Integration of expression profiles and endo-phenotypes in genetic association studies: A Bayesian approach to determine the path from gene to disease

In genetic association studies of complex diseases, endo-phenotypes such as expression profiles, epigenetic data, or clinical intermediate-phenotypes provide insight to understand the underlying biological path of the disease. In such situations, in order to establish the path from the gene to the disease, we have to decide whether the gene acts on the disease phenotype primarily through a specific endo-phenotype or whether the gene influences the disease through an unidentified path which is characterized by different intermediate phenotypes. Here, we address the question that a genetic locus, given its effect on an endo-phenotype, influences the trait of interest primarily through the path of the endo-phenotype. We propose a Bayesian approach that can evaluate the genetic association between the genetic locus and the phenotype of interest in the presence of the genetic effect on the endo-phenotype. Using simulation studies, we verify that our approach has the desired properties and compare this approach with a mediation approach. The proposed Bayesian approach is illustrated by an application to genome-wide association study for childhood asthma (CAMP) that contains expression profiles.

A functional approach toward xerogel immobilization for encapsulation biocompatibility of Rhizobium toward biosensor

Sol-gel derived silica has tremendous applications as a biocompatible scaffold for the immobilization of cells. The use of xerogel as a matrix in the blueprint of biosensors is an appealing proposition due to several inimitable characteristics of xerogels, primarily because of their high porous nature, amendable pore size, and exceptionally large internal surface area. Morphological （X-Ray Diffraction and Thermogravimmetric Analysis） and optical （Fourier Transform Infrared and UV-Vis absorption） studies of the silica matrices with entrapped Rhizobial （Rz） structure of the biomaterial has been made. Temporal and concentration dependent studies were conducted for impregnated samples; it showed that the response time for the new biosensor for determining the concentration of Rz is less than 20 min. In this work, first time a novel avenue to create a generic approach for the fabrication of biosensor has been created.

Impedance spectroscopic and dielectric properties of nanosized Y_(2/3)Cu_(3)Ti_(4)O_(12)ceramic

Yttrium Copper Titanate(Y_(2/3)Cu_(3)Ti_(4)O_(12))nanoceramic is structurally analogous to CaCu_(3)Ti_(4)O_(12)(CCTO).X-ray diffraction(XRD)of Y_(2/3)Cu_(3)Ti_(4)O_(12)(YCTO)shows the presence of all normal peaks of CCTO.SEM micrograph exhibits the presence of bimodal grains of size ranging from 1–2
m.Bright field TEM image clearly displays nanocrystalline particle which is supported by presence of a few clear rings in the corresponding selected area electron diffraction(SAED)pattern.It exhibits a high value of dielectric constant("0?8434)at room temperature and 100 Hz frequency with characteristic relaxation peaks.Impedance and modulus studies revealed the presence of temperature-dependent Maxwell–Wagner type of relaxation in the ceramic.