Lund University

About: Lund University is a education organization based out in Lund, Sweden. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 42345 authors who have published 124676 publications receiving 5016438 citations. The organization is also known as: Lunds Universitet & University of Lund.

A comprehensive quantification of global nitrous oxide sources and sinks

Abstract: Nitrous oxide (N2O), like carbon dioxide, is a long-lived greenhouse gas that accumulates in the atmosphere. Over the past 150 years, increasing atmospheric N2O concentrations have contributed to stratospheric ozone depletion1 and climate change2, with the current rate of increase estimated at 2 per cent per decade. Existing national inventories do not provide a full picture of N2O emissions, owing to their omission of natural sources and limitations in methodology for attributing anthropogenic sources. Here we present a global N2O inventory that incorporates both natural and anthropogenic sources and accounts for the interaction between nitrogen additions and the biochemical processes that control N2O emissions. We use bottom-up (inventory, statistical extrapolation of flux measurements, process-based land and ocean modelling) and top-down (atmospheric inversion) approaches to provide a comprehensive quantification of global N2O sources and sinks resulting from 21 natural and human sectors between 1980 and 2016. Global N2O emissions were 17.0 (minimum-maximum estimates: 12.2-23.5) teragrams of nitrogen per year (bottom-up) and 16.9 (15.9-17.7) teragrams of nitrogen per year (top-down) between 2007 and 2016. Global human-induced emissions, which are dominated by nitrogen additions to croplands, increased by 30% over the past four decades to 7.3 (4.2-11.4) teragrams of nitrogen per year. This increase was mainly responsible for the growth in the atmospheric burden. Our findings point to growing N2O emissions in emerging economies-particularly Brazil, China and India. Analysis of process-based model estimates reveals an emerging N2O-climate feedback resulting from interactions between nitrogen additions and climate change. The recent growth in N2O emissions exceeds some of the highest projected emission scenarios3,4, underscoring the urgency to mitigate N2O emissions.

Density matrix averaged atomic natural orbital (ANO) basis sets for correlated molecular wave functions

Abstract: Generally contracted basis sets for second row atoms have been constructed using the Atomic Natural Orbital (ANO) approach, with modifications for allowing symmetry breaking and state averaging. The ANOs are constructed by averaging over several atomic states, positive and negative ions, and atoms in an external electric field. The contracted basis sets give virtually identical results as the corresponding uncontracted sets for the atomic properties, which they have been designed to reproduce. The design objective has been to describe the ionization potential, the electron affinity, and the polarizability as accurately as possible. The result is a set of well balanced basis sets for molecular calculations. The starting primitive sets are 17s12p5d4f for the second row atoms Na-Ar. Corresponding ANO basis sets for first row atoms have recently been published.

Genome-wide association scan meta-analysis identifies three Loci influencing adiposity and fat distribution

Abstract: To identify genetic loci influencing central obesity and fat distribution, we performed a meta-analysis of 16 genome-wide association studies (GWAS, N = 38,580) informative for adult waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR). We selected 26 SNPs for follow-up, for which the evidence of association with measures of central adiposity (WC and/or WHR) was strong and disproportionate to that for overall adiposity or height. Follow-up studies in a maximum of 70,689 individuals identified two loci strongly associated with measures of central adiposity; these map near TFAP2B (WC, P = 1.9x10(-11)) and MSRA (WC, P = 8.9x10(-9)). A third locus, near LYPLAL1, was associated with WHR in women only (P = 2.6x10(-8)). The variants near TFAP2B appear to influence central adiposity through an effect on overall obesity/fat-mass, whereas LYPLAL1 displays a strong female-only association with fat distribution. By focusing on anthropometric measures of central obesity and fat distribution, we have identified three loci implicated in the regulation of human adiposity.

Atomic Resolution Structure of Monomorphic Aβ42 Amyloid Fibrils

Abstract: Amyloid-β (Aβ) is a 39–42 residue protein produced by the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which subsequently aggregates to form cross-β amyloid fibrils that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The most prominent forms of Aβ are Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42, which differ by two amino acids (I and A) at the C-terminus. However, Aβ42 is more neurotoxic and essential to the etiology of AD. Here, we present an atomic resolution structure of a monomorphic form of AβM01–42 amyloid fibrils derived from over 500 13C–13C, 13C–15N distance and backbone angle structural constraints obtained from high field magic angle spinning NMR spectra. The structure (PDB ID: 5KK3) shows that the fibril core consists of a dimer of Aβ42 molecules, each containing four β-strands in a S-shaped amyloid fold, and arranged in a manner that generates two hydrophobic cores that are capped at the end of the chain by a salt bridge. The outer surface of the monomers presents hydrophilic side chains to the solvent. The interface...

Globalization and Religious Nationalism: Self, Identity and the Search for Ontological Security

Abstract: The globalization of economics, politics, and human affairs has made individuals and groups more ontologically insecure and existentially uncertain. One main response to such insecurity is to seek reaffirmation of one's self identity by drawing closer to any collective that is perceived as being able to reduce insecurity and existential anxiety. The combination of religion and nationalism is a particularly powerful response ("identity-signifier") in times of rapid change and uncertain futures, and is therefore more likely than other identity constructions to arise during crises of ontological insecurity. The aftermath of 9/11 continues to play a defining role in world politics. The bombs over Afghanistan have been replaced by fragile attempts to keep the country together as funds are drying up and the Afghan regions are again becoming increasingly divided. The people of Iraq continue to live in fear and uncertainty of their livelihood as international forces struggle to set up an interim regime contested by many. Australians, who had felt largely untouched by world conflict, have seen themselves being forced onto the stage of world politics as a result of the terrorist assault in Bali. Palestinians continue to lose the battle of the occupied territories, and the headquarters of the Palestinian authorities are under constant siege in response to yet another deadly raid on Israeli civilians. Heightened tension at international airports is affecting all travelers, but some more than others as non-Westerners come under constant scrutiny. Those risking their lives to escape the economic and political hardship of their countries in search of a better life for themselves and their children are increasingly denied access to Western societies. And national governments are responding to their citizens' concern for tightened security and the closing of borders to immigrants and