Associations of HSP90AA2 gene polymorphisms with disease susceptibility, glucocorticoids efficacy and health-related quality of life in Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Man Zhang,Su‑Su Li,Qiao‑Mei Xie,Jian‑Hua Xu,Xiu‑Xiu Sun,Fa‑Ming Pan,Sheng‑Qian Xu,Sheng‑Xiu Liu,Jin‑Hui Tao,Shuang Liu,Jing Cai,Pei‑Ling Chen,Long Qian,Chun‑Huai Wang,Chun‑Mei Liang,Hai‑Liang Huang,Ha 한국유전학회 2018 Genes & Genomics Vol.40 No.10

Although the current glucocorticoids (GCs) treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is effective to a certain extent, the difference in therapeutic effect between patients is still a widespread problem. Some patients can have repeated attacks that greatly diminish their quality of life. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between HSP90AA2 polymorphisms and disease susceptibility, GCs efficacy and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Chinese SLE patients. A case–control study was performed in 470 SLE patients and 470 normal controls. Then, 444 patients in the case group were followed up for 12 weeks to observe efficacy of GCs and improvement of HRQoL. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSP90AA2 were selected for genotyping: rs1826330 and rs6484340. HRQoL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. The minor T allele of rs1826330 and the TT haplotype formed by rs1826330 and rs6484340 showed associations with decreased SLE risk (T allele: PBH = 0.022; TT haplotype: PBH = 0.033). A significant association between rs6484340 and improvement of HRQoL was revealed in the follow-up study. Five subscales of SF-36 were appeared to be influenced by rs6484340: total score of SF-36 (additive model: PBH = 0.026), physical function (additive model: PBH = 0.026), rolephysical (recessive model: PBH = 0.041), mental health (dominant model: PBH = 0.047), and physical component summary (additive model: PBH = 0.026). No statistical significance was found between HSP90AA2 gene polymorphisms and GCs efficacy. These results revealed a genetic association between HSP90AA2 and SLE. Remarkably, HSP90AA2 has an impact on the improvement of HRQoL in Chinese population with SLE.

Global Disease Burden and Attributable Risk Factor Analysis of Asthma in 204 Countries and Territories From 1990 to 2019

Liu Hailing,Zhang Jing,Liu Li,Lian Guoli,Shi Ruiming,Xu Man,Yang Juan,Liu Xiaohong 대한천식알레르기학회 2023 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.15 No.4

Purpose: Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory respiratory tract disease with high morbidity and mortality. The global trends in asthma burden remain poorly understood, and asthma incidence has increased during the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive view of the global distribution of asthma burden and its attributable risk factors from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 Database, asthma incidence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), the corresponding age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized death rate (ASDR), age-standardized DALY rate, and estimated annual percentage change were analyzed according to age, sex, sociodemographic index (SDI) quintiles, and locations. Risk factors contributing to asthma deaths and DALYs were also investigated. Results: Globally, the asthma incidence increased by 15%, but deaths and DALYs decreased. The corresponding ASIR, ASDR, and age-standardized DALY rate also decreased. The high SDI region had the highest ASIR, and the low SDI region had the highest ASDR. The ASDR and age-standardized DALY rate were negatively correlated with the SDI. The low-middle SDI region, particularly South Asia, showed the highest asthma-related deaths and DALYs. The incidence peak was under 9 years old, and more than 70% of all deaths occurred in the population over 60 years old. Smoking, occupational asthmagens, and a high body mass index were the main risk factors for asthma-related mortality and DALYs, and their distributions varied between sexes. Conclusions: Globally, the asthma incidence has increased since 1990. The greatest asthma burden is borne by the low-middle SDI region. The 2 groups that need special attention are those under 9 years old and those over 60 years old. Targeted strategies are needed to reduce the asthma burden based on geographic and sex-age characteristics. Our findings also provide a platform for further investigation into the asthma burden in the era of COVID-19.

HtrA2 interacts with A beta peptide but does not directly alter its production or degradation.

