Common variants near MC4R are associated with fat mass, weight and risk of obesity

To identify common variants influencing body mass index (BMI), we analyzed genome-wide association data from 16,876 individuals of European descent. After previously reported variants in FTO, the strongest association signal (rs17782313, P = 2.9 x 10(-6)) mapped 188 kb downstream of MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor), mutations of which are the leading cause of monogenic severe childhood-onset obesity. We confirmed the BMI association in 60,352 adults (per-allele effect = 0.05 Z-score units; P = 2.8 x 10(-15)) and 5,988 children aged 7-11 (0.13 Z-score units; P = 1.5 x 10(-8)). In case-control analyses (n = 10,583), the odds for severe childhood obesity reached 1.30 (P = 8.0 x 10(-11)). Furthermore, we observed overtransmission of the risk allele to obese offspring in 660 families (P (pedigree disequilibrium test average; PDT-avg) = 2.4 x 10(-4)). The SNP location and patterns of phenotypic associations are consistent with effects mediated through altered MC4R function. Our findings establish that common variants near MC4R influence fat mass, weight and obesity risk at the population level and reinforce the need for large-scale data integration to identify variants influencing continuous biomedical traits.     

MYH9 is associated with nondiabetic end-stage renal disease in African Americans

As end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has a four times higher incidence in African Americans compared to European Americans, we hypothesized that susceptibility alleles for ESRD have a higher frequency in the West African than the European gene pool. We carried out a genome-wide admixture scan in 1,372 ESRD cases and 806 controls and found a highly significant association between excess African ancestry and nondiabetic ESRD (lod score = 5.70) but not diabetic ESRD (lod = 0.47) on chromosome 22q12. Each copy of the European ancestral allele conferred a relative risk of 0.50 (95% CI = 0.39-0.63) compared to African ancestry. Multiple common SNPs (allele frequencies ranging from 0.2 to 0.6) in the gene encoding nonmuscle myosin heavy chain type II isoform A (MYH9) were associated with two to four times greater risk of nondiabetic ESRD and accounted for a large proportion of the excess risk of ESRD observed in African compared to European Americans.     

The genetics of health

Recent experience with several high-profile drugs demonstrates the great challenges in developing effective and safe therapeutics. A complementary approach to the popular paradigm of disease genetics is based on inherited factors that reduce the incidence and severity of disease among individuals who are genetically predisposed to disease. We propose testing specifically for modifier genes and protective alleles among at-risk individuals and studying the efficacy of therapeutics based on the genetics of health.     

多指手爪非线性分析及其位置离散学习控制

本文通过分析机器人多指手爪的静摩控，库伦磨擦，粘性磨擦等非线性因素，推导出多指手爪屈伸关节的动态控制模型，针对指手爪的非线性影响，提出了一种位置离散学习控制方法，并给出了这种方法的收敛性定理，仿真结果表明，离散学习控制方法能在有限次迭代后使手指关节位置达到期望位置。     

轧环机整体刚度分析

本文就轧环机整体刚度对环件沿高度方向纵向厚差和对传动系统啮合刚度的影响进行分析。采用了三维弹性有限元及静力解析法对轧环机主机架和主轴的弹性位移及转角进行了计算。从而为设计轧环机提供了一个较为精确的分析方法。     

假彩色合成技术的初步应用——利用遥感资料合成1/50万贵阳幅假彩色卫片

<正> 为了提高卫星像片的判读性能,利用美国MSS扫描的1/336.9万MSS4.5.6.7波段的黑白底片制作成1/50万假彩色合成的卫星像片。由于应用了彩色合成技术,将像片黑白影象以灰度表示的差异变成以彩色表示影象密度的差异,使地物影象得到了彩色增强,使图象更清晰易读,大大提高了人眼的分辨能力,增强了图象的解释效果和综合分析判读的能力,扩大了影象图的使用范围和提高了使用价值。下面就合成洗印1/50万贵阳幅假彩色卫片的实验,作如下报告。     

Differential display analysis of gene expression in invertebrates

Screening for differentially expressed genes is a straightforward approach to study the molecular basis for changes in gene expression. Differential display analysis has been used by investigators in diverse fields of research since it was developed. Differential display has also been the approach of choice to investigate changes in gene expression in response to various biological challenges in invertebrates. We review the application of differential display analysis of gene expression in invertebrates, and provide a specific example using this technique for novel gene discovery in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.     

介于野生和栽培之间的植物群

以生长在坡面园地和次生植被之间的过渡区域的可食用植物为中心展开论述。在中国海南农村地区中,一些可食用植物是被人们从别的地方移植来的,而有些则是自然生长出来的。自然生长出来的植物根据各自对人的利用价值,或得到保护、保留,或被除去。就是这样的人和植物之间的互动决定了过渡区域的植被状况。这也许可以看作是理解野生植物栽培化的重要线索。