Experimental investigation of geologically produced antineutrinos with KamLAND

The detection of electron antineutrinos produced by natural radioactivity in the Earth could yield important geophysical information. The Kamioka liquid scintillator antineutrino detector (KamLAND) has the sensitivity to detect electron antineutrinos produced by the decay of 238U and 232Th within the Earth. Earth composition models suggest that the radiogenic power from these isotope decays is 16 TW, approximately half of the total measured heat dissipation rate from the Earth. Here we present results from a search for geoneutrinos with KamLAND. Assuming a Th/U mass concentration ratio of 3.9, the 90 per cent confidence interval for the total number of geoneutrinos detected is 4.5 to 54.2. This result is consistent with the central value of 19 predicted by geophysical models. Although our present data have limited statistical power, they nevertheless provide by direct means an upper limit (60 TW) for the radiogenic power of U and Th in the Earth, a quantity that is currently poorly constrained.     

核磁共振谱法估计重油和沥青中芳环分布

在假设不同环数芳环上取代度或取代基数相等的基础上，由Ｈ－ＮＭＲ数据，推导出芳环分布计算式。采用模型混合物验证不同环数芳环质子类型谱带归属然后估计出四种Ａｌｂｅｒｔａ沥青质芳环分布。结果表明，不同取代基数的假设，不会引起芳环分布估计的较大误差；Ａｌｂｅｒｔａ沥青质稠环环芳烃含量不高，与传统对沥青质中稠环芳烃含量估计相关甚大。     

镍取代云母蒙脱石的结构表征

对不同镍含量的镍取代云母蒙脱石（ＮｉＳＭＭ）样品，通过ＸＲＤ分析，阳离子交换容量和比表面积测定，证明随着镍含量的增加，镍越来越多地进入到单元层结构中。ＮｉＳＭＭ具有与天然蒙脱石相同的层状结构，其层间填充着可被交换的阳离子。这些阳离子大多数是ＮＨ４＾＋。ＸＲＤ的ｄ０６０值和红外光谱的骨架振动吸收带进一步表明，镍是进入到单元层中八面体片的六配位中心离子的位置上。ＮｉＳＭＭ的结构稳定性高于天然蒙脱石。     

A genome-wide association study identifies new psoriasis susceptibility loci and an interaction between HLA-C and ERAP1

To identify new susceptibility loci for psoriasis, we undertook a genome-wide association study of 594,224 SNPs in 2,622 individuals with psoriasis and 5,667 controls. We identified associations at eight previously unreported genomic loci. Seven loci harbored genes with recognized immune functions (IL28RA, REL, IFIH1, ERAP1, TRAF3IP2, NFKBIA and TYK2). These associations were replicated in 9,079 European samples (six loci with a combined P < 5 × 10?? and two loci with a combined P < 5 × 10??). We also report compelling evidence for an interaction between the HLA-C and ERAP1 loci (combined P = 6.95 × 10??). ERAP1 plays an important role in MHC class I peptide processing. ERAP1 variants only influenced psoriasis susceptibility in individuals carrying the HLA-C risk allele. Our findings implicate pathways that integrate epidermal barrier dysfunction with innate and adaptive immune dysregulation in psoriasis pathogenesis.     

Common variants near ATM are associated with glycemic response to metformin in type 2 diabetes

Metformin is the most commonly used pharmacological therapy for type 2 diabetes. We report a genome-wide association study for glycemic response to metformin in 1,024 Scottish individuals with type 2 diabetes with replication in two cohorts including 1,783 Scottish individuals and 1,113 individuals from the UK Prospective Diabetes Study. In a combined meta-analysis, we identified a SNP, rs11212617, associated with treatment success (n = 3,920, P = 2.9 × 10(-9), odds ratio = 1.35, 95% CI 1.22-1.49) at a locus containing ATM, the ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene. In a rat hepatoma cell line, inhibition of ATM with KU-55933 attenuated the phosphorylation and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in response to metformin. We conclude that ATM, a gene known to be involved in DNA repair and cell cycle control, plays a role in the effect of metformin upstream of AMP-activated protein kinase, and variation in this gene alters glycemic response to metformin.     

