Gender Differences in Associations of Glutamate Decarboxylase 1 Gene (GAD1) Variants with Panic Disorder

Background: Panic disorder is common (5% prevalence) and females are twice as likely to be affected as males. The heritable component of panic disorder is estimated at 48%. Glutamic acid dehydrogenase GAD1, the key enzyme for the synthesis of the inhibitory and anxiolytic neurotransmitter GABA, is supposed to influence various mental disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders. In a recent association study in depression, which is highly comorbid with panic disorder, GAD1 risk allele associations were restricted to females. Methodology/Principal Findings: Nineteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging the common variation in GAD1 were genotyped in two independent gender and age matched case-control samples (discovery sample n = 478; replication sample n = 584). Thirteen SNPs passed quality control and were examined for gender-specific enrichment of risk alleles associated with panic disorder by using logistic regression including a genotype×gender interaction term. The latter was found to be nominally significant for four SNPs (rs1978340, rs3762555, rs3749034, rs2241165) in the discovery sample; of note, the respective minor/risk alleles were associated with panic disorder only in females. These findings were not confirmed in the replication sample; however, the genotype×gender interaction of rs3749034 remained significant in the combined sample. Furthermore, this polymorphism showed a nominally significant association with the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire sum score. Conclusions/Significance: The present study represents the first systematic evaluation of gender-specific enrichment of risk alleles of the common SNP variation in the panic disorder candidate gene GAD1. Our tentative results provide a possible explanation for the higher susceptibility of females to panic disorder

The Asian miracle: Was it a capital-intensive structural change?

The Asian miracle has been the focus of much research seeking to understand this extraordinary phenomenon. Ventura (Quarterly Journal of Economics 112: 57-84.) offers an explanation for the success of the Asian Tigers in sustaining exceptional growth rates over an extended period based primarily on capital accumulation. He points to their ability as export-oriented economies to exploit the accumulated capital to reallocate from labor-intensive to capital-intensive sectors instead of raising the capital intensity within each sector. We test this argument using industry-level data on manufacturing in 33 countries over three decades. The evidence on the argument is mixed. We identify two stages in the evolution of the structural change in the Tigers. It was labor-intensive initially and became capital-intensive only in the 1980s. Compared to other countries, the Tigers are exceptional in the extent of their shift from a labor-intensive to a capital-intensive structural change during the sample period. However, structural change in the 1980s accounted for only a negligible part of capital accumulation in manufacturing.Asian miracle, structural changes, capital accumulation, sustained growth, capital intensity,

Journal of Integer Sequences, Vol. 10 (2007), Article 07.7.6

In this paper, we define a class of semiorders (or unit interval orders) that arose in the context of polyhedral combinatorics. In the first section of the paper, we will present a pure counting argument equating the number of these interesting (connected and irredundant) semiorders on n + 1 elements with the nth Riordan number. In the second section, we will make explicit the relationship between the interesting semiorders and a special class of Motzkin paths, namely, those Motzkin paths without horizontal steps of height 0, which are known to be counted by the Riordan numbers. 1 Counting Interesting Semiorders We begin with some basic definitions. Definition 1. A partially ordered set (X, ≺) is a semiorder if it satisfies the following two properties for any a,b,c,d ∈ X. • If a ≺ b and c ≺ d, a ≺ d or c ≺ b. • If a ≺ b ≺ c, then d ≺ c or a ≺ d. Semiorders are also known as unit interval orders in the literature. This name come

UT Austin Villa 2012: Standard Platform League World Champions

This paper describes the key contributions that led to the team’s victories. First, UT Austin Villa’s code base was developed on a solid foundation with a flexible architecture that enables easy testing and debugging of code. Next, the vision code was updated this year to take advantage of the dual cameras and better processor of the new V4 Nao robots. To improve localization, a custom localization simulator allowed us to implement and test a full team solution to the challenge of both goals being the same color. The 2012 team made use of Northern Bites ’ port of B-Human’s walk engine, combined with novel kicks from the walk. Finally, new behaviors and strategies take advantage of opportunities for the robot to take time to setup for a long kick, but kick very quickly when opponent robots are nearby. The combination of these contributions led to the team’s victories in 2012

The 2012 UT Austin Villa Code Release

Abstract. In 2012, UT Austin Villa claimed the Standard Platform League championships at both the US Open and the 2012 RoboCup competition held in Mexico City. This paper describes the code release associated with the team and discusses the key contributions of the release. This release will enable teams entering the Standard Platform League and researchers using the Naos to have a solid foundation from which to start their work as well as providing useful modules to existing researchers and RoboCup teams. We expect it to be of particular interest because it includes the architecture, logic modules, and debugging tools that led to the team’s success in 2012. This architecture is designed to be flexible and robust while enabling easy testing and debugging of code. The vision code was designed for easy use in creating color tables and debugging problems. A custom localization simulator that is included permits fast testing of full team scenarios. Also included is the kick engine which runs through a number of static joint poses and adapts them to the current location of the ball. This code release will provide a solid foundation for new RoboCup teams and for researchers that use the Naos

Renal Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans Modulate Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 Signaling in Experimental Chronic Transplant Dysfunction

<p>Depending on the glycan structure, proteoglycans can act as coreceptors for growth factors. We hypothesized that proteoglycans and their growth factor ligands orchestrate tissue remodeling in chronic transplant dysfunction. We have previously shown perlecan to be selectively up-regulated in the glomeruli and arteries in a rat renal transplantation model. Using the same model, here we present quantitative RT-PCR profiling data on proteoglycans and growth factors from laser-microdissected glomeruli, arterial tunicae mediae, and neointimae at 12 weeks after transplantation. In glomeruli and neointimae of allografts, selective induction of the matrix heparan sulfate proteoglycan perlecan was observed, along with massive accumulation of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2). Profiling the heparan sulfate polysaccharide side chains revealed conversion from a non-FGF2-binding heparan sulfate phenotype in control and isografted kidneys toward a FGF2-binding phenotype in allografts. In vitro experiments with perlecan-positive rat mesangial cells showed that FGF2-induced proliferation is dependent on sulfation and can be inhibited by exogenously added heparan sulfate. These findings indicate that matrix proteoglycans such as perlecan serve as functional docking platforms for FGF2 in chronic transplant dysfunction. We speculate that heparin-Like glycomimetics could be a promising intervention to retard development of glomerulosclerosis and neointima formation in chronic transplant dysfunction.</p>