Liu, Meng-Lu,Liu, Ming-Jie,Kim, Jin-Man,Kim, Hyeon-Jin,Kim, Jeong-Hak,Hong, Seong-Tshool Korean Society for Molecular Biology 2005 Molecules and cells Vol.20 No.1

<P>HtrA2/Omi is a mammalian mitochondrial serine protease homologous to the E. coli HtrA/DegP gene products. Recently, HtrA2/Omi was found to have a dual role in mammalian cells, acting as an apoptosis-inducing protein and being involved in maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. By screening a human brain cDNA library with A beta peptide as bait in a yeast two-hybrid system, we identified HtrA2/Omi as a binding partner of A beta peptide. The interaction between A beta peptide and HtrA2/Omi was confirmed by an immunoblot binding assay. The possible involvement of HtrA2/Omi in A beta peptide metabolism was investigated. In vitro peptide cleavage assays showed that HtrA2/Omi did not directly promote the production of A beta peptide at the beta/gamma-secretase level, or the degradation of A beta peptide. However, overexpression of HtrA2/Omi in K269 cells decreased the production of A beta40 and A beta42 by up to 30%. These results rule out the involvement of HtrA2/Omi in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. However, the fact that overexpression of HtrA2/Omi reduces the generation of A beta40 and A beta42 suggests that it may play some positive role in mammalian cells.</P>

把虛의的感情融入到時尙品牌的識別中: 在相互依賴的亞洲情境中理解品牌識別關系

( Man Lok Lam ),( Wing Sun Liu ),( Chester Kin Man To ) 한국마케팅과학회 2011 Journal of Global Fashion Marketing Vol.2 No.3

Over the past decade, consumer researchers have been interested in understanding symbolic relationship between consumers and brands, especially on identity construction (Elliott & Wattanasuwan, 1998; Escalas & Bettman, 2005; Kirmani, 2009) and its implications on brand management (Arvidsson, 2005; Holt, 2002; 2004). Following a cultural-psychological view to study how culture shapes brand-identity relationship, Eckhardt (2000) addresses that little attention have been paid to understand consumer behavior within interdependent cultures when compare with the prolific account of western literatures that reported the consumption behavior with an independent self- construal. This paper strives to address this absence through researching how a group of Chinese youngsters internalize their cultural values with a sense of assumed emotion and developed local specific brand literacy towards fashion brands` perception and consumption. Following Bengtsson and Firat (2006)`s concept of brand literacy, this interpretative research aims to extend our current understanding of symbolic brand consumption and brand-identity relationship in particular to the interdependent Asian context. The literature review discusses previous studies on brand symbolism in formulating brand-identity relationship and how social psychological understanding of interdependent construal of self can be applied to consumer researches. The cultural characteristics of Chinese consumers are also discussed with reference to previous indigenous consumer researches on symbolic brand consumption. As part of a greater project on fashion and brand consumption experience among young Chinese in Guangzhou, 18 Chinese volunteers aged around 20 are recruited from local universities and colleges and become the main research informants. The fieldwork is conducted in Guangzhou. In-depth interviews and participant observations are the main data collection method. Triangulation analysis technique has been adopted to review and cross-check data collected. Our findings and discussions demonstrate different dimensions of assumed emotion (Hu, 1949) among the Chinese youngsters in structuring their brand literacy. We discuss how cultural concern towards their social identities, including as students, sons/daughters, friends, and changing identities expected in the future, may significantly impact the youngsters` fashion and brand value, perception and consumption. Through symbolic consumption, the Chinese youngsters depict a sense of culturally specific fashion and brand knowledge as demonstrated in their fashion choice, taste and consumption, in a way that is culturally appropriate in fitting themselves in a complex social network. Guided by this sense of assumed emotion, Chinese youngsters adopt the signs and meanings embedded in brand names and its associated symbols to engage in the different social situations within their cultural setting. This has resulted in a different construct of brand literacy within the interdependent cultural context. An emergent theme is also found as there is a major difference in fashion brands perceptions and choices between the urbanities (i.e. Guangzhou localities) and peripheries (i.e. outsiders) because of a cultural difference in constructing their cosmopolitan identities (Thompson & Tambyah, 1999). To conclude, this study has contributed to our understanding of brand-identity relationship in the interdependent Asian context. Consumers in the eastern cultures tend to be subjected to integrate a larger socio-cultural context than maintaining individualistic pleasures as in western cultures. A greater concern of understanding the assumed emotion and how consumers asserted their social identities with symbolic fashion and brand consumption would be a key to understand the consumption cultures with interdependent self-construal.

Optimized Properties of a Quenching and Partitioning Steel by Quenching at Fine Martensite Start Temperature

Man Liu,Jun Wang,Qi Zhang,Haijiang Hu,Guang Xu 대한금속·재료학회 2021 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.27 No.8

Five quenching temperatures were designed to investigate the relationship between volume fraction of retained austenite andmicrostructure, mechanical properties of a medium carbon quenching and partitioning (Q&P) steel. It is normally acceptedthat the optimal mechanical property of Q&P steels is obtained by quenching at optimum temperature, which corresponds tothe maximum amount of retained austenite. However, the present work clarified that maximum volume fraction of retainedaustenite in Q&P steels is indeed unrelated to the optimum mechanical property of steels. The microstructure consisting ofcoarse martensite laths, dispersive bainite and thin retained austenite films was obtained by quenching at fine martensite starttemperature (FMs), resulting in the optimum comprehensive mechanical property of Q&P steel with the better elongationat the expense of slightly smaller yield strength and tensile strength.

