Abstract: The disclosure provides nucleic acids including the polynucleotide sequence of the human MAFbx core promoter involved in muscle specific expression. Also provided are reporters operably linked to a polynucleotide sequence including MAFbx transcription regulatory sequences, and constructs including polynucleotides that encode reporters and other polynucleotide sequences operably linked to the MAFbx core transcription regulatory sequence. Systems for identifying agents that inhibit muscle loss and/or increase muscle mass or tone are also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reporter-selectable hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicon, and use of the replicon to generate stable, human hepatoma cell lines. The replicon and cell lines are useful in the compound screening process in HCV drug discovery.

Abstract: A downward offset barbell type walking beam compositively balance oil pump, in which at the rear end of the walking beam is mounted a downward offset barbell type balancing device consisting of a shoe plate, a cross shaft and balancing pieces, retains most of the structure of the conventional walking beam oil pump, and has a compact structure, a wide range of moment change, an advantage of saving electricity to a degree of more than 40 percent, and is safe and reliable for operation. The present invention can be applied to the renovation of variety of conventional walking beam oil pumps, used in oil fields, outphase crankshaft oil pumps and walking beam compositively balance oil pumps for the purpose of energy-saving or of promotion of the capacity for oil extraction of the above-mentioned oil pumps.