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The aim of this study was to investigate the variations in meat quality, lipid metabolism-related genes, myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform genes and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) gene mRNA expressions in longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of two different pig breeds. Six Rongchang and six Landrace barrows were slaughtered at 161 days of age. Subsequently, meat quality traits and gene expression levels in LM were observed. Results showed that Rongchang pigs not only exhibited greater pH, CIE a*24 h and intramuscular fat content but also exhibited lower body weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, LM area and CIE b*24 h compared with Landrace pigs (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the mRNA expression levels of the lipogenesis (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase) and fatty acid uptake (lipoprotein lipase)-related genes were greater in the Rongchang (P<0.05), whereas the lipolysis (adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone sensitive lipase) and fatty acid oxidation (carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1B)-related genes were better expressed in the Landrace. Moreover, compared with the Landrace, the mRNA expression levels of MyHCI, MyHCIIa and MyHCIIx were greater, whereas the mRNA expression levels of MyHCIIb were lower in the Rongchang pigs (P<0.05). In addition, the mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α were greater in Rongchang pigs than in the Landrace (P<0.05), which can partly explain the differences in MyHC isoform gene expressions between Rongchang and Landrace pigs. Although the small number of samples does not allow to obtain a definitive conclusion, we can suggest that Rongchang pigs possess better meat quality, and the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the better meat quality in fatty pigs may be partly due to the higher mRNA expression levels of lipogenesis and fatty acid uptake-related genes, as well as the oxidative and intermediate muscle fibers, and due to the lower mRNA expression levels of lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation-related genes, as well as the glycolytic muscle fibers.

Mutations in the essential telomerase genes TERT and TR cause familial pulmonary fibrosis; however, in telomerase-null mice, short telomeres predispose to emphysema after chronic cigarette smoke exposure. Here, we tested whether telomerase mutations are a risk factor for human emphysema by examining their frequency in smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Across two independent cohorts, we found 3 of 292 severe COPD cases carried deleterious mutations in TERT (1%). This prevalence is comparable to the frequency of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency documented in this population. The TERT mutations compromised telomerase catalytic activity, and mutation carriers had short telomeres. Telomerase mutation carriers with emphysema were predominantly female and had an increased incidence of pneumothorax. In families, emphysema showed an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern, along with pulmonary fibrosis and other telomere syndrome features, but manifested only in smokers. Our findings identify germline mutations in telomerase as a Mendelian risk factor for COPD susceptibility that clusters in autosomal dominant families with telomere-mediated disease including pulmonary fibrosis.

Abl-mediated transformation requires the activation of multiple pathways involved in the cellular proliferation and survival, including PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT-dependent Pim kinases. Recently, the E17K mutation in the AKT1 has been associated with multiple human malignancies and leukemia in mice. However, this mutation has not been identified in Abl-transformed cells. We investigated the presence of the AKT1(E17K) mutation in v-Abl-transformed cell clones. AKT1(E17K) was detected in 3 (2.6%) of 116 specimens examined. To show the involvement of AKT1(E17K) directly in v-Abl-mediated tumorigenesis, we infected bone marrow cells from mice with bicistronic retroviruses encoding v-Abl and either wild-type or the mutant AKT1. Interestingly, we found that E17K mutant greatly increased the v-Abl transformation efficiency as compared with wild-type AKT1. Ectopic expression of E17K mutant increased the expression levels of antiapoptotic protein BCL2 and phosphorylation levels of proapoptotic protein BAD. This correlated with an increased protection from imatinib-induced apoptosis in Abl transformants. Furthermore, AKT1(E17K) promotes survival of the Pim-deficient cells, indicating a functional link between AKT and Pim in v-Abl transformation. In addition, AKT1(E17K) delays loss of Pim-1 and Pim-2 protein levels on v-Abl inactivation, which suggests that there exists reciprocal signaling between AKT and Pim in v-Abl transformants.

