's much better than classical ML detector which complexity is O(N).
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13. |
- Li, Liu, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Vibrotactile chair : A social interface for blind
- 2006
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In: Proceedings SSBA 2006. - Umeå : Umeå universitet. Institutionen för datavetenskap. ; , s. 117-120
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this paper we present our vibrotactile chair, a social interface for the blind. With this chair the blind can get on-line emotion information from the person he / she is heading to. This greatly enhances communication ability and improve the quality of social life of the blind. In the paper we are discussing technical challenges and design principles behind the chair, and introduce the experimental platform: tactile facial expression appearance recognition system (TEARS)TM".
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14. |
- Lu, Guanming, et al.
(author)
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Recognition method for neonatal pain expression based on LBP feature and sparse representation
- 2015
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In: Journal of Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications. - : Journal of Nanjing Institute of Posts and Telecommunications. - 1673-5439. ; 35:1, s. 19-25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Facial expressions are considered as a reliable indicator in neonatal pain assessment. This paper proposes a novel recognition method for neonatal pain expression. The method can utilize the feature descriptors based on the weighted local binary pattern (LBP) and the classifier based on sparse representation. Firstly, the normalized facial image is described using a feature vector, which is histogram sequence obtained by concatenating the weighted histograms of the LBP feature maps of all the local blocks. Then, the principalc component analysis (PCA) method is used to reduce the dimensions of the feature vector of training and test samples. Finally, the over-complete dictionary is built and the classifier based on sparse representation is used to classify test samples into four classes of facial expressions: calm, crying, mild pain, and severe pain. The objective of this study is to assist the clinicians in assessing neonatal pain by utilizing computer-based image analysis techniques. Experimental results on neonate facial image database show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The classification accuracy rate reaches 84.50%.
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15. |
- ur Réhman, Shafiq, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Facial expression appearance for tactile perception of emotions
- 2007
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In: Proceedings of Swedish symposium on image analysis, 2007. ; , s. 157-160
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To enhance the daily life experience for visually challengedpersons, the Facial Expression Appearance for Tactile systemis proposed. The manifold of facial expressions is used fortactile perception. Locally Linear Embedding (LLE) codingalgorithm is implemented for tactile display. LLE algorithmis extended to handle the real time video coding. The vibrotactilechair as a social interface for the blind is used to displaythe facial expression. The chair provides the visuallyimpaired with on-line emotion information about the personhe/she is approaching. The preliminary results are encouragingand show that it greatly enhances communication abilityof the visually impaired person.
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16. |
- ur Réhman, Shafiq, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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How to use manual labelers in evaluation of lip analysis systems?
- 2009
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In: Visual speech recognition. - USA : IGI Global. - 9781605661865 ; , s. 239-259
-
Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The purpose of this chapter is not to describe any lip analysis algorithms but rather to discuss some of the issues involved in evaluating and calibrating labeled lip features from human operators. In the chapter we question the common practice in the field: using manual lip labels directly as the ground truth for the evaluation of lip analysis algorithms. Our empirical results using an Expectation-Maximization procedure show that subjective noise in manual labelers can be quite significant in terms of quantifying both human and algorithm extraction performance. To train and evaluate a lip analysis system one can measure the performance of human operators and infer the “ground truth” from the manual labelers, simultaneously.
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17. |
- ur Réhman, Shafiq, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Lip segmentation : performance evaluation criteria
- 2006
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this work, we determined the measure to compare and evaluate the performance of lip detection techniques.Despite of a number of methods used for lip-detecction/localization, a reliable method for comparing and determining the quality of the result is still missing. The proposed criterion ensures the clear and fair way to report the results so that mentioned results can be comparable and measurable to enhance the quality of lip detection and/or error rate. After applying the EM-like algorithm it is showed that performance of the specific technique can be evaluated.
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18. |
- ur Réhman, Shafiq, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Lipless tracking and emotion estimation
- 2007
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In: <em>Proceedings of IEEE 3rd International Conference on Signal ImageTechnology & Internet based Systems </em>. - Shanghai, China : IEEE. - 9780769531229 ; , s. 768-774
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Automatic human lip tracking is one of the key components to many facial image analysis tasks, such as, lip-reading and emotion from lips. It has been a classical hard image analysis problem over decades. In this paper, we propose an indirect lip tracking strategy: ‘lipless tracking’. It is based on the observation that many of us don’t have clear lips and some even don’t have visible lips. The strategy is to select and localize stable lip features around the mouth for tracking. For this purpose deformable contour-segments are modelled based on lip features and tracking is done using dynamic programming and viterbi algorithm. The strength of proposed algorithm is demonstrated in emotion estimation domain. Finally, real-time video experiments performed on private and publicly available data sets (MMI face database) have shown the robustness of our proposed lipless tracking technique.
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19. |
- ur Réhman, Shafiq, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Tactile car warning system
- 2005
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In: Proceedings of first joint Euro Haptics conference and symposium on haptic interfaces for virtual environment and teleoperator systems. - Pisa, Italy : IEEE.
