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| 4. |
- Padmanabhan, Sandosh, et al.
(author)
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Genome-Wide Association Study of Blood Pressure Extremes Identifies Variant near UMOD Associated with Hypertension
- 2010
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In: PLoS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7404. ; 6:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hypertension is a heritable and major contributor to the global burden of disease. The sum of rare and common genetic variants robustly identified so far explain only 1%-2% of the population variation in BP and hypertension. This suggests the existence of more undiscovered common variants. We conducted a genome-wide association study in 1,621 hypertensive cases and 1,699 controls and follow-up validation analyses in 19,845 cases and 16,541 controls using an extreme case-control design. We identified a locus on chromosome 16 in the 59 region of Uromodulin (UMOD; rs13333226, combined P value of 3.6x10(-11)). The minor G allele is associated with a lower risk of hypertension (OR [95% CI]: 0.87 [0.84-0.91]), reduced urinary uromodulin excretion, better renal function; and each copy of the G allele is associated with a 7.7% reduction in risk of CVD events after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking status (H.R. = 0.923, 95% CI 0.860-0.991; p = 0.027). In a subset of 13,446 individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measurements, we show that rs13333226 is independently associated with hypertension (unadjusted for eGFR: 0.89 [0.83-0.96], p = 0.004; after eGFR adjustment: 0.89 [0.83-0.96], p = 0.003). In clinical functional studies, we also consistently show the minor G allele is associated with lower urinary uromodulin excretion. The exclusive expression of uromodulin in the thick portion of the ascending limb of Henle suggests a putative role of this variant in hypertension through an effect on sodium homeostasis. The newly discovered UMOD locus for hypertension has the potential to give new insights into the role of uromodulin in BP regulation and to identify novel drugable targets for reducing cardiovascular risk.
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| 5. |
- Schmidt, Amand F., et al.
(author)
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PCSK9 genetic variants and risk of type 2 diabetes : a mendelian randomisation study
- 2017
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In: The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 2213-8587 .- 2213-8595. ; 5:2, s. 97-105
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Statin treatment and variants in the gene encoding HMG-CoA reductase are associated with reductions in both the concentration of LDL cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease, but also with modest hyperglycaemia, increased bodyweight, and modestly increased risk of type 2 diabetes, which in no way off sets their substantial benefi ts. We sought to investigate the associations of LDL cholesterol-lowering PCSK9 variants with type 2 diabetes and related biomarkers to gauge the likely eff ects of PCSK9 inhibitors on diabetes risk. Methods In this mendelian randomisation study, we used data from cohort studies, randomised controlled trials, case control studies, and genetic consortia to estimate associations of PCSK9 genetic variants with LDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, HbA 1c, fasting insulin, bodyweight, waist-to-hip ratio, BMI, and risk of type 2 diabetes, using a standardised analysis plan, meta-analyses, and weighted gene-centric scores. Findings Data were available for more than 550 000 individuals and 51 623 cases of type 2 diabetes. Combined analyses of four independent PCSK9 variants (rs11583680, rs11591147, rs2479409, and rs11206510) scaled to 1 mmol/L lower LDL cholesterol showed associations with increased fasting glucose (0.09 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.15), bodyweight (1.03 kg, 0.24 to 1.82), waist-to-hip ratio (0.006, 0.003 to 0.010), and an odds ratio for type diabetes of 1.29 (1.11 to 1.50). Based on the collected data, we did not identify associations with HbA 1c (0.03%, -0.01 to 0.08), fasting insulin (0.00%, -0.06 to 0.07), and BMI (0.11 kg/m(2), -0.09 to 0.30). Interpretation PCSK9 variants associated with lower LDL cholesterol were also associated with circulating higher fasting glucose concentration, bodyweight, and waist-to-hip ratio, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. In trials of PCSK9 inhibitor drugs, investigators should carefully assess these safety outcomes and quantify the risks and benefi ts of PCSK9 inhibitor treatment, as was previously done for statins.
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| 6. |
- Schmidt, Amand F., et al.