The correlated response in traits encompassing meat quality, carcass, sexual maturity, egg production, and egg quality traits arising from selection for increased intramuscular fat (IMF) content of breast muscle were investigated in the fifth generation of a selection experiment including a line (F) selected for increased IMF and a randombred control line (C). The results showed that breast muscle IMF content in the F line (4.25%) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that in the C line (3.80%) after 5 generations of selection. The same trend was observed in IMF content in thigh muscle (20.03 vs. 19.41%, P < 0.05). The shear force of breast muscle in the F line was lower than that in the C line (1.82 vs. 2.12 kg, P < 0.01), whereas increases occurred in BW (P < 0.05), carcass weight (P < 0.05), breast muscle weight (P < 0.001), breast muscle percentage of live weight (P < 0.05), abdominal fat weight (P < 0.001), ovarian weight at 90 d of age (P < 0.05), and egg weight (P < 0.05) in the F line, relative to the C line. Age at first lay in the F line was 4.84 d earlier than that in the C line (P < 0.001). No differences were found between the 2 lines (P > 0.05) in the following traits: drip loss, meat color (L*, a*, and b*), carcass percentage, thigh muscle weight, thigh muscle percentage, abdominal fat percentage, first egg weight, egg number (until 43 wk), Haugh units, shell thickness, and egg shape. The results of the present study demonstrated that selection for breast muscle IMF leads to desirable changes in meat quality, carcass, sexual maturity, and egg production traits.

PurposeIn order to explore the damaging effect of behind-armor debris of explosively formed projectile (EFP) attack on the top armor of tank and the internal parts of vehicles, a method of damage probability calculation based on experiments is proposed.Design/methodology/approachThe equivalent target structure of rear-effect damage of the equipment and personnel in the vehicle is determined based on the analysis of the vulnerability of internal equipment and personnel in the tank. The experimental scheme to obtain the density distribution of behind-armor debris is designed, and the calculation model of the damage probability of cavitating antipersonnel debris to the key components of the vehicle is given in the range of scattering angles and different broken pieces.FindingsThe examples show that the damage probability calculation model can be used in the process of evaluating the damage of the equipment and personnel in the tank by behind-armor debris.Originality/valueAn experimental model based on the analysis of the vulnerability of the equipment and personnel is proposed to calculate the damage probability from debris falling on the equipment and personnel in the vehicle. The results are of great value to the calculation of damage evaluation of the equipment and personnel in the tank.

Monolayer (ML) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are of great research interest due to their potential use in ultrathin electronic and optoelectronic applications. They show promise in new concept devices in spintronics and valleytronics. Here we present a growth study by molecular-beam epitaxy of ML and sub-ML MoSe2, an important member of TMDs, revealing its unique growth characteristics as well as the formation processes of domain boundary (DB) defects. A dramatic effect of growth temperature and post-growth annealing on DB formation is uncovered.

Using time-variable gravity measurements from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission, we estimate ice mass changes over Greenland during the period April 2002 to November 2005. After correcting for the effects of spatial filtering and limited resolution of GRACE data, the estimated total ice melting rate over Greenland is -239 ± 23 cubic kilometers per year, mostly from East Greenland. This estimate agrees remarkably well with a recent assessment of -224 ± 41 cubic kilometers per year, based on satellite radar interferometry data. GRACE estimates in southeast Greenland suggest accelerated melting since the summer of 2004, consistent with the latest remote sensing measurements.

Shipborne satellite communication antenna which is used for remote control plays an irreplaceable role in ships, it is necessary to monitor its operation state. However, obtaining sufficient fault information in mass monitoring data is particularly difficult, which greatly degrades performance of existing intelligent algorithms. In this paper, a novel meta-learning network is proposed to realize state recognition of shipborne antenna under small samples prerequisite. The network is constructed to improve generalization even though inputs collected under different operating conditions. Meta-learning network consists of sampler, feature extractor, auxiliary classifier and discriminator. It trains an adaptive pseudo-distance to evaluate the degree of correlation between different data, then realize classification task. Feasibility and effectiveness of the network are verified by three bearing datasets. Results show that the proposed method uses few samples to successfully classify mechanical data of shipborne antenna even with different rotating speed and random noise.

To the Editor: According to the Food and Drug Administration, trovafloxacin, a broad-spectrum quinolone antibiotic, has been associated with more than 100 cases of hepatic toxicity. Fourteen of these cases involved acute liver failure, with transplantation required in four patients; five patients died of liver disease. More than 300,000 prescriptions for trovafloxacin were written monthly in the United States before use of the drug was limited to certain serious infections in an inpatient setting. There have been a few reports of hepatic toxicity associated with the use of quinolones 1 – 3 but to our knowledge no published reports of toxicity associated . . .