-
Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Driving on the busy road is a critical job. Drivers need to combine all senses to solve to handle upcoming events and situations. According to recent survey pedestrian based accidents represent a huge portion of traffic accidents in EU, it is stated that more than 200,000 pedestrians are injured and about 9,000 are killed in accidents yearly. Enormous amounts of research have been on the detectionDriving on the busy road is a critical job. Drivers need to combine all senses to solve to handle upcoming events and situations. According to recent survey pedestrian based accidents represent a huge portion of traffic accidents in EU, it is stated that more than 200,000 pedestrians are injured and about 9,000 are killed in accidents yearly. Enormous amounts of research have been on the detection of pedestrian from moving platform using different image processing techniques like shape/texture-based method. Currently, Guilloux and his colleague pointed out the advantages of using infrared cameras. A few pedestrian detection systems using infrared video sequences have been experimented as well. The possibilities of using the human hands as tactile sensory input are explored by the researchers in order to obtain precise knowledge for building tactual display. Recently a number of vibrotactile devices have been accessible for experimental as well as commercial reason. We present a driver assistant system which will provide tactual alert on detection of the pedestrians. The Different issues regarding the development of driver assistant program are considered. Here the Template matching based pedestrian detection in infrared videos is performed. Finally, ‘Driver assistant system’ experiment is presented.
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20. |
- Wang, Yuanji, et al.
(author)
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The diversity of microbial community and function varied in response to different agricultural residues composting
- 2020
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 715
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Microbial activities are the dynamic core in the soil nutrient cycle. To improve the knowledges about the responses of soil microbial community structure and potential function to long-term cover crops practice. The co-occurrence patterns of soil microbial community structure and functional genes were evaluated using 16SrRNA, ITS and metagenomic technique in 13 years cover crops of orchard grass (OG, Dactylis glomerata L.) with high C/N and white clover (WC, Trifolium repens L.) with low C/N. Conventional tillage (CT) was control. The experiment was implemented in an apple orchard located on the Loess Plateau, China, from 2006 to 2018. We also measured soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities related to carbon and nitrogen cycling. The conclusions showed that the dominant bacterial phyla were Actinobacteria 27.68% in OG treatment and Proteobacteria 25.89% in WC treatment. Organic matter inputs stimulated growth of the phyla of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi, Ascomycota and genera of Bacillus, Blastococcus, Streptomyces and Penicillium. Interestingly, the OG and WC treatments promoted the fungal and bacterial alpha-diversity compared to CT treatment, respectively. In addition, compared to CT treatment, OG treatment was beneficial to the increase of C-cycle enzyme activity, while WC treatment tended to increase the N-cycle enzyme activity. Notably, compared to CT treatment, they both enriched carbon fixation and cycle pathways genes, while WC treatment increased the nitrogen metabolism pathway genes. Moreover, OG treatment was more conducive to the enrichment of carbohydrate enzymes genes involved in the hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose compared to WC treatment. Overall, different quality of plant residues stimulated the specific expressions of soil microbial community structure and function. Long-term planted white clover was effective strategy to improve soil quality. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
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21. |
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22. |
- Gu, Peng, et al.
(author)
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A metabolite from commensal Candida albicans enhances the bactericidal activity of macrophages and protects against sepsis
- 2023
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In: Cellular & Molecular Immunology. - London : Nature Publishing Group. - 1672-7681 .- 2042-0226. ; 20:10, s. 1156-1170
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The gut microbiome is recognized as a key modulator of sepsis development. However, the contribution of the gut mycobiome to sepsis development is still not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that the level of Candida albicans was markedly decreased in patients with bacterial sepsis, and the supernatant of Candida albicans culture significantly decreased the bacterial load and improved sepsis symptoms in both cecum ligation and puncture (CLP)-challenged mice and Escherichia coli-challenged pigs. Integrative metabolomics and the genetic engineering of fungi revealed that Candida albicans-derived phenylpyruvate (PPA) enhanced the bactericidal activity of macrophages and reduced organ damage during sepsis. Mechanistically, PPA directly binds to sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) and increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production for eventual bacterial clearance. Importantly, PPA enhanced the bacterial clearance capacity of macrophages in sepsis patients and was inversely correlated with the severity of sepsis in patients. Our findings highlight the crucial contribution of commensal fungi to bacterial disease modulation and expand our understanding of the host-mycobiome interaction during sepsis development. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to CSI and USTC.
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23. |
- Li, Fei, et al.
(author)
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Innovation pedagogy and improving quality in higher education in web-based environments
- 2011
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In: 2011 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Communication Software and Networks. - : IEEE. - 9781612844855 - 9781612844862 ; , s. 215-218
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Innovation is one of the main objectives for the higher education to meet the global challenges and to deliver the high levels of sustainable, knowledge-based growth. It is crucial to promote innovative pedagogy and improve quality. Based on the study of teaching programmes, pedagogies, web-based course management system and quality assurance system in engineering education at Umeå University, an innovative technology, Outcome-Based Approach, used in teaching at Umeå University is presented in this paper. The pedagogical experimentation taken by faculty teaching signal and system is described. Where the approach is successful is highlighted. The process of periodic review and revision of curricula is illustrated. The systematic quality work at Umeå University is described. Finally, some inspirations are drawn.
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24. |
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25. |
- Lind, Lars, et al.
(author)
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Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)
- 2021
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In: eLife. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions.
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26. |
- Liu, Ching-Ti, et al.
