Characterization of the equine skeletal muscle transcriptome identifies novel functional responses to exercise training

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Digital gene expression profiling was used to characterize the assembly of genes expressed in equine skeletal muscle and to identify the subset of genes that were differentially expressed following a ten-month period of exercise training. The study cohort comprised seven Thoroughbred racehorses from a single training yard. Skeletal muscle biopsies were collected at rest from the <it>gluteus medius </it>at two time points: T₁- untrained, (9 ± 0.5 months old) and T₂- trained (20 ± 0.7 months old).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The most abundant mRNA transcripts in the muscle transcriptome were those involved in muscle contraction, aerobic respiration and mitochondrial function. A previously unreported over-representation of genes related to RNA processing, the stress response and proteolysis was observed. Following training 92 tags were differentially expressed of which 74 were annotated. Sixteen genes showed increased expression, including the mitochondrial genes <it>ACADVL</it>, <it>MRPS21 </it>and <it>SLC25A29 </it>encoded by the nuclear genome. Among the 58 genes with decreased expression, <it>MSTN</it>, a negative regulator of muscle growth, had the greatest decrease.</p> <p>Functional analysis of all expressed genes using FatiScan revealed an asymmetric distribution of 482 Gene Ontology (GO) groups and 18 KEGG pathways. Functional groups displaying highly significant (<it>P </it>< 0.0001) increased expression included mitochondrion, oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid metabolism while functional groups with decreased expression were mainly associated with structural genes and included the sarcoplasm, laminin complex and cytoskeleton.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Exercise training in Thoroughbred racehorses results in coordinate changes in the gene expression of functional groups of genes related to metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation and muscle structure.</p

The need to educate the construction professional in design and construction concepts in a sustainable future

In the construction world, in our western culture, it is now not unusual to recycle whole or parts of buildings rather than their component materials. The philosophy and the practicalities of designing and constructing new buildings as recyclable or even dismountable is still relatively recent even though the concept as an objective may be seen as fundamental to sustainability. The time urgency of educating our professional in planning and designing such structures within a framework of dwindling resources within the developed and the rapidly developing nations such as China and other nations within the Asia Pacific is becoming apparent. How to educate successfully in any area remains an ever developing and dynamic science, challenging the time scale in education commitments compared with a professional's perceived working life and considering the requirements of continuing professional development required for accreditation. Many issues including community demands and perceptions, cultural precepts drive the changes in educational curricula but may be hampered by the educators' educational background. This paper attempts to examine the educational priorities that may have to be established and synthesised in a lifetime educational process, it will try to demonstrate the rationale for recycling in design, construction practice and documentation. It will also look at some of the issues that have to be faced by professionals when practical and economic realities are expected to override the 'wish' list implied in the concepts of sustainability

Retinal Effects of 6 Months of Daily Use of Tadalafil or Sildenafil

Objective: To assess changes in electroretinography (ERG) and other retinal function parameters during 6 months of daily use of tadalafil, sildenafil citrate, or placebo

The Heavenly Sanctuary/Temple Motif in the Hebrew Bible : Function and Relationship to the Earthly Counterparts

The present dissertation investigates the function of the heavenly sanctuary/temple and its relationship to the earthly counterparts, as reflected in forty-three passages of Hebrew Bible. Following an introductory chapter, the second chapter of this dissertation is devoted to a survey of the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif in the ANE literature, as represented by Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, and Egyptian texts. The investigation of these texts reveals that the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif was part of the worldview of the ANE, where the heavenly sanctuary was not only assumed as existing in heaven, but also as functioning in close relationship to the earthly counterparts. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 are devoted to the exegesis of heavenly sanctuary/temple passages in the Hebrew Scriptures, according to the canonical divisions of the Hebrew Bible (namely Torah, Prophets, and Writings). This investigation reveals the pervasive presence of the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif in the Hebrew Bible and provides a broad delineation of its function and relationship to the earthly counterparts. It has been found that the heavenly sanctuary temple functions as a place of divine activities where YHWH supervises the cosmos, performs acts of judgment (sometimes conceived as a two-stage activity in which the execution of the sentence was preceded by an investigative phase), hears the prayers of the needy, and bestows atonement and forgiveness upon the sinners. The perception also emerged of the heavenly sanctuary/temple as a place of worship, a meeting place for the heavenly council, and an object of attack by anti-YHWH forces, thus playing a pivotal role in the cosmic battle between good and evil. In terms of its relationship to the earthly counterparts, it becomes apparent that the heavenly sanctuary/temple was understood to operate in structural and functional correspondence to the earthly counterparts. Moreover, some texts reveal a dynamic interaction between heavenly and earthly sanctuaries/temples, inasmuch as the activities of one could affect the other. Chapter 6 presents a theological synthesis of the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif based on the previous chapters. Some consideration is given to the similarities and differences between the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif as found in the Hebrew Bible and in its ANE background. Next, attention is devoted to some theological implications of the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif for the notions of judgment, cosmic battle, and covenant. To conclude, the Hebrew Bible conceives of the heavenly sanctuary/temple in functional and structural correspondence with its earthly counterpart with both sanctuaries/temples operating in dynamic interaction