Generalized genetic association study with samples of related individuals

Genetic association study is an essential step to discover genetic factors that are associated with a complex trait of interest. In this paper we present a novel generalized quasi-likelihood score (GQLS) test that is suitable for a study with either a quantitative trait or a binary trait. We use a logistic regression model to link the phenotypic value of the trait to the distribution of allelic frequencies. In our model, the allele frequencies are treated as a response and the trait is treated as a covariate that allows us to leave the distribution of the trait values unspecified. Simulation studies indicate that our method is generally more powerful in comparison with the family-based association test (FBAT) and controls the type I error at the desired levels. We apply our method to analyze data on Holstein cattle for an estimated breeding value phenotype, and to analyze data from the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism for alcohol dependence. The results show a good portion of significant SNPs and regions consistent with previous reports in the literature, and also reveal new significant SNPs and regions that are associated with the complex trait of interest.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-AOAS465 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Trade-off between multiple-copy transformation and entanglement catalysis

We demonstrate that multiple copies of a bipartite entangled pure state may serve as a catalyst for certain entanglement transformations while a single copy cannot. Such a state is termed a "multiple-copy catalyst" for the transformations. A trade-off between the number of copies of source state and that of the catalyst is also observed. These results can be generalized to probabilistic entanglement transformations directly.Comment: Essentially the journal version. 7 pages, no figures. Minor correction

Multiple-copy entanglement transformation and entanglement catalysis

We prove that any multiple-copy entanglement transformation [S. Bandyopadhyay, V. Roychowdhury, and U. Sen, Phys. Rev. A \textbf{65}, 052315 (2002)] can be implemented by a suitable entanglement-assisted local transformation [D. Jonathan and M. B. Plenio, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{83}, 3566 (1999)]. Furthermore, we show that the combination of multiple-copy entanglement transformation and the entanglement-assisted one is still equivalent to the pure entanglement-assisted one. The mathematical structure of multiple-copy entanglement transformations then is carefully investigated. Many interesting properties of multiple-copy entanglement transformations are presented, which exactly coincide with those satisfied by the entanglement-assisted ones. Most interestingly, we show that an arbitrarily large number of copies of state should be considered in multiple-copy entanglement transformations.Comment: 11 pages, RevTex 4. Main results unchanged. Journal versio

Demonstration of the First 4H-SiC EUV Detector with Large Detection Area

Ultraviolet (UV) and Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) detectors are very attractive in astronomy, photolithography and biochemical applications. For EUV applications, most of the semiconductor detectors based on PN or PIN structures suffer from the very short penetration depth. Most of the carries are absorbed at the surface and recombined there due to the high surface recombination before reach the depletion region, resulting very low quantum efficiency. On the other hand, for Schottky structures, the active region starts from the surface and carriers generated from the surface can be efficiently collected. 4H-Sic has a bandgap of 3.26eV and is immune to visible light background noise. Also, 4H-Sic detectors usually have very good radiation hardness and very low noise, which is very important for space applications where the signal is very weak. The E W photodiodes presented in this paper are based on Schottky structures. Platinum (Pt) and Nickel (Ni) are selected as the Schottky contact metals, which have the highest electron work functions (5.65eV and 5.15eV, respectively) among all the known metals on 4H-Sic

Emergent Superconductivity and Competing Charge Orders in Hole-Doped Square-Lattice tt-JJ Model

Recent large-scale numerical simulations on the square-lattice $t$-$J$ model demonstrate unconventional $d$-wave superconductivity on the electron-doped side but a dominant charge density wave (CDW) order on the hole-doped side, which is inconsistent with the high-$T_c$ superconductivity of hole-doped cuprate compounds. To address this issue, we systematically study the square-lattice $t$-$J$ model with a moderate ratio of the next-nearest-neighbor ($t_2$) to the nearest-neighbor ($t_1$) electron hopping $t_2/t_1$ modeling electron-doped ($t_2>0$) and hole-doped ($t_2<0$) cuprates, by employing the state-of-the-art density matrix renormalization group calculations. On 6-leg cylindrical system, while different CDW phases are identified on the hole-doped side for the doping range $\delta= 1/16-1/8$, a superconducting (SC) phase emerges at lower doping regime, where the pairing correlations exhibit a power-law decay with $d$-wave symmetry. On the wider 8-leg system, the $d$-wave SC also emerges on the hole-doped side at the optimal $1/8$ doping, demonstrating a change of the ground-state nature by increasing system width. Our results highlight rich possibilities for the emergence of superconductivity in the general $t$-$J$ model through weakening the competing charge orders, which could lead to a unified understanding of both hole- and electron-doped cuprate superconductors.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, with Supplemental Material