(author)
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Assessment of gene-by-sex interaction effect on bone mineral density
- 2012
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In: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. - : Wiley. - 1523-4681 .- 0884-0431. ; 27:10, s. 2051-2064
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Sexual dimorphism in various bone phenotypes, including bone mineral density (BMD), is widely observed; however, the extent to which genes explain these sex differences is unclear. To identify variants with different effects by sex, we examined gene-by-sex autosomal interactions genome-wide, and performed expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis and bioinformatics network analysis. We conducted an autosomal genome-wide meta-analysis of gene-by-sex interaction on lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD in 25,353 individuals from 8 cohorts. In a second stage, we followed up the 12 top single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; p?
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27. |
- Liu, Kaifei, et al.
(author)
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Regulatory role of Golgi brefeldin A resistance factor-1 in amyloid precursor protein trafficking, cleavage and Aβ formation
- 2019
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In: Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. - Hoboken : John Wiley & Sons. - 0730-2312 .- 1097-4644. ; 120:9, s. 15604-15615
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) deposition derived from sequential cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) through the amyloidogenic pathway is an important characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). During this process, cellular trafficking plays a crucial role. A large Sec7-domain containing ADP-ribosylation factor guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ARF-GEF), Golgi brefeldin A resistance factor 1 (GBF1) has been reported to initiate the ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) activation cascade at trans-Golgi network, which plays a crucial function at the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi interface. In this study, we investigated the role of GBF1 in APP transmembrane transport and Aβ formation. Using APP/PS1 (presenilin 1) overexpressing transgenic mice, we demonstrate that GBF1 has upregulated the expression of APP, indicating a role for GBF1 in APP physiological process. Knocking down of GBF1 using small interfering has significantly increased the intracellular but not the surface expression of APP. In contrast, overexpression of wild-type (WT) and guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) in the activated form but not the GEF deficient mutation induced continuous activation of GBF1, which subsequently increased the surface level of APP. Interestingly, inhibition of GBF1 by c(BFA) also impaired APP trafficking and induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in SH-SY5Y cells. Our results thus for identified the role of GBF1 in APP trafficking and cleavage, and provide evidence for GBF1 as a possible therapeutic target in AD. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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28. |
- Medina-Gomez, C., et al.
(author)
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Life-Course Genome-wide Association Study Meta-analysis of Total Body BMD and Assessment of Age-Specific Effects
- 2018
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In: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297. ; 102:1, s. 88-102
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bone mineral density (BMD) assessed by DXA is used to evaluate bone health. In children, total body (TB) measurements are commonly used; in older individuals, BMD at the lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) is used to diagnose osteoporosis. To date, genetic variants in more than 60 loci have been identified as associated with BMD. To investigate the genetic determinants of TB-BMD variation along the life course and test for age-specific effects, we performed a meta-analysis of 30 genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of TB-BMD including 66,628 individuals overall and divided across five age strata, each spanning 15 years. We identified variants associated with TB-BMD at 80 loci, of which 36 have not been previously identified; overall, they explain approximately 10% of the TB-BMD variance when combining all age groups and influence the risk of fracture. Pathway and enrichment analysis of the association signals showed clustering within gene sets implicated in the regulation of cell growth and SMAD proteins, overexpressed in the musculoskeletal system, and enriched in enhancer and promoter regions. These findings reveal TB-BMD as a relevant trait for genetic studies of osteoporosis, enabling the identification of variants and pathways influencing different bone compartments. Only variants in ESR1 and close proximity to RANKL showed a clear effect dependency on age. This most likely indicates that the majority of genetic variants identified influence BMD early in life and that their effect can be captured throughout the life course. © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics
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29. |
- Mishra, A, et al.
(author)
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Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents' growth and development
- 2023
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 615:7954, s. 874-883
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified.
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30. |
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31. |
- Shao, Jingchen, 1989, et al.
(author)
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p27(KIP1) and PTEN cooperate in myeloproliferative neoplasm tumor suppression in mice
- 2016
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In: Experimental Hematolgy & Oncology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2162-3619. ; 5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PTEN acts as a phosphatase for PIP3 and negatively regulates the PI3K/AKT pathway, and p27(KIP1) is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that regulates the G1 to S-phase transition by binding to and regulating the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases. Genetic alterations of PTEN or CDKN1B (p27(KIP1)) are common in hematological malignancies. To better understand how mutations in these two genes might cooperate in leukemogenesis, we inactivated both genes in the hematological compartment in mice. Here, we show that the combined inactivation of Pten and Cdkn1b results in a more severe myeloproliferative neoplasm phenotype associated with lower hemoglobin, enlarged spleen and liver, and shorter lifespan compared to inactivation of Pten alone. More severe anemia and increased myeloid infiltration and destruction of the spleen contributed to the earlier death of these mice, and elevated p-AKT, cyclin D1, and cyclin D3 might contribute to the development of this phenotype. In conclusion, PTEN and p27(KIP1) cooperate in tumor suppression in the hematological compartment.
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32. |
- Shen, Weixing, et al.
(author)
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Protective effects of Wang-Bi tablet on bone destruction in collagen-induced arthritis by regulating osteoclast-osteoblast functions.
