A second generation human haplotype map of over 3.1 million SNPs

We describe the Phase II HapMap, which characterizes over 3.1 million human single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped in 270 individuals from four geographically diverse populations and includes 25-35% of common SNP variation in the populations surveyed. The map is estimated to capture untyped common variation with an average maximum r2 of between 0.9 and 0.96 depending on population. We demonstrate that the current generation of commercial genome-wide genotyping products captures common Phase II SNPs with an average maximum r2 of up to 0.8 in African and up to 0.95 in non-African populations, and that potential gains in power in association studies can be obtained through imputation. These data also reveal novel aspects of the structure of linkage disequilibrium. We show that 10-30% of pairs of individuals within a population share at least one region of extended genetic identity arising from recent ancestry and that up to 1% of all common variants are untaggable, primarily because they lie within recombination hotspots. We show that recombination rates vary systematically around genes and between genes of different function. Finally, we demonstrate increased differentiation at non-synonymous, compared to synonymous, SNPs, resulting from systematic differences in the strength or efficacy of natural selection between populations.     

Novel Criteria for Exponential Stability of Linear Non-Autonomous Functional Differential Equations

General linear non-autonomous functional differential equations are considered. Explicit criteria for exponential stability are given. Furthermore, the authors present an explicit robust stability bound for systems subject to time-varying perturbations. Two examples are given to illustrate the obtained results.     

Blue TiO2 polymorph: An efficient material for dye-sensitized solar cells fabricated using a low-temperature sintering process

Recently,surface-disordered or non-stoichiometric TiO_2,such as blue TiO_2(B-TiO_2),has received much attention owing to its unique properties,such as structural disorder near the surface and the existence of Ti~(3+)ions and oxygen vacancies.Therefore,surface-disordered TiO_2has been applied for microwave absorption,photocatalysis,in photoelectrochemical sensors and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.In this work B-TiO_2,a polymorph consisting of nanoparticles,nanotubes and nanosheets,was successfully synthesized and employed as a semiconductor layer in dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs)fabricated using a low-temperature heat treatment process(120°C).Based on the analyses of the experimental results regarding the structure and those from the characterization of B-TiO_2,and its application to DSSCs,it has been found that the B-TiO_2 material has an effect on electron-hole pair separation.The conversion efficiency of the B-TiO_2 DSSC(BTiO_2-DSSC)was 6.18%,whereas that of the TiO_2-P25 DSSC(P25-DSSC)was 3.61%,and that of the TiO_2 polymorph DSSC(PTiO_2-DSSC)which is the precursor of B-TiO_2 was 4.51%.     

Fabrication of a TiO2-P25/(TiO2-P25+TiO2 nanotubes) junction for dye sensitized solar cells

The dye sensitized solar cell（DSSC）, which converts solar light into electric energy, is expected to be a promising renewable energy source for today’s world. In this work, dye sensitized solar cells, one containing a single layer and one containing a double layer, were fabricated. In the double layer DSSC structure, the under-layer was TiO₂-P25 film, and the top layer consisted of a mixture of TiO₂-P25 and TiO₂ nanotubes. The results indicated that the efficiency of the DSSC with the double layer structure was a significant improvement in comparison to the DSSC consisting of only a single film layer. The addition of TiO₂-P25 in the top layer caused an improvement in the adsorption of dye molecules on the film rather than on the TiO₂ nanotubes only. The presence of the TiO₂ nanotubes together with TiO₂-P25 in the top layer revealed the enhancement in harvesting the incident light and an improvement of electron transport through the film.     

Integrative taxonomic analysis reveals a new species of Leptobrachium (Anura: Megophryidae) from north-eastern Cambodia and central Vietnam

ABSTRACT

Species boundaries within the red-eyed Leptobrachium of southern Indochina have been uncertain. Leptobrachium pullum and L. mouhoti from upper and lower elevations, respectively, of the Langbian Plateau of southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia differ in body size but have relatively low interspecific mitochondrial DNA divergence, leading to speculation that these might represent a single species with an elevational cline in body size. The recent discovery of an allopatric high-elevation population of red-eyed Leptobrachium on the Kon Tum Plateau (= Central Highlands) of north-eastern Cambodia and central Vietnam has been referred to both species, and to a putatively undescribed species. We examine variation in morphology of adults and tadpoles, mitochondrial DNA, 11 nuclear genes and advertisement calls, and show corroborating lines of evidence for the existence of three species of red-eyed Leptobrachium in southern Indochina. Although the three species are reciprocally monophyletic in mitochondrial DNA, their shallow mitochondrial DNA divergences are not mirrored by morphology, advertisement calls, or – in part – nuclear DNA, and probably reflect past mitochondrial introgression rather than recent speciation. The Central Highlands taxon is described herein as a new species.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CE6650AF-D9FB-40F4-8A2E-9B4E23AAC205