New Method for Numerically Solving the Chemical Potential Dependence of the Dressed Quark Propagator

Based on the rainbow approximation of Dyson-Schwinger equation and the assumption that the inverse dressed quark propagator at finite chemical potential is analytic in the neighborhood of $\mu=0$, a new method for obtaining the dressed quark propagator at finite chemical potential $\mu$ from the one at zero chemical potential is developed. Using this method the dressed quark propagator at finite chemical potential can be obtained directly from the one at zero chemical potential without the necessity of numerically solving the corresponding coupled integral equations by iteration methods. A comparison with previous results is given.Comment: Revtex, 14 pages, 5 figure

Atmospheric mercury inputs in montane soils increase with elevation: evidence from mercury isotope signatures

The influence of topography on the biogeochemical cycle of mercury (Hg) has received relatively little attention. Here, we report the measurement of Hg species and their corresponding isotope composition in soil sampled along an elevational gradient transect on Mt. Leigong in subtropical southwestern China. The data are used to explain orography-related effects on the fate and behaviour of Hg species in montane environments. The total- and methyl-Hg concentrations in topsoil samples show a positive correlation with elevation. However, a negative elevation dependence was observed in the mass- ependent fractionation (MDF) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF) signatures of Hg isotopes. Both a MIF (D199Hg) binary mixing approach and the traditional inert element method indicate that the content of Hg derived from the atmosphere distinctly increases with altitude.publishedVersio

Co

Different loading rates of photocatalysts Co3O4/C3N4 were prepared by calcination method. Their photocatalytic performances were evaluated by the degradation of methyl blue under visible light irradiation. The results show that the introduction of Co3O4 significantly improves the optical absorption properties of C3N4, which is beneficial to the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes on the surface of catalyst. The prepared Co3O4/C3N4 for visible photocatalytic degradation of methyl blue has higher catalytic efficiency than that of pure C3N4 or pure Co3O4. The best cobalt loading rate was 30% when the concentration of methylene blue was 40 mg/L. Recycling rate of 30% Co3O4/C3N4 composite catalyst was studied. After 4 cycles, the degradation rate was only slightly decreased from 86.8% to 82.8%, indicating the catalyst with good photostability and repeatability.nbs

Selection and environmental adaptation along a path to speciation in the Tibetan frog Nanorana parkeri.

Tibetan frogs, Nanorana parkeri, are differentiated genetically but not morphologically along geographical and elevational gradients in a challenging environment, presenting a unique opportunity to investigate processes leading to speciation. Analyses of whole genomes of 63 frogs reveal population structuring and historical demography, characterized by highly restricted gene flow in a narrow geographic zone lying between matrilines West (W) and East (E). A population found only along a single tributary of the Yalu Zangbu River has the mitogenome only of E, whereas nuclear genes of W comprise 89-95% of the nuclear genome. Selection accounts for 579 broadly scattered, highly divergent regions (HDRs) of the genome, which involve 365 genes. These genes fall into 51 gene ontology (GO) functional classes, 14 of which are likely to be important in driving reproductive isolation. GO enrichment analyses of E reveal many overrepresented functional categories associated with adaptation to high elevations, including blood circulation, response to hypoxia, and UV radiation. Four genes, including DNAJC8 in the brain, TNNC1 and ADORA1 in the heart, and LAMB3 in the lung, differ in levels of expression between low- and high-elevation populations. High-altitude adaptation plays an important role in maintaining and driving continuing divergence and reproductive isolation. Use of total genomes enabled recognition of selection and adaptation in and between populations, as well as documentation of evolution along a stepped cline toward speciation

Leveraging Optical Communication Fiber and AI for Distributed Water Pipe Leak Detection

Detecting leaks in water networks is a costly challenge. This article introduces a practical solution: the integration of optical network with water networks for efficient leak detection. Our approach uses a fiber-optic cable to measure vibrations, enabling accurate leak identification and localization by an intelligent algorithm. We also propose a method to access leak severity for prioritized repairs. Our solution detects even small leaks with flow rates as low as 0.027 L/s. It offers a cost-effective way to improve leak detection, enhance water management, and increase operational efficiency.Comment: Accepte