- 2019
-
In: Journal of Ethnopharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-8741 .- 1872-7573. ; 238
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Wang-bi tablet (WB) consists of 17 traditional Chinese medicines and has been used for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China for many years, however, its pharmacologic mechanism is not clear.AIM OF STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of WB on collagen-induced mouse arthritis and explored the underlying mechanism.MATERIALS AND METHODS: DBA/1 mice were used to establish a type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. From the day of arthritis onset, mice were treated daily by gavage with either total glucosides of paeony (TGP, 0.37 g/kg/d) or WB at a lower (1.11 g/kg/d, WBL) or higher dose of (3.33 g/kg/d, WBH) for 8 weeks. The severity of arthritis, levels of cytokines and the activation of signaling pathways were determined.RESULTS: Our results revealed that WB treatment effectively alleviated inflammatory symptoms and prevented bone erosions and joint destructions. It obviously decreased the serum concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-17α, while increased the concentration of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Interestingly, the proportion of splenic Treg cells were increased significantly. In vitro experiments showed that WB inhibited the differentiation of osteoclasts. Consistently, the mRNA levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and cathepsin K (CtsK), and the activation of NF-κB and JAK-STAT3 signaling pathways in the paws of CIA mice were inhibited by WB treatment. On the other hand, up-regulation of osteogenic genes Runx2, Osterix mRNA, and activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway along with a decreased receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) expression were found in WB treated mice.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the therapeutic effect of Wang-bi tablet could be attributed to its inhibitory activity on NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathway-mediated osteoclast differentiation, and its enhancement on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-mediated osteoblast functions.
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33. |
- Tivesten, Åsa, 1969, et al.
(author)
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Liver-derived insulin-like growth factor-I is involved in the regulation of blood pressure in mice.
- 2002
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In: Endocrinology. - 0013-7227. ; 143:11, s. 4235-42
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- IGF-I has been suggested to be of importance for cardiovascular structure and function, but the relative role of locally produced and liver-derived endocrine IGF-I remains unclear. Using the Cre-LoxP recombination system, we have previously created transgenic mice with a liver-specific, inducible IGF-I knockout (LI-IGF-I-/-). To examine the role of liver-derived IGF-I in cardiovascular physiology, liver-derived IGF-I was inactivated at 4 wk of age, resulting in a 79% reduction of serum IGF-I levels. At 4 months of age, systolic blood pressure (BP) was increased in LI-IGF-I-/- mice. Echocardiography showed increased posterior wall thickness in combination with decreased stroke volume and cardiac output, whereas other systolic variables were unchanged, suggesting that these cardiac effects were secondary to increased peripheral resistance. Acute nitric oxide-synthase inhibition increased systolic BP more in LI-IGF-I-/- mice than in control mice. LI-IGF-I-/- mice showed impaired acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation in mesenteric resistance vessels and increased levels of endothelin-1 mRNA in aorta. Thus, the increased peripheral resistance in LI-IGF-I-/- mice might be attributable to endothelial dysfunction associated with increased expression of endothelin-1 and impaired vasorelaxation of resistance vessels. In conclusion, our findings suggest that liver-derived IGF-I is involved in the regulation of BP in mice.
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34. |
- ur Réhman, Shafiq, 1978-, et al.
(author)
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Turn your mobile into the football : rendering live football game by vibration
- 2008
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In: IEEE transactions on multimedia. - 1520-9210 .- 1941-0077. ; 10:6, s. 1022-1033
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Vibration offers many potential benefits for the use of mobile phones. In this paper, we propose a new method of rendering live football game on mobile phones using vibration. A mobile phone is “synchronized” with the ball in the real field. By holding the phone, users are able to experience dynamic movements of the ball, to know attacking directions and which team is leading the attack. The usability test of our system shows that vibrotactile display is suitable for rendering live football information on mobile phones by adopting designed coding schemes with a right training process.
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35. |
- Wang, Nan, 1988, et al.
(author)
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Tailoring the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Graphene Film by Structural Engineering
- 2018
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In: Small. - : Wiley. - 1613-6810 .- 1613-6829. ; 14:29
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to substantial phonon scattering induced by various structural defects, the in-plane thermal conductivity (K) of graphene films (GFs) is still inferior to the commercial pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS). Here, the problem is solved by engineering the structures of GFs in the aspects of grain size, film alignment, and thickness, and interlayer binding energy. The maximum K of GFs reaches to 3200 W m−1K−1and outperforms PGS by 60%. The superior K of GFs is strongly related to its large and intact grains, which are over four times larger than the best PGS. The large smooth features about 11 µm and good layer alignment of GFs also benefit on reducing phonon scattering induced by wrinkles/defects. In addition, the presence of substantial turbostratic-stacking graphene is found up to 37% in thin GFs. The lacking of order in turbostratic-stacking graphene leads to very weak interlayer binding energy, which can significantly decrease the phonon interfacial scattering. The GFs also demonstrate excellent flexibility and high tensile strength, which is about three times higher than PGS. Therefore, GFs with optimized structures and properties show great potentials in thermal management of form-factor-driven electronics and other high-power-driven systems.
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36. |
- Xu, Yanting, et al.
(author)
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Targeted inhibition of ATP5B gene prevents bone erosion in collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis.