(author)
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Phenome-wide association analysis of LDL-cholesterol lowering genetic variants in PCSK9
- 2019
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In: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. - : BMC. - 1471-2261 .- 1471-2261. ; 19:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: We characterised the phenotypic consequence of genetic variation at the PCSK9 locus and compared findings with recent trials of pharmacological inhibitors of PCSK9. Methods: Published and individual participant level data (300,000+ participants) were combined to construct a weighted PCSK9 gene-centric score (GS). Seventeen randomized placebo controlled PCSK9 inhibitor trials were included, providing data on 79,578 participants. Results were scaled to a one mmol/L lower LDL-C concentration. Results: The PCSK9 GS (comprising 4 SNPs) associations with plasma lipid and apolipoprotein levels were consistent in direction with treatment effects. The GS odds ratio (OR) for myocardial infarction (MI) was 0.53 (95% CI 0.42; 0.68), compared to a PCSK9 inhibitor effect of 0.90 (95% CI 0.86; 0.93). For ischemic stroke ORs were 0.84 (95% CI 0.57; 1.22) for the GS, compared to 0.85 (95% CI 0.78; 0.93) in the drug trials. ORs with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were 1.29 (95% CI 1.11; 1.50) for the GS, as compared to 1.00 (95% CI 0.96; 1.04) for incident T2DM in PCSK9 inhibitor trials. No genetic associations were observed for cancer, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or Alzheimer's disease - outcomes for which large-scale trial data were unavailable. Conclusions: Genetic variation at the PCSK9 locus recapitulates the effects of therapeutic inhibition of PCSK9 on major blood lipid fractions and MI. While indicating an increased risk of T2DM, no other possible safety concerns were shown; although precision was moderate.
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| 7. |
- von Seidlein, Lorenz, et al.
(author)
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The impact of targeted malaria elimination with mass drug administrations on falciparum malaria in Southeast Asia: A cluster randomised trial
- 2019
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In: PLoS Medicine. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1549-1277 .- 1549-1676. ; 16:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) threatens global malaria elimination efforts. Mass drug administration (MDA), the presumptive antimalarial treatment of an entire population to clear the subclinical parasite reservoir, is a strategy to accelerate malaria elimination. We report a cluster randomised trial to assess the effectiveness of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) MDA in reducing falciparum malaria incidence and prevalence in 16 remote village populations in Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, where artemisinin resistance is prevalent. Methods and findings After establishing vector control and community-based case management and following intensive community engagement, we used restricted randomisation within village pairs to select 8 villages to receive early DP MDA and 8 villages as controls for 12 months, after which the control villages received deferred DP MDA. The MDA comprised 3 monthly rounds of 3 daily doses of DP and, except in Cambodia, a single low dose of primaquine. We conducted exhaustive cross-sectional surveys of the entire population of each village at quarterly intervals using ultrasensitive quantitative PCR to detect Plasmodium infections. The study was conducted between May 2013 and July 2017. The investigators randomised 16 villages that had a total of 8,445 residents at the start of the study. Of these 8,445 residents, 4,135 (49%) residents living in 8 villages, plus an additional 288 newcomers to the villages, were randomised to receive early MDA; 3,790 out of the 4,423 (86%) participated in at least 1 MDA round, and 2,520 out of the 4,423 (57%) participated in all 3 rounds. The primary outcome, P. falciparum prevalence by month 3 (M3), fell by 92% (from 5.1% [171/3,340] to 0.4% [12/2,828]) in early MDA villages and by 29% (from 7.2% [246/3,405] to 5.1% [155/3,057]) in control villages. Over the following 9 months, the P. falciparum prevalence increased to 3.3% (96/2,881) in early MDA villages and to 6.1% (128/2,101) in control villages (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.41 [95% CI 0.20 to 0.84]; p = 0.015). Individual protection was proportional to the number of completed MDA rounds. Of 221 participants with subclinical P. falciparum infections who participated in MDA and could be followed up, 207 (94%) cleared their infections, including 9 of 10 with artemisinin-and piperaquine- resistant infections. The DP MDAs were well tolerated; 6 severe adverse events were detected during the follow-up period, but none was attributable to the intervention. Conclusions Added to community-based basic malaria control measures, 3 monthly rounds of DP MDA reduced the incidence and prevalence of falciparum malaria over a 1-year period in areas affected by artemisinin resistance. P. falciparum infections returned during the follow-up period as the remaining infections spread and malaria was reintroduced from surrounding areas. Limitations of this study include a relatively small sample of villages, heterogeneity between villages, and mobility of villagers that may have limited the impact of the intervention. These results suggest that, if used as part of a comprehensive, well-organised, and well-resourced elimination programme, DP MDA can be a useful additional tool to accelerate malaria elimination.
