CHARACTERIZING THE TIME-FREQUENCY PROPERTIES OF THE 4 Hz QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATION AROUND THE BLACK HOLE X-ray BINARY XTE J1550-564

SU, YI-HAO,CHOU, YI,HU, CHIN-PING,YANG, TING-CHANG,HSIEH, HUNG-EN,CHUANG, PO-SHENG,LIN, CHING-PING,LIAO, NAI-HUI The Korean Astronomical Society 2015 天文學論叢 Vol.30 No.2

We present the results from analysis of the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) for the 4 Hz quasi-periodic oscillations (QPO) around the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1550-564. The resultant Hilbert spectra demonstrate that the QPO is composed of a series of intermittent signals appearing occasionally. From the analysis of the HHT, we further found the distribution of the lifetimes for the intermittent oscillations and the distribution for the time intervals with no significant signal (the break time). The mean lifetime is 1.45 s and 90% of the oscillation segments have lifetimes less than 3.1 s whereas the mean break time is 0.42 s and 90% of break times are less than 0.73 s. We conclude that the intermittent feature of the QPO could be explained by the Lense-Thirring precession model and rules out interpretations of continual frequency modulation.

Transcriptome analysis of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana-infected bean bug (Riptortus pedestris)

Se Jin Lee,Yi-Ting Yang,Yu-Shin Nai,Jae Su Kim 한국응용곤충학회 2016 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2016 No.04

Beauveria bassiana (Bb) is an entomopathogenic fungus with a wide host range, and is commonly used as an environment-friendly biopesticide. However, the molecular mechanisms of Bb-host interactions are not well understood. Here, RNA isolated from a highly virulent strain of B. bassiana (Bb JEF-007) and Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) (bean bug) infected with this strain were subjected to high throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze and compare transcriptomes. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis showed that 2,381 genes were up-regulated and 2,303 genes were down-regulated upon infection. Most DEGs were classified into the categories of single-organism, cellular and metabolism processes by gene ontology (GO) analysis. Carbon metabolism-related enzymes in the glyoxylate cycle were significantly up-regulated, suggesting a possible role for them in Bb growth in the host. This work provides insight into how entomopathogenic B. bassiana occupies agriculturally harmful bean bug at the late stage, which might be essential during fungal infection.

RNAi knock down of Tenebrio molitor myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) significantly reduces survival against the infection of Beauveria bassiana JEF-007

Mi Rong Lee,Yi-Ting Yang,Se Jin Lee,Jae Su Kim 한국응용곤충학회 2016 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2016 No.04

Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) is an intracellular adaptor protein involved in Toll signaling pathway. In this study, we monitored the response of 4 key genes of the insect immune system against Beauveria bassiana JEF-007 in Tenebrio molitor using RT-PCR. TmGPR, antimicrobial peptide Tenecin 1 and Tenecin 2 were up-regulated after fungal infection. To better understand the roles of Toll signaling pathway in mealworm immune system, TmGRP and TmMyD88 was knocked down by RNAi silencing. Target gene expressions were decreased at 2 days post-dsRNA injection, and dramatically reduced at 6 days post-dsRNA injection. Therefore, mealworms were compromised by B. bassiana JEF-007 at 6 days post-dsRNA injection. Silencing of the TmMyD88 and TmGRP resulted in reducing the resistance of the host to fungal infection. However, only dsTmMyD88 showed significant difference with dsEGFP by statistical analysis, which may be due to partial gene knock down of dsGRP. These results indicate that TmMyD88 is required in mealworms for survival against B. bassiana JEF-007.

Transcriptome analysis of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana-infected bean bug (Riptortus pedestris) to identify possible fungal virulence factors

Se Jin Lee,Yi-Ting Yang,Yu-Shin Nai,Jae Su Kim 한국응용곤충학회 2015 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2015 No.10

The ascomycete fungus Beauveria bassiana is a wide host range entomo- pathogenic fungus, which is commonly used as an environmental friendly biopesticide. However, the molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction of B. bassiana are not well understood. Here, the high throughput next generation sequencing was performed to analyze the transcriptome of B. bassiana JEF-007 infected bean bug (Riptorus pedestris). Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis results showed that total 4,684 genes including 2,381 up and 2,303 down regulated genes were identified. Most of the DEGs were classified into single- organism, cellular and metabolism processes by gene ontology (GO) analysis. Metabolism pathway was the most abound category of DEGs via KEGG pathway mapping. Several possible candidates of virulence factors were dramatically expressed after infection, such as cytotoxic lectin, bacterial-like toxin, and proteins related to cell wall, hyphal growth, nutrient uptake and halogenated compounds synthesis. Furthermore, we also found the highest expression of a novel small RNA virus in the infected bean bug, but the relationship between fungal virulence and the RNA virus was under determination. The functional roles of these possible virulence factors are remained unclear, but this work provides a new insight for further fungal studies. Our results reflect systemic impacts of fungal pathogenesis and these findings represent a significant advance in the fungal functional genomics.

