A composite damage model based on continuum damage mechanics (CDMs) is proposed for the progressive damage analysis of a composite structure. The damage progressive law that considers the Weibull ...distribution of the composite strength was employed in the damage model. The nonlinear shear behavior of the composites was also considered. Also, a simple model that considers the irreversible strain due to the damage was proposed. The damage model was implemented in the user material subroutine of the ABAQUS/explicit program, VUMAT. Low velocity impact tests of the graphite/epoxy composite plates were also performed in a range of impact energies. The impact energies were classified into three levels based on the impact damage and impact behavior. The impact analyses of the composite plate were performed using the ABAQUS/explicit program with the developed composite damage model. The impact response and impact damage from the numerical analyses were comparable with those of test results.
Non-synonymous SNPs and protein coding SNPs within the promoter region of genes (regulatory SNPs) might have a significant effect on carcass traits. Imputed sequence level data of 10,215 Hanwoo ...bulls, annotated and filtered to include only regulatory SNPs (450,062 SNPs), were used in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify loci associated with backfat thickness (BFT), carcass weight (CWT), eye muscle area (EMA), and marbling score (MS). A total of 15, 176, and 1 SNPs were found to be significantly associated (
< 1.11 × 10
) with BFT, CWT, and EMA, respectively. The significant loci were BTA4 (CWT), BTA6 (CWT), BTA14 (CWT and EMA), and BTA19 (BFT). BayesR estimated that 1.1%~1.9% of the SNPs contributed to more than 0.01% of the phenotypic variance. So, the GWAS was complemented by a gene-set enrichment (GSEA) and protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) analysis in identifying the pathways affecting carcass traits. At
< 0.005 (~2,261 SNPs), 25 GO and 18 KEGG categories, including calcium signaling, cell proliferation, and folate biosynthesis, were found to be enriched through GSEA. The PPIN analysis showed enrichment for 81 candidate genes involved in various pathways, including the PI3K-AKT, calcium, and FoxO signaling pathways. Our finding provides insight into the effects of regulatory SNPs on carcass traits.
Meat from Korean native chickens (KNCs) has high consumer demand; however, slow growth performance and high variation in body weight (BW) of KNCs remain an issue. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) ...is a powerful method to identify quantitative trait-associated genomic loci. A GWAS, based on a large-scale KNC population, is needed to identify underlying genetic mechanisms related to its growth traits. To identify BW-associated genomic regions, we performed a GWAS using the chicken 60K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel for 1328 KNCs. BW was measured at 8 weeks of age, from 2018 to 2020. Twelve SNPs were associated with BW at the suggestive significance level (
< 2.95 × 10
) and located near or within 11 candidate genes, including
,
,
,
,
and
. Gene set enrichment analysis based on the GWAS results at
< 0.05 (1680 SNPs) showed that 32 Gene Ontology terms and two Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, including regulation of transcription, motor activity, the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, and tight junction, were significantly enriched (
< 0.05) for BW-associated genes. These pathways are involved in cell growth and development, related to BW gain. The identified SNPs are potential biomarkers in KNC breeding.
Although constipation has been researched in various neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and spinal cord injury (SCI), the pathological mechanism of this symptom has not been ...investigated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) associated with loss of nerve cells in the brain. This study was undertaken to gain scientific evidences for a molecular correlation between constipation and AD.
To understand the etiology, we measured alterations in various constipation parameters, muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, in 11-month-old Tg2576 transgenic (Tg) mice showing AD-like phenotypes.
A high accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, a key marker of AD pathology, were detected in the cortex and hippocampus of Tg mice. Furthermore, significant alterations were observed in various constipation parameters including stool weight, histological structure, cytological structure and mucin secretion in Tg2576 mice. Moreover, M2 and M3 expression and the downstream signaling pathways of mAChRs were decreased in the Tg group, as compared with non-Tg (NT) group. Furthermore, activation of ER stress proteins and alteration of ER structure were also detected in the same group.
The results of the present study provide strong novel evidence that the neuropathological constipation detected in Tg2576 mice is linked to dysregulation of the mAChR signaling pathways and ER stress response.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Context: Quercetin (QCT) has been known as a potential therapeutic strategy for gastrointestinal diseases because it contributes to the stabilization of mast cells, the prevention of histamine ...release and modulation of CaCC chloride channel.
Objective: We investigated the laxative effect and action mechanism of QCT in Lop-induced constipation model.
Materials and methods: Constipation of SD rats was induced by subcutaneous injection of loperamide (Lop) (4 mg/kg weight) in 0.5% Tween 20 twice a day for three days. After 24 h, the constipation group was further treated with 1× PBS (Lop + Vehicle treated group), 10 mg/kg of QCT (Lop + LQCT treated group), 20 mg/kg of QCT (Lop + MQCT treated group) or 40 mg/kg QCT (Lop + HQCT treated group) at once. At 24 h after QCT treatment, the constipation phenotypes were measured and the transverse colon was collected from SD rats.
Results: The gastrointestinal motility, the number of stools and histological structures were significantly recovered in Lop + QCT treated group compared with the Lop + Vehicle treated group. Also, above activity of epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells were regulated by the mRNA expression of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors M2 and M3 (mAChR M2 and M3) and some mediators of their downstream signalling pathway. Finally, laxative effects of QCT on mAChR signalling pathway were significantly inhibited by the treatment of mAChR antagonist in primary smooth muscle of rat intestine cells (pRISMCs).