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| 8. |
- Papawassiliou, Wassilios, 1991-, et al.
(author)
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Detection of Weyl fermions and the metal to Weyl-semimetal phase transition in WTe2via broadband high resolution NMR
- 2022
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In: Physical Review Research. - 2643-1564. ; 4:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Weyl fermions (WFs) in the type-II Weyl semimetal (WSM) WTe2 are difficult to resolve experimentally because the Weyl bands disperse in an extremely narrow region of the (E−k) space. Here, by using DFT-assisted high-resolution 125Te solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) in the temperature range 50–700 K, we succeeded in detecting low energy WF excitations and monitoring their evolution with temperature. Remarkably, WFs are observed to emerge at T∼120 K, while at lower temperatures WTe2 behaves as a trivial metal. This intriguing phenomenon is induced by the rapid raise of the Fermi level upon heating, which crosses the Weyl bands only for T>120 K. The abrupt change of the NMR parameters at this temperature is signature of a topological Lifshitz transition instead of a cursive energy-bands crossing.
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| 9. |
- Strawbridge, Rona J., et al.
(author)
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The overlap of genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia and cardiometabolic disease can be used to identify metabolically different groups of individuals
- 2021
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Nature. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding why individuals with severe mental illness (Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder) have increased risk of cardiometabolic disease (including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and identifying those at highest risk of cardiometabolic disease are important priority areas for researchers. For individuals with European ancestry we explored whether genetic variation could identify sub-groups with different metabolic profiles. Loci associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder from previous genome-wide association studies and loci that were also implicated in cardiometabolic processes and diseases were selected. In the IMPROVE study (a high cardiovascular risk sample) and UK Biobank (general population sample) multidimensional scaling was applied to genetic variants implicated in both psychiatric and cardiometabolic disorders. Visual inspection of the resulting plots used to identify distinct clusters. Differences between these clusters were assessed using chi-squared and Kruskall-Wallis tests. In IMPROVE, genetic loci associated with both schizophrenia and cardiometabolic disease (but not bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder) identified three groups of individuals with distinct metabolic profiles. This grouping was replicated within UK Biobank, with somewhat less distinction between metabolic profiles. This work focused on individuals of European ancestry and is unlikely
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Kohlhauer, M., et al.
(author)
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Protection against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury by hypothermia and by inhibition of succinate accumulation and oxidation is additive
- 2019
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In: Basic Research in Cardiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0300-8428 .- 1435-1803. ; 114:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hypothermia induced at the onset of ischemia is a potent experimental cardioprotective strategy for myocardial infarction. The aim of our study was to determine whether the beneficial effects of hypothermia may be due to decreasing mitochondria-mediated mechanisms of damage that contribute to the pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion injury. New Zealand male rabbits were submitted to 30min of myocardial ischemia with hypothermia (32 degrees C) induced by total liquid ventilation (TLV). Hypothermia was applied during ischemia alone (TLV group), during ischemia and reperfusion (TLV-IR group) and normothermia (Control group). In all the cases, ischemia was performed by surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and was followed by 3h of reperfusion before assessment of infarct size. In a parallel study, male C57BL6/J mice underwent 30min myocardial ischemia followed by reperfusion under either normothermia (37 degrees C) or conventionally induced hypothermia (32 degrees C). In both the models, the levels of the citric acid cycle intermediate succinate, mitochondrial complex I activity were assessed at various times. The benefit of hypothermia during ischemia on infarct size was compared to inhibition of succinate accumulation and oxidation by the complex II inhibitor malonate, applied as the pro-drug dimethyl malonate under either normothermic or hypothermic conditions. Hypothermia during ischemia was cardioprotective, even when followed by normothermic reperfusion. Hypothermia during ischemia only, or during both, ischemia and reperfusion, significantly reduced infarct size (2.8 +/- 0.6%, 24.2 +/- 3.0% and 49.6 +/- 2.6% of the area at risk, for TLV-IR, TLV and Control groups, respectively). The significant reduction of infarct size by hypothermia was neither associated with a decrease in ischemic myocardial succinate accumulation, nor with a change in its rate of oxidation at reperfusion. Similarly, dimethyl malonate infusion and hypothermia during ischemia additively reduced infarct size (4.8 +/- 2.2% of risk zone) as compared to either strategy alone. Hypothermic cardioprotection is neither dependent on the inhibition of succinate accumulation during ischemia, nor of its rapid oxidation at reperfusion. The additive effect of hypothermia and dimethyl malonate on infarct size shows that they are protective by distinct mechanisms and also suggests that combining these different therapeutic approaches could further protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury during acute myocardial infarction.
