Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies five new susceptibility loci for cutaneous malignant melanoma.

Thirteen common susceptibility loci have been reproducibly associated with cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). We report the results of an international 2-stage meta-analysis of CMM genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This meta-analysis combines 11 GWAS (5 previously unpublished) and a further three stage 2 data sets, totaling 15,990 CMM cases and 26,409 controls. Five loci not previously associated with CMM risk reached genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10(-8)), as did 2 previously reported but unreplicated loci and all 13 established loci. Newly associated SNPs fall within putative melanocyte regulatory elements, and bioinformatic and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data highlight candidate genes in the associated regions, including one involved in telomere biology.[Please see the Supplementary Note for acknowledgments.]This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from NPG via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.337

Wymiary przestrzeni życiowej współczesnej rodziny

Praca recenzowana / peer-reviewed pape

Konoplja kot legalni in ilegalni produkt : diplomsko delo univerzitetnega študija

Konoplja je ena najstarejših kultiviranih in vsestranskih rastlin. Že v preteklosti so jo uporabljali za pridobivanje vlaken, kot gradbeni material, v medicinske namene in tudi za kajenje. Zaradi vrst, ki vsebujejo psihoaktivne substance, kot je THC, so jo danes v mnogih državah prepovedali. Zelo veliko ljudi ob omembi konoplje pomisli na prepovedano drogo, in ravno zato so zraven legalnih produktov konoplje v nalogi predstavljeni tudi ilegalni — marihuana. Legalna pridelava konoplje pomeni predvsem industrijsko pridelavo te rastline. Industrijska konoplja obsega več vrst, mora pa ustrezati normam glede vsebnosti ključne psihoaktivne snovi, da zadosti strogim omejitvam. V Sloveniji je za industrijske namene največja dovoljena vsebnost THC-ja omejena na 0,2 %. Konoplja ima širok spekter možnosti predelave, in vedno več konopljinih izdelkov prodira na naše trge. Konoplja, ki se uporablja v zdravstvu, ima takšne značilnosti kot tista, ki se uporablja v nemedicinske namene in je v Sloveniji prepovedana. Starejši dokazi pa kažejo, da so konopljo uporabljali v medicinske namene že v starem Egiptu. Konoplja, ki ni namenjena medicinski uporabi, ima predvsem namen omamljanja in njena pridelava, nakup, prodaja so povezani s kriminaliteto. Zakonodaja v Sloveniji uvršča konopljo v najvišjo skupino prepovedanih drog, kar pomeni, da je nevarna za ljudi zaradi posledic, ki jih povzroča, in ni dovoljena za medicinsko uporabo. Zakonodaje se med različnimi evropskimi državami razlikujejo. Različni avtorji pišejo o legalizaciji kot o premiku v pozitivno smer, saj naj bi zmanjšala število kaznivih dejanj in prinesla dobiček državi.The hemp is one of the oldest cultivated and versatile plants. Even in the past they used it to attain fibers, building material, for medical purposes and also for smoking. Because of varieties which include psychoactive substances, such as THC, it has been prohibited in many countries. A lot of people think of marijuana when talking about the hemp, and that’s why the paper also talk about its illegal products next to the legal ones. Legal production of the hemp means especially its industrial production. Industrial hemp spans across many varieties, but it must align to norms regarding the inclusion of psychoactive substances to satisfy strict restrictions. In Slovenia, the largest amount of included THC for industrial purposes is 0,2%. The hemp has a wide spectre of production possibilities and an increasing number of hemp products is entering our markets. The hemp, used in medicine, has the same characteristics as the one used for non-medical purposes, and is forbidden in Slovenia. Meanwhile, older proof shows that the hemp was used for medical purposes even in ancient Egypt. The hemp’s purpose, when not used as medicine, is to intoxicate and its production, acquisition and sale is connected to crime. In Slovenia legislation places it in the topmost list of prohibited drugs, which means it is dangerous for people because of the consequences it leaves, and is therefore not allowed for medical use. The legislation of various European countries differs on this. Various authors write about its legislation as a move in a positive direction, because it would decrease the amount of crime and bring profit to the country