Inter-hemispheric Functional Connections Are More Vulnerable to Attack Than Structural Connection in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

( Guangyao Liu ),( Shan Li ),( Nan Chen ),( Ziyang Zhao ),( Man Guo ),( Hong Liu ),( Jie Feng ),( Dekui Zhang ),( Zhijun Yao ),( Bin Hu ) 대한소화기기능성질환·운동학회(구 대한소화관운동학회) 2021 Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (JNM Vol.27 No.3

Background/Aims Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction. However, the majority of previous neuroimaging studies focus on brain structure and connections but seldom on the inter-hemispheric connectivity or structural asymmetry. This study uses multi-modal imaging to investigate the abnormal changes across the 2 cerebral hemispheres in patients with IBS. Methods Structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging were acquired from 34 patients with IBS and 33 healthy controls. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity, fractional anisotropy, fiber length, fiber number, and asymmetry index were calculated and assessed for group differences. In addition, we assessed their relevance for the severity of IBS. Results Compared with healthy controls, the inter-hemispheric functional connectivity of patients with IBS showed higher levels in bilateral superior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and angular gyrus, but lower in supplementary motor area. The statistical results showed no significant difference in inter-hemispheric anatomical connections and structural asymmetry, however negative correlations between inter-hemispheric connectivity and the severity of IBS were found in some regions with significant difference. Conclusions The functional connections between cerebral hemispheres were more susceptible to IBS than anatomical connections, and brain structure is relatively stable. Besides, the brain areas affected by IBS were concentrated in default mode network and sensorimotor network. (J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2021;27:426-435)

??字的三?特性

?元?(Liu Yuan-Man) 대한중국학회 2005 중국학 Vol.25 No.-

There are three angles from which Chinese characters should be researched: 1) As a tool for recording the language―to research the nature, structure and the evolution of the characters; 2) As a carrier of ancient Chinese culture―to research the inherent culture in the single character; 3) As a trendy factor of society―to research how characters and society influence each other.

Dietary methionine supplementation to a low-protein diet improved hair follicle development of Angora rabbits

Zhao Man,Wang Tongtong,Wang Bin,Liu Chuanhua,Li Fuchang,Liu Lei 아세아·태평양축산학회 2023 Animal Bioscience Vol.36 No.6

Objective: Angora rabbits fed a low-protein diet exhibit decreased hair production performance. This study was set out to evaluate the effects of methionine on hair properties and nitrogen metabolism in Angora rabbits fed a low-protein diet and to investigate the gene expression related to hair follicle development to determine the possible molecular mechanism of methionine effects on hair follicle development. Methods: An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of DL-methionine addition on a low-protein diet on hair development in Angora rabbits. Angora rabbits were divided into 5 groups: fed a normal diet (control), fed a low-protein diet (LP), or fed an LP supplemented with 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.6% DL-methionine (Met). Results: The results showed that rabbits in the LP group had lower wool yield than the control rabbits, but the addition of 0.4% to 0.6% Met to LP attenuated these effects (p< 0.05). Dietary addition of 0.4% to 0.6% Met to LP increased the apparent nitrogen digestibility, nitrogen utilization rate, and feed efficiency (p<0.05). Feeding LP decreased the insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF1), keratin-associated protein (KAP) 3.1, and KAP 6.1 mRNA levels compared with the control, but the addition of 0.4% Met in LP attenuated these effects (p<0.05). Relative to the LP or control group, dietary addition of 0.4% Met increased versican mRNA levels. Conclusion: In conclusion, the addition of Met to LP could improves wool production performance and feed efficiency and reduce nitrogen emissions in Angora rabbits. Met can promote hair follicle development, which may be associated with IGF1, KAP, and the versican signaling.