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| 12. |
- Strawbridge, RJ, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide analysis of self-reported risk-taking behaviour and cross-disorder genetic correlations in the UK Biobank cohort
- 2018
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In: Translational psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2158-3188. ; 8:1, s. 39-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Risk-taking behaviour is a key component of several psychiatric disorders and could influence lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcohol use, and diet. As a phenotype, risk-taking behaviour therefore fits within a Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, whereby identifying genetic determinants of this trait has the potential to improve our understanding across different psychiatric disorders. Here we report a genome-wide association study in 116,255 UK Biobank participants who responded yes/no to the question “Would you consider yourself a risk taker?” Risk takers (compared with controls) were more likely to be men, smokers, and have a history of psychiatric disorder. Genetic loci associated with risk-taking behaviour were identified on chromosomes 3 (rs13084531) and 6 (rs9379971). The effects of both lead SNPs were comparable between men and women. The chromosome 3 locus highlights CADM2, previously implicated in cognitive and executive functions, but the chromosome 6 locus is challenging to interpret due to the complexity of the HLA region. Risk-taking behaviour shared significant genetic risk with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as with smoking and total obesity. Despite being based on only a single question, this study furthers our understanding of the biology of risk-taking behaviour, a trait that has a major impact on a range of common physical and mental health disorders.
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| 13. |
- Ashuiev, Anton, et al.
(author)
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Geometry and electronic structure of Yb(iii)[CH(SiMe3)2]3 from EPR and solid-state NMR augmented by computations
- 2024
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In: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 26:11, s. 8734-8747
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Characterization of paramagnetic compounds, in particular regarding the detailed conformation and electronic structure, remains a challenge, and – still today it often relies solely on the use of X-ray crystallography, thus limiting the access to electronic structure information. This is particularly true for lanthanide elements that are often associated with peculiar structural and electronic features in relation to their partially filled f-shell. Here, we develop a methodology based on the combined use of state-of-the-art magnetic resonance spectroscopies (EPR and solid-state NMR) and computational approaches as well as magnetic susceptibility measurements to determine the electronic structure and geometry of a paramagnetic Yb(III) alkyl complex, Yb(III)[CH(SiMe3)2]3, a prototypical example, which contains notable structural features according to X-ray crystallography. Each of these techniques revealed specific information about the geometry and electronic structure of the complex. Taken together, both EPR and NMR, augmented by quantum chemical calculations, provide a detailed and complementary understanding of such paramagnetic compounds. In particular, the EPR and NMR signatures point to the presence of three-centre–two-electron Yb-γ-Me-β-Si secondary metal–ligand interactions in this otherwise tri-coordinate metal complex, similarly to its diamagnetic Lu analogues. The electronic structure of Yb(III) can be described as a single 4f13 configuration, while an unusually large crystal-field splitting results in a thermally isolated ground Kramers doublet. Furthermore, the computational data indicate that the Yb–carbon bond contains some π-character, reminiscent of the so-called α-H agostic interaction.
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| 14. |
- Lu, Xinnan, et al.
