Genetic polymorphism in pvmdr1 and pvcrt-o genes in relation to in vitro drug susceptibility of Plasmodium vivax isolates from malaria-endemic countries

Lu, F.,Lim, C.S.,Nam, D.H.,Kim, K.,Lin, K.,Kim, T.S.,Lee, H.W.,Chen, J.H.,Wang, Y.,Sattabongkot, J.,Han, E.T. Verlag für Recht und Gesellschaft ; Elsevier 2011 Acta Tropica Vol.117 No.2

Treatment failure of chloroquine for Plasmodium vivax infection has increased in endemic countries. However, the molecular mechanisms for resistance and in vitro susceptibility of P. vivax to chloroquine remain elusive. We investigated the prevalence of mutations in the pvmdr1 and pvcrt-o genes, and the copy number of the pvmdr1 gene in isolates from the Republic of Korea (ROK), Thailand, the Union of Myanmar (Myanmar), and Papua New Guinea (PNG). We also measured in vitro susceptibility of Korean isolates to antimalarial drugs. The pvmdr1 analysis showed that mutations at amino acid position Y976F of pvmdr1 were found in isolates from Thailand (17.9%), Myanmar (13.3%), and PNG (100%), but none from the ROK, and mutation at position F1076L was present in isolates from the ROK (100%), Thailand (60.7%), and Myanmar (46.7%). One copy of the pvmdr1 gene was observed in most isolates and double copy numbers of the gene were observed in two Thai isolates. In the exons of the pvcrt-o gene that were sequenced, a K10 insertion was present in isolates from Thailand (56.0%) and Myanmar (46.2%), and the wild type was found in all Korean isolates. The results suggest that gene polymorphisms and copy number variation was observed in isolates of P. vivax from Southeast Asian countries. In Korean isolates polymorphism as limited to the F1076L variant, and no isolates with high level of resistance were found by in vitro susceptibility determinations. Moreover, our results provide a baseline for future prospective drug studies in malaria-endemic areas.

Evaluation of mango saponin in broilers: effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and plasma biochemical indices

Y.N. Zhang,J. Wang,B. Qi,S.G. Wu,H.R. Chen,H.Y. Luo,D.J. Yin,F.J. Lu,H.J. Zhang,G.H. Qi 아세아·태평양축산학회 2017 Animal Bioscience Vol.30 No.8

Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine whether mango saponin (MS) could be used as a feed additive in broiler chicks by evaluating growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and plasma biochemical indices. Methods: A total of 216 1-d-old Arbor Acres male broiler chicks were randomly assigned into three dietary treatments supplemented with 0 (control), 0.14% (MS 0.14%), or 0.28% (MS 0.28%) MS. Each treatment had six replicates (cages) with 12 chicks each. The feeding trial lasted for six weeks. Results: Compared with the control, dietary supplemented with 0.14% or 0.28% MS increased average daily weight gain of chicks in the grower (22 to 42 d) and the whole (1 to 42 d) phases, and the final body weight of chicks on d 42 was higher in MS supplemented groups (p<0.05). Lower L45 min* (lightness) and L24 h* values, lower b24 h* (yellowness) value, and higher a45 min* (redness) and a24 h* values of the breast muscle were observed in chicks fed with 0.28% MS on d 42 (p<0.05). The total antioxidant capacity in plasma increased in MS 0.14% group on d 21 (p<0.001). Lower contents of plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride were observed in chicks fed with 0.28% MS on d 21 and d 42, whereas the group supplemented with 0.14% MS only decreased plasma triglyceride content on d 21 (p<0.05). The glucose content in plasma decreased in MS 0.28% group on d 42 (p<0.001). Conclusion: Overall, MS could be used as a feed additive in broiler chicks, and the supplemental level of 0.28% MS in diet could improve growth performance, meat quality, and plasma lipid metabolism in broiler chicks.

HT-2 toxin affects development of porcine parthenotes by altering DNA and histone methylation in oocytes matured in vitro

Zhang, Y.,Jia, R.X.,Pan, M.H.,Lu, Y.,Cui, X.S.,Kim, N.H.,Sun, S.C. Butterworths, etc 2017 Theriogenology Vol. No.

T-2 toxin is a type A mycotoxin produced by various Fusarium species, while HT-2 toxin is a major metabolite of T-2 toxin. Both T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin are known to have deleterious effects on animals. Our previous work showed that HT-2 treatment caused the failure of porcine oocyte maturation. In this study, we reported that HT-2 also affected porcine embryo development. In HT-2 toxin treated group, all the percentages of embryos in 2-cell, 4-cell and blastocyst stage were significantly lower compared with those in control groups. We then explored the causes from the epigenetic modification aspect of the oocytes. The analysis of fluorescence intensity showed that 5-methyl cytosine (5 mC) level was increased after exposure to HT-2 toxin in porcine oocytes, indicating that the general DNA methylation level increased in the treated porcine oocytes. In addition, histone modifications were also affected, since our results showed that H3K4me2 and H3K9me2 levels were increased in the oocytes from HT-2-treated group. Therefore, our results indicated that HT-2 toxin decreased porcine embryo developmental competence through altering the epigenetic modifications of oocytes.