A genome-wide association study shows that common alleles of SMAD7 influence colorectal cancer risk

To identify risk variants for colorectal cancer (CRC), we conducted a genome-wide association study, genotyping 550,163 tag SNPs in 940 individuals with familial colorectal tumor (627 CRC, 313 advanced adenomas) and 965 controls. We evaluated selected SNPs in three replication sample sets (7,473 cases, 5,984 controls) and identified three SNPs in SMAD7 (involved in TGF-beta and Wnt signaling) associated with CRC. Across the four sample sets, the association between rs4939827 and CRC was highly statistically significant (P(trend) = 1.0 x 10(-12)).     

SO^2—4／ZrO2在重油催化裂化中的应用研究

对ＳＯ＾２－４／ＺｒＯ２超强酸体系作为重油催化裂化助剂进行了研究。结果表明,加入适量的ＳＯ＾２－４／ＺｒＯ２可提高轻质油收率,并能降低催化剂生焦;在工业催化裂化高温水蒸汽流化的条件下,ＳＯ＾２－４／ＺｒＯ２超强酸体系中的Ｂ酸对重油催化裂化起着至关重要的作用。     

Genome-wide association study identifies a variant in HDAC9 associated with large vessel ischemic stroke

Genetic factors have been implicated in stroke risk, but few replicated associations have been reported. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for ischemic stroke and its subtypes in 3,548 affected individuals and 5,972 controls, all of European ancestry. Replication of potential signals was performed in 5,859 affected individuals and 6,281 controls. We replicated previous associations for cardioembolic stroke near PITX2 and ZFHX3 and for large vessel stroke at a 9p21 locus. We identified a new association for large vessel stroke within HDAC9 (encoding histone deacetylase 9) on chromosome 7p21.1 (including further replication in an additional 735 affected individuals and 28,583 controls) (rs11984041; combined P = 1.87 × 10(-11); odds ratio (OR) = 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28-1.57). All four loci exhibited evidence for heterogeneity of effect across the stroke subtypes, with some and possibly all affecting risk for only one subtype. This suggests distinct genetic architectures for different stroke subtypes.     

A genome-wide association scan of tag SNPs identifies a susceptibility variant for colorectal cancer at 8q24.21

Much of the variation in inherited risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) is probably due to combinations of common low risk variants. We conducted a genome-wide association study of 550,000 tag SNPs in 930 familial colorectal tumor cases and 960 controls. The most strongly associated SNP (P = 1.72 x 10(-7), allelic test) was rs6983267 at 8q24.21. To validate this finding, we genotyped rs6983267 in three additional CRC case-control series (4,361 affected individuals and 3,752 controls; 1,901 affected individuals and 1,079 controls; 1,072 affected individuals and 415 controls) and replicated the association, providing P = 1.27 x 10(-14) (allelic test) overall, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.27 (95% confidence interval (c.i.): 1.16-1.39) and 1.47 (95% c.i.: 1.34-1.62) for heterozygotes and rare homozygotes, respectively. Analyses based on 1,477 individuals with colorectal adenoma and 2,136 controls suggest that susceptibility to CRC is mediated through development of adenomas (OR = 1.21, 95% c.i.: 1.10-1.34; P = 6.89 x 10(-5)). These data show that common, low-penetrance susceptibility alleles predispose to colorectal neoplasia.     

汉斯·J·埃森克创立现代个性科学理论的心理学家

谈论“个性的科学”可能会被指责为语言矛盾故弄玄虚。然而这门科学确实存在,且日显其重要性,不断繁荣发展。它的主要创立者是汉斯·埃森克他于今年9月4日逝世,享年sl岁。埃森克生于柏林,因厌恶纳粹政权而于1934年离德去伦敦大学读书。他想学习物理学,但因原来起学业不能被承认而在心理学专业注册就读,这是学校允许他就读的最接近自然科学的一个专业。当埃森克在40年代开始工作时,心理学领域和说是一片混乱。几千种个性特征主要是通过简短的调查表来鉴定、命名和估量的。人们企图用多元统计分析法来简化大量材料。但对什么是正确的分…