(author)
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Ni2P Nanoparticles Embedded in Mesoporous SiO2 for Catalytic Hydrogenation of SO2 to Elemental S
- 2021
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In: ACS Applied Nano Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0970. ; 4:6, s. 5665-5676
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Highly active nickel phosphide (Ni2P) nanoclusters confined in a mesoporous SiO2 catalyst were synthesized by a two-step process targeting tight control over the Ni2P size and phase. The Ni precursor was incorporated into the MCM-41 matrix by one-pot synthesis, followed by the phosphorization step, which was accomplished in oleylamine with trioctylphosphine at 300 °C so to achieve the phase transformation from Ni to Ni2P. For benchmarking, Ni confined by the mesoporous SiO2 (absence of phosphorization) and 11 nm Ni2P nanoparticles (absence of SiO2) was also prepared. From the microstructural analysis, it was found that the growth of Ni2P nanoclusters was restricted by the mesoporous channels, thus forming ultrafine and highly dispersed Ni2P nanoclusters (<2 nm). The above approach led to promising catalytic performance following the order u-Ni2P@m-SiO2 > n-Ni2P > u-Ni@m-SiO2 > c-Ni2P in the selective hydrogenation of SO2 to S. In particular, u-Ni2P@m-SiO2 exhibited SO2 conversions of 94% at 220 °C and ∼99% at 240 °C, which are higher than the 11 nm stand-alone Ni2P particles (43% at 220 °C and 94% at 320 °C), highlighting the importance of the role played by SiO2 in stabilizing ultrafine nanoparticles of Ni2P. The reaction activation energy Ea over u-Ni2P@m-SiO2 is ∼33 kJ/mol, which is lower than those over n-Ni2P (∼36 kJ/mol) and c-Ni2P (∼66 kJ/mol), suggesting that the reaction becomes energetically favored over the ultrafine Ni2P nanoclusters.
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| 15. |
- Lu, Xinnan, et al.
(author)
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Nickel Phosphide Nanoparticles for Selective Hydrogenation of SO2 to H2S
- 2021
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In: ACS Applied Nano Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0970. ; 4:7, s. 6568-6582
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Highly mesoporous SiO2-encapsulated NixPy crystals, where (x, y) = (5, 4), (2, 1), and (12, 5), were successfully synthesized by adopting a thermolytic method using oleylamine (OAm), trioctylphosphine (TOP), and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO). The Ni5P4@SiO2 system shows the highest reported activity for the selective hydrogenation of SO2 toward H2S at 320 degrees C (96% conversion of SO2 and 99% selectivity to H2S), which was superior to the activity of the commercial CoMoS@Al2O3 catalyst (64% conversion of SO2 and 71% selectivity to H2S at 320 degrees C). The morphology of the Ni5P4 crystal was finely tuned via adjustment of the synthesis parameters receiving a wide spectrum of morphologies (hollow, macroporous-network, and SiO2-confined ultrafine clusters). Intrinsic characteristics of the materials were studied by Xray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy/scanning transmission electron microscopy-high-angle annular dark-field imaging, energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, H-2 temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and experimental and calculated P-31 magic-angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance toward establishing the structure-performance correlation for the reaction of interest. Characterization of the catalysts after the SO2 hydrogenation reaction proved the preservation of the morphology, crystallinity, and Ni/P ratio for all the catalysts.
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| 16. |
- Papawassiliou, Wassilios, 1991-, et al.
(author)
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Emergent Weyl Fermions and the Metal to Weyl-Semimetal phase transition in WTe2,via broadband High Resolution NMR
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Weyl Fermions (WFs) in the type-II Weyl Semimetal (WSM) WTe2 are difficult to resolve experimentally because the Weyl bands disperse in an extremely narrow region of the (E-k) space. Here, by using DFT-assisted high-resolution 125Te solid-state NMR (ssNMR) in the temperature range 50K - 700K, we succeeded in detecting low energy WF excitations and monitor their evolution with temperature. Remarkably, WFs appear to emerge at T∼120K; at lower temperatures WTe2 behaves as a metal. This intriguing metal-to-WSM phase transition is shown to be induced by the rapid raise of the Fermi level with temperature, crossing solely the electron and hole pockets in the low-T metallic phase, while crossing the Weyl bands near the nodal points - a prerequisite for the emergence of WFs - only for T>120K.
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| 17. |
- Pell, J., et al.
