New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Electrodeposited Manganese Dioxide/Activated Carbon Composite As a High-Performance Electrode Material for Capacitive Deionization

Electrode materials are a crucial component for achieving high desalination performance via capacitive deionization (CDI). In the present work, we have successfully fabricated a manganese dioxide (MnO₂)/activated carbon (AC) composite electrode using an anodic electrodeposition technique. Surface characterization confirms the presence of electrodeposited MnO₂ on the AC surface with an amorphous structure and improved wetting behavior. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements indicate that the MnO₂/AC composite electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance (77.6 F g^–1 at 5 mV s^–1), rate capability, and excellent cycling reversibility for capacitive charge storage. Furthermore, the salt electrosorption capacity is investigated using batch mode experiments at a working voltage of 1.0 V in a 0.01 M NaCl solution. The MnO₂/AC composite electrode presents a superior electrosorption capacity of 9.3 mg g^–1, which is approximately 1.6-fold higher than that of the pure AC electrode (5.7 mg g^–1). This significant improvement can be attributed to the mixed capacitive-Faradaic process, corresponding to the combination of the double-layer charging of the high specific surface area (625 m² g^–1) and the pseudocapacitive redox reaction of MnO₂. Therefore, the electrodeposited MnO₂/AC composite is a potential electrode material for high-performance CDI