Conclusions: This study provides the first strong evidence that QCT can be considered an important candidate for improving chronic constipation induced by Lop treatment in animal models.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
ABSTRACT
To investigate the effects of agar oligosaccharides (AO) on lipid metabolism, changes in obesity phenotypes and related molecular factors were evaluated in C57BL/6N mice fed a high-fat diet ...(HFD). When HFD-induced obese mice were fed AO, they lost weight. Also, fat accumulation in abdominal and liver tissues was lower in the AO groups than in the Vehicle group. Lipid droplet sizes in tissue sections were reduced by AO, and these observations were mirrored by serum lipid contents. To evaluate the effects of AO on lipid metabolism, lipogenesis and lipolysis-related factors were analyzed. The mRNA expressions of genes involved in lipogenesis, such as adipocyte-protein 2 (aP2) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), were reduced by AO administration, and the expressions of lipolysis-associated proteins, including perilipin, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and fat triglyceride lipase (ATGL), were increased. Taken together, our results suggest that AO should be considered a valuable natural agent that inhibits obesity.
Obesity represents a major global public health problem that increases the risk for cardiovascular or metabolic disease. The pigs represent an exceptional biomedical model related to energy ...metabolism and obesity in humans. To pinpoint causal genetic factors for a common form of obesity, we conducted local genomic de novo sequencing, 18.2 Mb, of a porcine QTL region affecting fatness traits, and carried out SNP association studies for backfat thickness and intramuscular fat content in pigs. In order to relate the association studies in pigs to human obesity, we performed a targeted genome wide association study for subcutaneous fat thickness in a cohort population of 8,842 Korean individuals. These combined association studies in human and pig revealed a significant SNP located in a gene family with sequence similarity 73, member A (FAM73A) associated with subscapular skin-fold thickness in humans (rs4121165, GC-corrected p-value = 0.0000175) and with backfat thickness in pigs (ASGA0029495, p-value = 0.000031). Our combined association studies also suggest that eight neuronal genes are responsible for subcutaneous fat thickness: NEGR1, SLC44A5, PDE4B, LPHN2, ELTD1, ST6GALNAC3, ST6GALNAC5, and TTLL7. These results provide strong support for a major involvement of the CNS in the genetic predisposition to a common form of obesity.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Median nerve damage caused by trauma is rare, especially after the massage therapy. There have been no reports of median neuropathy in the distal forearm following massage therapy. A 61-year-old man ...developed paresthesia and numbness in the right hand after two sessions of massage therapy. Electrophysiologic studies, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging were used to localize and confirm the median nerve lesion in the distal forearm. Ultrasound-guided perineural steroid injection and oral pregabalin were administered. At the 1-month follow-up, more than 80% of the sensory symptoms had resolved, and the results of the sensory nerve conduction study and ultrasound showed improvement. Although massage-induced mononeuropathy is uncommon, massage therapy should be performed carefully to avoid complications.
Objective: The study of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) has mainly been focused on meat quality and productivity. Recently the field of microbiome research has increased dramatically. However, the ...information on the microbiome in Hanwoo is still insufficient, especially relationship between vagina and feces. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the microbial community characteristics by analyzing the 16S rRNA sequencing data of Hanwoo vagina and feces, as well as to confirm the difference and correlation between vaginal and fecal microorganisms. As a result, the goal is to investigate if fecal microbiome can be used to predict vaginal microbiome.Methods: A total of 31 clinically healthy Hanwoo that delivered healthy calves more than once in Cheongju, South Korea were enrolled in this study. During the breeding season, we collected vaginal and fecal samples and sequenced the microbial 16S rRNA genes V3-V4 hypervariable regions from microbial DNA of samples.Results: The results revealed that the phylum-level microorganisms with the largest relative distribution were Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria in the vagina, and Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Spirochaetes in the feces, respectively. In the analysis of alpha, beta diversity, and effect size measurements (LefSe), the results showed significant differences between the vaginal and fecal samples. We also identified the function of these differentially abundant microorganisms by functional annotation analyses. But there is no significant correlation between vaginal and fecal microbiome.Conclusion: There is a significant difference between vaginal and fecal microbiome, but no significant correlation. Therefore, it is difficult to interrelate vaginal microbiome as fecal microbiome in Hanwoo. In a further study, it will be necessary to identify the genetic relationship of the entire microorganism between vagina and feces through the whole metagenome sequencing analysis and meta-transcriptome analysis to figure out their relationship.
A large number of thioredoxins (Trxs), small redox proteins, have been identified from all living organisms. However, many of the physiological roles played by these proteins remain to be elucidated. ...We isolated a high Mr (HMW) form of h-type Trx from the heat-treated cytosolic extracts of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) suspension cells and designated it as AtTrx-h3. Using bacterially expressed recombinant AtTrx-h3, we find that it forms various protein structures ranging from low and oligomeric protein species to HMW complexes. And the AtTrx-h3 performs dual functions, acting as a disulfide reductase and as a molecular chaperone, which are closely associated with its molecular structures. The disulfide reductase function is observed predominantly in the low Mr forms, whereas the chaperone function predominates in the HMW complexes. The multimeric structures of AtTrx-h3 are regulated not only by heat shock but also by redox status. Two active cysteine residues in AtTrx-h3 are required for disulfide reductase activity, but not for chaperone function. AtTrx-h3 confers enhanced heat-shock tolerance in Arabidopsis, primarily through its chaperone function.
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