(author)
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Scaling metagenome sequence assembly with probabilistic de Bruijn graphs
- 2012
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 109:33, s. 13272-13277
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Deep sequencing has enabled the investigation of a wide range of environmental microbial ecosystems, but the high memory requirements for de novo assembly of short-read shotgun sequencing data from these complex populations are an increasingly large practical barrier. Here we introduce a memory-efficient graph representation with which we can analyze the k-mer connectivity of metagenomic samples. The graph representation is based on a probabilistic data structure, a Bloom filter, that allows us to efficiently store assembly graphs in as little as 4 bits per k-mer, albeit inexactly. We show that this data structure accurately represents DNA assembly graphs in low memory.We apply this data structure to the problem of partitioning assembly graphs into components as a prelude to assembly, and show that this reduces the overall memory requirements for de novo assembly of metagenomes. On one soil metagenome assembly, this approach achieves a nearly 40-fold decrease in the maximum memory requirements for assembly. This probabilistic graph representation is a significant theoretical advance in storing assembly graphs and also yields immediate leverage on metagenomic assembly.
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| 18. |
- Pell, J., et al.
(author)
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Workshop : Graph compression approaches in assembly
- 2012
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In: 2012 IEEE 2nd International Conference on Computational Advances in Bio and Medical Sciences, ICCABS 2012. - 9781467313216
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using a probabilistic data structure to store DNA assembly graphs results in a significant memory savings over other methods. As long as the Bloom filter remains below a specific false positive rate, it remains possible to traverse the graph. Using a Bloom filter has many applications in metagenomics, mRNAseq, read filtering, and error correction. We are currently exploring these possibilities and more. © 2012 IEEE.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Strawbridge, RJ, et al.
(author)
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Genetics of self-reported risk-taking behaviour, trans-ethnic consistency and relevance to brain gene expression
- 2018
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In: Translational psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2158-3188. ; 8:1, s. 178-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Risk-taking behaviour is an important component of several psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Previously, two genetic loci have been associated with self-reported risk taking and significant genetic overlap with psychiatric disorders was identified within a subsample of UK Biobank. Using the white British participants of the full UK Biobank cohort (n = 83,677 risk takers versus 244,662 controls) for our primary analysis, we conducted a genome-wide association study of self-reported risk-taking behaviour. In secondary analyses, we assessed sex-specific effects, trans-ethnic heterogeneity and genetic overlap with psychiatric traits. We also investigated the impact of risk-taking-associated SNPs on both gene expression and structural brain imaging. We identified 10 independent loci for risk-taking behaviour, of which eight were novel and two replicated previous findings. In addition, we found two further sex-specific risk-taking loci. There were strong positive genetic correlations between risk-taking and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Index genetic variants demonstrated effects generally consistent with the discovery analysis in individuals of non-British White, South Asian, African-Caribbean or mixed ethnicity. Polygenic risk scores comprising alleles associated with increased risk taking were associated with lower white matter integrity. Genotype-specific expression pattern analyses highlighted DPYSL5, CGREF1 and C15orf59 as plausible candidate genes. Overall, our findings substantially advance our understanding of the biology of risk-taking behaviour, including the possibility of sex-specific contributions, and reveal consistency across ethnicities. We further highlight several putative novel candidate genes, which may mediate these genetic effects.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Ward, J, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide analysis in UK Biobank identifies four loci associated with mood instability and genetic correlation with major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder and schizophrenia
- 2017
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In: Translational psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2158-3188. ; 7:11, s. 1264-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mood instability is a core clinical feature of affective and psychotic disorders. In keeping with the Research Domain Criteria approach, it may be a useful construct for identifying biology that cuts across psychiatric categories. We aimed to investigate the biological validity of a simple measure of mood instability and evaluate its genetic relationship with several psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of mood instability in 53,525 cases and 60,443 controls from UK Biobank, identifying four independently associated loci (on chromosomes 8, 9, 14 and 18), and a common single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based heritability estimate of ~8%. We found a strong genetic correlation between mood instability and MDD (rg = 0.60, SE = 0.07, p = 8.95 × 10−17) and a small but significant genetic correlation with both schizophrenia (rg = 0.11, SE = 0.04, p = 0.01) and anxiety disorders (rg = 0.28, SE = 0.14, p = 0.04), although no genetic correlation with BD, ADHD or PTSD was observed. Several genes at the associated loci may have a role in mood instability, including the DCC netrin 1 receptor (DCC) gene, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B subunit beta (eIF2B2), placental growth factor (PGF) and protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type D (PTPRD). Strengths of this study include the very large sample size, but our measure of mood instability may be limited by the use of a single question. Overall, this work suggests a polygenic basis for mood instability. This simple measure can be obtained in very large samples; our findings suggest that doing so may offer the opportunity to illuminate the fundamental biology of mood regulation.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Hay, R, et al.