Enhanced delivery of liposomes to lung tumor through targeting interleukin-4 receptor on both tumor cells and tumor endothelial cells

Chi, L.,Na, M.H.,Jung, H.K.,Vadevoo, S.M.P.,Kim, C.W.,Padmanaban, G.,Park, T.I.,Park, J.Y.,Hwang, I.,Park, K.U.,Liang, F.,Lu, M.,Park, J.,Kim, I.S.,Lee, B.H. Elsevier Science Publishers 2015 Journal of controlled release Vol.209 No.-

A growing body of evidence suggests that pathological lesions express tissue-specific molecular targets or biomarkers within the tissue. Interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) is overexpressed in many types of cancer cells, including lung cancer. Here we investigated the properties of IL-4R-binding peptide-1 (IL4RPep-1), a CRKRLDRNC peptide, and its ability to target the delivery of liposomes to lung tumor. IL4RPep-1 preferentially bound to H226 lung tumor cells which express higher levers of IL-4R compared to H460 lung tumor cells which express less IL-4R. Mutational analysis revealed that C1, R2, and R4 residues of IL4RPep-1 were the key binding determinants. IL4RPep-1-labeled liposomes containing doxorubicin were more efficiently internalized in H226 cells and effectively delivered doxorubicin into the cells compared to unlabeled liposomes. In vivo fluorescence imaging of nude mice subcutaneously xenotransplanted with H226 tumor cells indicated that IL4RPep-1-labeled liposomes accumulate more efficiently in the tumor and inhibit tumor growth more effectively compared to unlabeled liposomes. Interestingly, expression of IL-4R was high in vascular endothelial cells of tumor, while little was detected in vascular endothelial cells of control organs including the liver. IL-4R expression in cultured human vascular endothelial cells was also up-regulated when activated by a pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α. Moreover, the up-regulation of IL-4R expression was observed in primary human lung cancer tissues. These results indicate that IL-4R-targeting nanocarriers may be a useful strategy to enhance drug delivery through the recognition of IL-4R in both tumor cells and tumor endothelial cells.

Effects of Nitrogen Sources and Ammonia Concentrations on the Growth Rates and Cellulolytic Enzyme Activities of Rumen Anaerobic Fungus

Gao, Z 韓國酪農學會 1998 韓國酪農學會誌 Vol.20 No.2

Development of the 3.7 GHz LHCD System on HL-2A

B. Lu,M. Huang,H. Zeng,X. Y. Bai,X. H. Mao,Z. H. Lu,J. Liang,Z. H. Kang,M. W. Wang,K. Feng,H. Wang,C. Wang,J. Q. Wang,S. Wei,T. Yao,Y. N. Bu,J. Feng,G. Y. Cheng,S. D. Song,D. H. Xia,J. Rao 한국물리학회 2014 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.65 No.8

A 2 MW-3.7 GHz lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) system is under development for physicsexperiments on the HL-2A device. The RF Power is generated by four TH2103A klystron amplifiersand propagates in the TE10 mode through WR284 waveguides. The transmission lines with a lengthof 20 m to 30 m are pressurized with 2 bars of nitrogen to decrease the possibility of arcing. Thelauncher, based on the passive-active multi-junction (PAM) concept, has been developed and iscurrently being realized. It was designed for a power spectrum peaked at Nk = 2.75 with goodcoupling properties over a wide range of plasma parameters. The four klystrons are fed by ahigh-voltage power supply (HVPS) based on the pulse step modulation (PSM) concept with a fastswitch-off time of less than ten μs. This system is expected to be in operation within 1 years and willexplore many international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) related LH experiments inthe following years.

