University of St Andrews

About: University of St Andrews is a education organization based out in St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Laser. The organization has 16260 authors who have published 43364 publications receiving 1636072 citations. The organization is also known as: St Andrews University & University of St. Andrews.

Genome-wide copy number variation study associates metabotropic glutamate receptor gene networks with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, heritable neuropsychiatric disorder of unknown etiology. We performed a whole-genome copy number variation (CNV) study on 1,013 cases with ADHD and 4,105 healthy children of European ancestry using 550,000 SNPs. We evaluated statistically significant findings in multiple independent cohorts, with a total of 2,493 cases with ADHD and 9,222 controls of European ancestry, using matched platforms. CNVs affecting metabotropic glutamate receptor genes were enriched across all cohorts (P = 2.1 × 10−9). We saw GRM5 (encoding glutamate receptor, metabotropic 5) deletions in ten cases and one control (P = 1.36 × 10−6). We saw GRM7 deletions in six cases, and we saw GRM8 deletions in eight cases and no controls. GRM1 was duplicated in eight cases. We experimentally validated the observed variants using quantitative RT-PCR. A gene network analysis showed that genes interacting with the genes in the GRM family are enriched for CNVs in ~10% of the cases (P = 4.38 × 10−10) after correction for occurrence in the controls. We identified rare recurrent CNVs affecting glutamatergic neurotransmission genes that were overrepresented in multiple ADHD cohorts.

Synthesis and device characterisation of side-chain polymer electron transport materials for organic semiconductor applications

Abstract: Improved syntheses and polymerisations are reported of monomers bearing electron transporting substituents based on 2,5-diphenyloxadiazole and 2,3-diphenylquinoxaline attached directly to a vinyl group. By copolymerisation and by use of mixtures of homopolymers, these materials have been incorporated into light emitting polymer devices in which hole conduction properties are provided by 4-vinyltriphenylamine groups. High luminescence efficiency is achieved by use of a fluorescent additive. The resulting devices show narrow emission bands and high brightnesses, except in the case of those based on a diphenyloxadiazole–triphenylamine polymer blend. Thermal analysis data are equivocal but we present evidence that in this system, but not the quinoxaline blend, phase separation occurs. The minority charge carrying capacity of the homopolymers is probed: it is shown that the quinoxaline derivative has hole blocking properties superior to those of the oxadiazole polymer and is a good candidate for use in optimised devices.

Induction of tumor-specific T cell memory by NK cell-mediated tumor rejection.

Abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells may modulate the development of adaptive immune responses, but until now there has been little evidence to support this hypothesis. We investigated the primary and secondary immunity elicited by various tumor cell lines that express CD70 and interact with CD70 ligand (CD27), which is constitutively expressed on NK cells. CD70 expression enhanced primary tumor rejection in vivo as well as T cell immunity against secondary tumor challenge. Primary rejection of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-deficient RMA-S.CD70 tumor cells was mediated by NK cells and perforin- and interferon-gamma-dependent mechanisms. This NK cell-mediated process also efficiently evoked the subsequent development of tumor-specific cytotoxic and T helper type 1 responses to the parental, MHC class I-sufficient, RMA tumor cells. Thus CD27-CD70 interactions provide a key link between innate NK cell responses and adaptive T cell immunity.

Language evolution: semantic combinations in primate calls.

Abstract: Putty-nosed monkeys rely on two basic calling sounds to construct a message of utmost urgency.