- 2021
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In: Pharmacological Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1043-6618 .- 1096-1186. ; 165
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bone resorption by osteoclasts is an energy consuming activity, which depends on mitochondrial ATP. ATP5B, a mitochondrial ATP synthase beta subunit, is a catalytic core involved in producing ATP. Here, we investigated the contribution of ATP5B in osteoclast differentiation and joint destruction. ATP5B (LV-ATP5B) targeting or non-targeting (LV-NC) siRNA containing lentivirus particles were transduced into bone marrow macrophage derived osteoclasts or locally administered to arthritic mouse joints. Inhibition of ATP5B reduced the expression of osteoclast related genes and proteins, suppressed bone resorption by significantly impairing F-actin formation and decreased the levels of adhesion-associated proteins. In addition, ATP5B deficiency caused osteoclast mitochondrial dysfunction and, impaired the secretion of vacuole protons and MMP9. Importantly, inhibition of ATP5B expression, protected arthritis mice from joint destructions although serum levels of inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β) and IgG2α antibodies were unaffected. These results demonstrate an essential function of ATP5B in osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption, and suggest it as a potential therapeutic target for protecting bones in RA.
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37. |
- Zhao, Xiaofeng, et al.
(author)
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Response of Nd3+ and Sm3+ precipitating into rhabdophane and the leaching mechanism of associated monazite ceramics
- 2023
-
In: Journal of The American Ceramic Society. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0002-7820 .- 1551-2916. ; 106:2, s. 1287-1298
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rhabdophane has been considered an important permeable reactive barrier to isolate groundwater radionuclides, and evaluating its precipitation response to different species of radionuclide in acid solutions is critical. In this work, the effects of pH values on the precipitation behavior of Nd3+ and Sm3+ into La-rhabdophane are systematically investigated. Some specific issues such as ions removal, precipitation reaction kinetics, and crystal growth affected ions incorporation are discussed in detail, along with uncovering the veil of the Ln (La, Nd, and Sm) leaching mechanism of associated La0.666Nd0.167Sm0.167PO4 monazite ceramic based on dissolution experiments and density functional theory. The results reveal that Nd3+ and Sm3+ can be removed more than 98% in pH = 1 solution within 12 h, whereas uneven precipitation process to form unexpected stoichiometric ratio of rhabdophane has been observed in 30-50 nm short crystal. Grain growth effects based on spark plasma sintering can contribute to homogenize the materials composition with obtaining La0.666Nd0.167Sm0.167PO4 monazite ceramics. Furthermore, the binding energy of Ln-O in (1 0 0) surface of monazite plays an important role in controlling the leaching stability of Ln(3+), associated with the leaching activities are energetically favorable in the order of La > Nd > Sm for La0.666Nd0.167Sm0.167PO4 monazite.
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38. |
- Zheng, Hou-Feng, et al.
(author)
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Whole-genome sequencing identifies EN1 as a determinant of bone density and fracture
- 2015
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 526:7571, s. 112-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The extent to which low-frequency (minor allele frequency (MAF) between 1-5%) and rare (MAF <= 1%) variants contribute to complex traits and disease in the general population is mainly unknown. Bone mineral density (BMD) is highly heritable, a major predictor of osteoporotic fractures, and has been previously associated with common genetic variants(1-8), as well as rare, population specific, coding variants(9). Here we identify novel non-coding genetic variants with large effects on BMD (n(total) = 53,236) and fracture (n(total) = 508,253) in individuals of European ancestry from the general population. Associations for BMD were derived from whole-genome sequencing (n = 2,882 from UK10K (ref. 10); a population-based genome sequencing consortium), whole-exome sequencing (n = 3,549), deep imputation of genotyped samples using a combined UK10K/1000 Genomes reference panel (n = 26,534), and de novo replication genotyping (n = 20,271). We identified a low-frequency non-coding variant near a novel locus, EN1, with an effect size fourfold larger than the mean of previously reported common variants for lumbar spine BMD8 (rs11692564(T), MAF51.6%, replication effect size510.20 s.d., P-meta = 2 x 10(-14)), which was also associated with a decreased risk of fracture (odds ratio = 0.85; P = 2 x 10(-11); ncases = 98,742 and ncontrols = 409,511). Using an En1cre/flox mouse model, we observed that conditional loss of En1 results in low bone mass, probably as a consequence of high bone turnover. We also identified a novel low frequency non-coding variant with large effects on BMD near WNT16 (rs148771817(T), MAF = 1.2%, replication effect size +10.41 s.d., P-meta = 1 x 10(-11)). In general, there was an excess of association signals arising from deleterious coding and conserved non-coding variants. These findings provide evidence that low-frequency non-coding variants have large effects on BMD and fracture, thereby providing rationale for whole-genome sequencing and improved imputation reference panels to study the genetic architecture of complex traits and disease in the general population.
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39. |
- Zheng, Qiuyu, et al.