Prediction of entomopathogenic fungal virulence-related genes in bean bug-pathogenic Beauveria bassiana JEF-007

Sihyeon Kim,Se Jin Lee,Yi-Ting Yang,Jae Su Kim 한국응용곤충학회 2016 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2016 No.04

Bean bug, Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) is an agriculturally serious pest in East Asian countries. Chemical pesticides have been contributed to the management of the pest, but nowadays insect resistance limits the use of chemical pesticides, thus alternatively new pesticides with different mode of actions such as entomopathogenic fungi are considered. Herein entomopathogenic Beauveria bassiana JEF isolates were collected, identified and assayed against bean bugs in laboratory conditions. Some isolates showed >80% virulence by contact-exposure and spray methods. The Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of B. bassiana JEF-007 generated random transformants and some mutants showed reduced virulence against Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae and R. pedestris nymph. Compared to the wild-type, the two transformants showed remarkably different morphology, conidial production, and thermotolerance. To figure out pathogenicity-related genes, thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL) PCR of the random transformants was performed and possibly some virulence-related genes were predicted. This work can be a strong platform for the functional genetics of bean bug-pathogenic B. bassiana.

Enhanced replication of novel picorna-like virus (RiPV-1) in Beauveria bassiana JEF-007-infected bean bug (Riptortus pedestris)

Yi-Ting Yang,Yu-Shin Nai,Se Jin Lee,Sihyeon Kim,Jae Su Kim 한국응용곤충학회 2016 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2016 No.04

A novel insect-infecting positive sense single-stranded RNA virus, Riptortus pedestris virus-1 (RiPV-1), was found in the Riptortus pedestris transcriptome data by de novo assembly and further confirmed by RACE method. The genome of RiPV-1 consists of 10,554 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly(A) tail and contains a single large open reading frame (ORF) of 10,371 nt encoding a 3,456 aa polyprotein and flanked by 71 and 112 nt 5' and 3' noncoding regions, respectively. RiPV-1 genome contains the consensus genome organization of picorna-like RNA helicase, cysteine protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) array in that order from the 5' to the 3' end. From the phylogenetic analysis, RiPV-1 was clustered with unassigned insect RNA viruses, APV and KFV, which suggests that these three insect picorna-like viruses might constitute a novel group of insect-infecting RNA viruses. Tissue tropism analysis revealed that RiPV-1 was relatively abundant in the thorax, abdomen, midgut and fat body. Interestingly, RiPV-1 replication was enhanced by Beauveria bassiana JEF-007 infection that was quantified using qRT-PCR. This study identified a novel insect-infecting virus and provided further insight into the relationship between virus, fungus and host.

Mechanical and Damping Properties of Graphene-Modified Polyurethane-Epoxy Composites for Structures

Yi Su,Ting Li,Yanyan Liu 한국고분자학회 2021 폴리머 Vol.45 No.4

Polyurethane (PU) has received extensive attention in structural engineering due to its excellent mechanical properties and damping properties. In this research, graphene-modified PU-epoxy composites are prepared for the application in structural engineering. The mechanical properties and damping properties of the composites with different contents of graphene are investigated. The damping properties of the composites were also investigated by performing dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results showed that with the increase of graphene content, the tear strength of the composites decreased from 52 to 39 ㎫. Due to the enhancement of appropriate amount of graphene, the tensile strength and elongation at break increase to the maximum value, being 16 ㎫ and 675%, respectively. And DMA tests showed that the damping properties reach the optimal values when the graphene content is 0.2%. The large damping temperature range (ΔT0.5) is 33 ℃, from -2.9 to 30.1 ℃. The peak of loss factor (ηmax) is 0.92 and the integral area (TA) is 36 ℃, much higher than those of the pure PU-epoxy composites. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that agglomeration appears with higher graphene content.

