The experiments reported in this research paper aimed to determine the effect of supplementing different forms of L-methionine (L-Met) and acetate on protein synthesis in immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line (MAC-T cells). Treatments were Control, L-Met, conjugated L-Met and acetate (CMA), and non-conjugated L-Met and Acetate (NMA). Protein synthesis mechanism was determined by omics method. NMA group had the highest protein content in the media and CSN2 mRNA expression levels (P < 0.05). The number of upregulated and downregulated proteins observed were 39 and 77 in L-Met group, 62 and 80 in CMA group and 50 and 81 in NMA group from 448 proteins, respectively (P < 0.05). L-Met, NMA and CMA treatments stimulated pathways related to protein and energy metabolism (P < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis also revealed that L-Met, CMA and NMA treatments resulted in increases of several metabolites (P < 0.05). In conclusion, NMA treatment increased protein concentration and expression level of CSN2 mRNA in MAC-T cells compared to control as well as L-Met and CMA treatments through increased expression of milk protein synthesis-related genes and production of the proteins and metabolites involved in energy and protein synthesis pathways.

Acid-resistant specimens of trilobites were recovered from the dissolved residues of lime mudstone collected from the lower part of the Machari Formation, Yongwol Group, Taebaeksan Basin, Korea. One of the samples yields a trilobite assemblage comprising Lejopyge armata (Linnarsson, 1869), Lisogoragnostus coreanicus n. sp., agnostid genus and species indeterminate, ammagnostid genus and species indeterminate, clavagnostid genus and species indeterminate, Cyclolorenzella sp., and Eoshengia? sp. The stratigraphic interval yielding the trilobite assemblage is herein designated as the Lejopyge armata Zone, which is correlated well with the upper Middle Cambrian biozones established elsewhere. This provides the first biostratigraphic reference point for the upper Middle Cambrian sequence of the Yongwol Group and fills partially the biostratigraphic gap between the Tonkinella (middle Middle Cambrian) and the Glyptagnostus stolidotus (uppermost Middle Cambrian) zones in the Machari Formation.

Many transgenic domestic animals have been developed to produce therapeutic proteins in the mammary gland, and this approach is one of the most important methods for agricultural and biomedical applications. However, expression and secretion of a protein varies because transgenes are integrated at random sites in the genome. In addition, distal enhancers are very important for transcriptional gene regulation and tissue-specific gene expression. Development of a vector system regulated accurately in the genome is needed to improve production of therapeutic proteins. The objective of this study was to develop a knock-in system for expression of human fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in the bovine β-casein gene locus. The F2A sequence was fused to the human FGF2 gene and inserted into exon 3 of the β-casein gene. We detected expression of human FGF2 mRNA in the HC11 mouse mammary epithelial cells by RT-PCR and human FGF2 protein in the culture media using western blot analysis when the knock-in vector was introduced. We transfected the knock-in vector into bovine ear fibroblasts and produced knock-in fibroblasts using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system. Moreover, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was more efficient than conventional methods. In addition, we produced knock-in blastocysts by somatic cell nuclear transfer using the knock-in fibroblasts. Our knock-in fibroblasts may help to create cloned embryos for development of transgenic dairy cattle expressing human FGF2 protein in the mammary gland via the expression system of the bovine β-casein gene.

The anisotropy in the fatigue behavior of rolled Mg–3Al–1Zn alloy between the rolling direction and normal direction to the rolling plane was investigated. The {10-12} twinning–detwinning characteristics were found to play key roles in the anisotropic fatigue deformation behavior by inducing a change in the predominant plastic deformation mechanism, which controlled the flow stress and finally influenced the fatigue resistance by generating mean stress. Energy-based approach was successfully used to describe anisotropic fatigue life behavior.

An improvement of the fatigue resistance of rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy was attempted by reducing the tensile mean stress developed during fatigue deformation, which was achievable by tailoring the {10-12} twinning-detwinning characteristics of the material through the precompression process. The modification of the {10-12} twinning-detwinning characteristics made it possible to control the plastic deformation mechanisms activated during fatigue deformation so that the imposed tensile strain could be fully accommodated by detwinning alone, which led to a significant reduction of tensile flow stress, finally resulting in the reduction of mean stress.

The authors regret that they incorrectly cited the source of financial support in the original publication. The acknowledgment should have read: This study was supported by the Health Promotion Fund, Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, Republic of Korea (08-23) and a grant of the Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project, Ministry for Health, Welfare & Family Affairs, Republic of Korea (A050079).

Background: An increasing body of evidence suggests that health behaviors may protect against cognitive impairment and dementia. The purpose of this study was to summarize the current evidence on health behavioral factors predicting cognitive health through a systematic review of the published literature.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched for studies on community representative samples aged 65 and older, with prospective cohort design and multivariate analysis. The outcome – cognitive health – was defined as a continuum of cognitive function ranging from cognitive decline to impairment and dementia, and health behaviors included physical activity, smoking, alcohol drinking, body mass index, and diet and nutrition.

Results: Of 12,105 abstracts identified, 690 relevant full-texts were reviewed. The final yield amounted to 115 articles of which 37 studies were chosen that met the highest standards of quality. Leisure time physical activity, even of moderate level, showed protective effects against dementia, whereas smoking elevated the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Moderate alcohol consumption tended to be protective against cognitive decline and dementia, but nondrinkers and frequent drinkers exhibited a higher risk for dementia and cognitive impairment. Midlife obesity had an adverse effect on cognitive function in later life. Analysis showed vegetable and fish consumption to be of benefit, whereas, persons consuming a diet high in saturated fat had an increased dementia risk.

Conclusion: The review demonstrates accumulating evidence supporting health behavioral effects in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Results indicate potential benefits of healthy lifestyles in protecting cognitive health in later life.

Miniaturized test methods were developed and applied to measure the hoop strength of small tubular components. A diametrical loading method and an internal pressurization method using elastomeric insert were adopted in the development of testing methods. Detailed analyses to assess these testing methods were attempted by using theoretical solutions and finite element analysis for stress distributions and the characteristics of the Weibull statistics. To demonstrate the applicability of the test methods, commercially available alumina tubes and miniature silicon carbide coatings from surrogate nuclear fuel particles were tested and their fracture strength distributions were analyzed with Weibull statistics. The size scaling relationship on the fracture strength was investigated by correlating with effective surface area. Furthermore, the applicability of the testing methods was discussed in terms of multiaxial stress fields, altered stress distribution by flattened loading contact, and availability of insert, focusing on high-temperature applications.

Haloperidol, a classical antipsychotic drug, affects the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in the brain. However, findings are inconsistent and the mechanism by which haloperidol regulates ERK is poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the ERK pathway and the related protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in detail after haloperidol administration. Haloperidol (0.5 and 1 mg/kg) induced biphasic changes in the phosphorylation level of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), ERK, and p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (p90RSK) without changing Raf-1 phosphorylation. Fifteen minutes after haloperidol administration, MEK-ERK-p90RSK phosphorylation increased, whilst PP2A activity decreased. At 60 min, the reverse was observed and the binding of PP2A to MEK and ERK increased. Higher dosages of haloperidol (2 and 4 mg/kg), affected neither MEK-ERK-p90RSK phosphorylation nor PP2A activity. Accordingly, PP2A regulates acute dose- and time-dependent changes in MEK-ERK-p90RSK phosphorylation after haloperidol treatment. These findings suggest the involvement of a dephosphorylating mechanism in the acute action of haloperidol.