(author)
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Homogeneous immobilization of simulated actinides in rhabdophane and comparison of its leaching stability with monazite
- 2023
-
In: Progress in nuclear energy (New series). - : Elsevier BV. - 0149-1970 .- 1878-4224. ; 160
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rhabdophane LnPO(4)center dot 0.667H(2)O (Ln = La to Dy) is an important precipitation-enrichment barrier to isolate actinides from groundwater. However, the bearing capacity of different actinides in rhabdophane has been poorly understood due to the complex coordination environment induced by water molecules. In this work, the precipitation behaviors of NdxSmxLa(1-2x)PO(4)center dot 0.667H(2)O (x = 0.1-0.5) solid solutions are systematically investigated to understand the simulated actinides occupancy and the chemical precipitation processes. The results show that Nd3+ and Sm3+ can be removed over 99% after 12 h in an approximate pH = 1 solution. NdxSmxLa12xPO4 center dot 0.667H(2)O single-phase has been observed by refined XRD, although the composition distribution of nanograins is extremely uneven. The distribution of simulated actinides can be homogeneous after prolonging reaction time to 12 days or sintering temperature over 1000.C. Both Nd3+ and Sm3+ are preferentially incorporated on non-hydrated lattice sites when x = 0.1. Besides, the chemical stability of La0.332Nd0.334Sm0.334PO4 center dot 0.667H(2)O rhabdophane is compared with associated monazite to understand the leaching activities of simulated actinides incorporated on hydrated and non-hydrated sites. The leaching rates of monazite are smaller than that of rhabdophane, suggesting that [LnO(9)] polyhedrons in monazite have a stronger energy threshold than [LnO(8)] and [LnO(8)center dot H2O] polyhedrons in rhabdophane.
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40. |
- Berndt, Sonja I., et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 11 new loci for anthropometric traits and provides insights into genetic architecture
- 2013
-
In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 45:5, s. 501-U69
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Approaches exploiting trait distribution extremes may be used to identify loci associated with common traits, but it is unknown whether these loci are generalizable to the broader population. In a genome-wide search for loci associated with the upper versus the lower 5th percentiles of body mass index, height and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as clinical classes of obesity, including up to 263,407 individuals of European ancestry, we identified 4 new loci (IGFBP4, H6PD, RSRC1 and PPP2R2A) influencing height detected in the distribution tails and 7 new loci (HNF4G, RPTOR, GNAT2, MRPS33P4, ADCY9, HS6ST3 and ZZZ3) for clinical classes of obesity. Further, we find a large overlap in genetic structure and the distribution of variants between traits based on extremes and the general population and little etiological heterogeneity between obesity subgroups.
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41. |
- Chen, Zhang, et al.
(author)
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Making monolayer graphene photoluminescent by electron-beam-activated fluorination approach
- 2023
-
In: Applied Surface Science. - : Elsevier. - 0169-4332 .- 1873-5584. ; 608
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The past one and half decades have witnessed a tremendous development of graphene electronics, and the key to the success of graphene is its exceptional properties. The lacking of an inherent bandgap endows graphene with excellent electrical properties but considerably limits its applications in light-emitting and high-performance graphene-based devices. Herein, an approach for the direct writing of semiconducting and photoluminescent fluorinated graphene (C4F) patterns on monolayer graphene by an optimized electron-beam-activated fluorination technique is reported. A series of characterization approaches, such as atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to demonstrate the successful preparation of C4F for maskless lithography. Specially, a sharp and strong photoluminescence located at the purple light range of ∼380 nm was observed in C4F, demonstrating a desirable semiconducting nature, and the bandgap was further confirmed by follow-up electrical measurements, where the C4F filed-effect transistor exhibited a p-type semiconductor behavior and significantly enhanced on/off ratio. Therefore, this work provides a novel technique for the fabrication of graphene devices for promising electronic and optoelectronic applications, but also opens a route towards the tailoring and engineering of electronic properties of graphene.
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42. |
- Du, Wenzheng, et al.
(author)
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Defective and doped aluminum nitride monolayers for NO adsorption : Physical insight
- 2020
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In: Chemical Physics Letters. - : Elsevier. - 0009-2614 .- 1873-4448. ; 753
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An atomistic insight into the pristine, defective and doped AlN monolayers for NO adsorption is conducted using Density Functional Theory. The adsorption energy of NO on N-vacancy monolayer (−7.374 eV) is much larger than that of pure AlN (−0.397 eV). The Al-vacancy or B-doped monolayer are likely to be utilized for NO sensing due to the favorable band gap changes (0.969 eV and 0.836 eV respectively) compared with the pure monolayer. This work is to give physical insight into the NO adsorption mechanism of AlN monolayer and help experimentalists to design better 2-D materials for molecular adsorption and/or sensing applications.
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43. |
- Feng, Yingkai, et al.
(author)
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Effect of Cr3C2 Content on the Microstructure and Wear Resistance of Fe3Al/Cr3C2 Composites
- 2022
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In: Coatings. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6412. ; 12:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, an engine piston ring coating comprising composite material of Fe3Al and Cr3C2 mixed powder was prepared by laser cladding onto carbon structural steel. The microstructure and tribological properties of the cladding materials were investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and wear tests. The influence mechanism of the Cr3C2 content in cladding powder was studied. During the process of wear, the soft Fe3Al/Fe2AlCr matrix is first ground off, and the hard Cr7C3 phase initially supports the abrasive surface before being worn away into hard particles, resulting in abrasive wear. With the increase in Cr3C2 content, the hardness of the cladding layer increases, the proportion of the Cr7C3 phase increases, and the morphology changes from a sparse network to a dense floccule. Of the cladding layers with different Cr3C2 content, the 15 wt.% Cr3C2 cladding layer had the lowest friction coefficient, and the 25 wt.% Cr3C2 cladding layer had the lowest wear rate. The low wear rate of the 25 wt.% Cr3C2 cladding layer can be attributed to the fact that adhesive wear does not easily occur and the fine microstructure of the strengthening phase, which facilitates better separation in the grinding surfaces.
