CNV analysis of Meishan pig by nextgeneration sequencing and effects of AHR gene CNV on pig reproductive traits

Background:Reproductive performance of livestock is an economically important aspect of global food production.The Chinese Meishan pig is a prolific breed,with an average of three to five more piglets per litter than European breeds;however,the genetic basis for this difference is not well understood.Results:In this study,we investigated copy number variations(CNVs)of 32 Meishan pigs and 29 Duroc pigs by nextgeneration sequencing.A genome-wide analysis of 61 pigs revealed 12,668 copy number variable regions(CNVRs)that were further divided into three categories based on copy number(CN)of the whole population,i.e.,gain(n=7,638),and loss(n=5,030)CNVRs.We then compared Meishan and Duroc pigs and identified 17.17Mb of 6,387 CNVRs that only existing in Meishan pigs CNVRs that overlapped the reproduction-related gene encoding the aryl hydrocarbon receptor(AHR)gene.We found that normal AHR CN was more frequent than CN loss in four different pig breeds.An association analysis showed that AHR CN had a positive effect on litter size(P<0.05)and that a higher CN was associated with higher total number born(P<0.05),number born alive(P<0.05),number of weaned piglets,and birth weight.Conclusions:The present study provides comprehensive CNVRs for Meishan and Duroc pigs through large-scale population resequencing.Our results provide a supplement for the high-resolution map of copy number variation in the porcine genome and valuable information for the investigation of genomic structural variation underlying traits of interest in pig.In addition,the association results provide evidence for AHR as a candidate gene associated with reproductive traits that can be used as a genetic marker in pig breeding programs.

Observation of Two-Dimensional Mott Insulator andπ-Superfluid Quantum Phase Transition in Shaking Optical Lattice

The Mott insulator and superfluid phase transition is one of the most prominent phenomena in ultracold atoms.We report the observation of a novel 2D quantum phase transition between the Mott insulator andπsuperfluid in a shaking optical lattice.In the deep optical lattice regime,the lowest S band can be tuned to Mott phase,while the higher P_(x,y)bands are itinerant for having larger bandwidth.Through a shaking technique coupling the s-orbital to p_(x,y)-orbital states,we experimentally observe the transition between the states of the S and P_(x,y)bands,leading to a quantum phase transition from two-dimensional s-orbital Mott phase to the p_(x,y)-orbital superfluid which condensed at(π,π)momentum.Using the band-mapping method,we also observe the changes of atomic population in different energy bands during the transition,and the experimental results are well consistent with theoretical expectations.

CuSbS_(2)薄膜光阴极的电子结构及其在光电催化分解水制氢的应用

硫化锑铜(CuSbS_(2))是一种p型半导体,带隙为1.5 eV,同时拥有较大的光吸收系数(>105cm-1),因此在光电催化领域拥有广阔的应用前景.但是目前国内外的研究还缺乏对CuSbS_(2)电子结构以及其如何影响PEC性能的深入理解.为了进一步改善CuSbS_(2)的PEC性能,对其电子结构进行一系列表征分析是非常重要的.本文中,我们利用同步辐射技术揭示了CuSbS_(2)的电子结构.结果表明,CuSbS_(2)的价带(VB)由S 3p和Cu 3d的强杂交态组成,同时Sb 5p/5s也有部分影响.基于以上理论指导,我们设计了一种高质量Cu Sb S_(2)薄膜的制备技术,并使用FTO/CuSbS_(2)/CdS/Pt光电阴极在0.0 V下实现了CuSbS_(2)基材料的高光电流密度(6.3 mA cm^(-2)).

Quantification of disaster resilience in civil engineering:A review

Resistance to unexpected disasters and rapid post-disaster recovery(i.e.,disaster resilience)of cities are extremely necessary owing to the concentrated risk of urbanization.Resilience quantification can adequately reflect the capacity of a city to withstand disasters.Many existing studies have focused on and proposed several frameworks on the quantitative measures of disaster resilience,and the corresponding research objects include different types of disasters(e.g.,earthquake,hurricane,flood,and fire),various domains(e.g.,engineering,social,and economic),and multiple levels(e.g.,city,community,and building).Among these research objects,studies on seismic resilience in civil engineering are relatively comprehensive.Specifically,studies on resilience in civil engineering have paid significant attention to the dynamics of engineering facilities and the engineering-related social and economic functions,including city-scale engineering,social,and economic functionalities,and essential functionalities of building,transportation,lifeline,and nonphysical subsystems of a city.Consequently,based on the review of resilience studies carried out in recent years,the framework and specifications for the quantification of disaster resilience of civil engineering systems subjected to earthquakes and other unexpected disasters are elaborated.Methods of disaster resilience assessment of cities and the corresponding subsystems are discussed.Furthermore,several case studies are reviewed,and resilience limit-state analyses of communities and buildings are performed.

The Evolution Dynamic and Long-Run Equilibrium in a Stock Market with Heterogeneous Traders

This paper uses ideas from biological evolution to analyze the evolution of the securities market in which rational and irrational traders coexist.A market evolutionary model is developed to describe the dynamic trajectories of rational and irrational traders'wealth.The main question is,are irrational traders eliminated as the securities market evolves.The paper considers the impact of new entrants on the security market long-term equilibrium.In addition,it discusses the existence and uniqueness of the long-term equilibrium The paper finds that,under some market conditions,irrational traders could survive in the long run.

Mining Unknown Porcine Protein Isoforms by Tissue-based Map of Proteome Enhances Pig Genome Annotation

A lack of the complete pig proteome has left a gap in our knowledge of the pig genome and has restricted the feasibility of using pigs as a biomedical model.In this study,we developed a tissue-based proteome map using 34 major normal pig tissues.A total of 5841 unknown protein isoforms were identified and systematically characterized,including 2225 novel protein isoforms,669 protein isoforms from 460 genes symbolized beginning with LOC,and 2947 protein isoforms without clear NCBI annotation in the current pig reference genome.These newly identified protein isoforms were functionally annotated through profiling the pig transcriptome with high-throughput RNA sequencing of the same pig tissues,further improving the genome annotation of the corresponding protein-coding genes.Combining the well-annotated genes that have parallel expression pattern and subcellular witness,we predicted the tissue-related subcellular locations and potential functions for these unknown proteins.Finally,we mined 3081 orthologous genes for 52.7% of unknown protein isoforms across multiple species,referring to 68 KEGG pathways as well as 23 disease signaling pathways.These findings provide valuable insights and a rich resource for enhancing studies of pig genomics and biology,as well as biomedical model application to human medicine.

Quasi-variable Discount Rates and Market Volatility: An Empirical Study

This paper proposes an assumption of quasi-variable discount rates to explain the excess volatility puzzle of stock market. Under the assumption, the ARMAX model is derived based on the CCAPM model and CRRA utility function to describe the linear relationship between the discount rate and the consumption growth rate. We conducted empirical research on this model using historical data of the US stock market. The results confirm a significantly negative relationship between consumption growth rate and discount rate. Subsequently, the results of Monte Carlo simulation show that given the risk preference coefficient and dividend sequence, the rational expectations price fluctuation obtained under the assumption of quasivariable discount rate is the largest.