Empirical Selection of Informative Microsatellite Markers within Co-ancestry Pig Populations Is Required for Improving the Individual Assignment Efficiency

Lia, Y.H.,Chu, H.P.,Jiang, Y.N.,Lin, C.Y.,Li, S.H.,Li, K.T.,Weng, G.J.,Cheng, C.C.,Lu, D.J.,Ju, Y.T. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2014 Animal Bioscience Vol.27 No.5

The Lanyu is a miniature pig breed indigenous to Lanyu Island, Taiwan. It is distantly related to Asian and European pig breeds. It has been inbred to generate two breeds and crossed with Landrace and Duroc to produce two hybrids for laboratory use. Selecting sets of informative genetic markers to track the genetic qualities of laboratory animals and stud stock is an important function of genetic databases. For more than two decades, Lanyu derived breeds of common ancestry and crossbreeds have been used to examine the effectiveness of genetic marker selection and optimal approaches for individual assignment. In this paper, these pigs and the following breeds: Berkshire, Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire, Meishan and Taoyuan, TLRI Black Pig No. 1, and Kaohsiung Animal Propagation Station Black pig are studied to build a genetic reference database. Nineteen microsatellite markers (loci) provide information on genetic variation and differentiation among studied breeds. High differentiation index ($F_{ST}$) and Cavalli-Sforza chord distances give genetic differentiation among breeds, including Lanyu's inbred populations. Inbreeding values ($F_{IS}$) show that Lanyu and its derived inbred breeds have significant loss of heterozygosity. Individual assignment testing of 352 animals was done with different numbers of microsatellite markers in this study. The testing assigned 99% of the animals successfully into their correct reference populations based on 9 to 14 markers ranking D-scores, allelic number, expected heterozygosity ($H_E$) or $F_{ST}$, respectively. All miss-assigned individuals came from close lineage Lanyu breeds. To improve individual assignment among close lineage breeds, microsatellite markers selected from Lanyu populations with high polymorphic, heterozygosity, $F_{ST}$ and D-scores were used. Only 6 to 8 markers ranking $H_E$, $F_{ST}$ or allelic number were required to obtain 99% assignment accuracy. This result suggests empirical examination of assignment-error rates is required if discernible levels of co-ancestry exist. In the reference group, optimum assignment accuracy was achievable achieved through a combination of different markers by ranking the heterozygosity, $F_{ST}$ and allelic number of close lineage populations.

Tensile and Creep Deformation of a Newly Developed Ni-Fe-Based Superalloy for 700 °C Advanced Ultra-Supercritical Boiler Applications

Y. Yuan,Z. H. Zhong,Z.S. Yu,H. F. Yin,Y. Y. Dang,X. B. Zhao,Z. Yang,J. T. Lu,J. B. Yan,Y. Gu 대한금속·재료학회 2015 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.21 No.4

A new Ni-Fe-based superalloy, HT-X, has been developed for applications in 700 °C advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) boilers. The HT-X alloy is subjected to various heat treatments. Tensile tests are conducted at room temperature (RT), 700 °C and 750 °C. Creep tests are carried out under conditions of 700 °C/300 MPa and 750 °C/150 MPa. After aging treatment, the yield strength of the HT-X alloy at RT and 750 °C is 787 MPa and 624 MPa, respectively. When additional thermal exposure at 750 °C for 5400 h is applied, the yield strength is decreased to 656 MPa at RT and 480 MPa at 700 °C. For an aged specimen, the a/2<110> dislocation shearing process occurs when tensile testing is conducted at RT and 750 °C. As the γ' precipitate size increases in the specimen that is thermally exposed at 750 °C for 5400 h, Orowan bowing is the dominant dislocation process, and stacking faults develop in the γ' precipitates at both RT and 700 °C. Dislocation slip combined with climb is the dominant mechanism under the creep testing conditions. The factors that affect the mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms are discussed.

An analytical approach for nonlinear response of elastic cable under complex loads

Lu, L.Y.,Chan, S.L.,Lu, Z.H. Techno-Press 1997 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.5 No.3

In this paper a general analytical approach is proposed to analyse the nonlinear response of elastic cable under complex loads. The effect of temperature change on the cable is also considered. From the vertical equilibrium equations of cable, the general analytical formula of vertical displacement is derived. Based on the vertical displacement formula and on the compatibility condition of the cable, the dimensionless equation with respect to cable tension is established. By means of such analytical procedures, the exact solutions of various cable problems can be obtained quickly. The example given in this paper shows that the new procedure is efficient for practical analysis and can be easily implemented by a general computer program without the superposition problem which there has always been in traditional analytical methods.

Switching Effect of Defect Modes in One-Dimensional Heterostructure Photonic Crystals

Y. H. Lu,이영백,이주열,M. D. Huang,P. J. Kim,S. Y. Park 한국물리학회 2007 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.51 No.II

The behavior of the defect mode was investigated theoretically in a one-dimensional heterostructure photonic crystal. A unique switching effect, which is definitely different from the blue shift phenomenon in conventional one-dimensional photonic crystals, is seen as the incident angle varies. Also, the angular switching rate can be manipulated effectively by adjusting the stacking number of substructures. This finding suggests that incident angular tuning in such a one-dimensional heterostructure photonic crystal will provide a new way for realizing high-precision filters and optical switches.