(author)
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Genetic analysis of the PCSK9 locus in psychological, psychiatric, metabolic and cardiovascular traits in UK Biobank
- 2022
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In: European journal of human genetics : EJHG. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-5438 .- 1018-4813. ; 30:12, s. 1380-1390
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The association between severe mental illness (SMI) and cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CMD) is poorly understood. PCSK9 is expressed in systems critical to both SMI and CMD and influences lipid homeostasis and brain function. We systematically investigated relationships between genetic variation within the PCSK9 locus and risk for both CMD and SMI. UK Biobank recruited ~500,000 volunteers and assessed a wide range of SMI and CMD phenotypes. We used genetic data from white British ancestry individuals of UK Biobank. Genetic association analyses were conducted in PLINK, with statistical significance defined by the number of independent SNPs. Conditional analyses and linkage disequilibrium assessed the independence of SNPs and the presence of multiple signals. Two genetic risk scores of lipid-lowering alleles were calculated and used as proxies for putative lipid-lowering effects of PCSK9. PCSK9 variants were associated with central adiposity, venous thrombosis embolism, systolic blood pressure, mood instability, and neuroticism (all p < 1.16 × 10−4). No secondary signals were identified. Conditional analyses and high linkage disequilibrium (r2 = 0.98) indicated that mood instability and central obesity may share a genetic signal. Genetic risk scores suggested that the lipid-lowering effects of PCSK9 may be causal for greater mood instability and higher neuroticism. This is the first study to implicate the PCSK9 locus in mood-disorder symptoms and related traits, as well as the shared pathology of SMI and CMD. PCSK9 effects on mood may occur via lipid-lowering mechanisms. Further work is needed to understand whether repurposing PCSK9-targeting therapies might improve SMI symptoms and prevent CMD.
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| 30. |
- Wahlström, Niklas, 1990-, et al.
(author)
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Cellulose from the green macroalgae Ulva lactuca: isolation, characterization, optotracing, and production of cellulose nanofibrils
- 2020
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In: Cellulose. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0969-0239 .- 1572-882X.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report (1) successful extraction and characterization of cellulose from northern hemisphere green macroalgae Ulva lactuca (Ulva fenestrata) collected along the Swedish west coast and cultivated indoors under controlled conditions, followed by (2) its utilization in the production of lignin-free cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). Cellulose was extracted by sequential treatment with ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, and hydrochloric acid, yielding a cellulose-rich insoluble fraction. The extracted cellulose was disintegrated into CNF using a mechanical homogenization process without any further enzymatic pre-treatments. In addition, regenerated cellulose was prepared. XRD characterization of the CNF showed characteristic peaks for the cellulose I allomorph and confirmed that the nanofibrils were semicrystalline with a crystallinity index of 48%. Regenerated cellulose was mostly amorphous with an XRD pattern indicating the presence of the cellulose II allomorph. The cellulose fractions were essentially free from inorganic substances and thermally stable up to around 260 degrees C. Structural mapping with CP-MAS C-13-NMR sustains the cellulose content of CNF and regenerated cellulose, respectively, yet ion chromatography identified the presence of 10-15% xylose in the fractions. Optotracing was used as a novel and non-disruptive tool to selectively assess the polysaccharide composition of the cellulose fractions and produced CNF aiming to shed light on this hitherto non-resolved origin of xylose in Ulva cell wall matter. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of a panel of 4 oligothiophenes identified and verified the presence of cellulose and sustain the conclusion that the isolated fractions consist of cellulose intertwined with a small amount of a xylose-containing glucan copolymer. [GRAPHICS] .
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