Synthesis and characterization of cellulose-based hydrogels

V prvem delu magistrskega dela sem raziskoval zamreževanje komercialne natrijeve soli karboksimetil celuloze z uporabo različnih zamreževalnih reagentov na osnovi naravnih dikarboksilnih kislin z različnimi dolžinami verig (citronska kislina, jantarna kislina in jabolčna kislina) ter 2,5-furandikarboksilne kisline, ki so sintetizirane iz biomase. Reakcije zamreževanja so bile izvedene pod različnimi pogoji (reakcijski čas in temperatura sušenja ter različna množinska razmerja med celuloznim derivatom in uporabljenim zamreževalnim reagentom). S pomočjo infrardeče spektroskopije in termogravimetrične analize so bili določeni najboljši pogoji zamreževanja, na podlagi katerih so bile reakcije zamreževanja celuloznega derivata prenesene na večjo skalo. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da so lastnosti hidrogelov odvisne od časa sušenja in koncentracije zamreževalnega reagenta. Hidrogel z najvišjo stopnjo absorpcije vode dobimo pri uporabi 10-odstotnega zamreževalnega reagenta. V tem primeru znaša stopnja absorpcije vode 54 %, kar je približno 10 % (m/m) več kot v primeru komercialnega hidrogela, ki je imel 45-odstotno stopnjo absorpcije vode. V drugem delu magistrskega dela sem študiral reakcije zamreževanja neposredno na nativni celulozni vlaknini. Primarno so bili pri reakcijah zamreževanja uporabljeni kislinski kloridi alifatskih karboksilnih kislin z različnimi dolžinami alifatskih verig (sukcinil, adipoil, suberoil in sebakoil diklorid). Na ta način je bil raziskan vpliv razdalje med posameznimi zamreženimi celuloznimi verigami na stopnjo absorpcije vode. Slednje je neposredno povezano tudi z velikostjo 3D-praznin, v katere se vežejo molekule vode. Reakcijski čas zamreževanja celuloze, temperatura zamreževanja in množinsko razmerje med celulozo in zamreževalnim reagentom so bili optimizirani. V nadaljevanju so bile reakcije zamreževanja izvedene tudi neposredno z dikarboksilnimi kislinami in ustreznimi anhidridi. Primerjal sem potek reakcij in lastnosti sintetiziranih hidrogelov pri uporabi različnih zamreževalnih reagentov. S pomočjo različnih analiznih tehnik je bil definiran optimalni zamreževalni reagent oziroma optimalni pogoji zamreževanja in reakcijo zamreževanja celulozne vlaknine sem prenesel na večje merilo. Rezultati so pokazali, da ima na lastnosti hidrogelov na osnovi celuloze največji vpliv množinsko razmerje med celulozo in uporabljenim zamreževalnim reagentom. V primeru nižjih količin zamreževalnih reagentov in posledično nižje stopnje zamreženja pride do izboljšanja absorpcijskih lastnosti napram absorpcijskim lastnostim celuloze. Zelo dobre absorpcijske lastnosti dosežemo v primeru, ko celulozo zamrežimo z nižjo množino zamreževalnega reagenta in jo nato še dodatno modificiramo s sukcinskim anhidridom. Delež vezane vode v tem primeru znaša okoli 44 % glede na maso suhega hidrogela, kar je primerljivo z lastnostmi komercialnega hidrogela. Najboljše absorpcijske lastnosti dosežemo v primeru modifikacije celuloze s sukcinsko kislino v mediju, sestavljenem iz N,N-dimetilacetamida in litijevega klorida. Pri omenjenem hidrogelu znaša stopnja absorpcije vode 70 %.The first part of my master\u27s thesis investigates crosslinking syntheses of commercial carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt using different crosslinking reagents based on natural dicarboxylic acids of different chain length (citric acid, succinic acid, malic acid) and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid as molecules from biomass. The crosslinking reactions were carried out under different conditions (reaction time and drying temperature as well as different molar ratios between the cellulose derivative and the crosslinking reagent). Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were carried out to determine the best crosslinking conditions, and cellulose derivative crosslinking reactions were transferred to a larger scale. It was found that properties of hydrogels depended on drying time and concentration of the crosslinking reagent. The hydrogel with the highest water absorption rate is obtained when 10 wt % of the crosslinking reagent is used. In this case, the water absorption rate was 54%, which is approximately 10% more than that of the commercial hydrogel with a water absorption rate of 45%. In the second part of my master\u27s thesis, crosslinking reactions directly on native cellulose fibers were studied. Primarily, acid chlorides of aliphatic carboxylic acids with different aliphatic chain lengths (succinyl-, adipoyl-, suberoyl- and sebacoyl-dichloride) were used to carry out the crosslinking reactions. In this way, the influence of the distance between individual cross-linked cellulose chains on the degree of water absorption was investigated. This is also directly related to the size of 3D spaces to which water molecules bind. The reaction time of cellulose crosslinking, the crosslinking temperature, and the ratio between cellulose and the crosslinking reagent were optimized. In addition, crosslinking reactions were also performed directly with dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides. Reactions and properties of the hydrogels synthesized using different crosslinking reagents were compared. Various analytical techniques were used to determine the optimal crosslinking reagent or optimal crosslinking conditions, and the crosslinking reaction of cellulose fibers was transferred to a larger scale. The results showed that the properties of cellulose-based hydrogels have the greatest influence on the mass ratio between cellulose and the crosslinking reagent used. With lower amounts of crosslinking reagents and consequently a lower degree of crosslinking, absorption properties, compared to those of cellulose, improve. The best absorption properties were achieved when cellulose was crosslinked with a lower amount of the crosslinking reagent and then additionally modified with succinic anhydride. In this case, the proportion of bound water was about 44%, based on the weight of the dry hydrogel, which is comparable to the properties of a commercial hydrogel. The best absorption properties are obtained when cellulose is modified with succinic acid in a medium comprising N,N-dimethylacetamide and lithium chloride. The hydrogel has a water absorption rate of 70%

Comparison of hydraulic, pneumatic and electric linear actuation systems

Diferent applications or industries use diferent systems for linear actuation, such as hydraulic, pneumatic or electric. Electric systems are becoming increasingly popular and are already replacing hydraulic systems in various applications. These are known to be potentially harmful to the environment, as large amounts of fuid can be released into the environment in the event of a pipe burst or other accident. This paper presents the results of a comparison between hydraulic, pneumatic and electric systems under variable conditions but with similar loads in all three systems. The common feature of all three systems is the input power, which was limited to 1.1 kW. There was no hydraulic accumulator in the hydraulic system and no pressure vessel in the pneumatic system, so no stored energy could infuence the system behaviour or results. The main diference between the systems studied was the profle of displacement and power consumption. The most consistent response and lowest power consumption were obtained with the electric system, although both hydraulic and pneumatic systems can achieve consistent response with some modifcations