Background: Methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) are the genetic variants that may affect the DNA methylation patterns of CpG sites. However, their roles in influencing the disturbances of smoking-related epigenetic changes have not been well established. This study was conducted to address whether mQTLs exist in the vicinity of smoking-related CpG sites (±50kb) and to examine their associa

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have shown that common genetic variation contributes to the heritable risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To identify new susceptibility loci for the largest subtype of ALL, B-cell precursor ALL (BCP-ALL), we conducted a meta-analysis of two GWASs with imputation using 1000 Genomes and UK10K Project data as reference (totaling 1658 cases an

The conversion of lignin to potentially high-value low molecular weight compounds often results in complex mixtures of monomeric and oligomeric compounds. In this study, a method for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of 40 lignin-derived compounds using ultra-high-performance supercritical fluid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPSFC/QTOF-MS) has been

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified several, mainly co-dominantly acting, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). We searched for recessively acting disease loci by performing an analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH) based on windows of homozygous SNP-blocks and by calculating genomic inbreeding coefficients on a SNP-wise basis. We used da

The main objective was to locate QTL and estimate the proportion of total genetic variance attributable to quantitative trait loci (QTL) for production index traits and the udder health index identified on six Bos taurus autosomes in the Danish Holstein dairy cattle population. Data were obtained from a granddaughter design of 20 sire families with a total of 1 869 progeny tested sons. The number

Critical debates within the science of (social) epidemiology concern the relative lackof social theory in epidemiological research and the low discriminatory accuracy (DA)of much epidemiological knowledge on factors and markers of risk for disease.Against this background, this thesis integrates intersectionality theory intoepidemiological study. The purposes are to improve the understanding ofhete

In this study, the impact of various traits and effects on auction price of Texel, Suffolk and German white-headed mutton rams was determined. Furthermore, (co)variance components between auction price and performance traits recorded at licensing were estimated. Data from 1988 to 2007 were extracted from the recording database of the Sheep Breeding Organisation in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Auct

A granddaughter design with 10 grandsires was simulated to investigate different types of measurements of performance traits in marker assisted breeding evaluation (MA-BE). Genetic and phenotypic data were simulated for all grandsires, granddams and 500 sires. For each of the 100 replicates of the simulation the gametic relationship matrix was computed for one position and a MA-BE was performed to

Building on the works of James J. Helm, I argue that it is both fruitful and plausible to read Aeschylus’s Oresteia as expounding a coherent moral outlook. Going beyond Helm, I offer a reading of the trilogy as incorporating a system of deontic requirements that amounts to a kind of noncodi able ethical pluralism that does not fall prey to any blatant self-contradictions and that can be interprete

Aims: Impact of changes of treatments on outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in real-life health care has not been documented.Methods and results: All STEMI cases (n = 105.674) registered in the nation-wide SWEDEHEART registry between 1995 and 2014 were included and followed for fatal and non-fatal outcomes for up to 20 years. Most changes in treatment and outcomes occu

Background: Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) is a mucin produced by serosal cells in response to mechanical and inflammatory stimuli. CA125 has emerged as prognostic biomarker in heart failure (HF) and correlates with markers of fluid overload, echocardiographic parameters and prognosis in HF patients. In patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), elevated CA125 is correlated with a higher risk

Background: Galectin 3 and ST2 are mediators and biomarkers of myocardial fibrosis and remodeling that have recently entered the clinical practice guidelines as prognostic factors in heart failure patients. Elevated galectin 3 and ST2 levels in acute myocardial infarction patients have also been associated with increased incidence of adverse events during follow-up. Purpose: We aimed to assess the

Young adults have largely been absent in previous research on consequences of high sex ratios in China and few studies have zoomed in on those belonging to the higher strata of the population. With the purpose of contributing to filling this gap, this study investigates what implications sex ratio imbalance has for mate selection strategies and practices among young adults aged 19–24 in higher edu

With the proliferation and application of democratic innovations around the world, the empirical study of deliberative and participatory processes has shifted from small-scale environments and experiments to real-lifepolitical processes on a large scale. With this shift, there is also a need to explore new theoretical approaches in order to understand current developments. Instead of analyzing dem

While pure deliberation has still not been found online, the field of online deliberation research is blossoming. Born out of the “frustrations and possibilities” of the 1990s, a current theme in the field is to re-link deliberative theory with empirical political science. The aim of this systematic literature review is to sort out and examine important features of this development; to identify an