Temperature-dependent development of Lista haraldusalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on Platycarya strobilacea

Jian-Feng Liu,Man Liu,Mao-Fa Yang,Dimitris C. Kontodimas,Xiao-Fei Yu,Qi-Xian Lian 한국응용곤충학회 2014 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.17 No.4

The effect of constant temperatures on development and survival of Lista haraldusalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae), a newly reported insect species used to produce insect tea in Guizhou province (China), was studiedin laboratory conditions at seven temperatures (19 °C, 22 °C, 25 °C, 28 °C, 31 °C, 34 °C, and 37 °C) on Platycaryastrobilacea. Increasing the temperature from 19 °C to 31 °C led to a significant decrease in the developmentaltime from egg to adult emergence, and then the total developmental time increased at 34 °C. Egg incubationwas the stage where L. haraldusalis experienced the highest mortality at all temperatures. The survival ofL. haraldusalis was significantly higher at 25 °C and 28 °C, whereas none of the eggs hatched at 37 °C. Commonand Ikemoto linear models were used to describe the relationship between the temperature and the developmentalrate for each immature stage of L. haraldusalis. The estimated values of the lower temperature thresholdand thermal constant of the total immature stages using Common and Ikemoto linear models were 11.34 °C and11.20 °C, and 939.85 and 950.41 degree-days, respectively. Seven nonlinear models were used to fit the experimentaldata to estimate the developmental rate of L. haraldusalis. Based on the biological significance for modelevaluation, Ikemoto linear, Logan-6, and SSI were the best models that fitted each immature stage ofL. haraldusalis and they were used to estimate the temperature thresholds. These thermal requirements and temperaturethresholds are crucial for facilitating the development of factory-based mass rearing of L. haraldusalis.

DEBRIS-2D를 이용한 인제지역 토석류 산사태 거동모사 사례 연구

채병곤 ( Byung-gon Chae ),( Ko-fei Liu ),김만일 ( Man-il Kim ) 대한지질공학회 2010 지질공학 Vol.20 No.3

이 연구는 Liu and Huang (2006)이 개발한 DEBRIS-2D 프로그램을 이용하여 한국의 자연사면을 대상으로 토석류거동모사의 적용성을 평가하기 위하여 수행하였다. 세립질 및 조립질 물질이 혼재한 대규모 토석류를 모사하기 위해 DEBRIS-2D는 Julien and Lan (1991)이 제안한 구성식을 이용하여 개발되었다. DEBRIS-2D의 이론을 바탕으로 이 연구는 2006년 7월 16일 강원도 인제군 덕산리에서 대규모 토석류 산사태가 발생한 계곡을 모사대상지역으로 선택하였다. 거동모사 결과, 토사 물질은 산사태 발생 10분 후에 이미 계곡으로 모두 유입되었다. 10분 후 토석류는 계곡부의 첫 번째 변곡점 지점인 개활지에 이르렀으며, 이로 인해 토석류의 속도가 감소하고 흐름 방향이 변하였다. 그 후 토석류는 다시 가속도가 붙어 약 40분 후에 계곡 하류의 마을인근에 이르렀다. 토석류의 최대 속도는 1 m/sec에서 2 m/sec 정도로 비교적 느리고, 토석류의 깊이변화는 계곡의 형태에 많은 영향을 받음을 알 수 있다. 거동모사 결과는 산사태 발생당시 현장의 상황과 매우 유사하게 나타났다. 이는 DEBRIS-2D 프로그램이 알고리즘을 크게 수정하지 않고도 한국의 지질 및 지형조건에 어느 정도 적용 가능함을 의미한다. 그러나, 더욱 신뢰도 높은 토석류 거동모사를 위해서는 국내 지질 및 지형에 대한 최적의 속성값을 결정할 필요가 있다. In order to assess applicability of debris flow simulation on natural terrain in Korea, this study introduced the DEBRIS-2D program which had been developed by Liu and Huang (2006). For simulation of large debris flows composed of fine and coarse materials, DEBRIS-2D was developed using the constitutive relation proposed by Julien and Lan (1991). Based on the theory of DEBRIS-2D, this study selected a valley where a large debris flow was occurred on July 16th, 2006 at Deoksanri, Inje county, Korea. The simulation results show that all mass were already flowed into the stream at 10 minutes after starting. In 10minutes, the debris flow reached the first geological turn and an open area, resulting in slow velocity and changing its flow direction. After that, debris flow started accelerating again and it reached the village after 40 minutes. The maximum velocity is rather low between 1 m/sec and 2 m/sec. This is the reason why debris flow took 50 minutes to reach the village. The depth change of debris flow shows enormous effect of the valley shape. The simulated result is very similar to what happened in the field. It means that DEBRIS-2D program can be applied to the geologic and topographic conditions in Korea without large modification of analysis algorithm. However, it is necessary to determine optimal reference values of Korean geologic and topographic properties for more reliable simulation of debris flows.