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44. |
- Ji, Cheng, et al.
(author)
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Crystallography of low Z material at ultrahigh pressure : Case study on solid hydrogen
- 2020
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In: Matter and Radiation at Extremes. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 2468-2047 .- 2468-080X. ; 5:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Diamond anvil cell techniques have been improved to allow access to the multimegabar ultrahigh-pressure region for exploring novel phenomena in condensed matter. However, the only way to determine crystal structures of materials above 100 GPa, namely, X-ray diffraction (XRD), especially for low Z materials, remains nontrivial in the ultrahigh-pressure region, even with the availability of brilliant synchrotron X-ray sources. In this work, we perform a systematic study, choosing hydrogen (the lowest X-ray scatterer) as the subject, to understand how to better perform XRD measurements of low Z materials at multimegabar pressures. The techniques that we have developed have been proved to be effective in measuring the crystal structure of solid hydrogen up to 254 GPa at room temperature [C. Ji et al., Nature 573, 558–562 (2019)]. We present our discoveries and experiences with regard to several aspects of this work, namely, diamond anvil selection, sample configuration for ultrahigh-pressure XRD studies, XRD diagnostics for low Z materials, and related issues in data interpretation and pressure calibration. We believe that these methods can be readily extended to other low Z materials and can pave the way for studying the crystal structure of hydrogen at higher pressures, eventually testing structural models of metallic hydrogen.
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45. |
- Ji, Cheng, et al.
(author)
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Ultrahigh-pressure isostructural electronic transitions in hydrogen
- 2019
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 573:7775, s. 558-562
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- High-pressure transitions are thought to modify hydrogen molecules to a molecular metallic solid and finally to an atomic metal(1), which is predicted to have exotic physical properties and the topology of a two-component (electron and proton) superconducting superfluid condensate(2,3). Therefore, understanding such transitions remains an important objective in condensed matter physics(4,5). However, measurements of the crystal structure of solid hydrogen, which provides crucial information about the metallization of hydrogen under compression, are lacking for most high-pressure phases, owing to the considerable technical challenges involved in X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements under extreme conditions. Here we present a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of solid hydrogen at pressures of up to 254 gigapascals that reveals the crystallographic nature of the transitions from phase I to phases III and IV. Under compression, hydrogen molecules remain in the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) crystal lattice structure, accompanied by a monotonic increase in anisotropy. In addition, the pressure-dependent decrease of the unit cell volume exhibits a slope change when entering phase IV, suggesting a second-order isostructural phase transition. Our results indicate that the precursor to the exotic two-component atomic hydrogen may consist of electronic transitions caused by a highly distorted hcp Brillouin zone and molecular-symmetry breaking.
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46. |
- Jin, S. C., et al.
(author)
-
Mutations disrupting neuritogenesis genes confer risk for cerebral palsy
- 2020
-
In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 52:10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Whole-exome sequencing of 250 parent-offspring trios identifies an enrichment of rare damaging de novo mutations in individuals with cerebral palsy and implicates genetically mediated dysregulation of early neuronal connectivity in the etiology of this disorder. In addition to commonly associated environmental factors, genomic factors may cause cerebral palsy. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 250 parent-offspring trios, and observed enrichment of damaging de novo mutations in cerebral palsy cases. Eight genes had multiple damaging de novo mutations; of these, two (TUBA1AandCTNNB1) met genome-wide significance. We identified two novel monogenic etiologies,FBXO31andRHOB, and showed that theRHOBmutation enhances active-state Rho effector binding while theFBXO31mutation diminishes cyclin D levels. Candidate cerebral palsy risk genes overlapped with neurodevelopmental disorder genes. Network analyses identified enrichment of Rho GTPase, extracellular matrix, focal adhesion and cytoskeleton pathways. Cerebral palsy risk genes in enriched pathways were shown to regulate neuromotor function in aDrosophilareverse genetics screen. We estimate that 14% of cases could be attributed to an excess of damaging de novo or recessive variants. These findings provide evidence for genetically mediated dysregulation of early neuronal connectivity in cerebral palsy.
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47. |
- Li, Xiyu, et al.
(author)
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On the Mechanism for the Extremely Efficient Sensitization of Yb3+ Luminescence in CsPbCl3 Nanocrystals
- 2019
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In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 10:3, s. 487-492
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rare earth ion (RE3+)-doped inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Cl or Cl/Br) nanocrystals have been presented as promising materials for applications in solar-energy conversion technology. An extremely efficient sensitization of Yb3+ luminescence in CsPbCl3 nanoparticles (NCs) was very recently demonstrated where quantum cutting is responsible for the performance of photoluminescence quantum yields over 100% (T. J. Milstein, et al. Nano Letters 2018, 18, 3792). In the present work, based on the cubic phase of inorganic perovskite, we seek to obtain atom-level insight into the basic mechanisms behind these observations in order to boost the further development of RE3+-doped CsPbX3 NCs for optoelectronics. In our calculations of cubic crystal structure, we do not find any energy level formed in the middle of the band gap, which disfavors a mechanism of stepwise energy transfer from the perovskite host to two Yb3+ ions. Our work indicates that the configuration with "right-angle" Yb3+-V-Pb-Yb3+ couple is most likely to form in Yb3+-doped CsPbCl3. Associated with this "right-angle" couple, the "right-angle" Pb atom with trapped excited states would localize the photogenerated electrons and act as the energy donor in a quantum cutting process, which achieves simultaneous sensitization of two neighboring Yb3+ ions.
