Estimates from Mendelian randomization studies of unrelated individuals can be biased due to uncontrolled confounding from familial effects. Here we describe methods for within-family Mendelian ...randomization analyses and use simulation studies to show that family-based analyses can reduce such biases. We illustrate empirically how familial effects can affect estimates using data from 61,008 siblings from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study and UK Biobank and replicated our findings using 222,368 siblings from 23andMe. Both Mendelian randomization estimates using unrelated individuals and within family methods reproduced established effects of lower BMI reducing risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. However, while Mendelian randomization estimates from samples of unrelated individuals suggested that taller height and lower BMI increase educational attainment, these effects were strongly attenuated in within-family Mendelian randomization analyses. Our findings indicate the necessity of controlling for population structure and familial effects in Mendelian randomization studies.
In this study, seasonal trends as well as dominant and significant periods of variability of drought variables were analyzed for 30 rainfall subdivisions in India over 141years (1871–2012). ...Standardized precipitation index (SPI) was used as a meteorological drought indicator, and various drought variables (monsoon SPI, non-monsoon SPI, yearly SPI, annual drought duration, annual drought severity and annual drought peak) were analyzed. Discrete wavelet transform was used in conjunction with the Mann-Kendall test to analyze trends and dominant periodicities associated with the drought variables. Furthermore, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) based global wavelet spectrum was used to analyze significant periods of variability associated with the drought variables. From the trend analysis, we observed that over the second half of the 20th century, drought occurrences increased significantly in subdivisions of Northeast and Central India. In both short-term (2–8years) and decadal (16–32years) periodicities, the drought variables were found to influence the trend. However, CWT analysis indicated that the dominant periodic components were not significant for most of the geographical subdivisions. Although inter-annual and inter-decadal periodic components play an important role, they may not completely explain the variability associated with the drought variables across the country.
•Trend and periodicity in monsoon, non monsoon and yearly SPI, drought severity, duration and peak over India is studied.•During the second half of 20th century, drought occurrences have increased over Northeast and Central India.•Inter-annual and inter-decadal periodic components play an important role in the observed trends in drought variables.•Inter-annual and inter-decadal periodic components may not completely explain the drought variability across the country.
Future climate change-driven alterations in precipitation patterns, increases in temperature, and rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (CO2atm) are expected to alter agricultural ...productivity and environmental quality, while high latitude countries like Canada are likely to face more challenges from global climate change. However, potential climate change impact on GHG emissions from tile-drained fields is poorly documented. Accordingly, climate change impacts on GHG emissions, N losses to drainage and crop production in a subsurface-drained field in Southern Quebec, Canada were assessed using calibrated and validated RZWQM2 model. The RZWQM2 model was run for a historical period (1971–2000) and for a future period (2038 to 2070) using data generated from 11 different GCM-RCMs (global climate models coupled with regional climate models). Under the projected warmer and higher rainfall conditions mean drainage flow was predicted to increase by 17%, and the N losses through subsurface drains increase by 47%. Despite the negative effect of warming temperature on crop yield, soybean yield was predicted to increase by 31% due to increased photosynthesis rates and improved crop water use efficiency (WUE) under elevated CO2atm, while corn yield was reduced by 7% even with elevated CO2atm because of a shorter life cycle from seedling to maturity resulted from higher temperature. The N2O emissions would be enhanced by 21% due to greater denitrification and mineralization, while CO2 emissions would increase by 16% because of more crop biomass accumulation, higher crop residue decomposition, and greater soil microbial activities. Soil organic carbon storage was predicted to decrease 22% faster in the future, which would result in higher global warming potential in turn. This study demonstrates the potential of exacerbating GHG emissions and water quality problems and reduced corn yield under climate change impact in subsurface drained fields in southern Quebec.
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•Climate change impact on greenhouse gas emissions in tile drained land was verified.•11 sets of GCM-RCM climate data were applied to the RZWQM2 for future prediction.•Higher warming potential, exacerbating air and water quality problem are expected.•Adaptation practices are needed to mitigate negative warming impacts on crop.
