Transancestral GWAS of alcohol dependence reveals common genetic underpinnings with psychiatric disorders

Liability to alcohol dependence (AD) is heritable, but little is known about its complex polygenic architecture or its genetic relationship with other disorders. To discover loci associated with AD and characterize the relationship between AD and other psychiatric and behavioral outcomes, we carried out the largest genome-wide association study to date of DSM-IV-diagnosed AD. Genome-wide data on 14,904 individuals with AD and 37,944 controls from 28 case-control and family-based studies were meta-analyzed, stratified by genetic ancestry (European, n = 46,568; African, n = 6,280). Independent, genome-wide significant effects of different ADH1B variants were identified in European (rs1229984; P = 9.8 x 10(-13)) and African ancestries (rs2066702; P = 2.2 x 10(-9)). Significant genetic correlations were observed with 17 phenotypes, including schizophrenia, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, depression, and use of cigarettes and cannabis. The genetic underpinnings of AD only partially overlap with those for alcohol consumption, underscoring the genetic distinction between pathological and nonpathological drinking behaviors.Peer reviewe

Antiferromagnetic ordering in superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O₆_.₅

Commensurate antiferromagnetic ordering has been observed in the superconducting high-Tc cuprate YBa2Cu3O6.5 (Tc=55 K) by polarized and unpolarized elastic neutron scattering. The magnetic peak intensity exhibits a marked enhancement at Tc. Zero-field µSR experiments demonstrate that the staggered magnetization is not truly static but fluctuates on a nanosecond time scale. These results point towards an unusual spin density wave state coexisting with superconductivity. The coexistence of superconductivity with an antiferromagnetic (AF) state has recently been reported in certain Ce based heavy fermion systems under pressure [1], inspiring theories of spin fluctuation mediated pairing of electrons in these systems. In contrast, the antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases of the copper oxide high-Tc superconductors are generally considered to be well separated [2]. However, since the early days of high temperature superconductivity, there have been persistent reports of local magnetic moments in 1 the metallic and superconducting regimes of the phase diagram. Specifically, zero-field muo