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48. |
- Liu, Hang, et al.
(author)
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Investigation of Nd3+ incorporation in Ce-rhabdophane : Insight from structural flexibility and occupation mechanism
- 2022
-
In: Journal of The American Ceramic Society. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0002-7820 .- 1551-2916. ; 105:7, s. 4974-4985
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- LnPO(4)center dot 0.667H(2)O rhabdophane has been considered as a potential material for the precipitation of actinides from radioactive waste liquid, owing to its outstanding characteristics of high actinide bearing and easy synthesis in acid solutions. However, a comprehensive understanding of the actinide occupation and the precipitation response of rhabdophane to remove actinides has yet to be established. In this study, the effect of ions concentration and pH values on the detailed precipitation reaction of CexNd1-xPO4 center dot 0.667H(2)O rhabdophane in acid solutions are systematically investigated. Some specific issues such as structural distortion and flexibility, and occupation mechanism are discussed by combining with experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The results reveal that ions concentration and pH values have a significant impact on the crystallization nucleation step before 12 h. The obtained removal rate of Nd3+ is more than 99% in pH 1-5 solutions with the ions concentration of 0.05-0.1 mol/L. Moreover, incorporating Nd in CePO4 center dot 0.667H(2)O rhabdophane will easily result in the lattice distortion in b-axis. DFT calculation and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results reveal that Nd is preferentially incorporated in nonhydrated site to form a weaker binding energy of NdO8 polyhedron.
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49. |
- Liu, Q., et al.
(author)
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Functional characteristics of circulating granulocytes in severe congenital neutropenia caused by ELANE mutations
- 2019
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In: Bmc Pediatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2431. ; 19
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundNeutrophils and eosinophils are multifunctional granulocytes derived from common myelocytic-committed progenitor cells. Severe congenital neutropenia 1 (SCN1) caused by ELANE mutations is a rare disease characterized by very low numbers of circulating neutrophils. Little is known about the functional characteristics of the SCN1 granulocytes, except that eosinophilia has been noticed in both bone marrow and peripheral blood. In this study, we profiled the number and function of granulocytes in patients suffering from SCN1.MethodsNine patients diagnosed with SCN1 were enrolled in this study and absolute counts of eosinophils and neutrophils from bone marrow aspirates and peripheral blood samples were analysed. In addition, Ficoll-Paque enriched granulocytes from patients and healthy controls were analysed for specific eosinophil and neutrophil markers using flow cytometry and for NADPH-oxidase activity-profile by chemiluminescence.ResultsOur data demonstrate a skewed granulocyte population in SCN1 patients dominated by eosinophils in both bone marrow and peripheral blood. The latter was detected only by blood smear examination, but not by automated blood analysers. Furthermore, we show that the SCN1 eosinophils exerted normal production of reactive oxygen species generated by the NADPH-oxidase, however the response was profoundly different from that of healthy control neutrophils.ConclusionsSCN1 patients with ELANE mutations suffer from neutropenia yet display eosinophilia in the bone marrow and blood, as revealed by smear examination but not by automatic blood analysers. The SCN1 eosinophils are functionally normal regarding production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the ROS profile produced by eosinophils differs drastically from that of neutrophils isolated from the same blood donor, implying that the eosinophilia in SCN1 cannot compensate forthe loss of neutrophils regarding ROS-mediated functions.
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- Liu, Zeliang, et al.
(author)
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Mechanical and electronic properties of van der Waals layered hcp PdH2
- 2020
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mechanical and electronic properties of palladium dihydrides (PdH2) as a function of pressure were studied by ab initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The ab initio random structure searching technique was employed for screening potential PdH2 crystal structures under high pressure. A hexagonal close packed (hcp) phase of PdH2 with space group P63mc was reported. The structure geometry and elastic constants were calculated as a function of pressure. It was found that H atoms are in the interstitial position of Pd atoms layer at 0 GPa. There is an electronic topology transition of hcp PdH2 at 15 GPa. When pressure exceeds above 15 GPa, one hydrogen atom occupies the tetrahedral site and another hydrogen atom locates in the interstitial position. When the c/a ratio is between 1.765 to 1.875, the hcp PdH2 is mechanically stable, and the Pd-H-2b bond is the major factor that limits the mechanical stability. The elastic constant C-44 is the first one that cannot satisfy the mechanical stability criteria under pressure. The anisotropy parameters are far from 1(one) shows that the hcp PdH2 is a highly anisotropic structure. The electronic structure study indicates that the bonding force between Pd and H atoms along the z-axis direction increases with the increasing pressure. Also, the phonon dispersion study shows that PdH2 is dynamic stability under pressure. The results suggest that hcp PdH2 can be metastable in van der Waals layered structure.
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