Glycolytic Oscillations and Limits on Robust Efficiency Chandra, Fiona A.; Buzi, Gentian; Doyle, John C.
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
07/2011, Letnik:
333, Številka:
6039
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Both engineering and evolution are constrained by trade-offs between efficiency and robustness, but theory that formalizes this fact is limited. For a simple two-state model of glycolysis, we ...explicitly derive analytic equations for hard trade-offs between robustness and efficiency with oscillations as an inevitable side effect. The model describes how the trade-offs arise from individual parameters, including the interplay of feedback control with autocatalysis of network products necessary to power and catalyze intermediate reactions. We then use control theory to prove that the essential features of these hard trade-off "laws" are universal and fundamental, in that they depend minimally on the details of this system and generalize to the robust efficiency of any autocatalytic network. The theory also suggests worst-case conditions that are consistent with initial experiments.
Starry sky appearance in Tuberculoma Chakraborty, U; Chandra, A
QJM : An International Journal of Medicine,
2021-Nov-05, Letnik:
114, Številka:
8
Journal Article
Hybrid supercapacitors are promising energy storage devices where high-power delivery is needed in continuous supply (such as e-vehicles, cranes, industrialized machines,
etc.
). Metal-organic ...frameworks (MOFs) are leading porous materials, and their pore size and shape can be easily modified by suitable incorporation of ligands and metal centers. The way to improve a supercapacitor's energy density is to engineer pores on electrode materials properly. For large-scale applications, a facile synthesis method is needed. Therefore, a porous crystal-structured novel nanosponge-like pristine Cu-MOF is synthesized in a facile one-pot synthesis method (a coprecipitation method) which has a 2D layered crystal structure containing diffusion channels. Cu-MOF exhibits a maximum specific capacity of 892 C g
−1
at 1 A g
−1
, showing pseudocapacitive behavior. Its specific capacity is retained at 95.3% after 10 000 charge-discharge cycles at 10 A g
−1
. A hybrid supercapacitor device has been fabricated with a maximum energy density of 88.2 W h kg
−1
and a maximum power density of 15.7 kW kg
−1
. And the as-fabricated device provides a rise in specific capacity of 120% even after 10 000 charge-discharge cycles at 10 A g
−1
.
A porous crystal structured nanosponge-like pristine Cu-MOF is synthesized using a facile one-pot synthesis method. It is adopted as an anode material to fabricate a aqueous hybrid supercapacitor device with a long lifespan and high energy density.
This paper investigates the logistics capabilities of offshore wind ports, namely physical characteristics, connectivity and layout of the port, for supporting the installation and operation and ...maintenance phases of offshore wind projects. The relative significance of these criteria is determined using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The AHP methodology is then applied in a case study as a decision-making tool to enable decision makers to assess the suitability of a number of ports for an offshore wind farm located off the North Sea coast of the United Kingdom (UK).
•AHP is used to reconcile the diverse factors involved in offshore wind port selection.•The key selection factor for Installation and O&M ports is the distance to the wind farm location.•The distance to the offshore site, Quay load bearing capacity, and Port's depth are important factors for installation ports.•Port Owners can assess the suitability of their port to support the future offshore wind sector.
Schrödinger's famous thought experiment involves a (macroscopic) cat whose quantum state becomes entangled with that of a (microscopic) decaying nucleus. The creation of such micro-macro entanglement ...is being pursued in several fields, including atomic ensembles, superconducting circuits, electro-mechanical and opto-mechanical systems. Here we experimentally demonstrate the micro-macro entanglement of light. The macro system involves over a hundred million photons, whereas the micro system is at the single-photon level. We show that microscopic quantum fluctuations (in field quadrature measurements) on one side are correlated with macroscopic fluctuations (in the photon number statistics) on the other side. Further, we demonstrate entanglement by bringing the macroscopic state back to the single-photon level and performing full quantum state tomography of the final state. Although Schrödinger's thought experiment was originally intended to convey the absurdity of applying quantum mechanics to macroscopic objects, this experiment and related ones suggest that it may apply on all scales.
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