AP-1/IRF-3 Targeted Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Andrographolide Isolated from <i>Andrographis paniculata</i>

Shen, Ting,Yang, Woo Seok,Yi, Young-Su,Sung, Gi-Ho,Rhee, Man Hee,Poo, Haryoung,Kim, Mi-Yeon,Kim, Kyung-Woon,Kim, Jong Heon,Cho, Jae Youl Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2013 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2013 No.-

<P>Andrographolide (AG) is an abundant component of plants of the genus <I>Andrographis </I> and has a number of beneficial properties including neuroprotective, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic effects. Despite numerous pharmacological studies, the precise mechanism of AG is still ambiguous. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of AG and its target proteins as they pertain to anti-inflammatory responses. AG suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E<SUB>2</SUB> (PGE<SUB>2</SUB>), as well as the mRNA abundance of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-<I><I>α</I></I>), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and interferon-beta (IFN-<I><I>β</I></I>) in a dose-dependent manner in both lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) activated RAW264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages. AG also substantially ameliorated the symptoms of LPS-induced hepatitis and EtOH/HCl-induced gastritis in mice. Based on the results of luciferase reporter gene assays, kinase assays, and measurement of nuclear levels of transcription factors, the anti-inflammatory effects of AG were found to be clearly mediated by inhibition of both (1) extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/activator protein (AP)-1 and (2) I<I><I>κ</I></I>B kinase <I><I>ε</I></I> (IKK<I><I>ε</I></I>)/interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-3 pathways. In conclusion, we detected a novel molecular signaling pathway by which AG can suppress inflammatory responses. Thus, AG is a promising anti-inflammatory drug with two pharmacological targets.</P>

Deficiency or activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ⍺ reduces the tissue concentrations of endogenously synthesized docosahexaenoic acid in C57BL/6J mice

Wen-Ting Hsiao,Hui-Min Su,Kuan-Pin Su,Szu-Han Chen,Hai-Ping Wu,Yi-Ling You,Ru-Huei Fu,Pei-Min Chao 한국영양학회 2019 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.13 No.4

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA), is acquired by dietary intake or the in vivo conversion of α-linolenic acid. Many enzymes participating in LCPUFA synthesis are regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα). Therefore, it was hypothesized that the tissue accretion of endogenously synthesized DHA could be modified by PPARα. MATERIALS/METHODS: The tissue DHA concentrations and mRNA levels of genes participating in DHA biosynthesis were compared among PPARα homozygous (KO), heterozygous (HZ), and wild type (WT) mice (Exp I), and between WT mice treated with clofibrate (PPARα agonist) or those not treated (Exp II). In ExpII, the expression levels of the proteins associated with DHA function in the brain cortex and retina were also measured. An n3-PUFA depleted/replenished regimen was applied to mitigate the confounding effects of maternal DHA. RESULTS: PPARα ablation reduced the hepatic Acox, Fads1, and Fads2 mRNA levels, as well as the DHA concentration in the liver, but not in the brain cortex. In contrast, PPARα activation increased hepatic Acox, Fads1, Fads2, and Elovl5 mRNA levels, but reduced the DHA concentrations in the liver, retina, and phospholipid of brain cortex, and decreased mRNA and protein levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor in brain cortex. CONCLUSIONS: LCPUFA enzyme expression was altered by PPARα. Either PPARα deficiency or activation-decreased tissue DHA concentration is a stimulus for further studies to determine the functional significance.

Granular formulation of Beauveria bassiana ERL836 and ER1578 for management of soil-dwelling stage of thrips

Jae Su Kim,Se Jin Lee,Jong Chul Kim,Sihyeon Kim,Mi Rong Lee,Yi-Ting Yang 한국응용곤충학회 2016 한국응용곤충학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2016 No.04

Western flower thrips, (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) have been recognized as serious pests worldwide. Commercially available chemical pesticides challenges against the resistance of the pest and safety to consumers. Herein we investigated the usability of soil-treatment of entomopathogenic Beauveria bassiana (Bb) ERL isolates in tomatoes. Bb-egfp was highly virulent to western flower thrips in laboratory conditions and colonized in soil, which provided a chance for western flower thrips larvae to contact the colonized fungal mass. In a glasshouse trial, Bb ERL836 and Bb ERL1578 granule (GR) were applied to soil surface and mixed well, and five females were infested to each pot of tomato 3 days after the application. The two treatments significantly reduced thrips population in tomatoes 20 and 40 days post applications, comparable to the control efficacy of clothianidin granule (GR) formulation. In the following field trial, the two ERL fungal treatments showed 69.2% and 61.5% of control efficacy, which were similar to that of clothianidin GR (76.9%). This work suggests that applied B. bassiana colonized in soil well and thrips larvae easily contacted the fungal mass, which possibly enabled the control strategy to be alternative way to the chemical control.